The Blueprint - A Look Into Free Agency

July 3, 2010

New Orleans (AP) -- When July 1, 2010 rolled around, the free agency period started. And for the hype about LBJ/King James, D-Wade/Flash, and (whatever Chris Bosh's lame nickname is - CB4?), perhaps the most intriguing free agency story is that of , The Chairman, who is beginning negotiations for the 2011-12 season.

The Chairman's expiring contract, from the 2008-09 free agency period, is currently a topic of much debate in New Orleans, or at least in room 554 in the GWI business building. With only 2 years guaranteed at $0.25 million), with a mutual options for two 3-year extensions (worth approximately $0.52 million, each), the deals are relatively back-loaded. New Orleans management declined to extend the deal during the season. But subsequent events have left the team with only 3 starters in place, and 2-3 spots left to fill, and perhaps the need to scramble to fill out it's roster. However, this free agency period is expected to be a buyer's market, which makes for an interesting dynamic.

The Chairman's representatives have indicated that while they prefer to build a winner in New Orleans, they are going to let the free agency process play out. During his last press conference, The Chairman noted, "Home is where the heart is, or at least where our stuff is. We are looking to build a winner, and New Orleans may end up being the place to do so. But, we're going to see how things play out."

Internet rumors have been swirling about the possibility that The Chairman will consider some less obvious locales. This seems to be a real possibility, given the links to Urbana, IL, which will never be confused with a giant media market. An unnamed source in The Chairman's circle of advisors noted, "We'll be looking at all the usual suspects - Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Bloomington (IN), Clemson, Raleigh, Berkley. But some other, less obvious places may enter the discussion like Ames, Bloomington (IL), Santa Clara, or San Marcos. At this stage, you don't rule anything out."

Much of this hinges on two very distinct set of needs.

Management in New Orleans is looking to fill out it's roster, and may be trying to make a big splash in free agency, at least with one of the roster openings. However, with an uncertain roster (only 2 established players, and one rookie), and a shaky track record (a complete roster overhaul in 2005), New Orleans would seem to need to have some continuity. While The Chairman has put up some solid statistics, and is still widely considered to have tremendous upside, at this stage of his career, his accomplishments are more in line with a "glue guy" than and out-and-out superstar. However, it should be noted that at only 32, The Chairman, is still 3 years younger than most incoming rookies, and is about 8 years than other players with his experience.

For The Chairman, the party line is that it's all about finding the right environment for winning. In an recent interview with Rolling Stone, he offered that, "The location is less important than being in a situation where we can get some good work done. It's more about our legacy than it is about money or location." However, some rumblings within The Chariman's inner circle have put that notion in doubt. "Forget about all that [stuff]. It's all about the cheddar, and no one can do it better. Money talks, [stuff] walks. We play for one team - Team Green," says this unnamed source.

At this point, despite the uncertainty, the most likely scenario has New Orleans signing an established veteran, as well as The Chairman, which would provide some stability, as well as a lot of upside, moving forward.

UPDATE: ESPN's Ric Bucher has reported that New Orleans management team has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 7, to talk about potential free agent signings.

UPDATE: Fox Sports Radio's Stephen A. Smith has reported that The Chairman had an informal visit with representatives in Houston last week, and had a lengthy phone conversation with representatives from Santa Clara this weekend.

UPDATE: ESPN.com's Scoop Jackson has reported that The Chairman will meet with representatives in Chicago as early as next Friday, and is scheduled to hold talks with representatives from a number of teams in Boston on the weekend of August 13.