And here's why. Right now the Bulls are in a really good situation? How so? Their best player, Ben Gordon, is basically untouchable because ofhis no trade clause. Derrick Rose is assumed untouchable by other teams. So we're already in a situation, despite being a mediocre team, of being able to keep our two best players. The second reason? Guys who looked like busts not too long ago in Thomas/Noah are at the peak values of their careers. Best chance to cash in on them now. Third reason? The economy is in the crapper, and we're the one team that can afford to go into the luxury tax because of our absured operating income. We could go from mediocre to championship contender in the course of the next week. Where to go with this? The obvious would be to try to do the trade for Amare Stoudemire. A follow up trade could potentially be made for Tyson Chandler or Chris Kaman (Portland could facilitate it with Lafrentz's expiring contract in a three way). All of a sudden you have a starting lineup of Rose-Gordon-Deng-Amare-Chandler. After that, if you want to load your team up more, maybe trade Larry Hughes and a future draft pick for Vince Carter.... Right now if the time for the Bulls to take advantage of the trade deadline in a big way. Some teams are going to be in trouble financially, we have loads of assets, and could really stack together a good team in short time.
Not vince carter, but a few players to give depth to our bench, because we will probably lose quality bench players if we pull off multiple trades
I think we could sign PJ Brown and those types of guys. Robert Horry maybe. The question is do you spend that money on role players this year to try to compete this season. Rose still has ways to go to develop, but Gordon/Amare should be a good enough lead duo to get us to the second round I think, as long as we'd play ourselves into the 4th or 5th seed, which I think we would, because we have a cupcake schedule. Amare will be motivated as hell to show Phoenix they were wrong, and Gordon's playing for a contract. So a big playoffs by them could be expected. But for a team assembled at the deadline, it would still be awfully tough to beat the Cavs or Celtics. But if we do those types of deals, this offseason would be huge. It would be all about assembling that championship caliber bench. Rasheed Wallace, Shawn Marion, and Ron Artest are all guys that could fit the bill for the MLE or less. And then if Rose makes the usual sophomore leap, we will be in a great position to contend.
Um, the bulls are a mediocre team because their two "best" players are extremely mediocre. There's hope for the younger guys, Rose and Tyrus and Noah at least.
I dont think PJ or Robert are coming out of retirement. If we pull off an Amare trade, depending on who we give up (also in other trades) we need to spend the money to just fill out the bench, maybe one or two players, or call up some d leaguers. I do agree that this off season is important.
From what I've been hearing, it doesn't look like we will have to sign too many free agents to fill our team out. We will still have Hinrich, Nocioni, and Gray as rotation players off the bench. Rose, Gordon, Deng, Amare, Noah starting. Need a wing imo. Michael Ruffin should be coming back in the next week or so as well. But we might need one more big man since Simmons, Gooden, and Thomas will all be gone.
We have a good team around him. We'd presumably would be willing to pay a max player max money. I don't see how that makes him less enticing. That's good for us. It knocks crappy teams like the Grizzlies and Kings out of the running.
And if they do, they aren't coming here. which menas we've just traded away a bunch in order to get Amare and then surround him with D Leaguers? That'll work out well.
Not surround him with D Leaguers, but just sign whichever position we need filled, its not like theyre probably going to play, theyre insurance.
