This doesn't seem right: http://www.blogabull.com/2013/7/25/...obe-bryant-dirk-nowitzki-nba-free-agency-2014 The Bulls have $64,607,661 committed to nine players after this season, per The Great ShamSports (proper name), not counting Deng's max cap hold. If we assume the salary cap will be at $59 million next season, the Bulls could get down to $47,807,661 (plus another $1.5 million for a first round pick) in salary if Boozer is amnestied, as many expect. That would give them around $9 or $10 million to spend in free agency.
Derrick Rose $18,862,876 Carlos Boozer $16,800,000 Joakim Noah $12,200,000 Taj Gibson $8,000,000 Mike Dunleavy Jr $3,326,235 Tony Snell $1,472,400 Jimmy Butler $2,008,748 Marquis Teague $1,120,920 Erik Murphy $816,482 Total: $64,607,661 Less Boozer=$47,807,661 Add $1.5mil for draft pick=$49,307,661 Yup, looks right. You'd still need to add 3 vet minimums, or about $2.5mil, so that takes you to $51.8mil leaving only $7.2mil of usable space on a $59mil cap. However, as we've discussed before, $5mil is almost certainly going to be spent on Mirotic so it's kinda moot. The article talks about trading Gibson to open additional cap space. I don't see that happening.
The Bulls supposedly talked to the Bucks about some sort of S&T deal for Ellis. How it would have worked out, I'm not sure. But Taj's name was linked in the deal. The Bulls would have had to get under the apron to be able to receive a player via S&T. http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/07/09/ellis-mulling-offers-from-kings-hawks-mavs/ Though it says they couldn't swing it without giving up Taj, it's clear he was at least discussed. (Why him, why not one of the other players?). Why wouldn't you trade away your 28 year old backup PF for a 28 year old starting off guard who can carry the load with or without Rose? We'd almost have had to give Deng to them for a 2nd round pick or something, assuming they had the cap space (with Ellis opting out, they probably did). That would get us under the apron enough to swing a deal for Ellis, I think. We may have used the Korver TPE to deal for Dunleavy, too. That would have left us the flexibility to use the bi-annual exception elsewhere. That said, without Taj, we'd have no real backup for Boozer at PF, unless we intend to play Nazr more than we should play him.
I guess I just don't get very worked up with all the "The Bulls have shown interest in..." stuff flying around out there at this time of year. First off, I don't know whether it's true. Second, I don't know what it means. Heck, I was interested in Ellis if we could get him for Hamilton or the $5mil trade exception. I'm interested in lots of players if the other team wants to get stupid on me. And trading Deng for a second-rounder (essentially for cap space) is a non-starter unless the prize is a top-15 player.
So why would David Aldridge specifically mention Ellis and Taj? He didn't start out by saying, "here's some hypothetical deal I think should happen..." Aldridge's report wasn't the first to mention the Bulls' interest in Ellis. But I agree that there are a lot of stories that link the Bulls to a player that would upgrade the team that don't turn into deals.
Wow. Deng is simply not a top 15 player. He's a big expiring contract. But that's beside the point. In order to facilitate, say, a Deng + Taj + TPE for S&T Ellis + S&T Dunleavy, you have to break the deal up into more than one to pass the CBA. That seems to be the deal Aldridge was describing. Or close to it. The Bulls would get their bi-annual exception back. In spite of the suggestion the Bulls didn't want to part with Taj, I think it more likely that Deng wouldn't re-sign with the Bucks, and told them so. That would nix the deal, as DHoward saying he wouldn't re-sign with the Bulls nixed any deal for him for us.
Just for yuks, here are 15 players you'd certainly want over Deng. There are several more, too. 1 LeBron 2 Wade 3 Duncan 4 Paul 5 George 6 Howard 7 Westbrook 8 Durant 9 Anthony 10 Kobe 11 Harden 12 Rose 13 Noah 14 Curry 15 Griffin
I don't think Deng is a top 15 player either. I don't think Bulls management does either. What I thought you were proposing was trading Deng purely for cap space so they could then trade Gibson for a S&T'ed Ellis. What I was saying is that I don't believe Bulls management would do that unless, instead of Ellis, it was a top-15 player. Put another way, in order to give up Deng and Gibson, it would take a lot more than Ellis.
It isn't Deng for cap space and Gibson for Ellis. It's the trade I suggested. It has to be broken up for CBA purposes. Deng + Taj + TPE for Ellis, Dunleavy, and our Bi-Annual exception back. We're sending out $21M, or $26M with the TPE. We're getting back $14M or so.
Who are you getting with the freed-up taxpayer's mid-level exception (Bulls don't have a Bi-annual exception this year)?
So you'd pass up Robinson and Belinelli, either of whom could have been had for $3mil? OK. Do you have a PF/C name in mind?
OK, sorry to keep pressing you, but the apples-to-apples comparison required an answer. I have no doubt that any of Aldrich, Blair or Dalembert would be available form the $3mil, though many would say that $3mil is an overpayment. In any case, here's the proposition: Deng, Gibson & Dunleavy or Monta Ellis, Dunleavy and one of (Cole Aldridge, DeJuan Blair or Samuel Dalembert) In terms of winning this season, I'd rather have Deng, Gibson & Dunleavy.
Ellis, Dunleavy, and Blair/Dalembert I'd have one of Rose and Ellis on the floor, playing PG 48 minutes. PG Rose/Ellis SG Ellis/Dunleavy SF Butler/Dunleavy/Snell PF Boozer/Blair C Noah/Blair 8 man rotation. Kurt can try not to injure himself in practice so he can go if we get into foul trouble once in a while. Teague might get some burn, too. Murphy might be useful in spots.
BTW, I'd much rather pay the 24 year old Blair $3M than pay Hinrich $4M. I think he'd be a steal at that price.
