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I like jokes and all, but you know what I don't like seeing? People making fun of the Trade Machine. As in, "oh here is a link to the Bobcats trading 7 guys for LeBron it works in the trade machine you guys are so dumb for using it LOL" type of shit.
The Trade Machine is awesome (even though ESPN stole it from RealGM), and is hugely helpful when trying to come up with transactions for our Bulls. I love it.
Because, really, it's probably all we have. The Bulls haven't made an in-season trade since 2009, though to be somewhat fair when they were last in the position they are now (not too good, and expensive) they've made deals to move money around and sorta-pretend to be competitive. Like the type of deals that subsequently involve passing Stacey King notes on how great Hakim Warrick is...that kind of stuff can still happen.
But it's also possible that the Bulls won't deal Deng because they want to negotiate with him this summer, won't trade Boozer because they can't get anyone to take him, won't move Hinrich because they need him for a statue-molding. So how dare anyone make fun of the Trade Machine.
The ode to this tool (also the title of my future eulogy) is today because just yesterday was 12/15, the magical time where nearly all of the free agents signed last summer are eligible to be traded. And thus they're now un-grayed (need a "as of 12/15" checkbox, guys) in the Trade Machine. For instance, now we can do a Deng-to-Cavs trade with Earl Clark! Oh happy day.
[or if you want some sorta-informed speculation to chew on, on Friday's Bill Simmons podcast there was well-debated talk of the Lakers willingness to trade Pau Gasol in a Deng+Boozer package, with L.A. being one of the few teams who would consider paying Boozer next year given their Kobe-negotiations show they're not too keen on chasing cap space anyway]
What, would you rather talk about the product on the court?
[oh! and make sure you use Sham's site for the details on partially-guaranteed years and the like]