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fluid.forty.one · 07-04-2006, 04:18 PM

Sources: Wallace to join Bulls - and Garnett might be next

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

By Paul Ladewski
Staff writer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bulls general manager John Paxson promised to think big in the free-agent market, which opened for business Saturday.
But if the master plan comes to fruition, this offseason has the potential to be bigger than big for a Bulls team that hasn't advanced to the second round of the playoffs in eight long years.

According to league sources, forward-center Ben Wallace, who previously played for the Detroit Pistons, and the Bulls agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract. The deal cannot be consummated until July 12, when the salary cap will be in place for next season.

"I appreciate everything that Detroit did for me," Wallace told the Detroit News. "They gave me an opportunity to make a name for myself, and we had an opportunity to win a championship together."

Paxson and Bulls head coach Scott Skiles met with Wallace on Saturday, the first day teams could contact free agents.

Paxson did not return a phone call Monday night.

According to published reports, the Pistons had a four-year, $51 million deal on the table. Wallace was said to be disappointed the offer was less than the five-year, $57 million contract that Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace signed last year.

Pistons operations chief Joe Dumars was reluctant to make Wallace a more generous offer because of his age (31) and the fact his rebound and blocked shot averages had declined in each of the last three seasons.

"It was all about the money," a source close to the negotiations said. "It had nothing to do with relationships with teammates or coaches or front office personnel."

As part of the deal, the Bulls are believed to have promised to continue their pursuit of Minnesota Timberwolves star forward Kevin Garnett, who could be the final piece to the championship puzzle.

Wallace had said he would leave the Pistons only if another contender exceeded their contract offer. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year can't be expected to turn the Bulls into a serious championship threat by himself. He averaged 11.3 rebounds, 7.3 points and 2.2 blocked shots in 82 games last season.

The Daily Southtown reported last week that the Bulls were among several teams that inquired about Garnett prior to the NBA draft. Timberwolves operations chief Kevin McHale made it known that Garnett was not available.

The Bulls believe they can revive the talks if they sweeten their offer of center Tyson Chandler and forward Luol Deng with recent first-round draft pick Tyrus Thomas, whom the Timberwolves are known to covet.

A nucleus of Garnett, Wallace and Andres Nocioni on the front line coupled with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt would immediately turn the Bulls into a legitimate championship contender.

In the meantime, the Timberwolves would be able to build around a young front line of Chandler, Deng and Thomas, who was the second overall pick in the draft a week ago.

Otherwise, the Bulls would be left with a pair of non-scorers in Chandler and Wallace in the middle.

Another possibility is a trade with the Denver Nuggets, who re-signed center-forward Nene to a six-year, $60 million deal recently. The contract was similar to the extension that Chandler received last summer.

07-04-2006, 04:18 PM	#1
fluid.forty.one Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 19,413	KG to the Bulls? Looks like they aren't done yet. Sources: Wallace to join Bulls - and Garnett might be next Tuesday, July 4, 2006 By Paul Ladewski Staff writer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bulls general manager John Paxson promised to think big in the free-agent market, which opened for business Saturday. But if the master plan comes to fruition, this offseason has the potential to be bigger than big for a Bulls team that hasn't advanced to the second round of the playoffs in eight long years. According to league sources, forward-center Ben Wallace, who previously played for the Detroit Pistons, and the Bulls agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract. The deal cannot be consummated until July 12, when the salary cap will be in place for next season. "I appreciate everything that Detroit did for me," Wallace told the Detroit News. "They gave me an opportunity to make a name for myself, and we had an opportunity to win a championship together." Paxson and Bulls head coach Scott Skiles met with Wallace on Saturday, the first day teams could contact free agents. Paxson did not return a phone call Monday night. According to published reports, the Pistons had a four-year, $51 million deal on the table. Wallace was said to be disappointed the offer was less than the five-year, $57 million contract that Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace signed last year. Pistons operations chief Joe Dumars was reluctant to make Wallace a more generous offer because of his age (31) and the fact his rebound and blocked shot averages had declined in each of the last three seasons. "It was all about the money," a source close to the negotiations said. "It had nothing to do with relationships with teammates or coaches or front office personnel." As part of the deal, the Bulls are believed to have promised to continue their pursuit of Minnesota Timberwolves star forward Kevin Garnett, who could be the final piece to the championship puzzle. Wallace had said he would leave the Pistons only if another contender exceeded their contract offer. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year can't be expected to turn the Bulls into a serious championship threat by himself. He averaged 11.3 rebounds, 7.3 points and 2.2 blocked shots in 82 games last season. The Daily Southtown reported last week that the Bulls were among several teams that inquired about Garnett prior to the NBA draft. Timberwolves operations chief Kevin McHale made it known that Garnett was not available. The Bulls believe they can revive the talks if they sweeten their offer of center Tyson Chandler and forward Luol Deng with recent first-round draft pick Tyrus Thomas, whom the Timberwolves are known to covet. A nucleus of Garnett, Wallace and Andres Nocioni on the front line coupled with Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt would immediately turn the Bulls into a legitimate championship contender. In the meantime, the Timberwolves would be able to build around a young front line of Chandler, Deng and Thomas, who was the second overall pick in the draft a week ago. Otherwise, the Bulls would be left with a pair of non-scorers in Chandler and Wallace in the middle. Another possibility is a trade with the Denver Nuggets, who re-signed center-forward Nene to a six-year, $60 million deal recently. The contract was similar to the extension that Chandler received last summer.