Magic and Bulls are waiting to begin battle for free agents

The Bulls and Orlando Magic are playing a waiting game.

They're waiting for next summer's crop of free agents, includingTim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, Grant Hill of the DetroitPistons, Eddie Jones of the Charlotte Hornets, Tracy McGrady of theToronto Raptors and Maurice Taylor of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Bulls and Magic have cleared their rosters of older playerswith little talent and big contracts. They have created salary-caproom to sign the best free agents.

So now, they wait. But in preparing for their bidding war, bothfranchises tore up winning teams. The Magic broke up a team thatnever reached the top. It included talented veterans such as AnferneeHardaway, Horace Grant and Nick Anderson and was coached by ChuckDaly, one of the game's best.

That left the Magic with a payroll of $42 million and a team goodenough to contend for the playoffs with a nucleus of DarrellArmstrong, Corey Maggette, Michael Doleac, Matt Harpring, Bo Outlawand Derek Strong.

The Bulls dismantled a six-title dynasty.

They have been left with a payroll of $27 million, second-lowestin the league, and an injury-riddled non-playoff team that is theworst in the league. They have a nucleus of rookies Elton Brand andRon Artest, veteran Hersey Hawkins and second-year guard CoreyBenjamin with contracts for next season.

Advantages for the Bulls? They will offer a championshiptradition, a bigger market, an arena almost twice as large,operations chief Jerry Krause and new coach Tim Floyd as their frontmen and more than $20 million in cap room.

Magic advantages? They will offer a better supporting cast ofplayers, a training facility twice as big, better weather and abasketball management run by Julius Erving, John Gabriel and rookiecoach Doc Rivers.

Yes, Dr. J is selling the Magic. But Michael Jordan is nowherearound trying to encourage players to come to the Bulls.

As for the money, the Bulls will have more. But the Magic willhave enough to offer Duncan and Hill the maximum. And I don't thinkmoney will be the decisive factor.

Gone is the day when money was the primary reason a player choseto play for a team. The new collective bargaining agreement is riggedto favor the team a star is currently playing for. It allows thecurrent team to re-sign a player for seven years and pay him a raiseof 12.5 percent a year, compared to limiting an opposing team to asix-year contract with a 10 percent annual raise.

But Antonio McDyess, Tom Gugliotta and Danny Manning are starswho didn't sign with the highest bidder. McDyess accepted millionsless when he left the Phoenix Suns and returned to his originalteam, the Denver Nuggets. Gugliotta turned down more money from theMinnesota Timberwolves to play for the Suns. Manning turned down moremoney from the Atlanta Hawks to play for the Suns.

Generally, players want to play for a management they can betterrelate to, for a team that's ready to win and for a team in a warm climate. Even Chicago native Maggette said he's glad he was notdrafted No. 1.

"It's nice to play for your home team," he said. "But it's toocold in Chicago. I like the warm weather here better."