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John Paxon=dumbass
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=127347&src=150
Grizzlies owner: Trade talks with Bulls unsatisfactory
By Mike McGraw | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 2/3/2008 11:56 PM
Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said he believes the Bulls should be willing to pay the NBA's luxury tax and said he traded Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday in part because he was worried the Lakers were ready to make a deal to acquire Ben Wallace.
Heisley, a St. Charles resident, spoke to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal about the Grizzlies' decision to trade the 7-foot Gasol to the Lakers essentially for draft picks and salary-cap room.
The Bulls had been chasing Gasol for more than a year and were disappointed not to land the 27-year-old power forward.
"We had conversations with Chicago which were non-satisfactory," Heisley said in the Commercial-Appeal. "They didn't want to take on the luxury-tax situation and Los Angeles was. In this league, if you're in a big-market area you can afford to do those things.
"We negotiated as hard as we could for quality players and (the Bulls) refused to give up anybody in their core group. What they offered us were guys who play on the second and third team, so we turned them down."
The Bulls thought they had a deal a few weeks ago to obtain Gasol in exchange for Andres Nocioni and other pieces, but the Grizzlies insisted the Bulls take another bad contract, most likely Brian Cardinal, in return.
In order to make that deal, or acquire Gasol for expiring contracts, the Bulls' payroll would have risen beyond the luxury-tax threshold next season.
"There is no mystery to it," Heisley said. "I'm not dumb enough to think we got quality for quality for Pau. What we did was try to open up flexibility. We had to reconstruct and start building a team like Portland did and like what Minnesota is trying to do."
To get Gasol, the Lakers gave up Kwame Brown's expiring contract, rookie guard Javaris Crittenton, all-but-retired guard Aaron McKie, the rights to Gasol's brother Marc, two first-round draft picks and cash.
"What we started to see was that we weren't going to get an elite player coming back," said Memphis general manager Chris Wallace. "Rather than take a 'name' player that wasn't going to get us where we wanted to go, we preferred to get picks and salary-cap room."
Heisley also felt the Grizzlies needed to act fast before the Lakers decided to acquire Wallace from the Bulls for Brown and Vladimir Radmanovic.
"Otherwise we'd be like Chicago is today and gotten nothing done," Heisley said. "We were worried that the Lakers might do the deal with Chicago."
A Bulls source doubted the Lakers had serious interest in acquiring Wallace and wondered if there might be hard feelings between Heisley and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Heisley is a longtime Chicago-area resident who has said he became interested in owning an NBA team while watching the championship-era Bulls.
"When Chicago broke up the Bulls, I was fuming for three days," he said. "And the Bulls still aren't back."
Injury report: Ben Wallace (sore knee) and Tyrus Thomas (sprained foot) skipped Sunday's light practice at Seattle's Key Arena, but both are expected to play tonight against the Sonics.
Bulls coach Jim Boylan continued to maintain that Andres Nocioni is not injured and the reason Boylan sent Viktor Khryapa to replace Nocioni less than two minutes into the third quarter of Saturday's 105-101 loss at Sacramento was because Khryapa was playing well.
That last part is debatable, since Khryapa had no points, 4 fouls and 3 turnovers in 21 minutes against the Kings.
John Paxon=dumbass
So are you trying to say Kwame Brown arent on the second team and Javaris Crittenton play in the core group? WTF?
Bulls management is dumb too. even if u give up Luol Deng u still got Hinrich, Gordon and Gasol to play a great inside-outside game, which is good enough to compete in the East.
Except the Lakers didn't. So I don't get that comment.[Chicago] didn't want to take on the luxury-tax situation and Los Angeles was.
it was highway robbery, plain and simple
the lakers will be contenders next season
The last paragraph of the article is interesting. I hope the temp coach alienates Nocioni, so we can make an offer for him. I think Nocioni is a good player, just on a bad team.
Noc is a banger for sure. I love that guy.
If I remember correctly, Chris Wallace also traded Carter to the Nets for less than nothing when he was with Toronto. It's incredible how that guy can still have a job.
If they draft well and land a solid young free agent that compliments Gay we won't be calling it highway robbery. Pau wasn't getting anything done to begin with, might as well put some better pieces together.
I guess I'm one of the few that like the move by the Griz. Pau and his contract tied that team up from growing with a more cohesive team.
that mofo should just kill himself. giving up Gasol for Kwame. and now he is talking about getting quality guys?
It wasn't Gasol for Kwame. It was Gasol for Kwame's expiring K. They get about 4 draft picks out of this, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, and the cap space to sign a good FA in the offseason that can integrate with their team better than Pau.
Marc Gasol's a 7'1" plodder with zero athleticism. Pau he is NOT.
I think he was talking about next season. The Bulls were looking at the same situation without trying to include contracts with the deal next season.
Word is that they will buy Kwame out and he will resign with the lakers in 30 days. Now that would be a rape!So are you trying to say Kwame Brown arent on the second team and Javaris Crittenton play in the core group? WTF?
Bulls management is dumb too. even if u give up Luol Deng u still got Hinrich, Gordon and Gasol to play a great inside-outside game, which is good enough to compete in the East.
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