Source: Nazr Mohammed, Bulls closeCHICAGO -- Omer Asik's days with the Chicago Bulls appear to be over.
While the organization still hasn't seen the offer sheet Asik has apparently signed with the Houston Rockets, it seems they have decided to move on without him. A league source confirmed late Saturday night that the Bulls are on the verge of signing veteran center Nazr Mohammed.
While the deal hasn't become official yet, veteran NBA writer Peter Vecsey tweeted Saturday night that Mohammed has decided to sign with the Bulls over the Brooklyn Nets and both teams have been notified about the decision.
Mohammed's addition almost certainly means that the Bulls will not match the three year, $25.1 million dollar offer sheet the Rockets gave Asik. The deal that the Rockets structured would have meant the Bulls would have been on the hook for an almost $15 million cap hit in the final year of the contract. Obviously, the Bulls decided they did not want to put that type of financial hit on their cap, especially given the Bulls' current cap situation and the likelihood that Mohammed will be signed for the veteran's minimum.
Asik's departure would mean that forward Taj Gibson would be the final member of the Bulls' valued bench that remains on the team. Kyle Korver was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks last week for a trade exception. C.J. Watson's $3.2 million dollar option was not picked up and veteran swingman Ronnie Brewer was told the Bulls would not bring him back at his current salary of over $4 million. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported earlier in the week that John Lucas III was close to a deal with the Toronto Raptors. While Brewer still remains an option at a reduced salary, his return is questionable at best.
The Bulls signed veteran Vladimir Radmanovic earlier this week and will look to fill out the rest of the roster with minimum salaried players because of their reluctance to go deep into the luxury tax.
Mohammed, a 14-year veteran, is a Chicago native. He averaged three points and three rebounds a game last season for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story/_/id/8188428/source-chicago-bulls-close-signing-nazr-mohammed同 OKC 後備中鋒 mohammed 達成協議
