Bulls Looking Into Salary Dump Deng

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• In addition to peddling Kirk Hinrich, sources say the Bulls also are exploring interest in Luol Deng, who has four years and $51 million left after this season. Trading both of them – or packaging one of them with Thomas – would provide Chicago with enough cap space to score two max free agents this coming summer, effectively placing them on equal footing with the Heat in the 2010 chase.

http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/20035997

I absolutely love this idea. I think Deng is a good player that has value to this team, but if you can sell to top free agents that you get to play with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Taj Gibson, they will sign onto that, and you end up with two max free agents.

 

[RC_Skinny22]

Rose
Wade
James
Gibson
Noah

Sounds good

 

[pinkizdead]

rose wade and lebron all lack a 3 pt shot. plus it's often you see teams with an amazing 123, a crappy 4, and a slightly above average 5. But, that is a lot of talent! I guess if we sign shooters as back ups in all the positions, and upgrade taj, it'd be an amazing team. ...not that it's not already an amazing team

 

[Bullsman24]

idk if, just for basketball reasons, i would get james and bosh if i'm getting james. rose/wade/james all need the ball in their hands to be effective preferably, and bosh has the ability to play off the ball.

 

[Kush77]

It would be nice to get rid of Deng's and Hinrich's deals, but what happens if the Bulls get no one?

I don't think they get LBJ, Wade or Bosh. Now if they could lose Deng and Hinrich and turn it into Johnson and Stoudemire, I'd like that. But that's a lot of things that have to happen. And I can't see it.

 

[houheffna]

It would be nice to get rid of Deng's and Hinrich's deals, but what happens if the Bulls get no one?

I don't think they get LBJ, Wade or Bosh. Now if they could lose Deng and Hinrich and turn it into Johnson and Stoudemire, I'd like that. But that's a lot of things that have to happen. And I can't see it.

I don't want Stoudemire...not at all...

Would rather have Lee than him...there will be other options...Rudy *** comes to mind...

 

[TheStig]

Kush77 wrote:

It would be nice to get rid of Deng's and Hinrich's deals, but what happens if the Bulls get no one?

I don't think they get LBJ, Wade or Bosh. Now if they could lose Deng and Hinrich and turn it into Johnson and Stoudemire, I'd like that. But that's a lot of things that have to happen. And I can't see it.

Kush, with about 1/3-1/2 of teams losing money and a shrinking cap, we will be able to pick up guys for cap space. A guy like David West comes to mind. I prefer to give us the best chance at two guys because I view two more likely than one and I don't think a team handicapped by the LT will go anywhere with a 1/3 of the LT thresh-hold tied up in Deng and Kirk.

 

[Shakes]

Apart from the money he ties up this summer, Kirk's salary doesn't hurt us. He comes off the books when Rose comes up for an extension, so if we can't afford Kirk then we can't afford Rose.

Trading Deng is an all in move. You have to get the max worthy FAs (which probably means LeBron/Wade/Bosh, or if we fail to get any of those three, bank it for Melo in 2011). If we fail then sure, we can use the cap space to get someone, but guys being dumped for cap space are guys with bad contracts. Deng is probably as good a value as you're going to get. So basically if trading Deng lands us two max free agents then we win huge, if we even only get one max free agent we would have been better off keeping him IMO.

The upside is so big, but it's a really low percentage move. It's a drafting Tyrus type move, something that I can just see everyone hating in a few years even if they're on board with it now.

 

[Kush77]

houheffna wrote:

It would be nice to get rid of Deng's and Hinrich's deals, but what happens if the Bulls get no one?

I don't think they get LBJ, Wade or Bosh. Now if they could lose Deng and Hinrich and turn it into Johnson and Stoudemire, I'd like that. But that's a lot of things that have to happen. And I can't see it.

I don't want Stoudemire...not at all...

Would rather have Lee than him...there will be other options...Rudy *** comes to mind...

I disagree. I'll take Stoudemire over Lee 7 days a week. You say stoudemire can't play D but Lee isn't great either.

Not sure how Rudy *** helps with inside scoring.

 

[TheStig]

Shakes wrote:

Apart from the money he ties up this summer, Kirk's salary doesn't hurt us. He comes off the books when Rose comes up for an extension, so if we can't afford Kirk then we can't afford Rose.

Trading Deng is an all in move. You have to get the max worthy FAs (which probably means LeBron/Wade/Bosh, or if we fail to get any of those three, bank it for Melo in 2011). If we fail then sure, we can use the cap space to get someone, but guys being dumped for cap space are guys with bad contracts. Deng is probably as good a value as you're going to get. So basically if trading Deng lands us two max free agents then we win huge, if we even only get one max free agent we would have been better off keeping him IMO.

The upside is so big, but it's a really low percentage move. It's a drafting Tyrus type move, something that I can just see everyone hating in a few years even if they're on board with it now.

Trading Deng is an all in move but it isn't a move that will set back the franchise. Deng isn't a allstar, its arguable if he is even a top 10 sf. Bottom line, there are a lot of good sfs and even the next step down isn't that big of a loss. Deng is a good guy, good defender and good rebounder but we can only have so many defensive guys.

Furthermore, there will be good players on good deals available for expirings. There are about 1/3 to 1/2 of teams that will lose money or barely clear a profit this year. There will be a good amount trading good players for cap space. Just look at now, you could pick up Butler for cap space. I don't see a drop off between him and Deng.

 

[Shakes]

Butler is 29, 5 years older than Deng. They're comparible this year, but how about in 2-3 years time?

 

[TheStig]

Shakes wrote:

Butler is 29, 5 years older than Deng. They're comparible this year, but how about in 2-3 years time?

They will still be comparable. Butler isn't going to drop off the map in 2 year. Besides, he would be an expiring after this year and asset, where as Deng will be on the books for 12-14 mill for three more years. He will never be worth that money.

Deng is a good player who plays the easiest filled position and makes big money. His deal is just bad. He is a cap killer, especially with a dropping cap.

 

[houheffna]

I disagree. I'll take Stoudemire over Lee 7 days a week. You say stoudemire can't play D but Lee isn't great either.

Not sure how Rudy *** helps with inside scoring.

Lee isn't great defensively, but he is a bit better, and can have some of those bad habits that Amare has developed extinguished with good coaching. Amare at this point is stubborn and set in his ways. I have no problem getting Lee, he will probably be cheaper, quite a bit cheaper and he has a very nice jumpshot, neither of them are that proficient with their backs to the basket at this point. Lee has no injury history at this time and seems durable...Amare is a gamble, especially if he wants max money.

Rudy *** is an alternative to not getting any of the high quality wing players available...