That's sort of a tough point to argue either way. Remember, all of the initial negotiations with the Bulls took place before the new collective bargaining agreement. At that time, Pippen wanted a long term deal, and management only wanted him for another two years I think. Pippen demanded a trade at midseason because of that, though he backed off that demand after a scolding from MJ and Phil. Some people think he delayed coming back from foot surgery to put pressure on management.
Anyway, the decision not to retain Scottie was made before such things as a max contract and a sign-and-trade were ever conceived, and the wheels of rebuilding had already started turning by the time the lockout finished, so it's a moot point. I'll tell you this much, though. If we had resigned Scottie for what he wanted under the old CBA, we wouldn't have been able to trade him for a bag of peanuts one year later.
Anyway, the decision not to retain Scottie was made before such things as a max contract and a sign-and-trade were ever conceived, and the wheels of rebuilding had already started turning by the time the lockout finished, so it's a moot point. I'll tell you this much, though. If we had resigned Scottie for what he wanted under the old CBA, we wouldn't have been able to trade him for a bag of peanuts one year later.
