But I do think this is just a throw your hands up for this year because we’re not doing anything.

Much as I at times have criticized Luol, I never would want him to go like this in a pure salary dump, he’s a better player than that, but doing this might finally give the org the excuse to focus on development, and while I like Luol, the fact that he’s likely never going to be a top 5 SF in one of the most athletic and competitive spots in the league is a cause for concern, esp when he and Noc have value in this league.

Luol will hold his value pretty well throughout this contract, even if it’s slightly high, given past success, and the fact that he never kills you, won’t really complain about roles, plays and is thought of as a high bball IQ guy…..

So in that regard, this trade might not be the best for us (obviously), but it gives us an excuse to start over and develop, and still have HInrich and Hughes’s contracts to work out a trade should we desire.

Essentially while the SF isn’t quite a glut, it’s a lot of money tied to a position that isn’t the upper crust in this league, and this might allow us to overcome that, focus on the new big 3 development, suck and get another high draft pick, and have the luxury of a ton of money to play with in the big free agent market.

I’m a conflicted Bulls fan….very conflicted because in this scenario both Deng and Gordon are goners in my mind….which is sad, but it might be the redeeming trade in 2 years to help us (with 2 first round draft picks in the 20’s and our one solid lottery pick and 2 who knows lottery pick in 2010 to keep the building project).

Plus I think a lineup of
Rose
SG fill in/Hinrich/Thabo
Thabo Sefalosha/Tyrus Thomas
Tyrus Thomas/PF signee
Joakim Noah/C signee and likely a resigned rew Gooen since it seems the org is more enamored with _rew than us fans….

It might not be bad….we’re forced to play and see what we have in Tyrus and might even see some more Tyrus at the 3 (which I think he’ll prove he can guard, and he’s more explosive than Deng at moving in the post—something we’ve always wanted to see more from Luol).

Not a “yipee we made a trade” trade, but no real blow em up fire sales are….

I understand the not wanting a division rival to win it all mantra, but I do think the Sczerbiak contract is appealing, and I actually would rather see the Cavs win it all than the other likely appealing expiring and very tradable contract (Raef LaFrentz’s Blazers)…..mostly because I do think as the Cavs C’s get older, so does their chances to be a premier team…..though they will have a tradeable piece with Deng to retain when that happens….

Which is more than likely, Lebron will no doubt stay for his hometown club. I really think they have a lead in keeping him as it is already, imagine if the Cavs do whatever they can to get them a championship (and I have no doubt this’ll happen).

Luol too will be very much a tradable asset, so if mgmt is that afraid of the luxury tax (Doubtful for a title team, which they would be) they could part ways with Deng in early 2011 and not bear the full brunt of the tax….

1) Noc plays more 4 these days than the 3 anyway.
2) LBJ can play 2-4 just as effective as the 3, he is completely unstoppable.
3) Talent wins out, especially with good energy guys who want nothing but to add W’s (Deng and Noc hardly are going to cause problems).
4) The Cavs completely upgrade adding Luol and Noc in Sczerbiak’s PT….
5) Cavs have a thin front line as it is, this helps shore it up with LBJ a main 4 (Karl Malone body with MJ like skills)…..unstoppable there, and he can run the point a bit at times….crazy.
6) Maybe they can work out a 3 year $6M/yr deal for Big Z and have him terminate….he lands a +7M in the deal and given his age and injury history that’s not likely going to happen from another team.

From the Bulls. We’re terrible, but get a chance to see what we have. We get a nice draft pick again this year. We have GOBS and GOBS of money to spread around for this offseason (Millsap perhaps?, cuz I don’t think Boozer’s leaving given his injury history until next year)….

We also might do a bit better than we’d think and see what we can do in the future featuring heavy minutes from Tyrus and Noah in our pure development mode.

In my mind aren’t beating the Lakers or the Celtics….they may beat one of the good teams, but not both….they’ll fall just short (Thinner front line and really not quite as deep as either team, Deng adds to that.
Again a blow it up trade that makes us worse isn’t supposed to be a fan favorite trade, but long term it might be something nice for us, since Luol will never be a top 5 player at his position and plays in a position where with our high draft picks, it might do us well to draft anew at a featured spot for talent in this league—the 3, or draft a 4 and slide Tyrus to the 3….

Basically with limited guys we will force the coaching staff to play the development card, and give us 30+ games or so to see what Thabo, Noah, Tyrus can do when given a really consistent role for the season.

We finish with a bottomed out record this year, much better for our team than the 33 wins or so we’re trending….

It’s a way to help us get out of the messy contracts we have.

Bulls with the cap space, Rose, and hopefully a developed Tyrus, Noah, draft picks aplenty and gobs and gobs of money for big time free agents to come our way will make us turn this around pretty damn quickly.

As I mentioned we’d have 36-38M locked up in salaries….for next year (With the draft pick)….and we still have HInrich and Hughes which we can think about trading……

THat will give us money aplenty to make a run at a Bosh, Wade and a very good secondary guy (maybe make a run for big money at Bosh, and lesser money for the then what 32 year old Ginobili over a lesser time (Ginobili is a guy who if he decides to leave the Spurs will likely get caught in the market, and with his injury issues and age, perhaps he’s a guy they let go).

Bulls make a run for Bosh and for instance Manu (Though there will be others—as only so many teams wil have the room and I don’t think we can afford Bosh and Wade with Rose and T2 and Noah possibly still on the horizon…..

Bulls have 2 years to keep on the development cycle and maybe start a lineup similar to
Rose-Ginobili-Tyrus-Bosh-Noah with Thabo and whomever we get for Kirk, and our draft picks in place (the 2 from the Cavs, heck maybe just the one from the Cavs, and the 2 likely picks the Bulls will get, both on the high end)…

I know that both Bosh and Ginobili might be a pipe dream, so maybe it’s Bosh for the Max and Mike Miller for a $5-6M 3 yr deal…..someone’s going to get caught in that market….

See come June. Cavs are still missing a piece. And Garnett/Perkins alone is better than the Cavs, Powe is a nice 3rd piece.

Don’t get me started on the Lakers. Both teams can play their starters 35+ MPG and do quite well.

Cavs get Noc in order to get Deng. Noc isn’t imperative, Deng is a very good player far better than wip Hickson…..Noc ain’t a bad glue guy. Varejao likely is bolting from the Cavs after having a nice season so far (player option). THey can’t really assume Big Z will make it through the season/playoffs…..and we all know about Big Ben.

THe Cavs may beat either one of the Magic-Celtics but I don’t think they’ll beat both and the Lakers or SPurs…..I know they took the Celtics to 7 games, but the Celtics were playing like shit to start off the playoffs last year, finally getting back to how they played in the finals. They now have that experience, and are still the favorites with KG-Pierce-Allen being better than Lebron-Mo….