Bulls, NBA Ramping Up For Season

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Nov 30, 2011 4:20PM

While we believe another round of negotiations was just an excuse to avoid taking their wives to the mall on Black Friday, NBA players and owners reached a collective bargaining agreement over the holiday weekend. That means the NBA's season won't be wiped out as many feared. Already a month past the season's original start date, the league is now scrambling to hammer out the details of the abbreviated season so that the teams can finally take to the hardwood once again.

Among the biggest issues are new schedules and team rosters. The league is expected to tip off on Christmas Day with a slate of five marquee games the league will announce later this week. We expect that the Bulls-Lakers originally on the schedule for the holiday will be among those. A 66-game schedule is in the works for the 2011-2012 season, which means more games per month and even playing on three consecutive days. 48 games will be against conference opponents, while just 18 will be against non-conference teams. That means that not every team will hit every NBA town this year.

Prior to the season's start, teams can open their facilities to players for voluntary workouts tomorrow, while training camps officially open Dec. 9. Teams will play two exhibition games in a home-and-home format, likely based on geographic proximity. Which means the Bulls will likely warm up against the Milwaukee Bucks or Indiana Pacers.

And just who will take the court for the Bulls? As far as their roster is concerned, the Bulls are in pretty good shape heading into what's expected to be a frenzied free agency period. Free agents and teams can begin talking tomorrow, with deals becoming official at the same time camps open. With $64 million committed to 13 players, the Bulls are pretty much set with regard to their roster. The new salary cap is expected to be around $58 million, which will limit the Bulls to signing players to the mid-level exception and minimum deals.

The one position that the Bulls on which need to focus is shooting guard. They need to decide whether to pick up Keith Bogans's option and will also be targeting free agent two-guards. Some possibilities include Jason Richardson and Tayshaun Prince, although early talk of Jamal Crawford seems to have subsided. Whew!

Additionally, the new labor deal allows for an amnesty option where teams can waive a single player to get a burdensome contract off their books. That could mean players like Vince Carter or Richard Hamilton looking for new teams.

We can also expect official word of a new deal for Derrick Rose. If anybody benefits from the new collective bargaining agreement, it's the Bulls star point guard. In what's already being referred to as the "Derrick Rose Rule," the maximum contract for players coming off rookie deals goes up to 30 percent of the team's cap if the player is twice voted to start the all-star game, is named to the all-NBA team or wins league MVP -- as Rose did last year. The new rule will earn Rose almost $3 million a year more than under the old max contract guidelines.