Where do we go from here?

by Savage23 on Jul 9, 2009 4:23 PM CDT

I was sad to hear that Gordon is gone but for the welfare of the Bulls future we had to let him go. No team that I can remember won a championship with such an undersized starting SG. Plus with our payroll we could not afford to overpay Gordon as I beleive the Pistons have. Now that the Ben Gordon situation appears to be resolved we can start to analyze where the Bulls should go from here.

First and Foremost

The Bulls need to stop sitting on their hands and get a proven PF. For years now the Bulls have needed a true PF that can play defense, rebound, and score down low. I do not understand why the front office has let this go unresolved for so many years now. Tyrus Thomas has a very low basketball IQ and is a bit undersized. Thomas is a great athlete but he has proven too inconsistent in the past couple of years to be the answer for us at the starting PF position. In my mind Thomas is not the type of PF a championship contender want in their starting lineup.

There are proven Power Forwards available now and we need to get one of them. We can not afford to wait on this. The Free Agents next year are looking for teams that are potential contenders to sign with. We already lost our leading scorer. Without addressing our need for a big man we will not be genuine contenders.

Who do we get?

Carlos Boozer or David Lee. These two big men can bring the toughness the Bulls so desperately need down low and they are availabe. The front office can not afford to let this opportunity pass them by as they have in the past (e.g. Gasol). One trade example that works is the Bulls sending Jerome James 6 mill expiring contract and Tyrus Thomas 3.7 million with two years left to the Jazz in exchange for Charlos Boozer and his 1 year 11.5 million dollar contract. I think that could work for both teams the Jazz would get a little salary relief putting them in a better position to sign Millsap and then have a pretty good backup PF in Thomas for a fair price. The Bulls would get a proven big man that can contribute IF he stays healthy. Since Boozer will be in a contract year he will likely have something to prove.

The second option is to go after a sign and trade deal with the Knicks for David Lee. Give them Thomas and an expiring contract. The Knicks gain more cap space in 2010 which seems to be their current area of focus and the Bulls get a young proven big man for years to come.

I understand that making these deals is not a simple process but the Bulls front office have sat complacent for too long now. They need to get one of these deals done or go after an alternative like Amare. Many other teams in the East have made great strides this off-season. The Bulls have already lost their leading scorer. If they do not make a move to improve their team this off season we are in big trouble and may even be outside of the Playoff picture come the end of the year.

After signing Pargo we have little to no space from the luxury tax so it does not look like the Bulls will be doing anymore business this off season. Before signing Pargo they could take on about 2 to 3 million in contract due to the three exeptions they have but now that is over. This might be why Pargo is not "officailly" sighned yet the Bulls may be working on a trade to get Boozer, which would involve moving Hinrich amongst others. I still beleive it will be necessary to make a move for a talented big man I just don't have the confidence in the Bulls front office to get it done.

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This is where we go

Hinrich + Tyrus for Boozer (with Hinrich to Portland)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4317515&campaign=rss&source=NBAHeadlines

Then find a new backup PG.

by djsmokyc on Jul 9, 2009 5:22 PM CDT reply actions

This move makes too much sense and this article needs to be on the front of blogabull right now

It would create a TON of cap space for the Bulls in 2010. The signing of Pargo makes a lot more sense as well because with Hinrich being shipped out the Bulls would be very thin at the guard spot. I am wondering what Portland is giving up in this scenario. Hopefully it is either Travis Outlaw or Rudy Fernandez. I don’t want Steve Blake.

by paxdorf on Jul 9, 2009 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions

im assuming we get blake in that deal too right? are we really gonna go into the tax?...

does anyone have the numbers of what this trade might look like with the salaries?

by masputo on Jul 9, 2009 7:46 PM CDT up reply actions

the deal is supposed to be

Bulls get: F Boozer and F Outlaw
Blazers get: G Hinrich
Jazz get: F (Tyrus)Thomas and future 1st round pick from Blazers

by Zoro on Jul 9, 2009 7:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Too much to give up

Giving up an athletic and developing starter along with our best perimeter defender and bench player for a one year rental with injury problems and bad defense is just stupid.

by KJBidz on Jul 11, 2009 4:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I hope so

I wrote this a while back on my ESPN blog and just got it over to here today. I hope this deal goes through. Although, you know Bulls fans have been frustrated in the past at the teams inability to actually close any of the deals we hear about.

by Savage23 on Jul 9, 2009 5:32 PM CDT reply actions

For the Bull's Future...

I really hope this doesn’t go through… But it already seems to be in the works…

1st – The Bulls have no chance at getting out of the east pre-trade, or after the trade…
2nd – We’re basically renting a often injured, undersized PF who is a defensive liability
3rd – Tyrus had a mediocre year, but really came on strong to end the year (excluding his
           playoff disappearances… altho not getting playing time will also limit your
           numbers) But I also think that was strategy, as Boston’s big’s outweighed him
           significantly

Why not let Tyrus work on his game, and his connection with Rose’s game for another season. He’s already proven his ability to be coached and grow. As for Boozer, he’ll still be available after the season. And the loss of Hinrich and Gordon seems like a lot in one summer to be replaced by Boozer and his “shortcomings”

by yetti on Jul 9, 2009 10:59 PM CDT reply actions

But I guess shipping Hinrich's contract out of here is a big benefit, as said above...

I just wish it wasn’t at Tyrus’s expense…. I’m sure a team would be willing to take on Hinrich’s contract, as it is depreciating and he’s still a top-10? pg, for expiring contacts alone… I just dont like a boozer-1 yr swap with Tyrus who, IMO, hasn’t touched his ceiling yet

by yetti on Jul 9, 2009 11:03 PM CDT up reply actions

they easily could move Hinrich without Tyrus

I believe, the Bull don’t believe, they can sign Tyrus and a max free agent. So they are shopping him now so they don’t lose him for nothing, ala Ben Gordon. I think whatever spin they put on the Ben Gordon situation, internally, they are bitter that they didn’t get anything for him. That is a top 3 pick gone for nothing. Tyrus would be in the same situation. If you don’t think you can sign him, than you better trade him now.

The alternative, of course, is to commit to Tyrus. But committing to Tyrus and getting a 2010 free agent means that Hinrich, Salmons or Deng have to go. Its a tough position to be in.

by Basketball Smurf on Jul 10, 2009 12:32 AM CDT up reply actions

if they traded him for

someone they specifically plan to not re-sign, what are they getting for him? i’ll be bitter, though, seeing him continue to improve under sloan next year.

this differs from gordon. tyrus would be restricted, but moreover, with gordon you knew what you were getting. with tyrus now, it almost seems they’d be trading him to avoid a decision (matching, not renouncing) if continues to further “get it” and improve this year.

doesn’t seem to be a tough position to me. they can wait until the trade deadline with hinrich. i wouldn’t mind, if all they can get is blake/outlaw. salmons? if he doesn’t use his eto at $5.8mil, he’s a bargain. that’s a trade chip, much more than ben at $11mil for 4 more years! and deng won’t get you anything but crapola now, so he has to stay this year.

illwill’s post shows tyrus’ stats project out as comparable to lamarcus’. i say that’s just a projection, that things like his rebounding (which he needs to improve, despite being better than lma per min) figure to decrease if he was playing 36 min per game. that’s been his story, as his pt goes up and he plays calmer and fits in. so, let’s see it in actuality!

i couldn’t agree more with yetti that it’s much wiser to go with tyrus another year than rent boozer. if everyone plays well, then it’s a good problem to have, and that’s when a top fa would want to hop aboard.

the name of the team is The DIAMONDBACKS

by marionette on Jul 10, 2009 3:23 AM CDT up reply actions

You must not remember the 89 and 90 Championship Pistons teams with Joe Dumars as the starting 2.

No team that I can remember won a championship with such an undersized starting SG.

"Whoever was responsible for pulling that offer [to Ben Gordon] off the table...bring him before me and I'll punch him right in the face " - Frederick Pfeiffer

by Granny Waiters on Jul 9, 2009 11:26 PM CDT reply actions

I'm not a huge David Lee supporter

I just don’t believe he is a big man you can build around. I believe that on a really good team, he is a 2nd or 3rd big man. I just don’t believe he is a special offensive or defensive player. He hustles, works hard, and rebounds, but he just isn’t in the top echelon of power forwards. He kind of reminds me of Buck Williams. Good, but not great.

by Basketball Smurf on Jul 10, 2009 12:28 AM CDT reply actions

whre do we go oh oh where do we go

guns n roses 1988

take it easy

by angryandy on Jul 10, 2009 1:43 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs

Granny Waiters.... You got me there

You got me there but my point is still very valid. It does not happen very often at all. And if it does you better have one of the best defenses in basketball to make that happen. I and many others did not foresee us winning a championship with Gordon at the starting SG position. But if you disagree I can respect that I just could not picture it happening myself in the Bulls case.

On Thomas, just how patient do we have to be and how good do you all think he will be? It is his fourth year coming up, usually if a player is going to be a perennial all-star in the league people would know about it by now. Just look at how inconsistent he was in the play-offs this year. He was so bad at one point VDN could not risk putting him in the game. I see him as a solid back up on a championship contender but not as a starter. Sometimes it looks like he is totally confused on the court and it can be frustrating to watch at times. In my opinion we need and have needed a post presence to make our offense run more efficiently and Thomas can not and will not be that. Boozer would be in the last year of his contract and would likely be bringing his a game. We need to part ways with Hinrich some time soon to keep the team financially viable in the future. And Thomas in my view should be expendable at this point. The Paxson experiment must come to an end. Thomas and Gordon are talents no doubt but players that help you win championships? I am not convinced on that. Thanks for the comments pretty knowledgeable group here. And ‘angryandy’ thank you for the guns and roses shout out that brought me back quit a few years.

by Savage23 on Jul 10, 2009 4:02 AM CDT reply actions

Lee’s stats are inflated due to D’Antoni system. He can rebound like a SOB but he’s not good offensively and is a bench player on a true contender.
The Buck Williams comparison was spot-on.

by C Smoove on Jul 10, 2009 12:35 PM CDT reply actions

buck was better

he was a tough, tough defender.

the name of the team is The DIAMONDBACKS

by marionette on Jul 10, 2009 7:45 PM CDT up reply actions

No

I don’t want to give up Tyrus for David Lee, and I don’t want to get Carlos Boozer. He’s great offensively, but he’s not great on defense and we would only have him for one year. We should play this season out, let everyone develop, and then see what happens. If Tyrus doesn’t have a good year, I’m willing to get rid of him, this is his last chance.

by KJBidz on Jul 10, 2009 1:44 PM CDT reply actions

Tyrus is overhyped by many

Hi All, I disagree with the majority of you Thomas has NO basketball IQ and is very very inconsistent. He is a sixth man type of player not a the potential star that many of you hype him to be.

by Savage23 on Jul 14, 2009 11:27 AM CDT reply actions