What's Our Best Option?

by Ceasaleo on Dec 4, 2011 12:16 PM CST

With my excitement over the season actually being played and this shortened offseason, I like most of you, have been scouring the internet for any Bulls related rumors. Who will we grab to fill out that SG spot? While searching, I ran across this write up on Bulls Confidential, it basically lists all the names we've been attached to this offseason. And from looking at it, it would seem like Gar Paxsdorf have a couple of plans in mind.

I would like to see what you guys think would be the best option, hence the name of my post. So I'm going to throw out a couple of possibilities from what we know and from what I read in the article. Feel free to add your own to the discussion.

There are 3 names that would seem to fit. OJ Mayo, Arron Afflalo, and Nick Young, the latter two are restricted free agents, but seeing as though we only have the MLE to use, trading for them is more realistic. Then you have the old standby in Courtney Lee. If we go after Arron, it would seem like Taj would have to be included in those deals. And maybe that's why we've shown the interest in Shawne Williams. I'm not sure if Taj would hold any value for MEM in a Mayo trade, since they have the same type of player on their bench already in Arthur. It would seem like Asik may be the man on the move in that scenario. And WAS already has young bigs in McGee, Blatche, Booker, and Seraphin, so I really don't see them needing any bigs. Of course, we already know HOU wants Asik for Lee.

So which trade would you make? and which is most realistic?

1. OJ Mayo for Korver, Asik, and our 1st rd pick. I put Korver in, because looking at their roster they have a Brewer clone in Allen, and a young complete SG in Henry, but no sharpshooters.

2. Arron Affalo for Taj, Brewer, and our 1st rd pick. This seems to be the best option for us IMO. Nuggets get a PF to put in between Nene and Gallo, and a starting quality defensive SG to put next to Lawson and Miller.

3. Nick Young for Korver, Watson, and our 1st rd pick. This one seems like the most realistic. I'm pretty sure Jordan Crawford will be their starting SG this year, at least from all the promotions they've done. I live in the DC area, and he and John Wall were the poster boys for the new uniforms they'll be wearing this year. Getting Watson gives them someone capable of backing up Wall, and Korver gives them the shooter to space the floor for Wall. Plus, I figure they owe us for giving them Capt. Kirk and our 1st for basically nothing a few years back lol.

I'm going to go with option #3, which saves our big man depth. After trading for Young, you go out and sign Caron Butler to back up the SF spot, and pick up TMac to run the point for the 2nd unit. TJ Ford would also be an option at the backup PG spot, and really both could be brought in at the vet minimum. I chose TMac, just because of the matchup potentials.

You end up with a team that looks like this:
First Unit: DRose / Nick Young / Deng / Boozer / Noah
Second Unit: TMac / Brewer / Caron Butler / Taj / Asik
Deep Reserves: TJ Ford, Jimmy Butler, Kurt Thomas

That's a pretty good looking team, with a nice mixture of youth and vets. Definitely, a challenger for the championship this year.

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3rd option would be great, but do you really think Washington would go for that?

Could they sign T.J. Ford for the backup of Wall? And Young can shoot the 3 and do more than Korver on offense and defense. Maybe if the Bulls give up the Charlotte pick and a first rounder for Young along with Korver and Watson that would be more enticing for the Wizards?

On the J.R. Smith bandwagon until otherwise advised.

by BlackStar on Dec 4, 2011 12:58 PM CST reply actions

thats so much for a basically unproven player. he's shown he can score, but not play smart or defend

people are so desperate for a SG its getting ridiculous

...and we're back

by paddyfairview on Dec 4, 2011 1:43 PM CST up reply actions

What are the bulls really giving up though? If everything goes well, and they have

a similar record from last year, it’ll be a late 1st round pick, and the Charlotte pick won’t be a high pick for at least another few years I believe. That’s a few years of the core 4 of Boozer, Deng, Noah, and Rose getting older. Only Rose, and Deng will have a decent amount of years left in their prime along with Noah maybe, depending on Noah’s health along with Deng actually.

Nothing is more unproven than draft picks. At least with Young, we know he has offense, and the athletic ability to cover most 2’s. If he’ll turn into a good defender remains to be seen, but he can’t possible be worse than Boozer. A lot of people thought Rose was a bad defender, but he managed to be at least average on that end with Thib’s help. Maybe Young can improve on the defensive end under Thib’s system?

I don’t think it’s too much to give up honestly. The Bulls could sign T.J. Ford as a back up PG, and Young should be enough offense to offset the loss of Korver. The Bulls would still have front court depth, in case of injuries to Boozer or Noah. Obviously this depends on if the Wizards and Bulls both like this type of deal. Just my 2 cents anyway.

On the J.R. Smith bandwagon until otherwise advised.

by BlackStar on Dec 4, 2011 4:58 PM CST up reply actions

you never just throw away draft picks

look how stranded the Knicks are, and how they had to gut the team for Melo. When you don’t have draft picks to sweeten trade deals, you sweeten the deal with role players, and that hurts you in the long run.

Plus, i feel like midseason trades tend to be more in the vein of being a stopgap measure, where as if you keep the picks and make trades during the draft, you get better returns.

Let us cavort like the Greeks of old! You know the ones I mean.

by hedonism bot on Dec 4, 2011 5:41 PM CST up reply actions

They're not necessarily throwing picks away. They're getting someone in return.

Plus it’s not like the knicks where they trade for players every year and end up with no picks for the next decade. The Bulls would still have a 2nd rd pick, plus picks in other years minus the Charlotte one.

It’s for a pretty significant upgrade. Most of the team is set except for the SG spot, unless Brewer starts which wouldn’t be too bad. I just think Young has everything the Bulls are looking for in a SG, and he’s young so he could actually grow with the team.

On the J.R. Smith bandwagon until otherwise advised.

by BlackStar on Dec 4, 2011 6:14 PM CST up reply actions

I think its overkill

thats all. Also, I’m reminded of this:

…They didn’t want to have two rookie guaranteed contracts, which I agreed with, and I’ve heard that coach Tom Thibodeau made it clear he didn’t want rookies on the team, certainly no more than one, that there were enough young players already.

Sam Smith

And I contrast that quote with something from Nick Young:

Young hasn’t been much beyond a scorer in the NBA, and privately believes the chance to play for coach Tom Thibodeau could round out his game.

Nick Young

If Thibs privately says he doesn’t want too many young guys, I wouldn’t want to give up all those assets on a guy that may or may not be compatible into Thibs system. Especially if he would already prefer an established veteran, the leash would be very short for Young and he might just be someone that needs to be coddled, something thats not going to happen under Thibs.

You probably noticed a lot of ifs in what I wrote so that should tell you I consider Young to be a gamble, and I would hate the Bulls to miss out on solid deals because they bought high on a project player.

Let us cavort like the Greeks of old! You know the ones I mean.

by hedonism bot on Dec 4, 2011 6:35 PM CST up reply actions

Maybe, I guess we'll just agree to disagree. I don't think it's too much of a gamble,

but if Thibs is reluctant to play Young major minutes, because of his age that’s something to think about. Although they were close to trading for Mayo so I wonder if they held him in higher regards than Nick Young.

Knowing the F.O. they’ll sign a vet and have him and brewer compete for minutes. I guess time will tell. Only a few more days till the free agency frenzy begins.

On the J.R. Smith bandwagon until otherwise advised.

by BlackStar on Dec 4, 2011 7:54 PM CST up reply actions

I think you read the quotes wrong.

Your Thibs’ quote doesn’t say he doesn’t want or play young players. It says he didn’t want to add anymore ROOKIES. Big difference.

And in the quote about Young, I see nothing that suggests he needs to be coddled. In fact, he seems to be saying he wants to play for a coach that will push him to be better.

I still don’t think we should give up 2 first round picks for him though.

by Ceasaleo on Dec 5, 2011 9:05 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

just because a trade doesnt gut our team doesnt mean its a good one

two firsts is what get thrown in for superstars. plus useful role players. then you consider that the charlotte pick becomes a prime asset around the time our core is aging…

...and we're back

by paddyfairview on Dec 4, 2011 6:45 PM CST up reply actions

Are we not talking about Shannon Brown anymore?

I know he isnt the best option, but I put him over Tmac.

Did you guys hear about the new Lebron James Iphone?
You have to keep it on vibrate because it has no rings.

by Rudey on Dec 4, 2011 1:57 PM CST reply actions

Shannon Brown is an airhead

who can’t shoot

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 2:23 PM CST up reply actions

I think the bulls need that type of 2 guard scoring in the starting lineup

Brown isn’t a complete player and would come off the bench and I’d rather have Brewer and Korver coming in for defense and three point shooting.

The Bulls would be better suited for Browns type of offense in the form of a combo guard, not a 2 guard.

Let us cavort like the Greeks of old! You know the ones I mean.

by hedonism bot on Dec 4, 2011 5:50 PM CST up reply actions

what about Rodney Stuckey?

by M 80 on Dec 4, 2011 1:58 PM CST reply actions

Rodney Stuckey

would be a dream come true but i don’t think we can afford him.

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 2:23 PM CST up reply actions

Forgot about Stuckey

He’s restricted though, and we would probably have to give Asik up in a trade.

by Ceasaleo on Dec 4, 2011 5:39 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I don't know about that

especially considering they have will bynum and just drafted Brandon Knight who projects to be a starter, I don’t see the Piston matching offers. I think the MLE would get it done.

You are right about the trade though, they do need bigs not more guards and I wouldn’t do a Gibson or Asik trade for Stuckey.

Let us cavort like the Greeks of old! You know the ones I mean.

by hedonism bot on Dec 4, 2011 5:59 PM CST up reply actions

taj for stuckey

I would do in a heartbeat

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 7:33 PM CST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

They don't need Taj

They need a C, they have Greg Monroe at PF.

by Ceasaleo on Dec 5, 2011 8:55 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

Here is my list (partial availables)

Mayo-Afflalo
Thornton
Young
Crawford
Lee
Brown
Hamilton
Butler
TMac

There is alot of other names out there for trades, etc. But out of the people I feel are attainable, these are my semi rankings, based on more then just offense.

Did you guys hear about the new Lebron James Iphone?
You have to keep it on vibrate because it has no rings.

by Rudey on Dec 4, 2011 2:04 PM CST reply actions

Im also obviously a fan of young running mates.

Like if Eric Goron became available through some Howard trade he would be my number one choice, and if GSW decided Ellis was their man then Curry would be my number 2.

Did you guys hear about the new Lebron James Iphone?
You have to keep it on vibrate because it has no rings.

by Rudey on Dec 4, 2011 2:05 PM CST up reply actions

if they want to give us Young for that

than that would be great!

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 2:21 PM CST reply actions

I have a feeling if we did this trade

Thibs would start T-Mac or Butler at the 2 though. Just because they’re more experienced and play better defense.

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 2:22 PM CST reply actions

The 3rd scenario

Would be my option, but I don’t think its realistic because Young can pretty much do everything Korver can do and more. Plus, they could just sign Ford to back up Wall.

I don’t really see a scenario where we can pick someone up someone like Young, AA, or Mayo without overpaying for them which I’m still not sure our FO would do (can’t say I would blame them).

"truTV is like BET for white folks." - Chuck
"Brian Dawkins is always 100% Eagles related."--macjack09 & BGN Nation

by macjack09 on Dec 4, 2011 3:43 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Yeah i think it's a good idea to not rush into our shooting guard of the future

I’d rather they just get Caron Butler or Tmac and wait for the Charlotte pick on a shooting guard

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 4:23 PM CST up reply actions

Its kind of scary though

Because SG isn’t the stacked position that it used to be. Them and Centers come a dime a dozen now. Finding another Wade or even Gordon type seems more unlucky than so. Or maybe that’s just what it seems.

"truTV is like BET for white folks." - Chuck
"Brian Dawkins is always 100% Eagles related."--macjack09 & BGN Nation

by macjack09 on Dec 4, 2011 4:37 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

We at least need a stop gap

I would much rather grab a young, potential “do it all” SG, but what if Gar Paxsdorf strike out?

Truthfully, if that were to happen, I would sign Caron Butler with the MLE. For some reason, I think signing him really can help this squad. The 2nd move I make is to set up a sign and trade for Grant Hill.

by Ceasaleo on Dec 4, 2011 5:53 PM CST via mobile reply actions

i think Caron Butler can help too.

He’s an all star caliber player without an all star attitude. Obviously he’s not going to be the player he once was, but if he’s even half the player he was it would be great.

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 7:47 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

if you sign caron butler i dont think you need grant hill

i mean, i doubt even thibs could find time for all these offensively-mediocre 2/3s

...and we're back

by paddyfairview on Dec 4, 2011 7:54 PM CST up reply actions

you're definitely right that we couldn't sign both

But Butler is definitely better than mediocre offensively

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 9:33 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

added paragraphs for ya

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"Don't nag, flag!"

by your friendly BullsBlogger on Dec 4, 2011 6:20 PM CST reply actions 2 recs

Hinrich is the answer! Hear me out.....

3 way trade with Orlando and the Hawks. We send Noah to Orlando and Korver and Deng to the Hawks. Hawks send Joe Johnson to Orlando and Hinrich to the Bulls. Orlando sends Howard to the Bulls and Redick to Atlanta.
Bulls get Howard and Hinrich for Noah, Deng and Korver.
Orlando gets Noah and Johnson for Howard and Redick.
Atlanta gets Deng, Redick and Korver for Johnson and Hinrich. ( 2 bad contracts)

by mick11 on Dec 4, 2011 6:32 PM CST reply actions

the magic

Would never in a million years do that. If anyone’s going to get Howard It’s going to be the Clippers or another young team that can absorb his contact so they can rebuild.

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 7:42 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I don't know

Noah and Johnson would be a pretty good return for someone they are going to lose anyway. Howard is only going to go somewhere he can win. The Clippers would be a long shot , imo.

by mick11 on Dec 4, 2011 8:01 PM CST up reply actions

it would be okay

But the magic know damn well that they’re not gonna win a championship with that core. Not to mention they want whoever they deal Howard to too eat Turks contract, something neither us or the Hawks can do.

by MartyMondays on Dec 4, 2011 9:23 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

they would probably look to rebuild if howard left.

if they’re no good it doesn’t matter how many championships the bulls would win. they would be stupid not to go for a package of 2 all star-caliber players.

by grabmesomeBOOZ on Dec 4, 2011 11:58 PM CST up reply actions

OK, just for you....

Howard and Turk for Noah, Deng, Gibson and Brewer.

by mick11 on Dec 5, 2011 7:12 PM CST up reply actions

and they won't get a better offer anywhere.

by mick11 on Dec 5, 2011 7:14 PM CST up reply actions

can someone look up if taj for stuckey would work? or anything evolving around gettign stuckey?

That shit crayy

by OdwallaJuicish on Dec 4, 2011 8:24 PM CST reply actions

Are you saying

The magic would take Joe Johnson and Noah for D Howard?

by MartyMondays on Dec 5, 2011 6:44 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

Brewer

by Trey23 on Dec 4, 2011 10:19 PM CST reply actions

I have this feeling

we end up with Courtney Lee

by Jud Buechler on Dec 4, 2011 11:28 PM CST reply actions

id be happy with that but i dont see how its possible

morey wants asik and that aint happening

...and we're back

by paddyfairview on Dec 6, 2011 10:44 AM CST up reply actions

What is "our" best option

the one that gets the Bulls the farthest next season? Probably finding 1 of these 5 guys to sign for the full mid level – Afflalo, Thornton, Young, JR. Smith, Wilson Chandler. I doubt that it is possible but the Bulls need to improve on the wing without sacrificing their play on the perimeter. In my opinion of the group Young has the highest upside, Chandler/Afflalo are closer to what we need now and Thornton/JR Smith are the most explosive. But if I was the Bulls, those are the guys I would target.

by Basketball Smurf on Dec 5, 2011 10:33 AM CST reply actions