This just shows everyone how FUCKIN STUPID Paxson is

The Bulls are prepared to sign Tracy McGrady if he proves to be sufficiently healthy in a workout Monday and can convince the team he is willing to accept a bench role, one source familiar with Chicago's thinking said Sunday.



McGrady

"Nothing is done until it's done, but I expect the Bulls to sign McGrady later this week," the source said.

Another unknown is what kind of contract McGrady can command from the Bulls. But McGrady has said money and years are not priorities after earning nearly $23 million last season with Houston and New York.

Although he has expressed interest in snagging one of the spots on Miami's bench in support of the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh triumvirate and he auditioned for the Los Angeles Clippers last week, Chicago is undeniably where McGrady has been hoping to wind up.

McGrady made his desires evident in several recent messages on his Twitter feed, including his pronouncements Saturday that he has "unfinished business" with the Bulls and that it "could be fate this time round" with Chicago after drawing serious interest from the Bulls in the 1997 draft and again during free agency in 2000.

It obviously doesn't hurt McGrady's chances that Bulls star Derrick Rose told ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell on Friday that the idea of signing McGrady -- Rose's favorite player as a kid -- has his full support.

"That would be good," Rose said. "I think that if he comes along, he could help our team.

"A player like him, with his experience and how he plays, I think it would help us."

McGrady, 31, would be Chicago's sixth acquisition this offseason, joining Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson and Kurt Thomas.

As ESPN.com reported earlier this week, McGrady's highly publicized trip to Los Angeles to work out for the Clippers was as much to nudge the Bulls closer to signing him as it was to try and impress L.A., which appears to no longer have an opening for McGrady after the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that the Clippers are bringing back Rasual Butler.

The seven-time All-Star was limited to 30 games last season in his recovery from microfracture surgery on his left knee. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 26.1 minutes in 24 starts for the Knicks, who acquired the two-time scoring champion from Houston in a three-way deal in February.

"He's good," Rose said. "He's a player. If he just gives us half of what he's got, we'll be all right.

"But I know a player like him, he's going to go out there and give us his all, but he'll definitely help us if we get him on the team."

ESPN.com also reported last week that Miami is hesitant to sign high-profile names like McGrady or Shaquille O'Neal for its bench, preferring low-key additions whom won't complicate the overhauled Heat's quest for fast-developing chemistry or encroach on the James/Wade/Bosh spotlight.

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

We could only hope the veterans minimum. I hope they are not dumb enough to give him a multi-year deal.

_________________

Let's hope that Thibs has the stones to glue him to the bench if he dogs it, starts ball-hogging, or otherwise not contributing to the team concept.

My initial reaction is, it's not the greatest idea in the world, but let's see what kind of contract this guy is offered before we rush to judgement.

_________________
1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Does this mean that the Bulls won't get past the first round?

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

I've been in favor of this for a while. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

_________________

I don't see what the outrage is about. This is one of those "can't hurt, could help" scenarios. Of course he's no longer a top-5 player in the league but it doesn't hurt to have a seasoned 6'8" slasher amidst a team of jump-shooters. McGrady can still create his own shot and draw defenders, plus he'll have the added advantage of playing next to one of the top PGs in the NBA (which he's never had).

McGrady knows where he's at in his career. He knows this is Derrick Rose's team. He's not stupid. I think at this point he's happy to have a job. I hope they make the move.

_________________
Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

This.

I'd make McGrady blow Benny the Bull before I sign him. He blew Benny off when he was on top of the world,now what goes around comes around. Pax should give him a call,have him show up to a darkened stadium gym,have him get to center court where a "Benny the Bull" is standing there with his manhood exposed.

In other words F U,McGrady!!

_________________
favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

If he really does know this, then I am fine with it. I just worry he doesn't know it yet.

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

All depends on what kind of money they give him. If GarPax gives him anything more than a 1 year deal then I don't like it....McGrady is the type of player who you can't ever let feel comfortable otherwise he is going to give less effort. Hopefully Rose and Noah are far enough along in their careers that they can keep him in line.

_________________

If that's what he's willing to do, then it's clearly worth the risk.

Otherwise, it's buyer beware.

The Bulls need more scoring, and if McGrady is healthy now, can stay healthy, and is even a shell of his former self, it's a good signing. Give him a one year deal with either a team option or mutual option for a second. This is true low risk, high reward situation. McGrady knows his place in the league, and if everything go's well can be a decent contributor off the bench. Do it.

_________________
Second City Saint

Thumbs way up. 2o mins a game. scoring option down stretch

McGrady can take and make shots at the end of the game too. As great as Rose is and will be he hasn't shown at any point in his career he is comfortable taking those shots or he can make them. McGrady had one of the best clutch performances I've ever seen against the Spurs. They were down 10 with about a min to go and McGrady brought them back and won the game by himself. This happened about 3 years ago.

_________________

I remember this game....It was pretty impressive.

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=nfurCV1FDpM&feature=related

I am going to refrain from getting to upset about this signing until I see the terms of the deal and to see if McGrady even passes the physical officially.

_________________

It would have been a top 5 finish if it would have happened in a playoff game.

_________________

Exactly, it was 3 years ago. He has done nothing in the past two seasons.

If they bring him into camp on a non-guaranteed deal, that would be ok. But anything guaranteed or multiple years is a terrible idea.

_________________

Why is there an issue with him having a guaranteed deal? I understand not wanting to give him a multiple year deal but guaranteeing him money on a one year deal shouldn't be an issue. It's not like the Bulls won't be able to trade him and his expiring contract. It's not like there is another player that is available that the Bulls won't be able to get because his contract is guaranteed.

_________________

I would offer him a 2 year deal with a team option on the 2nd year. IMO that makes the most sense for the Bulls.

_________________

Of course he would accept less. He probably only wants a 1 year deal. Hoping that he looks something like he used to and can get a decent payday after this season. That's why I hope Jerry gives him a 2 year deal with a team option on year 2. If he sucks he gets to walk but if he is 75% of his former self the Bulls benefit.

_________________

Thought about this a bit. I'd offer him no more than 1 year on the Veteran's minimum.

_________________
1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

The Bulls would have given Lebron the best chance to win,It gives T Mac his best chance to win a playoff series

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Agreed. But this will be a one year. Arnt all contacts in NBA guaranteed? This is not NFL.

Some contracts in the NBA have team and player options.

_________________

Why? He can go to Miami or the Lakers for that. The Bulls have the cash to spend and no one else but the weed smoking/injury prone Josh Howard is worth spending any money on. They seen him work out so they have an idea how far along he is. I expect him to get a contract for around $3.5M if he is healthy.

_________________

You should read that as: I wouldn't mind if he went elsewhere.

_________________
1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Gotcha

_________________

If you really want a job and want to get back to being the player you were how the hell do you show up to a workout out of shape? That means you're fucking lazy and want something given to you. It's one thing to not be able to move as well but to be out of shape is a deal breaker. I'll pass and I hope the Bulls do too.

Tracy McGrady left the Berto Center on Monday without a contract offer after working out for roughly an hour and then meeting with Bulls management after lunch.

This time, it wasn't McGrady's choice.

Ten summers after flirting with the Bulls before joining his home state Magic in free agency, the seven-time All-Star told reporters joining Derrick Rose and Co. represents his top choice as he tries to resuscitate a career derailed by microfracture surgery on his left knee in 2009.

Register with Chicago Tribune and receive free newsletters and alerts >>

According to two people who witnessed the workout, McGrady shot the ball well but didn't move with much fluidity or exhibit superior conditioning. Andy Greer, who served as an assistant with the Rockets along with coach Tom Thibodeau when McGrady played there, led the workout.

Those two coaches' familiarity with McGrady, as well as Rose's public lobbying for him that stems, in part, from their shared agency, represent McGrady's best chance at landing a Bulls offer. Yet no definitive decision has been made, and one league source who spoke with Bulls management said he wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls passed.

Another source said management has considered a non-guaranteed deal near the veteran's minimum of $1.35 million if an offer is made, but that an offer is unlikely.

"I'd fit in well," an amiable McGrady told reporters. "I'd bring what I know about the game and my athleticism and versatility. Knowing my smarts for the game, leadership, anything I can add to help these guys over the edge.

"Without me, without (Carlos) Boozer, they were a .500 club. With the guys that they added, and if you add me, I think we'll be 30 points better."

McGrady played just 30 games last season and, barring an injury to a rotation player, almost certainly would be reduced to a spot bench role should he land the 12th contract on the Bulls' roster.

"I won't have a problem, but that's not what I'm really shooting for," McGrady said. "Yeah, if I was the player that I was in a Knicks uniform, I would have no problem coming off the bench. But I have worked extremely hard and I'm far from being that player. Trust me.

"It's up to me in training camp to prove I'm a starter."

McGrady downplayed a question about his reputation as a selfish player who affects locker room chemistry.

"Thibodeau was with me for three years," he said. "If I was a bad locker room guy, I don't think he'd have any interest in bringing me here. People around the league know me and know I'm not that type of person."

Physically, McGrady said he feels far better than during his Knicks stint last season.

"I've had my time where I was a really big name and top player in the NBA with endorsement deals," McGrady said. "But eventually none of that stuff really matters. What matters now is contributing to this club if I'm a part of it and trying to win a championship."

_________________

By Chris Broussard and Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Tracy McGrady spoke like he was already a member of the Chicago Bulls when he addressed reporters Monday, using the word "we" as he described the team's prospects for next season.

"I think we can be really good," McGrady said, "I really do."

But McGrady hasn't completely sold the Bulls and might not get the contract offer he wants and expects, according to sources with knowledge of Chicago's thinking.


Despite an on-court audition for team officials Monday that one source said raised no significant concerns about his physical condition, McGrady apparently has not convinced the Bulls that he is willing to embrace a secondary role, which is one of two key prerequisites the two-time scoring champ must satisfy to secure a deal from Chicago.

One source close to the process told ESPN.com that the prospect of Chicago signing McGrady was downgraded to "unlikely" after the workout and interview, with the Bulls saying they wanted more time to consider other options. Another source confirmed that the post-workout meeting between McGrady and Bulls' decision-makers did not clinch a deal, as McGrady had hoped.

ESPN.com reported Sunday that McGrady had to show Chicago that he was sufficiently healthy and, perhaps more importantly, eager to take on any role outlined by new Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau -- big or small -- to join a young, promising roster that already has 11 players.

After the workout at the Bulls' practice facility in Deerfield, Ill. --- in a manner that made it sound as though his signing was a virtual formality -- McGrady confirmed to the assembled media that going to Chicago is his first choice in free agency.

"This was a great team, a pretty good team, without adding myself and Carlos Boozer, and some of the key players that they added this offseason," McGrady said.

Yet McGrady, when asked about coming off the bench, seemed to suggest that he expects to be more than a role player in Chicago.

"I won't have a problem, but that's not what I'm really shooting for," McGrady said. "I think, yeah, if I was the player that I was in a Knicks uniform [at the end of last season], I would have no problem coming off the bench. But I've worked extremely hard and I'm far from being that player. Trust me.

"It's up to me in training camp," McGrady continued, "to prove I'm a starter."

McGrady, 31, would be Chicago's sixth acquisition this offseason if the Bulls signed him, joining Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Watson and Kurt Thomas.

As ESPN.com reported last week, McGrady's highly-publicized trip to Los Angeles to work out for the Clippers was as much to nudge the Bulls closer to signing him as it was to try and impress L.A., which appears to no longer have an opening for McGrady after the Clippers committed to bringing back Rasual Butler.

The seven-time All-Star was limited to 30 games last season in his recovery from microfracture surgery on his left knee. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 26.1 minutes in 24 starts for the Knicks, who acquired McGrady from Houston in a three-way trade in February.

The signing of McGrady has the endorsement of Bulls star Derrick Rose. Thibodeau is also well-acquainted with McGrady after their time together in Houston when Thibodeau was an assistant to then-Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. McGrady's agent Arn Tellem, furthermore, has a longstanding relationship with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.

But the Bulls, while still short of proven scoring at the wing positions, might be hesitant to gamble on bringing in a player of McGrady's stature -- even on a non-guaranteed contract -- if he's as determined to eventually win a starting spot as he sounded Monday.

"Without me, without Boozer, they're a .500 ball club," McGrady said. "And with the guys that they added, if they add me, I think we'll be 30 points better. I think we'll be a better defensive team with Thibodeau, who I played with for three years [in Houston]. So [the Bulls] have a really good chance of being good. The city should be excited about this team."

When pressed about his ability to fit in with the deep Bulls and the corresponding media skepticism about Chicago's need to sign him, McGrady added: "You can't worry about that. ... Thibodeau was with me for three years, so if I was a bad locker room guy I don't think he would have had any interest in bringing me here."

McGrady has made no secret of his longing for Chicago through several recent messages via his Twitter feed, including pronouncements Saturday that he has "unfinished business" with the Bulls and that it "could be fate this time round" with Chicago after drawing serious interest from the Bulls in the 1997 draft and again during free agency in 2000.

It also couldn't have hurt McGrady's chances that Rose told ESPNChicago.com last week that the idea of signing McGrady -- Rose's favorite player as a kid -- has his full support.

"That would be good," Rose said. "I think that if he comes along, he could help our team. A player like him, with his experience and how he plays, I think it would help us.

"He's good. He's a player. If he just gives us half of what he's got, we'll be all right. ... He'll definitely help us if we get him on the team."

McGrady was equally complimentary of Rose.

"I'm very excited about the opportunity," McGrady said. "If I do choose to come here, he'd definitely be the best point guard I've played with. The guy is very explosive. He's getting better every year. He's improving his jump shot. He's just a great young talent who has a tremendous upside to be a great player in this league."

As for his health, McGrady said: "I feel good. I've been battling to get back to rare form for two years, coming off of microfracture surgery, and it's been a tough road. But I feel pretty good compared to my last game I played in New York. I was still going through the rehab process and I'm definitely a long ways away from what I used to look like. So I'm very, very confident in what I'm going to be coming up in this upcoming season."

The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that the Bulls were contemplating whether to offer McGrady a non-guaranteed deal for next season if they decide to go ahead with the experiment, but McGrady has said money and years are not priorities after earning nearly $23 million last season with Houston and New York.

_________________

I just heard from Les, via David Schuster, Tracy's workout was no great shakes. No thanks, I would rather have Shaq...

_________________
We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer