Kevin Pritchard has a a meeting Saturday with Przybilla

[ducks]

Demand centers on 7-1 Przybilla

By Marlen Garcia
Tribune staff reporter

July 1, 2006, 1:04 AM CDT

If the Bulls are eager to sign Joel Przybilla, they need to move quickly.

The Portland Trail Blazers want to keep the 7-foot-1-inch center and they reportedly sent director of player personnel Kevin Pritchard to Wisconsin for a meeting Saturday with Przybilla, who resides in Milwaukee.

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Saturday is the first day teams can begin discussions with free agents. Players can sign contracts on or after July 12.

Przybilla ranks high on the Bulls' wish list. The Blazers want to re-sign Przybilla but can offer him only the midlevel exception of about $5 million because they are above the salary cap.

The Bulls are in a position to offer much more.

Przybilla, 26, told the Oregonian he is looking for security but is torn about the possibility of leaving the Blazers.

"In sports, nothing is certain, and this could be my one shot to make as much money as I can," Przybilla told the newspaper. "I'm not getting any younger."

He also said he wants to play for a winning team. The Blazers went 21-61 last season but hope to sell Przybilla on their plans to rebuild. They acquired LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy in Wednesday's draft and traded center Theo Ratliff and point guard Sebastian Telfair.

Ratliff's departure makes the re-signing of Przybilla critical for the Blazers.

Przybilla is popular because of his work ethic and size. The Bulls also could use his leadership. He was a Blazers co-captain.

The Bulls are expected to be a front-runner for Przybilla, who averaged six points, seven rebounds and 2.32 blocks per game in his sixth season. Chicago's proximity to Przybilla's Milwaukee home should be a plus for the Bulls.

Przybilla's agent, Bill Duffy, was not available to comment.

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[Gummi]

The more I read about Przybilla, the more I like him. Maybe the Spurs should take a good look at him and offer him part of the mid-level or just the whole thing. He's only 26 and has many more years left and he fits the mold of a Popovich center, that is rebound and block shots.

With Javtokas and him as our centers I think we're good to go.

[ace3g]

we would probably have to offer him the whole MLE for him to play here because some other teams can offer him more than that unless he wants to take a pay cut to play for a championship caliber team

[ducks]

he is making 1.5 million now
anything mroe then that would be a raise

[ducks]

his agent represents rasho
he got spurs to move rasho so spurs could land him?

[clubalien]

I would be HAPPY with the full MLE going to przy HOWEVER, javtokas wanted more years then a LLE would provide.. thus taking part of MLE money

don't think you can offer a player part of bowth excemptions can you?

so where does that put us?

[clubalien]

and because of that I think chicago pays atleats 6mill for przy
ben wallace re ups in detriot

and with bulls already getting a cetner that leave nazr without a home

So in the end I think we have only nazr or lower options like pj brown, cato as our center
ofcourse javtokas is a lock to sign no matter who else we get

[ducks]

bullls have like 18 in cap space
12 for ben
6 for przy
I do not think they need przy and ben though

[bigfan]

I know Nazr is Mr Butterfingers but maybe he is worth keeping. He certainly has the capability to play when he wants to, and maybe with Javtokas sitting next to him instead of Rasho, it will be an incentive for him to keep his head in the game. I say we keep Nazr.

[clubalien]

well ben to bulls
nazr to pistons
przy to spurs is what I would like to see. I just don't it is is possible.

[SenorSpur]

Pryz's ability to rebound (6.0) and block shots (2.3 pg) are starting to sound very intriguing. We know the guy can score and run the pick and roll. Combine that with the fact that he is 7-1 and active around the basket gives the Spurs a good cominbation of the best talents from both Rasho and Nazr. Having said all that, Pryz is really starting to sound like a reasonable option at the 5 spot.

If the Spurs are unable to land Pryzbilla, they Spurs almost certainly need to focus on resigning Nazr - bad hands, good rebounding and all.

With so many teams looking for a center (Bulls, Pistons, Blazers, Jazz), the Spurs would do well to move quickly because they cannot afford to be left with nothing at that spot.

Ben Wallace's decision will probably have a "domino affect" on the what the rest of the teams that need centers will do.

[furry_spurry]

maybe with Javtokas sitting next to him instead of Rasho, it will be an incentive for him to keep his head in the game.

??

Rasho was always helping Nazr and explaining things to him- and in a nice way- not like Manu, Rob, and everyone else who yelled at him. For everything that happened, Rasho and Nazr were very supportive of each other. We always enjoyed how Rasho would gently pat Nazr on the back after Pop got through yelling at him.

Ben will stay with Detroit- Przybilla to the Bulls- then how much will it cost to keep Nazr??

[clubalien]

then how much will it cost to keep Nazr??
a championship ;[

[Behrooz24]

I like Przybilla, he's not soft (like Rasho) and he doesn't have chicken grease fingers (like Nazr).

[ducks]

Pritchard was from the spurs org
I think a sign and trade could happen here if joel says he is leaving

[Beaverfuzz]

Joel isn't coming to San Antonio.

[ducks]

because?