They are trying to get under the luxury tax threshold.

That's what Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix told Dan Patrick this morning, even though reports here claim the Bulls have the better offer for Tracy.

Posted in the other thread - but the Knicks are balking at the TMac deal - the picks and Jordan Hill are the hold up for them

TMac is an awful player. He gets hurt just about every year. I don't recall how many playoff series they've won, but probably not many. How is this malcontent going to work with Vinny Del Negro?

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

His value is his expiring contract.

T-Mac has never won a playoff series ever when he is on the roster in his career I believe. Nobody wants him to stick around, and he won't. He will be gone after the season.

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What part of this are you and others NOT getting? The Bulls would not be getting TMac for his play now, they would be getting him because he has a huge expiring deal that would help them in signing FA's this summer! Gracious people, catch a freaking clue!

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

If T-Mac is good that's gravy. No one cares about that. The Bulls care about the cap space he can give them.

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It would be awesome if they got him and then sent Benny the Bull and the LuvaBulls to pick him up at the airport.

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

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That didn't work last time

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But this time he would be traded here, and not a prospective free agent.

Maybe he would just get back on the plane, and not show up. It would probably help the team for the rest of the season.

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I don't know why this is so hard for some to pickup on:

It does not matter what-so-ever who the Bulls get back in trades this year as long as their deals expire at the end of this year. Draft picks are fine too.

We will see a 3+ team deal before the deadline.

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The Bulls are struggling to get any deals done. I don't think anybody wants to give up an expiring deal for the privelege of overpaying Salmons or Kirk. I think this deal works for both teams:

Bulls send: Kirk to Lakers ($9.5M, expires 2012)
Lakers send: Sasha Vujijic ($5.0M, expires 2011) and Derek Fisher ($5.48M,expires this year) and cash to the Bulls

Why the Bulls do it: They aren't finding any suitors for Kirk. As it stands now, despite what everybody is reporting, the Bulls will NOT have enough to offer a max deal. This would shave another $4M off their cap number next year (difference between Sasha and Hinrich's deals next year). Plus, Sasha's deal would expire after next year, whereas Kirk would still have another year. So, it will save them roughly $12M.

Why the Lakers do it: They need a perimiter defender, but don't want to pay Kirk $17M over the next two seasons AND pay his luxury tax number. If the Bulls take Sasha off of their hands, the luxury tax hit wouldn't be AS bad, making this a more manageable deal for them.

I'm not wild about this deal, but its SOMETHING that will enable them to be in a better position next summer.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

BS I don't see the Bulls doing that.

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I like that deal.

Fisher is a great team guy for the rest of the year, and Sasha Vujijic is a serviceable guard. It also allows you to cut some of the dead weight this team is carrying at guard (Pargo, Brown, Grandpa).

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Apparently "things have changed" with the Knicks regarding draft picks they are asking for. Hopefully the Bulls are back in it!

Why would they not have enough to do a max deal? They have Miller, James and in this scenario Fisher's deals coming off next year which add up to over 20M. Toss in Tyrus leaving and you are closer to 23.

It's not that simple HV.

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Their payroll this year is $69M. If they renounce Tyrus's rights, that will be clearing about $28.75M off the cap with their expiring deals, and Kirk's de-escalating contract. That puts them at Roughly $40M before they sign anybody. The cap hasn't been announced yet for next year, but it's expected to be around $53M. That only leaves them with about $13M to throw at somebody, which is about $3-$4M short of a max deal.

*DISCLAIMER* I'm no capologist, that's just how I understand it...

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

You are correct.

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I was never good at that funny math.

Here's a helpful link to get a feel for their salary situation:

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/chicago.htm

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

We're paying Tim Thomas for all of his DNP-CD's for Dallas?

Yikes.

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It would be sweet to get rid of Luol, Kirk and John.

No, this site is better and more accurate

http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/contracts

From ESPN.com:

The Chicago Bulls are holding guard John Salmons out of Wednesday’s game at New York in anticipation of a trade, ESPN.com has learned.

Salmons’ destination could not be immediately confirmed, but the Bulls have made the decision to pull Salmons out of the game against the Knicks because he is going to be traded before Thursday’s 3 p.m. trading deadline.

Any team willing to take on Salmons has to pay him $5.8 million next season.

The Bulls have been trying to force teams interested in Tyrus Thomas to include Salmons in the deal or include him as part of a package for Houston’s Tracy McGrady.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

My guess, and I'm pulling this from nowhere:

Salmons to Minnesota for Brian Cardinal. Cardinal's deal matches up, and it expires after this year.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."

I'm already wrong. The Knicks traded Darko to the Wolves for Cardinal. Expiring for expiring.

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"Tubby? Oh yes, Tubby."