There is reason to believe that, after the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers stunned the NBA with last night’s Luol Deng/Andrew Bynum swap, that Deng was just the first domino to fall in Chicago.
Well, I suppose that would actually be Derrick Rose, whose loss to season ending injury has given the Bulls a second chance to reassess their future.
After several years of hard hardheadedness, sticking to the plan and whatever cliche sports phrase you’d like to insert, the Chicago Bulls are committing to a new look.
After turning down a reported three year, $30 million extension, the Deng is now a member of the Cavaliers (which Chris Sheridan thought was a total coup for Chris Grant).
So who else could be on the move in Chicago? Sam Amick of USA Sports has the scoop:
While forward Carlos Boozer could be waived via the league’s amnesty clause during the offseason as yet another way to clear the Bulls’ books, it appears point guard Kirk Hinrich will be drawing the most immediate interest when it comes to the Bulls’ possible next move. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Golden State Warriors are among teams that had been showing serious interest in Hinrich long before the Deng trade. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because trade talks are typically private.
Hinrich, the 33-year-old who is making approximately $4 million in the final season of his contract, is averaging 7.8 points, 4.7 assists and 30.7 minutes per game but shooting at a career-low rate from the field (34%) and three-point range (28.6%). In the wake of the Deng trade, the natural question being asked by opposing teams is whether the Bulls will go into full-tank mode as a way to improve their draft standing and how that might impact the trade possibilities.
Cleaning house was obviously a difficult decision for Gar Forman and the Bulls organization. After weeks of denying any rumors surrounding Deng, the NBA world woke up to him in a different uniform. And for Chicago, it just doesn’t make sense to ship out a player of Deng’s caliber, who is especially loved by his teammates, coaches and fanbase if they aren’t committed to a complete makeover.
Even with the Warriors’ current nine-game winning streak, they remain on the lookout for a point guard to play behind Stephen Curry. While small forward Andre Iguodala spends ample time as a playmaking point-forward and veteran Toney Douglas provides spot minutes, this is the void that was created when Jarrett Jack left for Cleveland as a free agent last July. Hinrich is certainly not the only possible solution on the Warriors’ radar, as they remain in the mix for Denver point guard Andre Miller as well.
Hinrich will likely be the next domino to fall, and then Boozer in the offseason by way of the amnesty provision. A move that Chicago has refused to flirt with in the past.
This will allow the Bulls one more offseason of flexibility before they have to sign Jimmy Butler to a lucrative extension. They will have a decent amount of cap space to flirt with although they may fall short of having enough to add another top line player to come join Derrick Rose in Chicago. But bring back Rose, add in Butler, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and European sensation Nikola Mirotic (if they can strike a deal to pry him from Europe), and the Bulls may not be so far behind where they started this season after a major facelift. Let’s not forget the abundance of picks they will have stashed.
Onto more from around the NBA
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