Charlotte, however, is sitting in playoff position and had no long-term use for Biyombo now that Al Jefferson is their anchor and Cody Zeller is his backup – especially since they also have Brendan Haywood returning in January. They are getting plenty of production out of their guards (no, we are not including Ben Gordon), but it would not be distasteful for them to accumulate a pair of former first-round picks who remain on their rookie contracts to strengthen their vault for the next time they need to make a move.
With the Knicks in panic mode in an all-or-nothing season, this is no time to discuss hanging on to their young pieces for the future. And besides, Biyombo is a young piece who could develop into something special (or better-than-average) defensively. He can keep the paint warm and the rim protected until Chandler is ready to return. Shumpert could be replaced in the starting five by J.R. Smith.
Here is how the deal looks in the ESPN Trade Machine.
And now, the trickiest one of them all: Luol Deng.
If you are the Chicago Bulls, you are not prepared to sacrifice another season waiting for Derrick Rose to return. The been-there, done-that factor takes over at a certain point, and the task now becomes finding a replacement for Rose who would give the Bulls a puncher’s chance in a playoff matchup with Miami or Indiana (remember, the Pacers’ lone loss came against the Bulls).
The problem for general manager Gar Forman is that he has two assets that he absolutely refuses to trade (or at least he has up until this point). One of those assets is a future No. 1 from the Bobcats, a result of the Tyrus Thomas trade (the pick is protected 1-10 in 2014; 1-8 in 2-15 and unprotected in 2016). The Bobcats are currently 18th in the NBA, and their chances of making the playoffs are actually not that bad. You never want to surrender an asset than may become the next Andrew Wiggins. But you also never want to throw away two consecutive seasons due to ill fortune with your franchise player.
At a certain point, you take a gamble – and putting that pick into the equation is more palatable for Chicago than throwing in the rights to EuroStud Nikola Mirotic, who will be in a Bulls uniform next season and will make everyone forget about Deng.
Also, when the Bulls and Deng broke off talks on a contract extension, everyone around the league realized what that meant – he would likely become available for the right price, and right now, that price is a point guard who can generate some damn buckets for the NBA’s 26th-ranked offense.
Which leads us to …
Deng, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and the Bobcats’ No. 1 pick to the Lakers for Pau Gasol and Steve Nash.
The Lakers already have their long-term rebuilding plan in place now that Kobe Bryant has agreed to an extension, and they will have the cap room to go after at least one max free agent over the summer (two if Nash’s $9.7 million for next season comes off their books). This deal allows them to have the flexibility to keep Deng at his market value, go out and sign a max guy, and still have money left over to offer one more decent player a much higher-than-the-minimum contract. They can begin rebuilding around Bryant, Deng and their two No. 1 picks (their own, and Charlotte’s), and they’d have three-fifths of their 2014-15 starting lineup in place in Gibson, Deng (assuming he re-signs) and Bryant.
For the Bulls, there is a risk in putting their fortunes in the hands of a future Hall of Famer who is on the wrong side of 40. But Nate Robinson ain’t coming through that door, nor is C.J. Watson. The addition of Gasol would allow them to use him at center behind Joakim Noah and at power forward behind or ahead of Carlos Boozer. Plus, his deal is expiring.
And remember, if you are going to defeat the Pacers (who have the best front line in the East), you are going to need size. Likewise, if you are going to defeat Miami, you are going to need size.
So on this one, you roll the dice and jump back into win-now mode with the addition of two new pieces that will help you compete for the No. 3 seed. The alternative — waiting yet another year for a Rose comeback — has already proven too unappetizing to go back for seconds.
Here is how the deal looks in the ESPN Trade Machine.
Your thoughts, folks?
The comments section is open.
Chris Sheridan is publisher and editor-in-chief of SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter.
I recoiled in horror when I saw your Deng trade. Nash and Gasol do make the Bulls contenders this year or in any year. Not to mention you are also giving up Gibson, who is having a career year right now and would serve as a bridge between Boozer and Mirotic. At the very least, he can be part of a more impressive trade.
Those are some odd and lopsided trades Sheridan made up.
Knicks are looking to move Shump because they have two other SG’s, and his independent streak has rubbed management the wrong way. Bu the Knicks aren’t looking to move two Sg’s leaving them with only J R who has been breaking down. Knicks would maybe offer Shump for Biyombo, or could off Hardaway and plus Metta World Ron or Prigioni for Biyombo. And given how Slumpert has played lately, Knicks would be wise to wait a few weeks until his play has righted his value. I’d prefer the Knicks trade JR and keep their two young SG’s.
That Chi-LA deal is ridiculous. Deng and Taj for Pau?
Nash a 39 year old crip and possibly on the verge of retiring.
He didn’t have much to offer last year.
Huge nonsense.
The #1 pick makes it completely absurd.
Some kind of Shumpert for Waiters deal makes some sense.
Cavs could field a backcourt of Kyrie-Jack with Shump as backup.
Waiters would make Hardaway expendable.
So if Knicks could pull off Hardaway Jr + MWP or Beno for Biyombo, Knicks would add two athletic players to bolster their slow lineup. If Waiters is too raw, they could start JR. Biyombo a needed interior defender for the Knicks and then fits nciely as a Tyson backup once Chnadler is healthy.
Granted, I’m no expert, but I hardly think that Steve Nash is an upgrade over Kirk Hinrich. I’m ashamed to even think that of one of my all-time favourite PGs, but you have to admit that a guy sitting on the bench in his suit will not win you a playoff game.
Also, one of the reasons Chicago needs/wants/would want/should want (pick whichever you like) to trade Deng is getting under the Luxury tax to avoid being a repeater in any of the next two years. This proposed trade doesn’t help them at all as they’d be taking on 3 million more in salary.
http://basketball.realgm.com/tradechecker/saved_trade/6365234
Chicago Orlando
Booz Turk (in last year of contract with only 6m guar)
Deng Nelson (next year only 2 m guar)
Hinrich Afflalo (10th in scoring atm 48%/50%/84%)
Mirotic Davis
Chicago gets the SG it’s been looking for, cap relief this year and neutral cap for next year
as mentioned above it keeps option of amnesty if Rose becomes Greg Oden
Orlando gets a stud prospect and probably tries to flip veterans at trade deadline
Please people get your facts straight before posting. You will save face. The Chicago Bulls are prohibited from using the amnesty clause on anybody but Deng, Noah, and Boozer. They are the only members of the Bulls whose current contracts were in effect before the new CBA became effective in 2011. Rose’s current contract extension took effect in 2012.
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Erick Dampier = Jeff Adrian?
Booz, the Charlotte pick, for …the absolute non-factor. Hedo Turkoglu.
The Bulls get rid of Boozer, can waive Turk for half his salary to duck the tax, keep their amnesty in case Rose’s knee problems continue along the years, and can let Hinrich, Deng expire to create some huge cap space for a LeBron/Melo/Bosh player or at least an offer for Hayward/Monroe.
Please people get your facts straight before posting. You will save face. The Chicago Bulls are prohibited from using the amnesty clause on anybody but Deng, Noah, and Boozer. They are the only members of the Bulls whose current contracts were in effect before the new CBA became effective in 2011. Rose’s current contract extension took effect in 2012. Besides that, why trade Boozer now, and that valuable pick from Charlotte, for somebody that you want to waive immediately? If you keep Boozer and amnesty him next summer, you get him off of the books and get to keep that Charlotte pick. There is no way that we will have enough cap space to entice LeBron or Melo and I would not want Bosh on my team, he’s too soft.