Chuck Swirsky got the opportunity to talk to John Paxson in Orlando to talk about summer league, the roster, and all the rumors flying around the internet.

John Paxson says that summer league is always tough because you throw a few guys together in a few days and try to run some sets. The objective is always to get your young guys on the floor. He wants Derrick Rose, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and Aaron Gray to get minutes. Guys have gotten a little bit better each day.

Paxson thinks that it was unfortunate of all the hype around a first summer league game and the conclusions that are being made about the game. He has always maintained that Michael Beasley would be a great player and a great scorer in this league, but that they think Derrick will be a very good player too.

He thinks that Derrick has been tentative so far, and that this is just his nature early on in things, to let them play out. It played out in Memphis this way, with him being respectful of the people around him in the beginning of the year. People have to be patient with Derrick and give him time to grow. Really likes the way that Derrick can run a team. If the Bulls get people out and running, Derrick is very good in making plays with perfect timing, throwing the ball where guys can catch it and easily lay it in. Paxson has always liked Derrick’s willingness to move ahead. Thinks Rose is going to be really effective when they get their screening angles down. He thinks the screening angles and also the screens in summer league so far have been awful.

He notes that Tyrus Thomas has been playing more out on the floor so far in summer league. He states that Tyrus is in between the 3 and 4 positions. Tyrus has a tendency to try to do too much. The Bulls have to work on getting Tyrus away from getting the ball and holding it. So far in summer league, Tyrus has been aggressive, driving to the basket, and looking for his shot, which are all good things. Paxson thinks they just have to get Tyrus confidence. So far, Noah has been lost in the shuffle. Paxson sees Noah as an activity player. Paxson says that Noah has to play better.

The Bulls scouts really liked Demetris Nichols in the 2007 draft, but they didn’t take him, and tracked him after the draft. Nichols plays a little bit erect which prevents him from doing certain things. Nichols has worked on some dribble moves, 1, 2, 3 dribbles that he can score off of and he can realy shoot the ball. The Bulls have qualified him and haveh im slotted into a roster spot. They think that Nichols will give them a guy that can make shots and have length at the big guard and small forward positions. He sees Nichols as a futures play because there won’t be any minutes available for Nichols this year unless something happens. Paxson thinks Nichols has a future in this league.

The Bulls have been talking to Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. The Bulls are limited in what they can do until they have certainty in those guys in terms of the dollars. Sometimes the process takes time. The Bulls have gotten to the gus early on and have met with both several times. Paxson hopes that the market will dictate their value. He hopes that some deals will get done and that they can take it from there. During these negotiations they look at past contracts of players and similar statistical things. So far no one has dug their heels in the sand and siad they aren’t budging if a certain number isn’t met. So far he feels pretty good about the free agency situation.

Paxson says that a lot of the internet rumors come out of nowhere. He thinks that these rumors are unfair to the players since they hear their names in trade talks all the time, and thinks that it is not good for the morale of the team when things are constantly out on the internet. He says that general managers talk to other general mangers and talk names, but that doesn’t mean that there is any type of deal being discussed or that any deal is close to being done. Often, general managers will brainstorm with each other on ways they can work together to make their teams better. Paxson thinks what really hurts is that there is little accountability for when the journalists get these things wrong, and that they can just move on without being held accountable.

Paxson thinks that the East is going to be really good this year, and sees the Bulls being young being a problem. Paxson said that he is going to try to do something to make the roster better. He thinks the East is going to be really competitive and difficult. He thinks the Bulls have to secure Gordon and Deng, and get competitive, since no one is happy about what happened last year. He thinks the Bulls are somewhere in between a 33 win team and a 49 win team. He said if there’s a deal to e done that makes the team better that he will do it.

The interview can be listened to at Bulls.com