The Bulls made it sound as though re-signing free agent guard Ben Gordon would be a top priority this summer. But on the day free-agent negotiations could begin, Gordon quickly accepted a five-year, $55-million deal from the Detroit Pistons.
There were conflicting reports about whether Gordon or his agent gave the Bulls a chance to match the offer, but it probably didn't matter. The Bulls had only around $2 million to spare before crossing the luxury tax threshold and wouldn't have been willing to pay such a high price for Gordon. His departure shouldn't have been a big surprise, since the Bulls essentially found a replacement last February when they acquired 6-foot-6 John Salmons from Sacramento. As much as they'll miss Gordon's scoring, Bulls management felt the team would have a better chance of contending for a spot in the Finals with a taller backcourt. After making his departure official, Gordon wasn't looking back.
"The Bulls never made an offer," Gordon said. "We were all ears, my agent (Raymond Brothers) and myself. Even after I signed the one-year deal and the things that happened the last two summers, not once did we turn our backs on the Bulls. I said that I'd still be willing to listen to the Bulls and work something out.
"They didn't even make an offer to me. That was kind of surprising, but I guess it's part of the way they do business. I'm moving on and I'm happy with my decision."
As it stands, the Bulls would probably open next season with Salmons starting at two guard and Luol Deng at small forward, with Kirk Hinrich coming off the bench. There have been persistent rumors, though, that the Bulls have discussed trading for Utah power forward Carlos Boozer.
