Fix a Franchise: The Chicago Bulls
by IndeedProceed on Jan 28, 2008 1:00 PM EST
in NBA Articles
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PrintNote: We will accept entries until midnight tonight, so keep them coming!
The Chicago Bulls, a chic preseason pick for Eastern Conference Champions, are now buried in the standings, eight games below .500. Apparent home run moves such as trading for Tyrus Thomas, trading away Tyson Chandler, and acquiring Ben Wallace have all seemingly backfired, at least this season. They've fired Scott Skiles, but they are 7-8 with Jim Boylan. This is a team that is once again mired in mediocrity, lacking an interior scoring presence, and without a true inspirational leader (thanks again, Kevin Garnett).The Bulls need to be fixed, and we're looking to you for suggestions. The Objective: Devise the best possible trade for the Chicago Bulls
Where to post your idea: in the comments section of this website, with submissions open until Sunday.
The Rules:
1) Each trade must follow ESPN's Trade Machine guidelines to be successful. You cannot resign players not already resigned. (sorry, PJ Brown)
2) Trading draft picks is allowed, but must follow NBA guidelines (no consecutive 1st round picks traded)
3) Each trade must be posted in the following format:
Bulls receive: (name), (name), (name), (any picks)
Team X receives: (name), (name), (name), (any picks)
Team y (if needed): (name), (name), (name), (any picks)
Summary: No more than 200 words here, summarizing the reasons for the trade
4) Three or even four team trades are allowed, as long as they work on ESPN's trade machine
Each trade will be graded by the staff on five criteria, with a possible of five points per category, totaling 25 points. Whichever proposal scores the highest on the rubric wins. Submit all trades as comments to this article.
The rubric:
A) Does it help the team you're trying to fix in the short term?
How much the trade will actually improve the immediate situation of the team you're trying to help? This could mean many different things; it could mean bringing in better vet character guys but downgrading talent, improving chemistry. or exchanging one good talent for another, and changing the talent distribution of the squad. In the end the real question is: how much does it do for this season?
B) Does this trade help the other team(s) involved?
For a trade to be realistic, it also has to have value to the other teams involved.
C) Does this trade help the team in the long term?
Will this trade improve the situation of the targeted team for years to come? Shedding big contracts for expiring money may hurt a team's immediate talent level, but in the long term the freedom afforded may enable an organization to drastically improve their roster. Also, taking on a huge contract to win in the immediate might tie up too much money in the long term to keep on winning (right, Pat Riley?).
D) Does the trade help the other teams involved in the long term?
E) How realistic is this trade for everyone involved?
Sure, maybe trading Eddy Curry back to the Bulls might beneficial move for the Bulls and the Knicks right now, but would both Jim Paxson and Isiah Thomas admit the trade was a debacle and go back on it? Maybe what a team really needs is to put Ron Artest right smack dab in the middle of their lineup to shore up their defense, but would a team risk anything on that guy right now?
Okay, you've got your mission and your guidelines, what's the prize?
Well the prize is that you get to publish an article on the front page of Celticsblog.com to tell the world why your trade proposal is the very best course of action! Everyone in Celticsblog nation will know your prodigious mind alone held the key (in the opinion of the staff) to drastically improve an NBA franchise! Plus we’ll throw a load of Tommy Points at ya.
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step one: fire Jim Paxson and hire John Paxson ;D
(although John did hire his brother as a consultant/freeloader)
by bullsblogger on Jan 24, 2008 10:12 PM EST reply actions
Hey, Just gotta ask, who thought the afforementioned moves were “homeruns?” I, for one, and many others here thought each of those deals were terrible at the time. The Wallace signing was terrible, the Chandler trade was obviously an attempt to cover up (but really just compounded) the Wallace signing, and Aldridge was way better than Thomas.
Anyway, I’d try giving Wallace and Tyrus for Randolph and Jerome James. Money relief and defense for NY, and legit post scoring for chicago.
I’d also try Tyrus, joe smith, and deng (if i couldn’t get away with gordon in place of deng) to memphis for gasol.
Fan from VT, I coined those as homeruns, in actuality I hated the Thomas trade and the Chandler trade, didnt really like the wallace signing either, but a lot of people did. I like your idea for Randolph though, and Jerome James…I’ve got my own trade for Z-Bo but Im gonna wait to see what others say first…
BullsBlogger, if thats your best shot Im just flat out disappointed…maybe your ideas just aren’t blog-a-bull? (Im kidding, couldn’t resist)…seriously though I’d like to see what you think the magic move would be with the players
Also, one last note, fan from VT’s idea would look like this:
Bulls Get: Jerome James, Zach Randolph
Knicks get: Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas
I’d rather buy out Ben Wallace and play Tyrus all the minutes Zach Randolph would get. There’s a reason the Knicks are worse and Blazers are better after that deal.
I’ll abstain from the contest. A lot just is hopin’ and wishin’ that Hinrich/Gordon/Deng get back to their norms so that they even have trade value (at the least).
by bullsblogger on Jan 24, 2008 11:35 PM EST reply actions
I´ve played and played and played…oh well, it became a 4-team-trade…
Bulls receive: Andre Miller, Kurt Thomas, Delonte West, Rasho Nesterovic
76ers receive: Ben Wallace, Ben Gordon, Jose Calderon, 2009 Toronto #1 Pick
Raptors receive: Samuel Dalembert
Sonics receive: Kirk Hinrich
The Sonics are obvious. Hinrich is not as bad as he plays now. They lose West and Thomas` expirer, but gain a PG who might be better than anything they could get through Free Agency.
The Toronto Fans I know love Dalembert. He might be the Center they need. Either they lose Calderon at the end of this season, or they make a smart move. This is one…
The 76ers would have to take Wallace`contract, but a possible top 10 PG in Calderon, plus Gordon and Iguodala sounds like a strong core to me.
The Bulls would lose Hinrich and Gordon, who demands a big paycheck, and get rid of Wallace. Miller and Thomas are vets that can produce, Delonte is a replacement for Gordon and a locker room guy, and they would get $16,000,000 in expiring contracts this season, plus another $10,000,000 in Miller`s contract next season…
Sorry guys I wasn’t planning on partaking on this one. I know rare, but it is what it is … until I need a rant and a direction so maybe tomorrow!
Necessitates a few too many specifics for my wandering mind.
Chicago is toughest choice in the league also. This team isn’t about reasoning. It’s about some GM being in love with a player. That’s the only way Ben Wallace ends up traded where you get something of value coming the other way. Kirk Hinrich is in better shape but a similar boat, his play this year has completely dissuaded people of his ability to be a top 3 player on a ball club and that’s what his contract is. Any big trade (almost) has to include one of these guys. No reasoning here, it’s about a GM who falls in love.
Even after that you have a roster of complete opposites in evaluations. Ben Gordon heads that list, his contract demands muddying the water even further. Then Ty Thomas who’s inability to break through there is very concering and unlikely to recieve top trading asset billing, as he would have at the time of his draft pick. You could even add Nocioni to that list, he’s another player that has very differing opinions held about him and also has a large long contract.
Then add Joe Smith and Duhon who are both solid but not netting much in return.
Too hard to judge a GM’s reaction on Chicago players. Too many different evaluations of their roster. Can’t define a direction or reason a possible outcome. Tough gig.
thebirdman said:
You can only make 1 trade to fix the bulls? Or can you make 2 or 3?[/quote]
Make as many as you like
[quote] bullsblogger said:
I’ll abstain from the contest.
You’re ideas will be some of the most interesting. You know more about the team than anyone else. Give it a swirl. Surely you’ve been thinking about this all season long. Probably longer considering the huge number of trade assets you’ve had in previous seasons.
I think the Bulls have got to work on a trade for Gasol, but it may be difficult without P.J.’s deal to facilitate things.
I’m going to suggest:
Bulls receive: Pau Gasol, Casey Jacobsen, Andre Brown
Memphis receives: Nocioni, Ty Thomas, Joakim Noah, Adrian Griffin, #1
Why for Chicago: They get a low-post presence and one of the best all-around big men in the game, without losing any of their core. Noah and Thomas are talented, but both have clashed with Bulls’ management and teammates. Jacobsen and Brown are expiring deals, to keep Memphis from going over the 15-player roster limit.
Why for Memphis: They get two players Chris Wallace really liked in the off-season, in Noah and Nocioni. They also get a very talented kid in Ty Thomas. A team centered around Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Ty Thomas, and Noakim Noah has the ability to run with anybody, and while it would struggle to win games in the short term, it has long-term potential while also putting butts in the seats.
The trade works on ESPN’s trade machine, found [url=http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=28532242456303225109961715&teams=29292929444&te=&cash=]here[/url].
I like Roy’s idea….my idea is a little less drastic:
CHICAGO GETS: Zach Randolph, David Lee
NYK Get: Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon, Joe Smith
Why for Chicago: Chicago gets a premuim level low post scorer, they get maybe the best hustle guy in the league in David Lee. If Chicago feels like Thabo Sefolosha is ready for prime time this year or next, this move may make the most sense.
Why for the Knicks: NY has problems all over, three of the biggest seeming to be a lack of a go to scorer besides Jamal Crawford, lack of quality vet leadership, and a duplication of skills with Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry. This trade addresses all of those concerns, plus it eliminates Zach Randolph’s payroll within 2 years
In the end it leaves the Bulls very, very thin, at the point, but with the acquisition of David Lee, one of the young 4’s become expendable, either Joakim Noah or Ty Thomas, allowing the Bulls to go after a guy like Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson
Ok, I’ll re-write mine.
First I’d try:
Bulls Receive: Gasol, Protected 1st rounder
Memphis Receives: Joe Smith, Tyrus Thomas, Luol Deng
Summary: Memphis completes the youth movement and loads up on a lot of talent; they’ve already indicated being ready to cut ties with Warrick. They’re looking at a lineup of Conley, Deng, Miller, Gay, Swift, with Lowry, Navarrro, milicic, Thomas, Smith coming in off the bench. The Bulls do this because, as we’ve seen this year, giving youth for established high-end talent can help right away, and with Wallace they are committed to that path. They could pair wallace with Gasol up front and have very good rebounding, one good defender and legit post offense to open stuff up for Gordon, Hinrich and Nocioni. I’d start Duhon, Hinrich, Nocioni, Gasol, Wallace and bring Gordon, Sefolosha, Noah, Warrick off the bench.
If Memphis won’t part with Gasol, I’d try this:
Bulls Receive: Zach Randolph, Jerome James
Knicks Receive: Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas
The Knicks start getting a handle on the salary cap; James is dead weight and Wallace’s contract is Shorter. Wallace and Curry together make one great center with their different approaches (offense/defense). The Bulls take the additional salary because they are going for it now. They’d still have good rebounding and good team defense, and Randolph would, at the very least, give a huge kick-start to their offense from the post.
Bonus:
Chicago Gets: Shaq
Miami Gets: Wallace, Khryapa
I’m going to go out on a wild limb here, but here we go…
Chicago gets: Jermaine O’Neal, 2008 Indiana first round pick
Indiana gets: Andres Nocioni, Ben Gordon, Thabo Sefolosha, Joe Smith
Yes, I am completely conceding my points on the first part of IP’s criteria, regarding making the team better in the short term. This move isn’t going to do that, especially considering that JO is likely to hang it up for the season. And yes, I realize that you aren’t supposed to trade for an injured guy. But this move could help the Bulls big-time in the long-term, as they would likely be set to make a run at a decent lottery pick this season, and frontcourt minutes would open up for neophytes Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. When JO returns next season, he is very likely to provide a major defensive presence at the four or the five (depending on what the Wallace-Noah-Thomas situation is by then), and as I have written several times in different columns, the change of scenery and the time off could help him regain his old form offensively, or something close to it. This would give the Bulls their first bona fide post scorer in years to go with Luol Deng, the lottery pick and a hopefully rehabilitated-from-the-disaster-that-is-2007-08 Kirk Hinrich, potentially a formidable squad on both ends of the floor.
Meanwhile, Indiana gets what will likely be as good a deal as they can find for JO, and they get players who will for the most part will fit into the Pacers’ bust-your-gut, run-and-gun system. As odd as the four-for-one is, especially for a guy whose long-term status is relatively uncertain, this could make just enough sense to be doable for both sides.
Or maybe I’m crazy.
Yeah, probably the latter, but thanks for the time, folks.
-sw
Chicago recieves: Pau Gasol, Vladimir Radmonovic, Casey Jacobsen
Memphis receives: Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, Kwame Brown
Lakers receive: Ben Wallace, Hakim Warrick
Chicago’s Take: They desperately need a low post presence, and they finally get one in Gasol. Wallace’s value has been decreasing ever since they signed him, so they gladly swap him for a pair of more offensive oriented PF/Cs. Gordon wants a lot of money to resign, and he is unlikely to get it from Chicago, so he would walk anyways. Thomas and Noah will be great players in time, but Chicago wants to win now.
Memphis’ Take: Not only do they get younger, but they also get cap relief in Kwame’s expiring contract, and it allows them to resign Gordon. The price of it comes at the expense of Warrick, who has been showing potential as of late.
Laker’s Take: With Ariza and Bynum out they need a low post presence to keep from sliding in the standings. Wallace’s defense and playoff experience will help against tougher PF/Cs in the West like Duncan, Boozer, Stoudemire, etc. Warrick can spell Odom, or Ariza when he returns. Next year, Wallace’s contract will be looked at like Theo’s, and he could be swapped with one of their young PGs for a veteran (Kidd/O’Neal/etc).
I have to start by saying… this is quite a demanding task, one that I do not have the mental capacity or know-how to really tackle after a rough work week. But here goes…….
Bulls receive: Steve Blake, Raef LaFrentz, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Cavaliers receive: Kirk Hinrich, Ben Wallace
Trailblazers receive: Larry Hughes, Daniel Gibson, Thabo Sefolosha
Summary:
Chicago: Dump Wallace’s contract, get a solid distributing point guard (Blake, who can play better along side Gordon than Hinrich could), and get another big body in LaFrentz, whose $12 mil salary comes off after next season (possible buyout too). Biggest of all, they get Big Z for the final two years of his contract (and final two years of effectiveness) to give them an inside scoring and offensive rebounding presence. Extra minutes for Noah would make up for defensive deficiencies that Big Z brings. Bulls long term – free room for the development of Noah, Thomas, and Gray by shipping away Wallace. Save about $3 mil a year (Big Z for Wallace) and drop his contract after ‘09-’10.
Cleveland: Get rid of Hughes contract. Get a potential solid point guard (big need) in Hinrich (not judging him on this year) who is a better shooter than Hughes and has been playing pretty well lately. Absord Wallace’s contract, but Cleveland is a defensive team and Big Z is starting to slow defensively. A different environment on a team with a clear leader would help straighten out Big Ben. He still has some left, and could be a big lift for their D. He doesn’t score, but he is a decent passer and Gooden is decent enough inside. Hinrich, LeBron, Gooden, Gibson are good enough scorers.
Portland: Probably the hardest to convince for this trade. Get rid of LaFrentz’ contract, take on Hughes. Hughes is at least capable of contributing some… LaFrentz is lucky to get of the bench. Also, my thinking would be another buyout (a la Steve Francis) of Hughes for roughly $20 mil of the remaining $25. This helps there books in the short term, gives them a third athletic swingman (Outlaw, Webster) that could still regain his abilities, they get Gibson to replace Blake, and get another young prospect with some good potential in Thabo. They’re also going to be a big free agency player this offseason, and this trade (plus a possible Hughes buyout) gives them even more space for future big extensions due to Aldrige, Roy, and eventually Oden.
Here’s some of the more interesting parts of Sam Smith’s Q&A mailbag:
Explain to me why no one has talked about trading Ben Wallace for Zach Randolph straight up? —Nick Shaw, Indian Trail, N.C.
A lot of my e-mailers do. I actually think Randolph is the keeper in New York and they’ll eventually try to move Curry because Randolph finishes the games. They could keep Curry since his contract isn’t ridiculous, but Wallace doesn’t do much for them. David Lee does that stuff and is much better. I know we all think the Knicks are dumb, but it’s still more wishing and hoping.[/quote]
[quote]Do you think Ben Gordon missed the boat on his big pay day when he turned down the Bulls’ offer last fall? Do you think there are teams out there that are willing to pay big bucks for his scoring given that he’s an undersized guard who can’t defend or run the team on the floor? —Joe Hoyle, Chicago
I still believe Gordon is the most difficult decision the Bulls have to make. I’d say he missed the boat because if the Bulls let him go, it’s difficult to see who gives him an eight-figure annual deal. But Ben is a tough guy and amazingly confident and I think he believes he did the right thing. He may be one of the few. I know he’s got a lot of weaknesses, but no one on the Bulls can score like he does, and even though he has missed some game winners of late, he makes more big shots at big times than anyone on the team. They’d lose a lot of scoring and a big weapon without him.
Tu-tuh-th-ta-ta hmmm …. Alright I’m going to throw out a few different ideas and see if anything makes sense:
(1)
Sacramento recieves: Kirk Hinrich
Chicago recieve: Mike Bibby, future no.1 pick likely lottery protected
Why for Chicago? Salary Cap flexibility. They need to create some. Gives them options. Firstly, Bibby’s deal comes off the cap at the end of next season so the cap flexibility returns at the latest in 16 months. Otherwise Bibby’s expiring deal is a great trading asset, which combined with one of Chicago’s young ones like Ty Thomas could net themselves an all-star caliber player this time next year.
Why for Sac-town? Bibby is a grossly overpaid player and has no part in the future of the organization. Petrie has been trying to move him for the last 18 months but hasn’t been able to get any deal of value back. Hinrich’s deal ain’t great but it isn’t horrible either, it’s got 5 years at 50m with decreasing figures each year. A perimeter trio of Hinrich/Martin/Salmons to start next season would be very interesting. Especially when you combine that with their lottery pick, Brad Miller, Hawes … and hopefully 3 or 4 trades to dump those other salaries. Sacramento gives up it’s salary cap flexibility for one year – they’d only have around 6m anyway, so the same as the MLE – and in return gains itself a starting PG that should fit their system. The year they recieve cap flexibility, they’d have about 30m to spend to fill out the roster next to Martin/Hinrich/Salmons, well about 6m less after draft picks.
(2)
Golden State recieves: Chris Duhon
Chicago recieves: Mickael Pietrus
Why for GSW? They need a backup point guard. Chris is solid, plus he D’s up. Pietrus is also finding himself repeatedly outside of the rotation, and is likely to be pused even further out by Webber’s arrival (they’ve used him as a four quite a bit). Nellie doesn’t like him because he doesn’t make smart decisions.
Why for Chicago? Pietrus was heavily linked with Chicago when he was drafted. The reason was because Chicago was being killed by taller two guards and they needed someone who could defend and run the floor. Well nothing has changed, Paxson has never filled this need. Thabo simply hasn’t shown he’s up the job. Pietrus is.
Both guys are expiring at around 3.5-4m this year. No real long term factors here although both might find themselves a permanent home.
(3) Hmmm … I’ll think on this for awhile. Ben Gordon isn’t in my plans for the team, I’ll put it that way. They should try trading him. If nothing is there, they need to let him walk come the end of the season. You can’t build a team around guys like Gordon, he’s just too difficult to play with for your top or second offensive option. And if that’s the case you can’t pay him that type of money. Teams like Dallas that are already built up are able to take chances on Jason Terry and players like that because they already have the foundation, but those players to difficult to be part of a foundation themselves. Gordon isn’t in their future, if they want a future.
Houston recieves: Ben Gordon
Chicago recieves: Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks, probably a 1st round pick also but not necessarily
Why for Houston? They need a third scorer. They’re trying to make a playoff push (and they’ll make it if T-Mac is healthy). A third scorer would go a long way to winning their first playoff series since ‘97 was is it? ….. Next year is next year but they’d have his bird rights. If they could clear some salary maybe he stays, either way they lose some but they have a credible shot at making a run at a title.
Why for Chicago? Luis Scola is similar to Joe Smith in terms of his versatility and offensive skills. He’s actually better than Joe as a scorer, passer, and rebounder. It’s my belief that he could become a steady 15-17 and 8-10 boards guy in this league. He’s struggled a bit next to Yao, but Chicago has a need and he can answer the call. Himself and Joe would be a solid combination. The underrated part of this is …. it gives the option to allow Ty Thomas and Noah to develop at their proper pace because Scola and Joe can steady produce. Ben Wallace will likely need to be dumped but that’s possible. Aaron Brooks is also a smart little player, his arrival makes Duhon or Hinrich expendable. He’s also a good scorer and can provide Chicago’s drive and kick game with a huge threat.
f they could clear some salary maybe he stays, either way they lose some but they have a credible shot at making a run at a title.
Either way they lose some … guarentees about their roster next season because he’d be no cert to stick around considering the pay-day he’s looking for. Then again I don’t picture a queue of teams willing to pay it. Wait and see I guess. Depends on who’s desperate.
I live here and watch this team at least a couple of times per week. There problem is really simple. They are too small. Hinrich gaurds vince carter for god’s sake, somehow he pulls it off, but then he gets flak for not being able to hit a shot. Gordon is 6 nothin (maybe 2) and he cant dribble and he cant gaurd anyone. Ben wallace is a 6-9 center, Noc plays power forward about half the time. Too small, too small. Could get away with one or two of these issues but not all together. Trade gordon for a sack of donuts, a draft pick and garbage, something. Sefelosha playing combo gaurd (allowing hinrich to score) is a start.
Roy Hobbs said:
Nobody should be trading Kirk Hinrich, the way he’s played lately. He’s starting to look like the guy who was basically an untouchable. I think, no matter what they do, that the Bulls need to keep Hinrich and Deng.
I’m not convinced by Hinrich. He’s a nice player if he’s your third fourth option but if you keep him and Deng it will be tough to add two players superior to Kirk. I’m not sold with him as a third option and I’m downright against him ever being a second option. That contract of his is alright but it makes it tough to add top level pieces.
Not sure if this will be a popular idea, depends on how you view Nocioni really:
Chicago recieve: Al Harrington
Golden State recieve: Nocioni
Why for GSW? Noce is better under the boards. Other than that they’re pretty similar.
Why for Chicago? Al Harrington will earn a bit more money but his deal ends two seasons earlier. It also ends the same summer as Ben Wallace which would give Chicago 25m of expiring contracts to work with. I’d regard Harrington as the better defender and with the exception of rebounding, I think he’s the more capable player when it comes to playing the power forward position.
This is kind of the Ben Wallace route. Build around him slowly by adding the right veteran pieces but keep it tight enough so you can blow it up by the end of Big Ben’s contract if needs be.
I don’t think there’s any chance of this deal but I read it awhile back and enjoyed thinking it over so I’ll repeat it
Utah recieves: Ben Wallace
Chicago recieves: AK47
Why for Utah? They have a soft interior defense which Big Ben would help improve. A three man combination of Boozer, Okur and Big Ben would be pretty impressive. Also Millsap as the fourth guy. Also because Kirilenko isn’t a great fit in Utah, he and Ronnie Brewer have a tough time playing together because of each other’s perimeter based flaws. Kirilenko has done better this season but in several tough games against top playoff teams, he returned to last years form. He’s really a PF and ill-suited to playing next to the other four starters.
Why for Chicago? Kirilenko was a top drawer player when he was allowed to play at the four spot. He’d help ignite Chicago and give them a big man with guard like skills. His passing, ballhandling, penetration and defense would all be welcome. I also like the idea of a Deng and Kirilenko combination at forward, that would be a good running team. It doesn’t give them a 20-10 type player, but it does give them a 15-8-6-3-2 fill out the stat sheet player.
I decided it wasn’t really that good a deal for either squad. But I enjoyed thinking about it. Lots of interesting consequences to this deal.
[quoteWho said:
Tu-tuh-th-ta-ta hmmm …. Alright I’m going to throw out a few different ideas and see if anything makes sense: [/quote]
I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist! Man… I’m going to have to try another one or two. Is this deadline 12:00am ET? Can we make it PT to accommodate those of us on the West Coast?
This team really needs to just blow it up. Unless some miraculous inner development occurs …. they simply have no chance of becoming a contender. This squad is incredibly flawed.
So with that in mind here’s my plan:
I’m making the Duhon-Pietrus deal from above. I’m making the Gordon deal to Houston from above. These two trades help balance the squad a bit further by giving Chicago some size at SG, and a solid big man who can score in the mid teens.
Then I’d shop Wallace and make him available for anything that expires this season, and likely end up with something that expires next season – something useless like Wally. Then keep Hinrich until the draft and shop him, try to get Andre Miller or Mike Bibby and gain some more cap space. Re-sign Deng if he’s being paid under 12m per annum otherwise I’d get angsty and consider letting him go. Then go through the draft process and try to do a better job this time round. I’d also dump Ty Thomas because I don’t like the odds of him learning how to play and if I were GM I’d happily avoid that headache. I have no idea what he’d bring back but anything is a plus.
This gives an interesting team of say Miller/Pietrus/Deng/Smith/Noah with key bench players Scola/Brooks/Noce. Then fill out the roster with one or two top picks. I’d be looking to add someone like Eric Gordon or OJ Mayo, an out and out scorer who has All-Star potential. The pick needs to be either a SG or a PF unless there’s a point with great ability which can’t be overlooked. PF is first option but scoring is the most important facet.
Then in a years time add an established NBA vet to give the youngsters a chance to win. Someone like Baron Davis or a returning Elton Brand.
That’s my plan – cut salary, run with a couple of youngsters for a year and wait for opportunties to come about. They simply don’t have the capacity to contend by building around their present squad without some sensational development from inside the roster.
Sorry, premature post. The basic problem: 1. The three main guards—Hinrich, Gordon and Duhon—are awful together; all too small; all shoot 40% from field for career—which is lousy. 2. Wallace has lost his mojo. You can stop right there. I can’t blame them for Chandler trade; he was gawdawful the year before they did it; questioning that trade is 100% hindsight. My 2 cents.
Bulls receive[/b]: Jason Kidd, Marcus Williams, Malik Allen
[b]Nets receives[/b]: Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Chris Duhon, Joe Smith
[b]Summary: The two most off-balance teams in the league. NJ won’t get better offer for Kidd, Gordon becomes part of the Brooklyn core (Carter also has to go, but that’s another assignment…) along with Jefferson and Krstic. Nocioni is liked by Thorn (a rich man’s Nachbar?). Duhon and Smith are serviceable short term fill-ins to later be moved to the bench or out of town.
Chicago becomes an instant contender. IMO they’ve only ever wanted a steadier hand on the reign, ie a revitalized Kidd. Most importantly: they keep their two best prospects, Deng & Hinrich, only shipping out third banana, Gordon, who they’d anyway have to overpay to keep, a la Nocioni. Almost as importantly, they force coaching staff’s hand into playing Tyrus Thomas, who is EXACTLY the sort of unfocused, athletic big to capitalize on the Kidd effect (see Martin or more recently Mikki Moore for chrissake…) Noah too. As far as filler goes – Malik is already familiar with Chicago’s system. Marcus is a fourth guard toss in, but maybe useful in the eventual rebuild? (With a one year extension Kidd’s contract will expire the same year as Wallace’s, 2011, or in NBA GM parlance â€" Summer of Lebron.)
200 words.
by The Walker Wiggle on Jan 28, 2008 6:21 PM EST reply actions
Well according to Sunday’s [url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/columnists/lawrence/index.html]New York Daily News[/url], Thorn isn’t sold on Marcus as a leader and is willing to deal him. (But who knows how much truth there is to that.) I’d just add that any trade of Kidd is going to necessitate more trades for New Jersey. But maybe you’re right. Financially the deal would work without Williams. I just prefer the balance of a three for four trade, that and thought Chicago ought to get back at least one under 30 player.
P.S. My compliments on the three way deal.
P.P.S. Why does most of my punctuation end up as ?
by The Walker Wiggle on Jan 28, 2008 7:28 PM EST reply actions
Bulls receive: Pau Gasol
Grizzlies receive: Joahkim Noah, Kwame Brown, 2008 first round pick from Lakers(top 10 protected, top 3 protected after this year), (Top 5 protected first round pick in 2008 or top 3 protected pick in 2010)
Lakers receive: Sam Cassell, Joe Smith
Clippers receive: Ben Gordon
Why for the Bulls?: It gives them an elite low post player in Gasol. He will immediately make them a contender in the East, and he fits in well with their core of Hinrich, Deng, Wallace, and Thomas.
Why for the Grizzlies?: It saves them a ton of money with the expiring contract, and it gets them a prospect they really like in Noah and an extra draft pick.
Why for the Lakers?: It puts them firmly in the upper echelon in the West, and gives them more veteran leadership to go with their youth for the playoff run.
Why for the Clippers?: They aren’t going anywhere with Cassell anyways, so they get a good young player for him, and don’t have to take on extra salary…it’s a win/win for Sterling, and the team on the floor.
I feel like nobody has been drastic enough yet. After the offseason that the Celtics had, you would think a few more of us would put together some blockbuster deals. ;)These are nearly impossible deals to both pull off at the trade deadline, but I’m putting them together regardless.
1)
Chicago receives: Kobe Bryant, Jordan Farmar, Kwame Brown, Vladimir Radmanovic
Los Angeles receives: Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Wallace
Why?: Chicago gets the man it wanted all along, and Kobe gets his “former” request filled by leaving LA. LA in return gets a great young PG in Hinrich, a solid SF in Nocioni and a great prospect in Thomas. The gamble for LA is that Wallace’s career isn’t done. For Chicago it’s obvious; they obtain one of the best players in the NBA, and a promising young PG to replace Hinrich. The trade also works without Farmar included, but I feel Chicago could get him included in the trade.
2)
Chicago receives: Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Hakim Warrick, Brian Cardinal
Memphis receives: Ben Gordon, Joakim Noah, Thabo Sefolosha, Chris Duhon, Joe Smith, unprotected #1 pick.
Why?: I’ll keep this one short. Chicago is thrilled to get Gasol, for all the reasons Roy Hobbs pointed out earlier. They also get backcourt depth in Navarro, and frontcourt depth in Warrick. Memphis gets a great group of youngsters to pair with Conley and Gay, a #1 pick, and the ability to swap 3 years of the corpse of Brian Cardinal for 2 years of Joe Smith – a helpful note in picking up the options of both Gay and Conley.
Chicago:
PG: Jordan Farmar/Juan Carlos Navarro
SG: Kobe Bryant/JamesOn Curry
SF: Luol Deng/Adrian Griffin/Demitris Nichols
PF: Vladimir Radmanovic/Hakim Warrick/Viktor Khryapa
C: Pau Gasol/Kwame Brown/Aaron Gray
by Pillsbury on Jan 28, 2008 8:55 PM EST reply actions
Bulls receive[/b]: McGrady, Gasol, Alston, Swift
[b]Grizzlies receive[/b]: Wallace, Deng, Snyder
[b]Rockets receive[/b]: Hinrich, Nocioni, Sefalosha, Thomas
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=24291981245630283032885996829115322445&teams=291010101029444429&te=&cash=
[b]A) Does it help the team you’re trying to fix in the short term?
[/b]Yes, because McGrady and Gasol are upgrades over Deng, Thomas, and Nocioni. While Deng and Nocioni are valuable in their own right, McGrady and Gasol, when healthy, are far more proven as go-to guys who’ve carried the load on playoff bound teams. Seeing as Chicago’s main goal this year is to make the playoffs, even if their chances of going the distance are limited, they ultimately will help Chicago in maximizing their short term goal.
) Does this trade help the other team(s) involved?[/b] Yes, because Houston, in return for T-Mac, get younger players who are not injury prone and are on the rise, unlike T-Mac. Furthermore, the tradeoff of Alston and Hinrich is beneficial. For Memphis, Gasol has been in trade talks and Chicago’s name has been on the forefront. They have coveted Deng for at least a year now, and the Deng-Gasol swap is all it seems might be necessary to make this dream, reality for the Bulls.
) Does this trade help the team in the long term? [/b] Absolutely. With T-Mac and Gasol on the books together for two more years following this season at the very minimum barring trades, they have just as much cap space as they would have had they not done this trade, but better players whom free agents would enjoy playing with more.
) Does the trade help the other teams involved in the long term?[/b] Yes because Houston gets younger, more athletic, and arguably more potential for results given T-Mac’s inability to guide Houston past the first round even with Yao on board. As for Memphis, they without a doubt get better for the long term with Deng, another unhappy camper in Chicago who refused to sign a contract extension, aboard. He is 22, younger than Gasol, and with his versatility is a great fit for the uptempo team Chris Wallace envisions in his sleep.
) How realistic is this trade for everyone involved? T-Mac and Gasol’s names have both been thrown around in trade winds more than once, and both are reportedly targets of the Bulls, or were at some point this season if not currently. Given that all these 3 teams are looking for a new direction, it is not at all implausible to suggest a trade like this striking anytime between now and the trade deadline.
by TradeProposalDude on Jan 28, 2008 9:37 PM EST reply actions
Bulls receive: (Vince Carter), (Sean Williams), (Marcus Williams), (Speedy Claxton), (Josh Smith)
Atlanta Hawks Receive: (Jason Kidd), (Luol Deng), (Viktor Khryzapa),(Tyrus Thomas)
New Jersey Nets Receive: (Joe Johnson), (Kirk Hinrich), (Ben Gordon), (Acie Law), (Joakim Noah), Atlanta First Round Pick (lottery protected)
[url=http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=136429238119817883032885216549216717271786&teams=214171717212117174417&te=&cash=]In the name of blockbusters, I give you…[/url]
Bulls receive:[/b] Amare Stoudemire, Jason Kidd, Boris Diaw
[b]Nets receive:[/b] Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Raja Bell, Marcus Banks, Joe Smith, Milos Vujanic (unsigned draft pick, immediate waivers)
[b]Suns receive:[/b] Vince Carter, Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas
[b]Summary[/b]
: [/b] Unload Ben Wallace’s contract, unload troublesome Ty Thomas, get rid of Hinrich’s slightly overpriced contract. They bring in a still solid point guard who is unhappy now, and has turned around teams in the past. They add Stoudemire, who with Kidd immediately alleviates the low post offensive woes. And they add Diaw, another guy that can score in the post of on the perimeter and is a great passer that knows how to play with Amare. Starting lineup of Kidd/Adrian Griffin/Deng/Noah/Stoudemire (pretty great Defensive potential) and a bench led by Diaw, Nocioni, Duhon, Thabo, and Gray. They immediately become very balanced between offense and defense, youth and veterans, starters and bench/role players. This teak would contend if it added one solid 2 guard… say, with a mid-to-high lottery pick?
Jersey: [/b] Get rid of an unhappy Kidd and an underachieving Carter. Gain valuable a valuable veteran in the frontcourt (Smith) whose contract is up after next year. Add a point guard that is suddenly playing some great ball and is locked up for 5 years. Add another tough point guard in Banks who can play some D, push the ball, and be dealt or bought out if not in the big picture. Add SGs Raja Bell and Ben Gordon, one defensive player/3 point specialist, and one great scorer. Gordon would probably be packaged in another trade or not resigned. Through in Vujanic for the hey of it, waived immediately. Team looks like: Hinrich/Bell/Jefferson/Joe Smith/S. Williams. Bench of Gordon, M. Williams, Banks, Nachbar, Wright, Boone, Krstic, Magloire, Nachbar, and expiring Armstrong, Malik Allen (what a bench!). Youth, vets, depth in the front court and back court, shooters, defensive players.: Replace Bell with Carter, Amare with Ben Wallace, Diaw with Ty Thomas. Carter would love this system, Ben Wallace has lost a bit, but can still get up and down the court, is way ahead of Amare defensively, and can still catch alley oops. Ty Thomas could become a middle-income man’s Amare with Steve Nash at the reigns. Thomas was most compared to Amare coming in, and has shown the same athleticism and power… he also has the potential for great defense. Amare has been floated around. Lose him, but gain a much better and more complete combo in Wallace and Thomas – same ability to flush alley oops, better ability to D up, not quite the range Amare has. Diaw has been a disappointment the last couple years, but could fit in better in Chicago. Carter would fly high and rain threes. Starting lineup of Nash/Carter/Marion/Thomas/Wallace, with Barbosa, Hill, Skinner… just about the same type of 7 man rotation Skinner that Suns use now. They improve in the backcourt, improve defensively, and get a guy that could turn into an Amare type player within a year or two in this kind of system.
Every team wins!!
Because a guy (Wolves fan) can dream…
Setting the stage:
Kevin Garnett and the Celtics are swept in the first round by the on-fire New York Knicks, who qualified for the playoffs on the final game of the regular season. Despite averaging 34 points on 86% shooting, 22 rebounds, and 12 assists in 4 games, Kevin Garnett is labeled a “career choker, incapable of stepping up in the big games” by his coach, Doc Rivers, who forgot to play Big Baby and James Posey in the first 3 games.
Realizing his previous offseason brilliance would be all for not with a loser like Garnett, Danny Ainge waits for the trade restriction to expire and sends him back home to Minnesota, getting Theo Ratliff (recently signed to a 7 year, $125 million contract extension by Kevin McHale, who cited Ratliff’s rim defense and wisdom as invaluable skills) and Celtic’s legend Antoine Walker in return. Ainge was quoted as saying, “Walker is a real power forward. You cannot be a power forward in this league without girth… afterall, it is POWER forward. KG just has never been able to get it done.”
After committing himself to the insane asylum when told that protege Fred Hoiberg traded Ratliff and Walker for KG, McHale was finally out of the VP of Basketball Operation position that he held for 12 years too long. Hoiberg snaps into action and immediately gets Mitch Kupchak on the phone.
“Mitch,” he says “look. You lost every game after Bynum got hurt, and despite winning every game in return, still missed the playoffs. When is it going to end, Mitch? You are wasting a star players career… and Andrew Bynum cannot put up with it much longer. Look, I’ve got a 6’7” male model playing point guard, he’s dating Adriana Lima, and he longs to be back where it is acceptable to dress ‘metro’ (whatever that is). How about a package featuring Marko Jaric in exchange for Kobe Bryant? He hasn’t won since Shaq left and he’s far past his prime. To sweeten the deal, I’m going to throw in Gerald Green… perhaps you’ve heard of him? Slam dunk champ? Tracy McGrady without the injuries? Kobe Bryant without the character issues? Yeah, I know, sweet deal. I’m also giving you savvy veterans Greg Buckner, Michael Doleac, and the rhino, Craig Smith. That’s 5 for 1."
After two minutes of silence, Kupchak finally spoke. “You know Fred, I have a reputation as a real hard bargain. This entire year, I took calls from GMs wanting Kobe Bryant and I said no. But you’ve impressed me. Also, as soon as you said Adriana Lima, I was sold. Nice doing business with you.” The two GMs hand up, Mitch Kupchak puts his outstretched fingertips to each other, leans back in his chair, and quietly says, “I can’t believe he gave us Gerald Green. What an idiot!”
Meanwhile, Fred Hoiberg walks to Glen Taylor’s office and defensively says, “Glen, I just reacquired Kevin Garnett, Now I know…. I know…. Glen, Glen? What are you doing with that bat? Why are you hiding behind your chair? I know KG’s intensity always scared you, and I know your relationship ended poorly… but give me a minute. He’s okay with it, because I also got us Kobe Bryant.”
After snapping back to his chair, Glen Taylor picks up the phone.
“Who are you calling?” said Hoiberg.
“The StarTribune! I must tell them about the great work I’ve just done!”.
Fastforward to June, 2009, Target Center, Minneapolis, MN. It’s game 7 of the NBA Finals, featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat. Mark Blount has put up 22 points and 21 rebound a game to this point, only outshined by Kevin Garnett’s 6 triple doubles, Kobe Bryant’s 42 point average, and rookie Derrick Rose’s 13 assists per game. It’s the 4th quarter, the Wolves are down 10 points with 4 minutes to go. Kevin Garnett air drums to “In the Air Tonight” coming out of a timeout, an act so moving, that Mark Blount sheds a single tear, skips to the his old Wolves locker, and finds the ‘Blount’ jersey he hid in the back. He comes out to a shower of boos before being informed he has been ejected for skipping. KG goes on to throw out of 4 straight double teams for 3 balls from Bryant, Rose, Madsen, and Foye. The Wolves win by 4, KG stamps his size 15 Adidas’ on the Target Center scorers table one last time, Kobe screams “I told you I could win one on my own!” and Dwayne Wade struggle to pick himself up off the floor for the 8th time, stating “But I only fell down 7 times, how can I get up 8?”
The Wolves go on to win 3 more titles, and the casual NBA mass fans realize, “Oh… I guess KG really WAS that good.”
Recap…
Wolves receive: Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant
Celtics receive: Theo Ratliff, Antoine Walker
Laker receive: Marko Jaric, Gerald Green, Michael Doleac, Greg Buckner, $13 cash, future 2nd round pick.
Oh yeah, I completely forgot the original purpose of this contest. Ummmm…. Bulls realize they missed the boat by not getting KG in 2006, Paxson is fired, the Bulls immediately return to dynasty status after KG and Kobe retire. Bulls return to glory, problem solved!!
If you didn’t understand the reference above… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4AU2zrY0xA
Nice dream BT..seems like a nightmare to meeee……..
There has been a decision: There will be two champions!
Chris, for his Gasol getting scheme
Walker Wiggle for his Jason Kidd trade..
More announcements to come, but for everyone that participated, thank you. I can only offer that I judged every entry personally with complete personal bias and an uninformed opinion, so if I didn’t pick your trade I can offer only one question: What do I know?
Be sure to tip your waitress.
I expect a call from James Dolan any day now.
Thanks IP.
by The Walker Wiggle on Jan 29, 2008 12:57 PM EST reply actions
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