Free Agent Summit?
Any effort by the Bulls to lure Dwyane Wade to Chicago apparently would have to begin with the club explaining why its two greatest recent champions seem to be treated as outcasts.
Is D-Wade right to wonder how the Bulls treat former stars? Yes, loyalty matters No, it's a phony issue
The Bulls' image as unfriendly to former stars such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen could adversely affect the team's ability to land the Miami Heat guard or any of the other five-star free agents this summer, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.
"I think the biggest question that you think about has to be loyalty," Wade told the paper. "I know one thing about Miami: It is a very loyal organization. I see what they do with their players when their players get done with the game of basketball … how loyal they are. I don't know about the Bulls."
Wade said he plans to speak with the Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Hawks' Joe Johnson before making a decision once free agency begins July 1. The potential to win NBA titles may matter, but so too will what happens after the championship parades ends.
"I see Michael Jordan is not there, Scottie Pippen is not there. … You know, these guys are not a part," Wade said. "Things like that. So that is probably one of the biggest things for me, because I am a very loyal person."
Wade said he's not sure when the top free agents will compare notes. They have spoken informally in the past.
"(Free agency) has been three years coming," Wade said. "We've discussed it prematurely, at different times. (But) you don't know what guys are thinking and where they're going. I think we'll all sit down, and before one of us makes a decision, all of us will have spoken to each other and (listened to the) thinking."
Wade would welcome sharing the stage with another top-rung star.
"I understand that you have to have a great team, a great supporting cast around you. That's all I want," he told the paper. "My ego is not that big. … I just want to win."
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The Buccaneers front office and the representative for Gerald McCoy are optimistic that his rookie contract will be done before training camp starts. McCoy was taken with the third-overall pick in the draft, and the contract will be aided by a defensive lineman being taken with the third pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the representative for defensive tackle Gerald McCoy have not started serious negotiations on McCoy's contract yet. The Bucs will have general manager Mark Dominik and director of football administration Digger Daley negotiating the contract with McCoy's representatives, Ben Dogra and Kelli Masters. Both sides are optimistic a deal will be done on time and a hold out will be avoided.
The Bucs and Masters benefit from a contract in the 2009 NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs took LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson with the third-overall pick in the draft. This year, Dominik and Masters can use Jackson's contract as a basis to negotiate McCoy's deal. It helps that both players are defensive linemen.
Typical deals for NFL rookies see an annual increase in the value of rookie contracts. That percentage can be added towards Jackson's contract, and minus some finer points, the contract should be rather cut and dry.
Jackson signed his contract in time for the first practice in training camp. ESPN reported that he received a five-year contract worth $57 million with $31 million guaranteed. Jackson's agent was Eugene Parker. McCoy's contract could total over $60 million with $35 million guaranteed.
McCoy and Masters have spent some of their time researching the Tampa Bay area and how McCoy can get active in community charities. McCoy, 22, plans on being very active in the local community and is spending his non-football time getting to know the area and find places where he would like to focus his community participation.
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound McCoy grew up a Buccaneers fan, and had a particular affinity for former Buccaneer legendary defensive tackle Warren Sapp.
Dominik and Masters declined to publicly comment on the upcoming negotiations, but both parties were optimistic that the contract would be an easy process and it would be done on time. The Buccaneers have not publicly announced the start date for their 2010 training camp, which will again be held at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, but it is expected to begin on or around July 31.
Last year, Tampa Bay signed first-round pick quarterback Josh Freeman on the day that the players reported for training camp. Contracts for quarterbacks tend to be more difficult to negotiate. Freeman's contract was reportedly worth $36 million over five seasons with $10.245 million guaranteed.
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Magic Game tonight at 8:30 on ESPN!!!!!
Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins will play in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday.
The NBA announced it would rescind the second technical foul against Perkins official Eddie Rush called with 36.1 seconds left in the first half. Celtics forward Paul Pierce's foul with 8:12 in the fourth quarter has also been upgraded to a flagrant foul 1.
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Lakers Win by 2 points! AWESOME GAME
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