Lockout Limbo: The G.M.
by Jackie MacMullan and Phil Taylor
Posted: Wed July 14, 1998
 For the better part of two years, Suns general manager Bryan
Colangelo aimed his franchise toward the summer of 1998. He
devised a roster that after the '97-98 season would leave him
with only four players under contract and with as much as $12
million to spend on what was regarded as one of the deepest
free-agent pools in league history. If the Suns signed Chicago
Bulls forward-guard Scottie Pippen and locked up their own young
free-agent forward, Antonio McDyess, they would lay the
foundation for a championship contender.
Instead, Colangelo has been left holding a bag of salary-cap
cash, unable to spend a dime of it. "Let's just say the whole
process is frustrating," he says.
Although Phoenix has never publicly acknowledged its interest in
snagging Pippen—with good reason, since any such talk before
July 1 would have constituted tampering—sources close to the
team have identified him as the Suns' main target. Even if there
had been no lockout and Phoenix had secured Pippen's services,
the Suns probably would have waited to announce the signing
until Aug. 15, when the adjusted numbers for the '98-99 salary
cap were scheduled to kick in. Under the current collective
bargaining agreement, the cap for next season was projected to
be $26 million per team. But Suns officials felt the actual
figure, boosted by the league's new TV contract, would have
risen as high as $31 million. Now, however, Colangelo and other
general managers have no idea how much money they will have to
spend, or when they'll be able to start spending it.
What if Pippen opts to remain a Bull after the lockout ends? And
what if McDyess decides to hold out for $100 million, instead of
the $80 million the Suns have in mind? Colangelo has plans A, B,
C, D and E, but the lockout will shorten the amount of time each
team has to negotiate, and that could be problematic for a club
that has as many possible transactions in mind as Phoenix has.
While he waits for an end to the labor strife, Colangelo talks
daily with coach Danny Ainge about their numerous strategies.
Colangelo has told the rest of his staff (excluding the coaches)
that he expects them in the office each morning, and he has made
arrangements for Suns employees to participate in various civic
projects throughout the city this summer. He'd rather be
rebounding for Jason Kidd as the point guard works on his
perimeter shooting. "There is one good thing in all of this,"
says Colangelo. "I'm finally catching up on my paperwork."
Issue date: July 20, 1998
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