• According to the Suntimes, according to league sources, the Bulls and Ben Gordon are still far apart on a contract. This is nothing to hit the panic button over because all indications are that serious negotiations haven’t started with many fo the restricted free agents.
• Luol Deng, according to the Suntimes, will opt for the $4.5 million qualifying offer if he cannot agree to a new deal with the Bulls by August 4th, so he has insurance in case he gets injured while playing for Great Britain in the European Championship Qualifiers.
• According to The Daily Herald, the Portland Trailblazers plan to pursue Ben Gordon or Luol Deng next summer if they are restricted free agents.
• Greek basketball fans are saying that the Greek Club, Olympiakos, are offering Ben Gordon a two year contract worth $20 million USD after taxes and agent fees. This would be the equivalent to about a $32 million over 2 years contract in the NBA. Olympiakos recently signed Atlanta Hawk’s small forward Josh Childress. If they are able to get Ben Gordon and Josh Childress as their two American players, they will dominate European basketball for the next two years.
• The Charlotte Observer is reporting that the Bobcats have reached an impasse with Emeka Okafor, and are not willing to offer the $12 million per a season they offered last year. Okafor is now open to leaving Charlotte.
• The Hoops Doctors are reporting that Denver has had discussions about sending future draft picks and the trade exception they received in the Marcus Camby trade for Kirk Hinrich. According to their sources, the Bulls turned down a Kirk Hinrich for Marcus Camby trade.

Now what exactly would the Bulls have to give up for Emeka Okafor? They could make a package based around Drew Gooden and Tyrus Thomas and trade that for a package of Emeka Okafor, Jared Dudley, and Jamero Davidson.

The Denver rumor might just be related to the idea of Okafor coming to Chicago. If the Bulls did the rumored Kirk Hinrich trade, the Bulls would receive a trade exception for the amount of Hinrich’s contract. So the Bulls could do a sign and trade of the trade exception they would receive in the Kirk Hinrich trade and draft picks for Emeka Okafor. Under this scenario, the Bulls would be able to offer Okafor approximately a 76.5 million over 6 years deal. This would be for an average of 12.8 million per a year, which is more than Charlotte is willing to give him. However, the rumored Hinrich trade could just be to clear cap space to resign Gordon and Deng comfortably and make another trade.

Remember, in past interviews in July, Paxson has maintained that he wants to try to package some players together to get a guy he really likes and who would improve the team.