I spent some time yesterday looking at potential options for acquiring a shooting guard yesterday, and it's slim pickings. It really makes you understand why Joe Johnson got the type of money he did -- it's the weakest position in the league from top to bottom. Of the established veterans, the two best options are likely the two ex-Bulls, Jamal Crawford and Ben Gordon, both of whom we may be able to acquire for a second rounder. The player who really stood out though was Anthony Morrow. He closed out last season at a ridiculous pace averaging 18.5 in February, 11.6 in March and 18.8 in April. Those are Joe Johnson numbers. (He also shot 53% on threes in April.) He had a strong season after moving past a slump in early February. Morrow's release is lightening quick and he fills the largest remaining weakness on the Bulls. You play with fire when you give young unproven players big contracts, but it certainly seems like the best option. The guys consistently putting up big numbers, even taking into account Golden State inflation. I see a lot of chatter on the boards about Golden State matching an offer. They are only at 54.5 million on the season and the tax is at 70.3 million. So how much would it take? I'm not certain, but it's time to make a bold move.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AoK_UaX.iD94dCsKQwlK1Bu8vLYF?slug=ys-nbafreeagenttracker2010 List of available FAs
I looked at his Morrow in more depth yesterday and I decided I didn't like what I saw. Well, I like it for the right price, but that price is something pretty well below the MLE and for less than five years. He's worth something just because he can clearly shoot and run, but outside of that, it's very hard for me to figure out what an otherwise unknown guy who played for Don Nelson can do. I guess the worrying thing was he didn't show any obvious sort of statistical improvement from his previous season. Which leaves him at a fairly marginal starter or good 6th man sort of player level, and without a high probability of getting beyond that. So yeah, I'd take a chance on him, but if we start throwing the crazy, Amir Johnson style money at him, I'm not gonna be happy.
I dunno...his D is supposed to be bad news which leaves him as a 9th man. GSW used CBA finds rather than Morrow late in the season. Maybe we should do the same.
If we do overpay for Reddick or Morrow, I hope the Bulls look at 3 year deal with the 3rd year not guaranteed. Then it's a good contract to deal almost immediately.
Morrow isn't a starter, hes too unathletic and isn't skilled enough to start at the 2. Best jump shot in the league but his handle is below average, his lateral quickness is very poor, hes not a good passer, can't defend well. Decent rebounder. Nellie seemed to favor Reggie Williams toward the end of the year. Morrow can be an explosive scorer but hes got big time defficiencies and guys like R. Williams, Azubuike are preferred because they're good shooters in their own right but do other things well too.
That is slim, slim pickings. The Bulls may have to look to acquire someone under contract from a team hemorrhaging money.
I'm down for Ronnie Brewer, JJ Redick , Kyle Korver and Omer Asik for the remainder of our money Bring back Rob Kurz and Jannero Pargo for the minimum and get a vet interior defender like Brian Skinner for the minimum Noah Boozer Deng Redick Rose bench Skinner/Asik Gibson/Kurz Korver/J Johnson Brewer Pargo/A.Johnson That's a team that can compete and be a contender in the East that has it all - speed/uptemp and dribble drive , post, shooting, young guys with upside, vet depth, defense ,
I can do you one better, FJ. Bulls send a 2nd round pick to NOH for Darren Collison and (pick one) Okafor or Peja or Posey. Okafor gives us a backup PF/C (or he can start, too). Peja and Posey are expirings, we reload for next season.
wow, collison and okafor for a second rounder. on what planet is that at all realistic? NOH is shitting themselves right now that chris paul is going to go public with trade demand and you expect them to dump their best young player so that they can get out from under a bad contract? Hey, maybe if we throw in another second rounder they'll include David West. Why is everybody worried about scoring? The bulls starting SG needs to do two thing and two things only: play defense and hit open 3's. That's it.
Collison hits 3s. We'd be taking back a big contract that NOH doesn't want to pay. It removes the guy who's got Paul looking over his shoulder (there were Paul trade rumors since they have Collison to take his place). They don't have enough minutes to play their 2 PGs. If Paul demands a trade and they're willing to give him up instead, I'd be all over figuring out something that gets him to the Bulls.
http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/chris_paul New Orleans already turned down aggressive proposals from Portland and New Jersey, according to sources, and FanHouse reported on talks with Orlando that were denied by general manager Otis Smith days before additional reports surfaced about his pursuit of Paul. Paul has three years and a combined $49 million left on his contract, with the final season a player option. It is believed any hopeful suitor would have to take center Emeka Okafor back in a possible deal, thus relieving the cap- and cash-strapped Hornets of his contract worth an astounding $52.1 million over the next four years
With Amare out the door, I wonder if we could get Jason Richardson pretty cheap. He's not a great fit, but he's still pretty good and a helluva lot better than anyone we'd be able to sign outright. Rudy Fernandez is worth looking at too.
I don't think you could get a guy like JRICH now. But if we kept the cap space and something happened to PHX (e.g. then stink and/or Nash gets hurt), you could pull something like that at the deadline for a 1st. But it's a long shot.
