Crawford: Krause Thought He Could Land Big 3 In '00

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(670 The Score) Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause was cast as a villain in "The Last Dance" for his role in breaking up the dynasty after Chicago won its sixth championship in 1998.

Krause was set on a rebuild, and he had eyes on forming a young core that would be enhanced by additions in free agency in the years to come.

Two years later in summer 2000, the crop of free agents was star-studded. Grant Hill, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady were all on the open market, and Krause wanted to bring them to Chicago, according to former Bulls guard Jamal Crawford.

Krause was convinced that he could land all three stars, Crawford said on the Platform Basketball Podcast.

"MJ just retired and we have all this cap space," Crawford said on the Platform Basketball Podcast. "Grant, Tim and T-Mac were all free agents, and Jerry wholeheartedly believed we would get all three of them.

"Even if we get two of them..."

Bulls GM Jerry Krause thought he was going to get Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Tmac to come to the Bulls after Jordan left -- @JCrossover via theplatformbasketballpodcast pic.twitter.com/9dX3FkIjIf

— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) May 19, 2020

In the end, Hill wound up in Orlando via a sign-and-trade that sent Ben Wallace to Detroit. McGrady also went to Orlando, while Duncan stayed in San Antonio. 

Chicago continued to struggled, going into the third year of a rebuild that featured six straight seasons without a playoff berth.