<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Chicago Tribune - Ben Wallace appears to be on the block, being offered to the Lakers before Pau Gasol landed in L.A., and more recently being linked to the Knicks. Another scenario, Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune is reporting, could be sending Wallace to the Utah Jazz for Andrei Kirilenko. According to Smith, trading Kirilenko for Wallace would save the Jazz $21 million as Kirilenko is paid more annually than Wallace. With an extension, most likely for the max, coming up for Deron Williams it may make sense. In the off season Kirilenko was upset at the Jazz and asked to be traded, and while his play and attitude do not appear to have been a distraction for Utah this season, he has never actually rescinded that trade request. Asked by reporters about a trade, according to Smith, Kirilenko hardly said he would like to stay. "It's not that I want to be traded, but I'm ready to be," he said. "Anybody in this league, they understand that position. Nobody wants to be traded. We're playing good. And I want to be part of it. But, again, it's a business—and it's not in my hands." Wallace has told friends that he expects to be traded, and according to Smith the New York Knicks are high on his preference list. "I just go out and do what I do," he said. "I'm fine with how it's going. Again, that's on management. There are a lot of teams out there making deals, trying to get better. Who knows? It don't worry me. It's a part of the business. If they're going to trade you, there's not much you can do. You have the best job in the world. It would just be in a different city. It don't bother me. The only time it starts bothering me is when nobody wants me."</div> Source
This really doesn't make much sense for the Jazz. This trade would give them 3 All Star caliber big men, none of whom would want to come off the bench.
Might not make sense for Utah, but I'd love it. I've always been a fan of Kirilenko. He'd give us a very good defensive player who can do everything Ben was doing and better, plus he can play offense. Oh yea, and he's what, 5 years younger? Something like that? I'd do this in a heartbeat if I'm Chicago.
Slam dunk for the Bulls. Somehow, I expect we'd see a lot of rumors going around and then Pax will make some excuse about not being able to afford him.
Honestly, if you're in it to win, you have to take risks. The Bulls need to grow a backbone and be willing to pay luxury tax if they want to win.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ Feb 11 2008, 01:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Slam dunk for the Bulls. Somehow, I expect we'd see a lot of rumors going around and then Pax will make some excuse about not being able to afford him.</div> I suspect that's about right although I can't, for the life of me, figure out why on earth the Jazz do this trade. I worked out a fairly good one though: Bulls trade: Duhon, Smith, Wallace Jazz trade: Kirilenko, Hart, Collins I won't bore anyone with the financial intricacies, but this slashes another couple million off our salary committments next year, which is probably a good thing if we're going to try and get Gordon and Deng signed without paying the tax. Of course, I'm skeptical on that too, but that's another subject
