Big Ben Bolts to Bulls

[Lathum]

Wallace set to sign a deal with chicago

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2508742

[Joe]

thats not Roethlisberger

[Eaglesfan27]

The interesting domino effect is that the Bulls are rumored to be considering a trade of Chandler to the Hornets. I'm not sure yet if I'm happy about that or not. At least, the Hornets are trying very hard to improve their team.

[Franklinnoble]

Doesn't surprise me. Dude's got his ring, now he wants the biggest paycheck possible.

[Schmidty]

Good riddance.

[Subby]

I would get off that sinking ship, too. The Bulls are up and coming...Pistons old and busted.

:D

[Schmidty]

I would get off that sinking ship, too. The Bulls are up and coming...Pistons old and busted.

:D

Pistons will be fine.

Wallace rubbed Piston fans the wrong way last season with his pouting, bitching, and steadily declining game.

If nothing else, the Pistons will be more exciting to watch with all 5 players able to score with the ball.

[ice4277]

Pistons will be fine.

Wallace rubbed Piston fans the wrong way last season with his pouting, bitching, and steadily declining game.

If nothing else, the Pistons will be more exciting to watch with all 5 players able to score with the ball.

You are correct sir.

[bronconick]

Who steps in at his position now?

[LionsFan10]

Pistons will be fine.

Wallace rubbed Piston fans the wrong way last season with his pouting, bitching, and steadily declining game.

If nothing else, the Pistons will be more exciting to watch with all 5 players able to score with the ball.

They still lack a bench beyond Antonio McDyess, and that's what cost them in the play-offs, not Ben Wallace. In 2004 they had the five starters and at least 4 or 5 guys coming off the bench that could carry the load if somebody like 'Sheed was in foul trouble (whom I think they should get rid of anyway). The last two years, beyond McDyess, and Hunter (on occassion) their bench was worthless. If they don't improve that some, then I don't see them making it much further then they did last year, if they even make it that far.

[bulletsponge]

Who steps in at his position now?

hehe the former #2 draft pick Darko :P

[Schmidty]

They still lack a bench beyond Antonio McDyess, and that's what cost them in the play-offs, not Ben Wallace. In 2004 they had the five starters and at least 4 or 5 guys coming off the bench that could carry the load if somebody like 'Sheed was in foul trouble (whom I think they should get rid of anyway). The last two years, beyond McDyess, and Hunter (on occassion) their bench was worthless. If they don't improve that some, then I don't see them making it much further then they did last year, if they even make it that far.

Dice will be the starter (according to what I've read), and there's a great chance the Pistons sign Bonzi Wells for the bench.

[hoopsguy]

What kind of salary cap flexibility do the Pistons have at this point? I had read that they are looking to extend Billups - do they have the cap room to go get Wells, who is going to command some money after his finish last year?

[bulletsponge]

and there's a great chance the Pistons sign Bonzi Wells for the bench

LOL omg, forget about another championship then

[Schmidty]

LOL omg, forget about another championship then

Haha. :)

He had a GREAT playoffs this season though.

[jbmagic]

Who steps in at his position now?

Elden Campbell :)

[Joe]

hehe the former #2 draft pick Darko :P

Is Orlando going to trade him back to the Pistons?

[Deattribution]

Looks like Pistons are replacing him with Mohammed

Pistons add Mohammed to try to fill Wallace's void
ESPN.com news services

Free agent center Nazr Mohammed of the Spurs has agreed to a deal with the Detroit Pistons, ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher is reporting.

Terms were unavailable. Mohammed replaces Ben Wallace, who told the team Monday that he was leaving to join the Chicago Bulls.

Wallace, who agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with Chicago, helped Detroit advance to four straight conference finals -- the first team to do so since the Bulls of the early 1990s.

Mohammed played in 80 games for San Antonio last season, averaging 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[chinaski]

great replacement, ive always liked Nazr's game.

[Schmidty]

I still hope they start Dice at the 4, and move Sheed to the 5.

[Logan]

[wade moore]

Sheesh. Did we really need a whole new thread about NBA offseason moves? There's a 13 page thread covering things like this. I can't understand why some people are so lazy.

[/wade moore]

[Schmidty]

[wade moore]

Sheesh. Did we really need a whole new thread about NBA offseason moves? There's a 13 page thread covering things like this. I can't understand why some people are so lazy.

[/wade moore]

This was big enough news, that it deserved it's own thread.

Deal with it. (unless you're just being sarcastic)

[Pumpy Tudors]

Shit, humor is flying over a LOT of people's heads at FOFC so far this month. You guys been watching too much Oprah or something? Good grief.

[Gary Gorski]

4 years and 60 million for a 32 year old who just came off a playoffs where he shot 27% from the line and averaged 4.7 ppg, 1.2 bpg and just over 10 rpg? A block and 10 boards is nothing to dismiss but the guy not only is ineffective on the other end of the floor but a liability - that's not worth 15 million bucks a season.

I realize he's four time defensive player of the year but props to Joe for letting him walk. This contract is a nightmare for the Bulls - Ben will be 36 when the contract finishes and I think he'll be making in the neighborhood of 20 million for that season. I'm not happy that he's leaving and I understand he's played his entire career and never had that huge deal and is taking the money (although the last one he got from Detroit overpaid him for what he was at the time and what he was offered this time was very fair).

I just don't understand it from the Bulls perspective really - they drafted Thomas but now they need to trade Chandler to get PJ Brown so that they can let Brown go after the season when his contract runs out in order to have Chandler's contract out of the way so they can pay Wallace. Four years ago, ok I make this signing but after watching the guy in the playoffs and knowing that he's never going to be that guy who averaged 15 boards and 3 blocks a night (which he hasn't since the 02-03 season) I just can't see tying up that much of the cap on him.

[Schmidty]

Shit, humor is flying over a LOT of people's heads at FOFC so far this month. You guys been watching too much Oprah or something? Good grief.

I, for one, am clueless.

[Coffee Warlord]

Disagree.

Chandler's overpaid ass is gone. This is pretty much obvious. So let's look at this from a simple comparison of Wallace vs Chandler. Essentially, Wallace is a much, much, MUCH better version of Chandler, which is exactly what the Bulls needed.

Chandler for PJ is no big deal. PJ will be a one year wonder who they can get off the books next season, to have room to sign extensions for their primary players. Tyrus gets a year of seasoning behind a proven veteran, and the Bulls have both room to pay their vets next year, plus the swap with the Knicks #1 pick.

This gives them a huge upgrade over Chandler, and they still have the ability to keep their core.

[Logan]

This was big enough news, that it deserved it's own thread.

Deal with it. (unless you're just being sarcastic)

Yes, I was being extremely sarcastic, and figured the "impersonation" of another poster gave it away. But then again, I think you were the one who impersonated jbmagic in one of the review threads, and you claimed it to be a serious question. :)

[Gary Gorski]

Disagree.

Chandler's overpaid ass is gone. This is pretty much obvious. So let's look at this from a simple comparison of Wallace vs Chandler. Essentially, Wallace is a much, much, MUCH better version of Chandler, which is exactly what the Bulls needed.

Last season's stats (PPG RPG BPG SPG)

Chandler - 5.28, 9.04, 1.32, 0.52 (23 years old)
Wallace - 7.28, 11.26, 2.21, 1.78 (31 years old)

Chandler's gonna make what 9 or 10 million this year? For an extra couple million you're getting a guy 8 years older and +2 PPG, +2 RPG, +1 BPG and +1 SPG. Wallace is no doubt the better player today but is he worth an average of 15 million per season and worth tying up all that cap space for the next four years? Do you really want a 36 year old Ben Wallace on the books for 20 million?

[DeToxRox]

The main problem is Ben Wallace won't win the Bulls an NBA title. They won't even finish above Detroit, nor will they make it further then Detroit in the playoffs. This is all in Ben's (most likely) best season he'll have in Chicago.

With the questions out on Ty Thomas, this very well could be the off season that sends the Bulls back 4-5 years again.

I think it's very or hit or miss, leaning very much towards miss.

[stevew]

What kind of salary cap flexibility do the Pistons have at this point? I had read that they are looking to extend Billups - do they have the cap room to go get Wells, who is going to command some money after his finish last year?

They can't really extend Billups as far as I understand. Not if he wants more than a slight raise over what he makes this year. And I would think he wants about 4 years and 50 million or so, which is not feasible within league rules. They could sign and trade for Wells, but that would be pretty much the only way to get him since they used their MLE.