For the purposes of this argument, disregard for a moment whether you think the Bulls trading for Carmelo Anthony is a good idea. Pretend that it unanimously, unequivocally, and officially, is. The oft-debated virtues of the Bulls trading either Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, or both, in exchange for Carmelo, have been sufficiently debated elsewhere to not warrant further commentary here. For argument's sake, let's say it's a yes.
Pretend this didn't happen.
Pretend also that Carmelo Anthony has absolutely no qualms about coming to Chicago, signing a long term extension, and winning 26 titles. Pretend that despite his obvious and well documented desires to play in New York, he is willing to forego that, and instead immerse himself fully into Chicago's basketball world domination alongside Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Nia the LuvaBull. Pretend that he is eating his own face with excitement at the prospect.
Pretend also that it is neither feasible, desired or logical for the Bulls to based any trade package around Joakim Noah. With that decision seemingly already made by the team, it's not a huge concession to make here.
It is necessary, therefore, for the Bulls to make a deal based around Luol Deng.
It is necessary, therefore, for the Bulls to somehow outbid the Knicks, even though the Nuggets don't want Deng.
It is necessary, therefore, for the Bulls to make the prospect of taking on Deng's contract to be as welcoming as possible for the recipient team.
It is necessary, therefore, to create unfeasibly intricate trade scenarios featuring four teams, four draft picks, and sixteen players.
Chicago is immediately behind the game in any bidding war that it enters. Due to the cap space plan of last summer, the Bulls just don't have a large number of trade assets right now. All they can boast is Taj Gibson (a fringe NBA starter), Omer Asik (who has the potential to be the next Joel Przybilla), James Johnson (who, if he was a true asset, Thibodeau wouldn't be so scared to play), our own first rounders (in the to late 20's only), and a future Bobcats first rounder (which the recipient team may not see for five and a half years).
When viewed in comparison with what the Nets were offering, it's a tame offer. The Nets package - based around Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, and a whole first round's worth of first round picks - was still deemed insufficient. And the other frontrunner in the stakes, New York, appears to trounce any Chicago offer if they send Danilo Gallinari, Landry Fields, Eddy Curry's expiring contract (and expiring career), and one or two first round picks. We can't make deals like this; our integral players are too integral, and our non-integral players aren't good enough.
Strike two.
To stand a chance in the bidding, therefore, Chicago has to offer something rebuilding teams and irritatingly rich banking executives both yearn for = tax breaks. In lieu of being able (or rather, willing) to trade their high quality players, Chicago will have to tempt Denver with the opportunity to save huge amounts of money. Unless they're willing to trade Noah, it is their only foundation around which to build a deal.
However, there are still two significant problems here. Firstly, despite the disproportionally large number of eight figure expiring contracts across the NBA this season, none of them belong to Chicago. Indeed, the unfortunate reality of the situation is that Chicago has only three expiring contracts, totalling only $4,254,389, the largest of which is Kirk Thomas's $1.8 million. When attempting to offer salary relief, you're going to need an awful lot more than that.
Furthermore, it's nigh on impossible to offer salary relief while simultaneously constructing a deal around a player with $51 million in outstanding salary. In the three seasons after this one, Luol Deng is set to earn $39,965,000 - regardless of how elite his defense is becoming, he is simply not worth that money. He's good, but not that good, and he never will be. Denver knows this too, and that's why they don't want him. Strike four.
(This Deng conundrum demonstrates the importance of paying market value to all your players. It is not just the player's value to your own team that you are paying. If Deng was paid an average of $9 million over these remaining three seasons, rather than $13 million, Denver wouldn't mind trading for him.)
All Chicago can do, then, is make the deal really, really huge.
Denver's payroll, as of today, stands at $83,478,756, $13,171,756 over the luxury tax threshold. Once luxury tax payments are included, this means a 2010/11 salary commitment of as-near-as-is 9 figures.
If Chicago can get them under the luxury tax this season, they can save Denver about $23 million dollars. Taking the $83 million and turning it into a $70 million payroll means a saving of $13 million in luxury tax payments, a saving of about $7 million in actual payroll (when pro-rated for half the season), and a luxury tax reimbursement of about $3 million dollars (which, if they were taxpayers, they would not get).
Furthermore, while Denver's long term salary outlook is rather healthy, it could be healthier. Kenyon Martin's contract is finally expiring, and the large contracts of Chauncey Billups and Nene have only one year left to run after this one, but there's still a couple of anomalies. Veterans Al Harrington and Chris Andersen have a combined seven seasons and $43,286,700 remaining after this year, the vast majority of which is guaranteed. And regular DNP-CD recipient Renaldo Balkman also has two guaranteed years remaining, for the comparatively trivial yet still rather irksome amount of $3.35 million.
Admittedly, saving that amount only offsets the impact of Deng's remaining salary. But if the Bulls can reduce Denver's long term salary commitments as much as possible, while simultaneously saving them $23 million this year, and giving them as many basketball assets as they possess, they might just have an offer tempting enough to succeed. Just.
With all that in mind, here's the proposition.
Chicago sends:
Omer Asik, Taj Gibson, James Johnson, Ronnie Brewer, Brian Scalabrine, Luol Deng, Kurt Thomas, Keith Bogans, the Charlotte pick, 2011 and 2013 firsts, whichever 2011 second Chicago ends up owning in June, cash (to Sacramento).
Chicago receives:
Carmelo Anthony, Courtney Lee, Al Harrington, Chris Andersen, Renaldo Balkman, Luther Head, Melvin Ely, Anthony Carter, league-wide accolades, lots of paperwork to do.
Denver sends:
Carmelo Anthony, Al Harrington, Chris Andersen, Renaldo Balkman, Melvin Ely, Anthony Carter
Denver receives:
Omer Asik, Taj Gibson, James Johnson, Luol Deng, Brian Scalabrine, the Charlotte pick, 2011 and 2013 firsts, whichever 2011 second Chicago ends up owning in June, and huge financial savings.
Sacramento sends:
Luther Head
Sacramento receives:
Keith Bogans, Kurt Thomas, cash, deniro, wonga, readies, moolah, cheddar, dough, spondulix, bucks, bananas, benjamins, and other such terrible slang terms for money.
Houston sends:
Courtney Lee
Houston receives:
Ronnie Brewer
Chicago's 2010/11 payroll after the deal: $64,931,722 (from $56,835,041)
Chicago's total committed salary after the deal and extension: $340,672,656 (from $261,655,866)
Denver's 2010/11 payroll after the deal: $69,399,104 (from $83,478,756)
Denver's total committed salary after the deal: $149,217,190 (from $178,632,999)
(Houston and Sacramento's salary outlooks do not matter.)
Chicago's depth chart, post-trade:
PG - Rose, Watson, Carter
SG - Lee, Trey Johnson (who we concurrently sign at my behest), Head
SF - Carmelo, Korver, Balkman
PF - Boozer, Harrington, Ely
C - Noah, Andersen, Kurt Thomas after Sacramento buys him out
Denver's depth chart, immediately post trade:
PG - Billups, Lawson
SG - Afflalo, Smith
SF - Deng, Johnson, Forbes
PF - Martin, Gibson, Scal
C - Nene, Asik, Williams
If Denver waives Billups in the summer - his contract is only $4 million guaranteed - they'll then have about $15 million in cap room once Arron Afflalo is re-signed to an MLE sized contract. If they don't want James Johnson, it will mean roping in a fifth team to accomodate him. They could take either Bogans or Thomas if they wanted instead and it would still work, with Johnson perhaps going to Sacramento instead. Those two have the advantage of being expiring, but they have the disadvantage of having absolutely no use on a rebuilding team.
Houston's role in the deal is to get a better player than the one they already have. A simple yet solid reason. They can assume Brewer using either the Ariza TPE or the Yao DPE, and they can do without paying tax because of Yao's insurance payments. If they don't think Brewer is better than Lee, than they're wrong. If they want compensation for taking on the more expensive guy, then they can have cash, a second, or both. If they want more than that, it's a non-starter; however, if they want more than that, then they're also wrong.
Sacramento and their role in this is even simpler - they get paid to be here. They get no ameniable assets or players; they might not even intend to keep those players that they receive. They just get paid to do nothing. They have no long term salary taken on, get a cheque big enough to cover the short term salary they take on, and have a second cheque to go along with that to compensate them for their time. It's free money. And free money is the best kind of money.
As of February 1st - an arbitrary date - Thomas and Bogans will still be owed a combined $1.44 million. Head, meanwhile, will be owed $361,859. Overall, this deal represents roughly $1 million financial commitment from Sacramento. So giving them $1.5 million would offset that amount, while giving them a $500,000 sweetener. And that's why they do this deal for two veterans who won't help them in either the short or long term.
(Head is included in the deal because they'd have to waive him anyway to accommodate the two incomers, so they may as well give him to Chicago. This way, it saves them even more.)
In theory, it's better than nothing for Denver; in theory, it's also comparable with a Knicks offer. Without an expiring like Eddy Curry to work with, we're struggling for a competitive advantage; taking on all their long term salaries (a combined 9 years for Andersen, Harrington and Balkman after this one) is the best way we can do it. Most pertinently, this offer gets them under the tax. And that should not be sniffed at. A near-nine figure payroll suddenly becomes about $23 million lighter.
And that's no mean feat.
Frankly, you can ignore most of the players in the deal. Thomas, Bogans, Ely, Carter, Scalabrine; they're only in it because they have to be. Their very presence makes the deal look wildly ambitious, outrageously stupid, pathetically over-engineered and insanely ill-conceived, yet in reality, their otherwise trivial roles in the hypothetical are important cogs in an intricate, bloody complicated yet meticulously planned salary shuffle that sees everyone's salary needs met. But they are present solely for the purposes of salary. The core of the deal, the fundamental assets received by each team, is thus more like this:
For Chicago - Deng, Brewer, Taj, Omer, JJ, 4 picks, for Carmelo, Lee, and every piece of excessive salary Denver has (some of which might be useful as players)
For Denver - Carmelo, no other core pieces, and every expendable veteran salary going, for Deng, one good young big, one project young big who's definitely got something to show, one talented young wing player with a good attitude but a questionable basketball IQ, four picks (one of which may become highly useful down the road), and about $55 million saved.
For Houston - Trading a good young shooting guard for a better young shooting guard.
For Sacramento - free money.
Nevertheless, however intricate the details of the deal are, it is highly unlikely. Even with the concessions outlined in the opening of the post, there are still multiple caveats to consider, not least of which is the fact that Denver needs to want to trade their best player for a generation in exchange for an assortment of players, the best of whom is Luol Deng. It also involves turning over 8 parts of a 13 man roster in mid-season, finding compliant team willing to be accessories in facilitating the deal, and convincing Anthony Carter to not utilise his right to vetoing the trade (which, if nothing else, would be an amusing way for the deal to die.)
If I were Denver and Masai Ujiri, I would turn down this deal. And that is the reality of the situation Chicago finds themselves in. This year, they just don't have the assets. But if they're going to stand a chance, they're going to have to get crazy and hilariously oversized.
Failing that, we're waiting for next year.
Filed under: Miscellaneous
Tags: Carmelo Anthony, chicago bulls, courtney lee, Salaries, trade ideas
y'know, there's an argument to be made for trading Noah. this team continues to win despite missing Noah. the question becomes who would you rather add to this team currently: Noah or Melo? I think the frontcourt depth allows for this move and just make it through the season. worry about getting a big in the summer. meantime, your Big 3 has been assembled.
of course, this all hinges on Melo extending in Chicago. but as much as I love Noah (my second fave Bull) I can't help but look at a possible trade in this context. current Bulls
The problem with your argument for whether it would benefit more for this team to add Melo vs Noah is the fact that Deng is our starting SF. So you'd be adding Melo but replacing Deng which means Melo isn't a straight positive for our lineup. If Melo and Noah played the same position it would be a different story.
I understand that part and gave the above scenario assuming that Deng leaves in any such deal.
so then my proposal still stands. with the current group right now (no Noah), would you take Melo over Deng? in other words, replace Deng with Melo with our current healthy roster (including Boozer)... I'm thinking I still do it.
I was opposed to giving up Noah for Melo earlier in the year, but seeing the success the team has had w/o Noah in the lineup has made me reconcider that stance. at this point I think Melo is a bigger plus to the team than adding Noah back. and the effects on the court are obvious: teams more reluctant to double Rose above the 3-line with Melo out there, and wide open shots for a dynamic scorer like Melo when Rose penetrates and dishes.
You are looking at non-elite teams and deciding we don't need Noah. In playoffs, either you need to have a big advantage at a position to win the match-up. Melo will never have an adv over LBJ, Pierce etc...while Noah has adv over Miami Centers and Boston Centers(quickness) and if by chance we get to the finals ...over Spurs, able to defend Gasol, Bynum(maybe)..
I'd argue that our struggles against non-elite teams is more reason to pursue this. as far as bigs go, I'll still take my chances with KT, Asik, Taj, Booz versus Bosh, Big Z, Anthony, Dampier or Shaq, Jermaine, gimpy Porkins, gimpy KG, and we already know Noah struggles against Dwight.
I think we already dominate in the PG matchup against those other teams, so why not fight fire with fire with the rest of the lineup. we're already winning against elite competition (Bos, Mia, Dal) recently (injuries be damned since the Bulls and those 3 teams all are dealing with them right now, so the matchup evens out anyway). so again, I'd rather add Melo to the current group than just gain Noah back (no small thing, btw).
See that's the thing, you don't win fighting fire with fire. You win by fighting fire with water(cliche but you get the point). We have to get good where Miami is bad, we can't "out big three" them to death. We need excellent interior play, along with great all around defense. Sprinkle in a superstar that can make the big play in Rose and you've got the Heat antidote.
+100
have u already seen denvers sv cleveland ?? I u have, u will notice that Melo can defends well on james and scores as good as him. The only things were James is better is that he is a very good assister, a kind of point forward. Melo will also have an edge over pierce and torkoglu. The miami and orlando frontcourt isn't better than chicago's without noah. And don't only for this playoffs, look for next when we will tall player inside.
Wow... Mark Deeks rules ! (tough thing for a portuguese guy to say on an english fellow...)
One of the insanest trade pieces and i've ever read... believe would kill any team chemistry/work, although having Rose/Melo/Boozer/Noah on the same team would make good things happen...
In anycase, believe no one in the bulls front office has the guts to even put such on the table for discussion...
forget about Melo - lets move on - Bulls are building a great team, Rose blossoming into Elite status, Boozer one of the best PF in the game, and Noah giving the effort.
Gar-Pax need to focus on getting a good SG. Boston getting old, next few years this will be between CHI, ORL, NYK and those guys in south beach. We can see that with good team defense system, and the right players to execute it, good things also happen...
Han,
Your opening line...not really.
Mappy, Deeks trade effort exceeds any proposal you've given by ten fold. But don't be ashamed, he obviously spent at least 5 hours on this bad boy.
We should hang out more.
this deal is stupid. Ok chicago will came out stronger but why would denver accept it ??? Denver would be the looser in this deal.
We all know that nuggets want Noah, deng and taj for Melo. Why would they accept to loose moreover Andersen and harrigton for Scalbrine and Asik.
Let'S recap, they don't get Noah as they wanted and they loose harrington and andersen for nothing. Are u kidding me ? this deal is totally irealist !
Sir, the financial ramifications and reasoning behind the idea are described in depth. As much as Harrington and Andersen are superior to Asik and Scalabrine as players, that's not the point. The point is cutting costs.
that's why i don't like the thing of ESPN TRADE MACHINE. In the nba, trades aren'T only about money but also about improving the team game. I've noticed that everytime people try to use this trade machine, they come out with a trade where teams don't win anything. It only cares about money.
The trade machine did not make the trade. I did. If/when Denver loses Carmelo Anthony, they are rebuilding. And if they are going to rebuild, why not do it for as cheap of a price as possible, while accumulating as many future assets as possible? When you're rebuilding, Chris Andersen and Al Harrington don't help you. Particularly when they have a combine d7 years of salary left.
Every line that comes out of your mouth...not really.
And from the rumors I have read, Denver likes Casspi a lot.
My whole feelings is this:
Deng while overpaid, is putting up numbers that are honestly within the realm of Melo. Don't get me wrong Melo is a lot better than Deng offensively. But he's also not nearly as good defensivly. So overall I think Melo is reasonably better than Deng, never understate defense. So if you're flipping Melo for Deng it makes us much better on offense and a little worse on D. Now the question is, would losing Noah be enough of a negative effect to offset whatever gains you get from swapping Melo with Deng. I can honestly say absolutely, losing Noah would eliminate whatever overall gains we achieved from the Melo/Deng swap. You're talking about losing your two best defenders, your 3rd and 4th best scoring options, and your emotional leader for an excellent scorer, very poor defender, and egotistical non-leader.
This trade would never happen and im sure there are other ways to make it work. Not sure if Denver wants Deng or not...but with the way he has been playing...they might change their mind, you never know.
Not a expert in salaries....but what about
Melo an Gary Forbes (scrub) FOR Deng, Taj, James Johnson, Bulls 3 1st round draft picks (about 1 mil each)
About 17mil on each side. If Denver loses Melo, i dont see them signing any bigtime free agents anyway. So they get a top 10 SF in Deng, a guy that can start on many teams in the NBA in Taj, and a prospect in James Johnson, plus 3 1st round draft picks to rebuild their team. The Bulls could also look into trading our pick, plus the bobcats pick to get a better first round pick to sweeten the deal.
Again, the reason the trade in the OP is really big and complicated is because it is done to get Denver under the luxury tax. They are so far over it that this is almost impossible to do. Your trade idea does not achieve that; in fact, it's almost identical to the one in the OP, except without all the important financial considerations. It is those considerations that make it (potentially) palatable for Denver.
Your trade is really quite impressive in that it achieves the goal of getting Denver under the cap. Honestly, how long did it take you to throw this together?
About half an hour to devise it, about two hours to write it up. I also had to tweak it a bit when I realised that it had inadvertently left Denver a couple of hundred thousand over the luxury tax; it was at this point that Carter, Ely and Scal had to become involved. It's all very complex. Every player in it, even the irrelevant ones, are very relevant to the finances of it all. Except for Luther Head.
I see. It seems like a trade that really puts the emphasis on money, which is something guys often fail to consider when posting their latest trade machine proposal.
In the immediate future I think it would set the Bulls back quite a bit defensively as they'd need time to teach so many new players Thibs system. Offensively I think its an instant improvement. God I just wish Pax had played hardball a little harder(or a lot harder) and Deng was closer to 9 million a year. You've got to think that Deng almost regrets signing for as much as he did considering the negativity that has surrounded him in the past few years, all while actually performing quite well. Then again who am I kidding? He probably gets over it real quick when he sees those weekly paychecks.
haven't we learned anything about Deng? too inconsistent. Melo is guaranteed 20-25 points every night, with your weekly 40-point outburst. and I'd be interested in seeing Melo in a different defensive system. I'm guessing he's willing but they probably don't preach it as much in Denver.
Melo could a.)buy into Thibs system and become a solid defender or b.)feel as if he's too good to give the kind of effort Thibs requires and in turn disrupts our entire defense. We are the best defensive team in the league because of a system, not because of excellent individual defenders. One crack in that system and it all goes to hell.
Now in response to your point on Melo over Deng. Look I agree Deng IS inconsistent. But if you ship out Noah and Deng you're talking about Kurt Thomas at center. Deng averages 18ppg while Noah averages 15ppg. Kurt Thomas can give you defense and rebounding but aside from that only 6ppg. So yea Melo can give you 25ppg(thats assuming there's enough attempts to go around with him, Boozer, and Rose sharing the ball). But 25ppg from Melo and 6ppg from Kurt still doesn't make up for the 15+18=33 that Noah and Deng provide. And thats without even considering the defense you lose in trading Noah and Deng. It's a matter of opinion but I really am having a hard time seeing us benefit in any way by getting Melo unless its a deal that excludes Noah, and even then its a question of what you have to give up.
So Chicago sends Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, Tom Thibodeau's mom, James Johnson, the Bulls team bus driver, and Keith Bogans for Melo?? Nice.
Without Jo and Taj this team's interior defense in the playoffs becomes smoke and mirrors system defense of Thibs would be blown up. But when you think about it Boozer and Al Harrington would be taking care of business on the D side/down low so go ahead.
They wouldn't be without Jo.
I think his second paragraph was in reply to other's comments above about the prospect of including Noah in a deal.
Right.
hahaha RW you crack me up with the dry humor.
Thanks CS. Some of these trade proposals are entertaining, but we all know Melo is not coming to Chicago. When has a prolific scoring star just fallen out of the sky to complete a championship/ contending NBA roster particulalry in Chicago?
Yea that only happens in LA, everyone knows that! lol
You are massively overating the "success) that we are having, especially if you try to translate that success to winning 7 game playoff series.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6d4u9x2
* It's a WIN-WIN for each team and player.
Not for Charlotte. Giving Wallace for Deng doesn't make sense.
+1
Please explain how that's a win for Denver. I implore you. The key, as this article notes, is saving Denver cash, which you failed to do on any substantial level. This article explains how impossibly hard it will be for the Bulls to save Denver the kind of cash they want. The only way we can get Melo is if NY utterly fails to put a trade package together that gives Denver what they want while at the same time leaving Melo with enough teammates to win.
Why?
- The Bulls and Melo could win NBA titles together.
- Melo would be in a bigger market, thus make more $ off the court.
- The JordanBrand could do a bunch of MJ/Melo commercials = $.
- The Nuggets would get young prospects, picks and cap relief.
- MJ could make Deng the face of the 2012 Olympics in Great Britain.
- Deng would be back in North Carolina, where he went to college.
- Wallace could go back to the Kings, where he started his career.
- The Kings would get more defensive and have a better shot at the playoffs.
It's a WIN-WIN for every team and player.
"-Deng would be back in North Carolina, where he went to college.
- Wallace could go back to the Kings, where he started his career."
Happy, these points while maybe true have absolutely nothing to do with the viability of the trade. Those with deciding power for your proposed trade; Melo, Denver, Charlotte, Kings, don't give 2 shits about Deng being back in NC nor do they give 1 shit if Wallace goes back to where he started his career. You're going to have to come up with some better reasons as to why this trade benefits those who hold the cards.
"MJ could make Deng the face of the 2012 Olympics in Great Britain."
You might have to explain this one. Consider as well that I'm English, so I'm going to need a LOT of convincing.
I didn't realize MJ took over for Juan Antonio Samaranch.....After making Deng the face of 2012 Olympics, I am sure he will work hard on getting Chicago the 2020 Olympics.
WHY TRADE MELO TO THE KNICKS:
MrHappy could bugger off as #1 fanboy to knickerblogger.net and we'd never have to hear from him again.
It's a WIN-WIN for everyone.
(Well except readers of knickerblogger, but most of them are Knicks fans, so who cares)
Reinsdorf would never agree to such a complicated deal and knowing this fact, the Bulls brass need to get creative and get a quality shooting guard for this team. Bottom line, Deng's contract is keeping the Bulls from making any major trades. Here's to the 3rd option.
Gerald Wallace Unhappy in Charlotte?
http://twitter.com/CBSSportsNBA
* Deng plays the PF position, at times, and doesn't complain.
Just another reason to make MY TRADE happen.
2years/10.5M for 4years/11.3M... don't think so.
MJ may not be as good executive as he was a player, but that would be crazy.
And the trick to trying to trade for a quality shooting guard is there aren't that many good ones available for the right price.
Reesel,
My trade isn't complicated. It's sensible.
I don't know about M. Deeks' though. The Bulls would be fine at SG (Brewer/Korver/Bogans), if they added Melo's scoring to the mix.
Yeah I agree if the Bulls could get Melo but I really think It's all on him now. Do he want to go home to the Knicks or do he want to contend for championships. Everyone knows he wants N.Y. but maybe he does really want the Bulls, who knows. Hopefully he will realize even if he does go to N.Y. he still won't win a championship. It will be interesting to see what happens.
+2
AS I have mentioned previously, had we never signed Deng to that contract, we would have had enough money this past offseason to sign Wade, Lebron and Bosh(if we had to to get the other 2) to the same contracts that they signed with Miami, and still had Rose and Noah.
They would then have had to decide between the south beach lifestyle and playing with Rose and Noah. They seem douchey enough to still have chosen Miami, but we would have been in the running for real.
Trying to cater to our so called core(HInrich, Gordon and Deng) wasted too many years and too many opportunities.
Nice find Wiggins....i have been having a heated convo for sometime on one of the websites i visit about why Rose is better then Rondo. This just prooves it a little more, Rondo cant touch Rose. Rondo, while really good, still is playing with 4 hall of fame players. Rondo is passing to Ray Allen while Rose is passing the ball to Keith Bogans.
This is why I say Rose still needs more help in scoring from someone from the perimeter and even if the Bulls have to wait til next year, I just don't see a shooting guard out there worth giving up Taj another player and picks. Bulls are stuck in my opinion not unless they get creative...KEITH BOGANS the future shooting guard for the Chicago Bulls, Good Luck with that!!!
You somehow bring the same topic back for every post.
Bogans is if I am correct is on a one-year contract.
Wait for the deadline, new CBA etc.. to see how it all works out. They have to build step by step and the one thing to add to your theory is Rose is young. He really has time to come to his prime and actually for the Bulls to decide what kind of player really complements him because his skill level is improving every month in something new..
I may bring up the same topic but who doesn't, it is a major topic, a topic that needs to be resolved cause if the Bulls can't some how bring in a descent shooting guard this year trust me... the starting shooting guard that they are starting now just may cost them a playoff series win in the first round depending on the team that they draw which will probably be either Atlanta or N.Y. and the Knicks so far are 2-0 against the Bulls. They have not played Atlanta yet but I would be willing to bet that one goes 6 or 7 games with either team having a shot to win the series. It don't have to be a major acquisition but one that is a little bit of a better shooter than Bogans. Everyone knows this team needs an upgrade at the shooting guard position so just like Gar/Pax have said, if they have a chance to better the team they will. Or do you want teams to keep double teaming Rose in the playoffs cause that's exactly what is going to happen.
OH and sorry it's not the topic that you want to read, just don't read it.
Plus, Noah is base year, making any NOah deal much more difficult and dissadvanted for the Bulls.
Either you have a lot of time(even then, you have to know what you are writing) or you are one super-duper expert on salaries. I think it is the latter ...I appreciate your article and hopefully in the worst case it shows some people how difficult it is to pull of this trade.
Then, they can stop dreaming about Melo coming to Chicago and follow the real team;-)
Would say it is far more difficult to get a very good C, than a very good SF in the NBA...
What would be better: Rose/Boozer/Noah vs Rose/Melo/Boozer...? we would match up very well against the Heatles, but ORL & BOS would just kill us inside.
ultimately, the Heatles are the team I'm concerned about. I feel comfortable going up against LBJ/ Wade/ Bosh with Rose/ Melo/ Booz, and in that scenario I still like the rest of our roster over theirs (even minus Noah... and Deng obviously).
You are definitely in the minority in this. In a playoff game, LBJ > Melo, Wade > Rose(right now),Bosh=Boozer... Without Noah, the Centers from Miami don't have to help. To beat Miami, you need to be big and change their gameplan...there is no way you can beat them at their own game...i.e. athleticism, fast breaks etc... LeBron is far and far the best player in the league like MJ at his time was too far better than the next best player. I am not saying LBJ is as good as MJ...but LBJ currently is #1 and way better than whoever is #2
lol sorry I posted like the exact same thing below, didn't see yours till after I submitted. As you can see I agree with you 100%
Rose=WADE. Rose has nothing to envy to wade. Even if our big three is less good but our defense can compensate the rest. With this current team, when Rose gonna get double-teamed and Boozer having a difficult night, we loose the game because Deng is too inconsistant. Whereas if we have Melo, things would be different.
the problem is you would probably have to give up Gibson as well, and draft picks. Then how would we get decent pieces to get to the finish line?
To win in the NBA you need deep benchs, and that is why i see a tough road for Miami in the playoffs. The Bulls would be the Heatles 2 (or the Rolling Roses...)
Great point. The Bulls would be identical to the Heat but not quite as good. We need to build a deep bench and solid starting 5 to match Miami. If we can get a solid SG and continue to build our bench with the draft and development of Asik I see us matching up with the Heat for years to come as the Celtics fade into the background. I don't include Orlando in the discussion of the future as I can't be sure of Dwight Howard's commitment level going into free agency. I could easily see him signing with LA in order to get out of the East where he can face an easier road to the Finals.
+1
The problem is that we can't get the good SG. Bulls were targeting Mayo, smith but nothings happened cuz we don't have what it take to make deal. With the current roster, we could only have sg like Lee, anthony parker or barbosa. It still not enough to be contender.
And don't speak Asik, do seriously count on Asik to improve this team ? C'MON man !!
Melo is far a great upgrade. With him, team won't double-team Rose
Um yeah I do count on Asik's development to help contend with the Heat because his continued growth gives us a huge advantage with both our starting and backup centers being better than the Heat's STARTER. I said ". If we can get a solid SG and continue to build our bench with the draft and development of Asik I see us matching up with the Heat for years to come as the Celtics fade into the background."
Let me break that down for you. It means that if we can add a solid SG who can hit the three and defend and further solidify our bench through the MLE and if we develop players specifically Taj and Asik we will be fighting Miami for trips to the finals for years. Taj is in his second year, Asik in his first, they have plenty of room to grow especially Asik. Having Noah, Boozer, Taj, and a developed Asik will be huge in exploiting Miami's interior weakness. Having a SG that can make teams pay for doubling Rose will also be huge. And to your "Melo is a far great upgrade" and I'm assuming you mean "far greater upgrade".. No shit Sherlock. But the reality of the unlikelihood we can get him means we have to solve our issues in other ways. And we CAN get a legitimate SG, I'm not talking about an All-Star here. We can use the MLE to get someone solid in the offseason or use all the pieces we likely wont be using on Melo to get one via trade. And where do you get the ideas behind a statement like "Bulls were targeting Mayo, smith but nothings happened cuz we don't have what it take to make deal." Has the trade deadline passed yet? I must have missed something here.. When do trades usually go down? In fact name for me how many trades TOTAL have happened in the entire NBA so far this season.... 6, and only 3 of them actually included players for players, the other 3 were draft picks for garbage players. The only substantial trade of the entire season was the Orlando Phoenix trade. So I guess every single team except Orlando and Phoenix "can't get it done". Or maybe just maybe teams wait till closer to the deadline in order to make smarter, more well calculated moves, for a better price(you know trades that don't include taking on Gilbert Arenas's massively terrible contract) Don't you remember this Bulls team making the trades last season that made it possible for us to have the roster we have? The trades that gave us a plethora of options in free agency? I guess you must have forgot. Cmon kid.
Rose and Melo cannot outscore LBJ and Wade. Lebron, while vastly overrated defensively for his fast break blocks and lane sitting steals, is a better defender than Melo. Wade is definitely a better defender than Rose, and Bosh/Booz really offset each other, except rebounding I'd give Boozer the edge. However I believe that Noah at center helps give Boozer an edge over Bosh. My point is, no Rose/Melo/Booz does not outplay the Three AmEgos.
Btw you aren't considering the fact that Denver likely wouldn't be interested in a trade that included both Noah and Deng. That kind of throws a wrench in the whole thing. We'd have to find another trade or bring other teams in to rid ourselves of Deng to make way for Melo at SF. And we've seen how hard it is to sell teams on Deng in the past.. and the present.
let the record show that I never said Rose/Melo/Booz > LBJ/Wade/Bosh
"I feel comfortable going up against LBJ/ Wade/ Bosh with Rose/ Melo/ Booz"
Your words, not mine.
that does not say they are better. it says I'm comfortable going up against their 3 with that. in other words, I feel they might break even with a trio like that. over the course of a 7-game series, it can swing either way from game to game. in that case, then the supporting cast could very well be the difference and I'll take out guys over theirs.
lemme see... um yeah, yeah, i'm pretty certain that's what I said. go back and read my post.
Are u serious...Rose is the only one who has room for development. Melo/Booz have really peaked in their careers and LeBron/Wade/Bosh have peaked and their peak right now is way higher than Melo/Booz.
Look, if Melo comes for Deng+Taj+whatever....fine, we build towards a better team. If you give up Noah, we will be struggling to beat Milwaukee and Atlanta let alone Miami..
I'm not completely sure that's the case. I honestly didn't expect Rose to take the jump that he has this year, I thought it'd be more baby steps forward, which is also fine, but Rose has totally taken it to another level and I think that's an x-factor in all this. I'm willing to gamble on D-Rose leading the Bulls all the way, but I'd feel better about it with Melo than our current roster going forward. you're talking more incremental improvement to the roster, I'm saying let's consolidate our top talent and then add pieces thru MLEs and draft over coming years, very similar to what the Heat are doing. don't think that this is the end-all-be-all with that Heat roster. they will add to that team over the coming years. they'll get vets. so then what, we end up with an totally inferior trio (Rose/Booz/Noah or Rose/Booz/Deng or whatever order you wanna see it as) AND inferior supporting cast?!? no thanx.
Solving the Illinois Deficit
After reading your article I feel better qualified to solve the financial crisis of Illinois.
Seriously though, a lot of thought went into your article, thanks for the good effort :)
exactly, Heat is the question. They gonna a be a monster the next years, we need to focalize on them. That why we need to match they talent ! moreover if we pass on Melo, we'll create another monster to beat (NY)
C'mon, when it says C are difficult to get. It's about C who can be great scoring option like Gasol and Howard(hey arethe lone). Getting a C who can defends and rebounds like Noah isn't that difficult.
Get real! Noah does so much more than that & is all heart & leadership
I'm starting getting tired of Noah is chicago soul or leader. Of course it's right. But we can go without him, the prouf chicago is best nba defense right now. It means that even with noah out our defense still standing ( did u watch last game, i didn't see nOAH whereas dallas was missing everything). Noah has barely impact in offense, and we still defends well without him, so would i wait for him whereas i can keep this current good defense and add a offensie player(melO). Trust me with this actual team, our offense is too limited. Once derrick rose gonnna get double teamed in playoffs, we're dead.
Noah helps out Rose more on double teams than anyone
u're very funny. who have already double-teamed noah ?? melo need double-teams, not noah. it's a huge edge
When Rose gets blitzed on the pick & roll & consequently double teamed, whose man do you think slides over to Rose? A lot of the time, its Noah's. Rose drws the double, decides if he wants to split it or pass out of it, and Noah is the perfect man to pass it to, because he can can up & get it, dribble to the hoop, then pass to find the open man, and there should be at least 1 open man. Or he can take the defender to the hole, who rotated over to him. Noah would have a considerable mismatch here most of the time. You see this a lot when teams double off the pick n roll, or off a trap.
Its not a matter of Noah being double teamed, but him helping Rose out when Derrick gets doubled, then Noah finding the best scoring from there, which he does so well.
But if you want another guy who gets doubled, there is Boozer. He has the passing ability to pass out of the double as well.
Melo is not coming to Chicago. JUST LET IT GO!!!
They won't. Blockbuster trades with a player of Carmelo's stature almost never happen. Which is why I don't think it will happen. It could be done, it is indeed plausable, but it wont happen for the bulls.
HEY bULLieving in Miami, I tottaly agree with u, that's what I am all about.
The recent situation show us that even with noah out, our defense and rebound still there. And actually we need offense, so I'd rather get Melo than Noah at this momment. Sure Thomas isn'T an ideal replacement for noah, but we could get a better replacement in draft or via a litlle trade.(I think it's been told if we give noah, we'll get Nene)
I'm happy to find someone who thinks like me.
HEY bULLieving in Miami, I tottaly agree with u, that's what I am all about.
The recent situation show us that even with noah out, our defense and rebound still there. And actually we need offense, so I'd rather get Melo than Noah at this momment. Sure Thomas isn'T an ideal replacement for noah, but we could get a better replacement in draft or via a litlle trade.(I think it's been told if we give noah, we'll get Nene)
I'm happy to find someone who thinks like me.
s
and would you want Kirk Thomas to be the center of the future?
no no. I would never suggest that, bu if I can secure Melo now, I'd ride the wheels off Thomas the rest of the season. no different than how they're playing him now.
right, but my point is how they heck are you going to replace Noah at center. 7-footers who give effort & have the heart that Noah has are very hard to find
Not to mention the rebounding skills and developing offense and passing skills and high basketball IQ and ability to run the floor unlike Dampier, Brown etc..
yes, I didn't even mention his skills. There is this unfair reputation he has, that some people think he is completely lacking of skills. Just look at what he did the last 2 playoff series, particularly against Cleveland, & the way he destroyed Varejao who has the same type of label.
Like you mention Schaumburgfan, Noah is skiilled in many areas, and he continues to work on his game & develope. He is already one of the best passing big men in the game. He is a good free throw shooter, good shooter from the elbow, can score from the post, has really gotten that running hook down, such a skilled tip-in artist, such a smart player, so perfect for bailing Rose out during aggressive traps, runs the floor, wins almost every jump ball, probably the best pick n roll defending big man in the game, one of the best help defenders in the game, a shot blocker, a leader esp. with energy & emotion, he steps his game up in pressure situation or in playoff situations, I mean the list is so long. And he is getting better all the time just like Rose. Especially with his offensive moves.
+10
There's an argument to be made for drinking your own urine. Doesn't mean I'm going to do it.
WOW very entertaining to read this 4 team mega trade deal....no way it ever happens but very entertaining! ;-)
+100. Cuz denver loos too much, they won't accept ! very unrealist
British dry wit at it's finest, a needlessly complex scenario to make the team worse, bravo!
That doesn't get Denver under the luxury tax, though. And that was the point here. That's the biggest thing we can offer them.
The Knicks can offer better. unfortunately.
But the Knicks are somewhat limited in that they can't give up so much to the point that they leave Melo without enough teammates to win. Melo has stated this much on multiple occasions. He doesn't want to go to NY if they are shipping out all their players. I feel this is the only change Chicago has, if they can put together a package that is better than one that Melo finds suitable in NY.
But that would be same knock on the Bulls. They can only get Melo by depleting the entire roster.
Depleting the roster isn't a huge hardship. It would mean rebuilding the chemistry and understanding of the schemes again, but it only took 6 months to do it this time, so what's 6 more?
Then what's keeping the Knicks from pulling the trigger...?
The Nuggets don't want what they're selling, it appears.
Do you think it is more because of the inflated numbers in a system like Mike D'Antoni? And off course the impending RFA of Chandler. They will probably wait till the deadline and see where NY is(they have already 4 in a row)because of a tougher schedule..
BULLSFTW.....I THINK YOU MAY BE ON TO SOMETHING! AK47 would give Denver all kinds of cap relief this offseason, plus Taj could replace Kenyon Martin (whos a FA i believe), an Asik (who could be solid) and like you said, plenty of draft picks. This is the best trade scerenio ive seen so far.
It makes sense that the Jazz would be willing to the trade so they can remove Melo from their divion.
Another possibility is getting the Kings involved by sending Asik to Sac town in exchange for Casspi and send him to Denver.
Bulls Get: Melo & Shelden
Nuggets Get: AK-47, Taj, Casspi, Bobcats Pick, Bulls 2012 & 2014 1st
Jazz Get: Deng
Kings Get: Asik
i hope you guys arent serious?
cap space?
there goina have that any way when melo leaves.. whats the point of cap space for 3 months? and people actually believe thats a deal breaker.. denver is one of the teams thats about to clear alot of cap already prob 2nd to indy..
im not moving or talking about moving noah until 2012..
(dwight howard) everyone obvs is goina say l.a because of the rumor but if howard is going to leave.. orlando is going to want something.. and in 2 years joakim will be a allstar probably next year and vastly improved as he continues to learn defense and schemes in thibs system..
theres realistically no way we get melo no matter what deals you guys come up with
THE ONLY WAY THE CHICAGO BULLS AQUIRE CARMELO KIYAN ANTHONY IS BY HIM FORCING A TRADE ONLY TO CHICAGO!
theres no 3 team deal we can make.. theres no salary relief we can give a team thats about to have it and is more concern about becoming a irrevelant and terrible team.. i dont understand how people always talk about expiring deals like if their deal breakers.. in nyk's case.. eddy currys contract is useless because melo was leaving anyway.. and denver isnt shedding an EXTRA player for cap space.. new york is only using currys contract to match THIS years salary..
at the end of the day..
im all ears if dwight wanted to come here(which is probably his 2nd choice behind l.a).. espec if boozer is around 18 & 10 and we locked up taj & omer to long terms..
other than that.. afflalo is our guy.. and im willing to give up the char. 1st for him because as in the mayo case we need to give up 2 first and taj .. and i dont see much of a drop off from mayo to afflalo because mayo is one of the worst man defenders vs one of the best and isnt a better fit or shooter..
the only reason denver was interested in njs deal wasnt because of murphys expiring..it doesnt matter..that was to match salaries.. dont you get it? they wanted a future or a allstar and we have neither.. NO NBA TEAM RATHER HAVE CAP SPACE FOR 3 MONTHS THAN LOSE THEIR FACE OF THEIR FRANCHISE.. period.. denver wants talent for now or talent for later.. the only concern they have with cap is if the player they get in return is worth it and deng isnt..
stop dreaming about carmelo.. its a done deal.. if the guy wanted out before the free agency then we would have him instead of boozer.. but im happy he didnt..
so once again.. i want to inform you guys.. DENVER DOES NOT CARE ABOUT SALARY.. THEY WANT TALENT OF FUTURE TALENT.. this isnt like the new orleans situation..and even they added more contracts..the nuggets wanted a PROSPECT like favors.. it has nothing to do with salary..
denver just doesnt want to go back to being horrible with nothing to lean on..thats it.. thats the whole thing.. salary is coming their way.. carmelo or no carmelo they will have alot..espec when carmelo leaves..so an expiring means nothing when the guy is already leaving..
the guy who we might be a reality match with.. is dwight howard ..if he leaves.. like i said.. if.. other than that.. can we play ball?
go get afflalo
Cap space and cap relief are not the same thing, sir. If you can find another way to save Denver $23 million THIS SEASON, do tell.
Dude you practically made it complicated for yourself. It's obvious Melo will only sign an extention to his prefered destination. Maybe that's why NJ pulled off the deal, knowing Melo will not sign the extention. If he WANTS to get traded to either NY or Chicago then Denver has to choose between the two. Whoever comes up with a better deal wins. Denver will rather get the Bulls best offer than losing Melo for nothing.
The universal thinking is Melo wants to go to New York, but he clearly said he wants to win championships. New York is 22-21 and will have a weaker roster after a Melo trade. The Bulls on the other hand has a special thing going, our Bulls is 30-14, you do the math. Plus Melo joining Rose, Noah, and Boozer is strong force that will dominate the East for many years to come.
There's no guarantee Melo will end up in a Bulls uniform, but this one does not hurt to try. It's a win-win situation for the Bulls.
Does Denver do it though? Thats the question. Do they like Cap Space to go and get a great player this offseason or do they want Fields an Gallo from the knicks. VERY VERY INTERESTING, Deng seems like a Sloan type player too.
That trade is ludicrous. Too many players involve.
But this.....
To the people who want Melo in Chicago....
Since the Bulls did Utah a favor for trading them a trade exception in the Carlos Boozer deal. If you remember, this allowed Utah to acquire Al Jefferson. Anyways, maybe the Jazz can help the Bulls acquire Melo.
Bulls Get:
F Carmelo Anthony
F Shelden Williams
Why? Because it's Melo, and we need a legit perimeter scorer next to Rose.
Nuggets Get:
F Andrei Kirilenko
F Taj Gibson
C Omer Asik
Bobcats First Round Pick
Bulls 2012 & 2014 First Round Picks
Why? Rather than letting Melo walk for nothing, they get an expiring contract in AK-47 for cap relief. They get a future starter at PF with Taj, a potential legit back-up center in Asik, and multiple draft picks.
Jazz Get:
F Luol Deng
Why? Deng will fit perfectly in Sloan's system. He gives D-Will a reliable third option who can score a plenty and play solid defense. Plus, he's only 25.
smh this only made sense if the deal was deng for boozer when boozer was there.. other than that it doesnt anymore..ONCE AGAIN.. THE NUGGETS DONT CARE ABOUT 3 MONTHS OF SALARY RELIEF RATHER THAN HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR LOSING THE FACE OF YOUR FRANCHISE.. if teams were cost cutting it was only because of free agency.. and those days are gone.. ask memphis & new orleans..
they rather have melo leave then get embrassed by taking that deal.they wont trade a superstar for a pick 5 years from now and salary.. im sorry..get over it..
My comment was made considering Noah would not be part of the deal. A trade leaving the Bulls with Melo, Rose, Boozer, Noah, Korver, Watson and whoever else comes over is hardly depleting the entire roster in comparison to NY giving up every starter except Felton and Amare.
Considering what Denver was asking from the Nets, i think it is a safe bet the Bulls had to give everything except Rose & Boozer. And if Kroenke is in bad humour, fare well Benny the Bull...
Haha no not Benny! But in reference to your Nets comment. Yea the Nets were being asked to give up a ton, and Denver would have definitely made that deal but Melo will not sign in NJ as you know, in effect killing the deal.
But Denver't situation is going to get worse and worse as they approach the trade deadline. The price will consequently drop and the fact is Melo has the power to say no I wont sign with them if you make this trade because it leaves them with far to few players. So it becomes a question of who can offer more with giving up less and I believe that Deng+Taj+Picks+whoever else excluding Noah Boozer Rose and one of our SGs beats out anything the Knicks can offer while keeping say Gallo Amare and Felton. That's why I think Denver might end up pushing for a Chicago trade if Melo won't sign with NY because, while he does want to live in NY, he isn't interested in going there to play 3 vs 5 with Amare and Felton when he could be joining up with Rose Noah Boozer and say, Ronnie Brewer or Kyle Korver. It's not likely because Melo may just cave and go to NY to play with a depleted roster but if he does indeed find the Knicks offer to put his future team in a position where they can't compete, the Bulls would be his, and Denvers best option. Remember if Denver doesn't get a trade done by the deadline they'll almost definitely end up having to sign and trade Melo to NY this Summer getting garbage in return, much like Lebron and Bosh's situation last Summer. From what I've read Denver is looking to avoid such a situation at all cost.
Well, we have about 1 month to find out. In anycase, if Bulls don't get Melo, i am fine with this team - and it can only improve.
Same here.
Agreed, the numbers look great, but moving 8 players from a team that has a good thing going? It would be a ballsy move, and I wouldn't associate that word with Bulls management(not saying thats a bad thing). Now if Kenny Williams was Bulls GM... that's a different story.
Not all of the 8 are relevant. JJ and Scal don't play. Bogans plays, but doesn't help. Kurt in theory is a limited minutes player when everyone is healthy, as is Asik. One of them has to be, at least. The significant rotation losses are Brewer, Deng and Taj. Good defenders all, key pieces all, yet also replaceable pieces all.
It's absolutely a huge amount of turnover, particularly in midseason. And I'm not in any way pretending it is likely. It is, however, an approach that can be taken/
I agree and don't get me wrong I'd pull the trigger if this trade was in my hands assuming Denver and others were down. I'm just doubting GarPax's ability to make this kind of move. There's no doubt in my mind this trade would be a big step towards the Bulls championship relevance over the next decade.
What i find intriguing is what is keeping the Knicks from pulling the trigger on a trade. Taking in consideration their effort to clean out the roster last year, in order to accomodate big time FA's, cannot believe they are standing by for Galinari or Chandler.
See that's the thing. It's not that NY is standing by for Galinari and Chandler, its that Melo doesn't want to go to NY if they have to lose all their pieces. So the question is would he rather lose the cash and just sign in free agency so he can keep the Knicks players you mentioned? Or does he want the extra 20 million enough to prefer a trade to a Chicago team that can offer some substantial players while keeping enough for Melo to be on a winning team?
Oh and I should address the possibility that Melo just caves in and his need to play in NY overrides his need to win and he accepts a trade that decimates his future team's prospects.
Will he risk the unknow new CBA ? No chance. That is why Melo has a limited leverage. He has to sign an extension.
Although the Heatles friends signed for bit less, down there in Florida the low income tax balances their pay sheet. They are practically earning the same, as if they would sign for max deal in NY or CHI.
This is too much speculation. We saw last year with the 3 amigos. There are things going on backstage with agents and management both sides that we can only guess.
It really is such a futile exercise I don't know I subject myself to this stuff... lol
I hope for the sake of bullieving in Miami you are wrong.
What people don't realize is for the sake of 2010 FA, the Bulls took a step back. If Melo was available in Dec 2009, they could have given a lot of assets(Hinrich, Tyrus, multiple picks and more)..
We had a setback for a couple of years and we are doing great now only because of the super development of Rose. We got Boozer who is a secondary piece but not a top 10 player.
And why did LeBron and Wade go to Miami even if they had a better chance to win in Chicago(center, PG taken care off)....it is because they wanted the lifestyle of South Beach + winning. Same with Melo....he wants to win + needs that NY city life style for him and his wife(his lifestyle aspirations are a little bit different from LeBron,Wade and Bosh)..
Chicago doesn't provide(even though it is a big city, market)the type of endorsements unless he becomes MJ like which he knows he will not. Plus, he has no affiliation towards Chicago and Chicago is a bigger version of Denver.
You sum it well here schaumburgfan!
Many variables going on here!
Not all basketball, but the lifestyle, endorsements, etc.
How bout we stick with what we got, bear through the lockout this summer, wait till the NBA abolishes the mid level exception, and watch the Heat crumble because they can't sign anyone. The Bulls, however, will have a full team, and Orlando and Boston is old. 5 years of east domination ensue.
It would be a huge challenge for Thibs to assimilate all those new players to the system that has us as the best defensive team in the league. But seeing how well he's done in 42 games with as many new players on the current roster, not to mention the injuries, I could see Thibs having such a team ready to play solid D and give us a chance for the title this year.
I thought u agree with me when I saying a month ago that right now Chicago has passed the Defensive challenge(because we're the best defense in the nba, right now). But we're the 13th offense in the nba. To be a contender, add offensive talent(Melo). With thibs head coach, Melo gonna be a good defender. At the C, Thomas is doing good work.
That may well be the case. But after being fooled by www and leon rose last summer, hope Gar+Pax don't give another helping hand to those guys...
Boston fans are going nuts in blogs & foruns, seeing D-Rose jumping over Rondo on the All-star vote... i respect Rondo, he is def a top-tier pg. but Rose is starting to reach another level.
I guess some people care about just assimilating talent even if it is a notch below the top talent and the grass on the other side looks always greener. The problem is the 2nd tier talent will get exposed in the playoffs
The Knicks are better off just trading Chandler (because his rookie contract is up, so will screw with their cap space) and Gallinari for the best center they can manage for that offer and pray the CBA allows them to have the space and ability to sign Melo in the off season. You then have Felton/Fields/Melo/Amare/??? which is a pretty good lineup.
Yeah it's a huge risk the CBA changes and they can't get Melo. But like other teams they've just spent several years dumping assets for an uncertain shot at free agents, why not swing for the fences for one more year?
I remember Walsh saying that he told Chandler that he would not trade him this year. So i am surprised they offered him up/Walsh told him he was staying.
They are desperate to get something...I wouldn't be surprised if they put anyone except Amare for trade.
This was the same team which was selling LBJ about how he will make a billion dollars