Will Gordon's decision create the cap room to sign Wade? Keep dreaming
While a new coaching staff works behind closed doors with the same old group of Bulls players, plus Derrick Rose, the biggest news from the first week of camp was Ben Gordon opting to sign the one-year qualifying offer.
This means Gordon will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Bulls figure to have an opportunity to re-sign their leading scorer, but they could also lose the No. 3 pick of the 2004 draft for nothing in return.
No doubt many Bulls fans are wondering if it's possible to turn any money saved in Gordon's potential departure into another free agent, like maybe, to give a completely random example, Dwyane Wade. Well, if the question is, "Can the Bulls create some salary-cap room?" The answer is no in 2009.
Even if Gordon and Drew Gooden leave in free agency, the Bulls have $55.9 million committed to eight players in 2009-10, and this year's salary cap is $58.68 million. Add in next year's first-round draft pick, along with enough players to fill out the roster and there's no room left.
The Bulls could create some cap room in 2010, which may go down in history as the biggest free-agent bonanza of this generation. Among the players who can either opt out or whose contracts expire are Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire, Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginobili and Joe Johnson, along with many others.
As of now, the Bulls have $35.8 million in salary commitments for 2010, which would leave them at least $20 million in cap room. But, that's only if Gordon and Gooden leave while bringing nothing in return and the Bulls renounce Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha, who would be restricted free agents that summer if they do not sign an extension next year.
There's no telling how much it will take to re-sign Thomas and Sefolosha. Neither has shown much more than potential during two NBA seasons, but several Bulls have talked about how well Thomas is playing so far in camp.
In theory, the Bulls could probably sign Thomas to an extension, wait on Sefolosha and have enough cap room to chase one top-line free agent in 2010. Then again, do they really want to let both Gordon and Gooden walk away next summer?
General manager John Paxson has said he will not use a strategy of creating cap room in 2010. That sounds like a smart decision, since the Bulls demonstrated in 2000 what can happen when a team puts all its eggs into the free-agent basket. A 15-67 season, to be specific.
Of course, Gordon will make his own choice next summer. If he doesn't stay with the Bulls, cap-room creation could become an attractive backup plan.
Which brings us back to the tantalizing dream of securing a homegrown backcourt featuring Rose and Wade in 2010. Wade obviously has a strong affection for his hometown, since he was here most of the summer working out and promoting community development projects when not occupied by the Olympic team.
The Bulls wouldn't necessarily need cap room to acquire Wade, since there will be other teams with money to spend in 2010. If Wade did want to return home, he could tell the Heat, "Trade me to the Bulls or I'll sign with Team X and you'll get nothing in return."
If that ever happened, the Bulls would gladly hand back Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and pretty much anyone else on the team besides Rose.
Thinking realistically, though, Wade's availability is out of anyone's hands. If Wade and Michael Beasley can bond and turn Miami back into an Eastern Conference contender, he doesn't figure to leave. If the Heat is still a lottery team in two years, Wade will think hard about switching uniforms. In the meantime, the Bulls can only try to turn things around with the players already in the gym.