Here is my question. What risk do the Bulls take by waiting until next season to resign Noah? Even on the current CBA, does anyone really see Noah getting significantly more money than that as a RFA?
I think there is a much greater chance that he would have gotten significantly less money, since chances are salaries will be down across the board under the new CBA.
The only chance that it would have really burned them IMO would be if they somehow lost his RFA status under the new CBA, or because of a lockout. I am not sure how that would actually work, but I imagine it is a very small chance that would happen.
So, they may have just signed Noah to what will amount to a superstar level contract on the new CBA, when there were no compelling reasons to do it now.
Panic move by the Bulls.