Thomas out of Chicago...

[Kings113]

Chicago Sun-Times - After five straight games on the Bulls' inactive list, veteran forward Tim Thomas has been moved to the really inactive list.

Operations chief John Paxson announced Monday that he and Thomas have reached a mutual understanding in which Thomas no longer will be an active member of the team but will remain on the roster for the time being.

Thomas, 28, won't be released but will be allowed to stay with his family in the New York area while Paxson explores trade possibilities.

''Tim has made some comments about being here, and I have mentioned that he is at a different stage of his professional career than most of our guys,'' Paxson said. ''He wants to play, and right now we're in a position where that's probably not going to happen here.

''I don't want to put Tim and my coach in a position where every day they have to answer the question of when he's coming off the inactive list and why he's not playing.''

After being a starter for most of his career, Thomas appeared in three of the Bulls' 11 games, averaging 4.3 points in 10.7 minutes. A week ago, coach Scott Skiles was asked if Thomas could help the team at some point this season, and Skiles replied, ''I don't know.''

Before the start of the team's recent West Coast trip, Thomas complained about his lack of playing time, saying the team would be better off trading him if he wasn't going to play. Essentially, the Bulls agreed Monday.

''We're going to try to accommodate him,'' Paxson said. ''But we're going to do what we have to do as an organization. We're not going to do anything that's going to set us back.''

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/38117/20051129/thomas_unofficially_done_in_chicago/

Wonder who he goes for.

 

[kingsville]

we should try to get ben "micheal " gordon . I heard he is really unhappy with the 6th man role .

 

[4cwebb]

Thomas has the size and athleticism to make an intriguing prospective back up SF for many teams...unfortunately, he has never put his considerable talents to full use in his NBA career (other than somehow convincing Milwaukee into giving him a big contract).

 

[G_M]

"REALLY INACTIVE LIST"???

Is that like double secret probation??

 

[AriesMar27]

we should try to get ben "micheal " gordon . I heard he is really unhappy with the 6th man role .

and what role would he play on the kings? which starter are we trading for michaels "mini-me"?

 

[Kings113]

No way they're giving up Bee Gee unless it's for a star. Guy is and will be a big part of their revival as a good team (not saying like the Jordan-era, hehe).

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Does this guy have a "Sprewell-esque" reputation, or is Paxson just asking for too much? Because I can't imagine that it's really that hard to move a $14M expiring contract.

Man, the Bulls are going to be trouble next season; they'll have all of their core players under contract (Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Chandler, Sweetney), and they'll have close to $30M (if they don't trade Thomas) to throw at pretty much anybody and everybody they want to.

 

[jacobdrj]

Wow

Does this guy have a "Sprewell-esque" reputation, or is Paxson just asking for too much? Because I can't imagine that it's really that hard to move a $14M expiring contract.

Man, the Bulls are going to be trouble next season; they'll have all of their core players under contract (Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Chandler, Sweetney), and they'll have close to $30M (if they don't trade Thomas) to throw at pretty much anybody and everybody they want to.

That is a pretty amazing thing.
I heard they are going to make a big push for Ben Wallace, as the bigest name in FA next season.

 

[AriesMar27]

wonder if they go after lebron? wont he be a restricted free agent? or is that next year? i forget....

 

[Bricklayer]

wonder if they go after lebron? wont he be a restricted free agent? or is that next year? i forget....

Not till after next year, and he'll still be restrcited even then + obviously Cleveland would macth anything. This summer is going to be slim pickings, with Ben and Peja really the top two guys, and Chiacgo wiht so much cap room right now that they could offer the max to BOTH of them.

 

[AriesMar27]

sucks for them..... how much do they have to spend? isnt there a minimum?

 

[captain bill]

No, they could keep it if they want, just not spend any money and see where they are next year. Of course, fans will be pissed if they just let that money sit, but if they can't get the guys they want, they would be wise not to overspend on middling talent. Probably just get a lot of talented guys w/small contracts- most superstars only come in trades anyway.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Wallace/Chandler
Sweetney/Nicioni/Songaila
Peja/Deng
Duhon/Gordon
Hinrich

That's clearly best case scenario stuff, but it's scary nonetheless. They'll probably end up having to throw money at Al Harrington or Drew Gooden, but I still like what they've got going.

 

[AriesMar27]

^^^ and thats what worries me.... they are headed in the right direction but will end up with garbage players sucking up all of their money.... they should just fill in the gaps with aging verteran players and small contracts.... then go after the big guns later....

 

[Kings113]

Thomas back to New York?:

Newark Star-Ledger - With Tim Thomas on his way out of Chicago, the idea of him returning to the Knicks was brought up at yesterday's practice. Sound far-fetched?

Maybe not. The Knicks are starving for a starting small forward, and Larry Brown acknowledged yesterday that if Thomas were still on the Knicks, he would have been playing substantial minutes instead of sitting on the bench as he has been doing in Chicago.

"He'd be playing a lot of minutes here," Brown said.

Bulls general manager John Paxson announced Monday that Thomas has likely played his last game for the Bulls and he plans to trade him.

Paxson said it was against league rules to trade Thomas back for Davis, but the Knicks do have a perfect match in Penny Hardaway. They make roughly the same money ($14 million) and are in the last year of their contracts. Hardaway has barely played this season -- due to tendinitis in his right knee and because he doesn't fit into Brown's scheme.

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/38135/20051130/knicks_interested_in__tim_thomas/

 

[Kings113]

we should try to get ben "micheal " gordon . I heard he is really unhappy with the 6th man role .

Chicago Sun-Times - Bulls guard Ben Gordon was caught off guard Tuesday by an Internet report that said he's unhappy with his role and wants to become a starter.

''I don't know what that was,'' Gordon said before the Bulls played the Orlando Magic on Tuesday at the United Center. ''It didn't come from me. I don't know nothing about it.''

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/38136/20051130/gordon_denies_hes_unhappy_with_role_off_bench/

Bee Gee says "nay".

 

[Kings113]

NY Post - An NBA official confirmed Bulls GM John Paxson can not trade Tim Thomas back to the Knicks this season under collective-bargaining-agreement rules. Nor can Davis be traded back to Chicago. The Bulls will try to deal Thomas, but if they can't by February's deadline, they'll likely waive him and he'll be a free agent.

Thomas said his first choice is to play for Indiana and isn't sure he'd want a reunion with Brown, who has traded him twice. "If it was up to me, I pretty much don't know if I would want to come back and play for the Knicks," Thomas told New Jersey's Herald News.

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/38149/20051201/thomas_not_returning_to_knicks_first_choice_is_indiana/