Three potential ways to deal with the current fork in the road. Which one seems like the best path? Or is another one better? Any of those trades seem appealing?
This much is clear. If Reinsdorf puts the bottom line ahead of the on-court product as many of his critics claim, the Bulls would do either of the Deng-Boozer packages mentioned in Strategy A in a heartbeat. Though many have come to assume that Boozer will be amnestied this summer, more than a few skeptics won't believe that Reinsdorf will simply eat $10+mil of Boozer's contract until they see it. Sorry Mr. Chairman, but Simmons musta been smoking something interesting when he put together those Deng-Boozer deals, because they're not going to happen. I'd rather have Deng than Gallinari, but I'd rather have Gallinari than the $7mil in cap space the Bulls would get if they let Deng walk. I like Asik and I like Lin. If you made that deal, you'd be waiting for the other shoe to drop since the only reason Asik is being shopped is because he won't accept being a backup. We'd need to know about whether that other shoe (a trade of Asik or Noah) had an acceptable Deng replacement in it. I have no interest in either Waiters or Varejao.
Jimmy is the acceptable Deng replacement. Lin replaces Deng's scoring and would probably start for us alongside a healthy Rose. He's starting at SG on the Rockets now. They're 14-7, and he's been terrific. I don't think Houston does that deal though. Unless they're going to play Deng at PF, where I think he belongs. Even then, they're giving up their starting SG and starting caliber backup C for a guy who's excellent but seems like less than a sum of the pieces they're giving up. I mean, lose Lin and that's 16 PPG and an 18.8 PER guy. Play Deng at SF and they'd be sitting Chandler Parsons who's averaging 16.7/5/4 with a 17.4 PER in Deng-like minutes. Remember, they are a 14-7 team, not a 7-9 team needing a shot in the arm.
BTW, if you noticed in my tanking strategies, it was Boozer and Noah that I'd trade, not Luol. My suggestions were: Boozer and Noah for Amare and Chandler - works under the CBA, deal fills two gaping wounds for them, gives Thibs two guys he can't play because they're hurt. We get $40M in expiring contracts a year from now, too. And Chandler should be back and near his DPOY type form next year; not as bad as a stick in the eye in return for giving up Noah. Or Boozer for Ben Gordon (expiring contract, goto guy for a season like Nate was - if he can play) and Noah to Portland for Thomas Robinson (5th pick 2012 draft), CJ McCullom (they say he has ROY potential), and Myers Leonard. All three are lotto picks in the past 2 drafts. We'd hopefully be adding 2 more. Yeah, Myers Leonard would be playing C for us, but I think Thibs could turn him into a defensive stud like he did with Omer AND Leonard has offensive skills. Consider the second scenario. Core of: * Rose, Taj, Deng, Jimmy, Dunleavy, Snell, Teague, TRob, CJ, Leonard. Add: * Mirotic, Charlotte's non-lotto or #11-14 type pick, and ours.
I would do both the Knicks trade and Portland. Deng can play back up PF as can Robinson. We have SF covered. Gordon gives us instant fire power and an actual SG! Not a SF playing SG. But would Portland play Noah some at PF? Lopez has that position covered as back up. Or do they start Noah and move Aldridge to PF?
They would absolutely start Noah and bring in Lopez from the bench. Maybe play Noah at PF a few minutes when Aldridge sits.
I've always liked the idea of a Boozer for Asik trade. The Rockets would have an offensively minded PF to pair with Dwight, and they're supposedly friends. Asik would be great to have in the fold once Mirotic comes over. A taj/mirotic/asik/noah frontcourt is money. If you think Deng is going to walk then trade him cap space and draft picks. I think Denny's trade proposal is very plausible.
Boozer for Asik doesn't work per CBA. Houston would have to include Lin, which would be foolish on their part.
How about them Celtics? They're winning like we think we should, but without Deng, Boozer, Noah. They're supposed to be tanking, right? The lesson is that youth and athleticism wins you ballgames if you play a little bit of defense.
Is there a reason why you think that Asik will be OK with being Noah's backup when the reason he's being traded is that he doesn't want to be DHoward's backup? Or do we not give a shit how he feels?
I think Asik's ordeal in Houston is a sign of something interesting. So basically, for as long as any of us can remember, NBA centers have always been bad and overpaid. Now you look up and down rosters and every team seams to have some young stud center. Part of it's a changing of the position, part of it an influx of talent. The 15M Asik is set to be paid in his final season? That's a lot. But a 5M/15M that would be totally reasonable for a young stud center in years past. Now they can't move him. Times have changed. Center is the deepest position in the league.
Bump. Interesting post and thread. They did do either of the Deng-Boozer packages mentioned in Strategy A.
