whats funny about the Deng trade is they traded him for almost nothing to basically sign Pau Gasol when they wouldn't trade him for Gasol years before...kinda funny how that worked out
What year was this rumored? 2006-07? Deng was displaying traits of becoming a star that year [Everyone was labeling him such after that Heat series in the 1st round], in addition, Jerry West wanted more than just Deng and PJ Brown. (Jerry West was in his last year with the Grizzlies, the GM replacing him would deal him to LA for his brother, Marc)
Additionally, Gasol never showed he could be the #1 option. His Grizzlies teams never won a playoff game with him leading the show. The Bulls look much the same right now given Gasol basically is the #1 option. Gasol thrived in LA because Kobe did all the #1 work while Gasol sat in a comfortable #2 role.
If the Bulls had made that trade, they would have had every problem Memphis had.
For the record, the Gasol to Lakers trade was Gasol, Devin Ebanks for Kwame Brown, Crittenton, Aaron McKie, Marc Gasol, Donte Green, and Greivis Vasquez when you factor in who all the draft picks were. Yeah, the Bulls could have given Memphis more value, but at that point I think there were interested in going a different direction. Looking at our players, Luol Deng did eventually become an All-Star, but he was never a go to player, Ben Gordon, if he was ever involved in rumors would have been a terrible player for Memphis.
Instead Memphis ended up with a good center piece in Marc Gasol, in addition to all kinds of other good things they've done since then.
