Click-a-Bull (More Trade Rumors)

Covered some trade rumors in this space earlier today, but here is a good analysis of what each team might be trying to do at the deadline:

Breaking Down the NBA Trade Deadline, Team by Team

Confused by where everyone stands as NBA trade rumors fly? Mike Prada, along with other SB Nation team bloggers, breaks down the trade landscape as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Feb 3, 2010 - The NBA Trade Deadline is kind of like a game of Risk. You have several territories to conquer (or players to add), some of which are more valuable than others. You have different number of pieces (i.e. trade assets) depending on your performance in the game, and you have the ability to control how you use such pieces. You have to make sure you don't leave currently-owned territories uncovered, which is kind of like making sure you don't lose anything in the present or future with any potential trades. And while there may not eventually be one winner, there is a cost/benefit analysis each team must make that's very similar to what you do in Risk.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at where every teams stands, what they have to offer, what they need and what players and teams are potentially good trade targets. We at SB Nation have already talked about some trades we'd love to see, but we've yet to take that step back and really analyze the full picture. Here, we attempt to do that in as systematic a way as possible, with five categories to separate teams and a comprehensive breakdown of all the factors that would influence their thinking. I've enlisted the help of several SB Nation team bloggers to help me with this project, so where relevant, you'll see them mentioned or quoted.

(All salary figures are via ShamSports.com, the premier NBA salary site on the Internet. All salary-cap estimates are based on a $53 million salary cap and a $67 million luxury tax line, which may or may not be too high).

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Chicago Bulls

Status: Seller
Team Weaknesses: Outside shooting, perimeter scoring
Projected 2010 cap room: $15.5 million
Untouchables: Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah
Potentially on the block: Luol Deng ($10.3 million this year, four more years), Kirk Hinrich ($9.5 million this year, two more years), John Salmons ($6.4 million this year, one more year with a player option)
Expiring Contracts: Brad Miller ($12.5 million), Jerome James ($6 million), Tyrus Thomas ($4.7 million)
Prospects: Taj Gibson, James Johnson
Good trade partners: Boston, Houston, LA Lakers, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio
Possible targets: Amare Stoudemire, Al Harrington, expiring contracts of any kind

For all the talk about the Bulls being a major 2010 player, we forget that they actually can't guarantee themselves maximum cap room unless John Salmons opts out of the final year of his contract, which is hardly a certainty considering how much he's sucked this year. That's why there's a lot of noise surrounding Kirk Hinrich, who has a long-term contract and is intriguing to several teams.

Trading Hinrich would probably hurt the Bulls this year, because Hinrich's presence in the starting lineup has helped everyone, but you'd think that the Bulls would want to commit fully to the 2010 plan. Problem is, their actions sort of indicate otherwise. They've already turned down a Hinrich for "spare parts" trade from Boston, and those "spare parts" presumably were Celtic expiring contracts. The Lakers also talked to the Bulls about Hinrich, and they also have expiring contracts to offer. I know the Bulls would prefer to move Salmons, but with him playing so poorly, does anyone want him? It's almost as if Hinrich has some mysterious pull within the Bulls organization that makes them decide having him and a first-round playoff exit is more important than putting yourself in the position to grab LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and others.

Chicago's also in the mix for Amare Stoudemire, though they have even less to offer Phoenix than they did last year. They could also make another upgrade for the playoff push, like they did last year with the John Salmons-Brad Miller trade. What they should do, though, is trade Hinrich. Who knows if they actually will.

Click-a-Bull (Trade and Trade Rumors - Amare, Kirk, T-Mac, Salmons)

Bulls deal Gray to Hornets for Devin Brown

The Bulls shipped seldom-used center Aaron Gray to New Orleans for veteran guard Devin Brown on Monday.

Gray missed training camp and the first two months of the season with a stress fracture in his left fibula. Since recovering, he has appeared in just eight games and never seemed to get back into playing shape.

The 6-foot-5 Brown has played a significant role on some good teams during his eight NBA seasons and won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. This year he was averaging 9.7 points per game and was getting consistent playing time for the Hornets, logging 30 minutes in a loss at Denver on Saturday.

Brown, 31, is considered a good defender and streaky shooter. When the Hornets lost to the Bulls at the United Center on Dec. 26, Brown hit 6 of 7 shots from 3-point range for 22 points - all in the first half. He shot 45.6 percent from 3-point range in December but dropped to 26 percent in January.

One question still to be answered is if acquiring Brown sets the stage for the Bulls to trade either John Salmons or Kirk Hinrich before the Feb. 18 trade deadline, therefore opening more cap room to spend on free agents next summer.

Brown and Gray make similar salaries, roughly $1 million.

VOTE IN THE POLL ---->



Bulls Trade a Precursor for Amar'e?

The trade Monday that sent starting New Orleans Hornets guard Devin Brown to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for seldom-used center Aaron Gray doesn't seem like much on the surface because neither guy is somebody most smart NBA fans would call a "game-changer." While it's obvious that the Hornets made this move to shed salary, Chicago's motivations require a little more digging and imagination.

It's possible that this trade could be an attempt to shore up the Bulls' backcourt should they be able to find a taker for either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons before the trade deadline. Chicago would like to head into this offseason with enough money to pursue a big name free agent and possibly have the option of extending Tyrus Thomas. As it stands, they'll have to choose one of those options or the other.

Hinrich is scheduled to make $17 million for the next two full seasons, and Salmons is on the books for just under $6 million next year should he exercise his player option this offseason. Brown, on the other hand, can play out the rest of this season for right around $500,000 and do a lot of the same things Hinrich and Salmon can do for a heck of a lot less money.

So, even if Chicago only manages to return non-rotation role players with expiring contracts for a player like Hinrich or Salmons, the Bulls have an answer for the holes left in the lineup. In a lot of ways, just shedding the salary would be considered a big move for the Bulls going forward. But looking at this thing on a grander scale, it seems remotely possible that this could allow Chicago to put together a pretty impressive package in a trade offer for a really big name.

Amar'e Stoudemire is one such big name, as has been reported by multiple news outlets in the last couple of days. Chicago could package Kirk Hinrich or Luol Deng with Tyrus Thomas as the key pieces to a deal for Stoudemire. Either offer would get close to matching the necessary salaries to get a move done; it would just be a question as to whether or not that were enough to get Phoenix to bite. Chicago does have a couple of expiring contracts worth $6-12 million apiece that they could use to sweeten the pot as well.

Lakers Interested in Kirk Hinrich

The Bulls have actively been trying to trade guard Kirk Hinrich and the $17 million he is owed over the next two seasons to clear up cap space to go after some of the star power on this summer’s free agent market. But that could be difficult to do considering teams aren’t looking to take on much financial burden right now. But ESPN’s Chad Ford reports that the Bulls and Lakers would both benefit from a deal.

The defending champs are a bit concerned with their perimeter defense and Hinrich is well-known as being an outstanding defender. Plus, the Yankees of the NBA are one of the few teams that could take on a salary like Hinrich’s.

The Lakers have opted not to extend Jordan Farmar’s contract so that could open the door for Hinrich. The Lakers would likely be willing to part with the expiring contracts of Farmar, Adam Morrison and Josh Powell in order to get Hinrich. Ford says “some sort of combo of Adam Morrison and Derrick Fisher for Hinrich would help both teams” but I’m not sure the Lakers would part with Fisher, and all the experience he brings come playoff time. Plus, he is still a pretty solid on the ball defender.

Besides defense, Hinrich would give the Lakers another quality three-point shooter and someone with a high basketball IQ.

Slow down on Stoudemire-to-Bulls rumors

Last year, the rumors that Amare Stoudemire would be traded were unexpected and, ultimately, Phoenix opted not to make a financial purge.

This season, they are expected, although recent talk of the Bulls being strongly interested should be tempered.

The Arizona Republic reported recently the Suns are amping up efforts to deal the All-Star power forward, mindful that attempts to reach a deal on a long-term contract extension haven't gone far. The newspaper reported Golden State, Minnesota and Cleveland have shown interest in Stoudemire, but noted that the forward's ability to opt out to become a free agent and not re-sign with any team he is traded to could serve as a deterrent.

Yahoo! Sports, citing sources, listed the Bulls as one of several teams showing "major interest" in Stoudemire. However, just like last season, the Bulls have reservations over acquiring Stoudemire, who will seek a maximum contract at a time questions remain about his defensive play and recovery from microfracture surgery on his knee.

The Bulls could've traded for Stoudemire last season, but opted not to. He's certainly on their radar and discussions between now and the Feb. 18 trade deadline will take place. However, to label him the Bulls' top priority is overstating matters.

Chat with Chris Sheridan

What's TMAC's destination?
Chris Sheridan
All indications are that the process continues to move slowly. I still think it'll come down to the Knicks or the Bulls, unless an Iguodala offer is truly going to be put on the table by Houston. and if the talent the Bulls and Knicks are offering is relatively equal, I give the Knicks the edge because they can offer more financial relief in the form of Cuttino Mobley's expiring and insurance-paid contract, which is $3-plus million more than Jerome james' similar deal. Plus, James Dolan would be much more willing than Jerry Reinsdorf to throw $3 million in cash into the deal. Also, the Knicks could take back Brian Cook (expiring $3.5 million) and get Houston under the tax, which would mean another $4-plus million going into Les Alexander's wallet because the Rockets would then get a share of the revenues from the taxpaying teams.

Brown's arrival might pave way for more Bulls moves

On the surface, Monday's trade by the Bulls was a no-brainer: They gave up someone who rarely plays for a veteran guard with playoff experience.

The Bulls sent third-year center Aaron Gray to New Orleans for 6-foot-5 guard Devin Brown, who also has played for the Spurs, Cavs and Jazz during eight years in the NBA. He won a title with San Antonio in 2005.

When Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons are all healthy and playing well, as they have been during the Bulls' surprising three-game winning streak, there isn't much need for a fourth guard. The Bulls have struggled all season to find court time for Jannero Pargo.

Brown's primary role figures to be as a replacement for Salmons or Hinrich, maybe even Luol Deng, should the Bulls succeed in making another trade before the Feb. 18 deadline.

There is no guarantee that will happen, since most NBA teams are reluctant to take on any extra salary right now. Hinrich has two more years remaining on his contract at a total of $17 million. That's not outrageous by NBA standards but definitely above market value.

A source confirmed the Bulls have had discussions with the Lakers about Hinrich, most likely for Adam Morrison and Sasha Vujacic, but nothing is imminent.

Click-a-Bull (Aaron Gray Traded!, Weekend Sweep, Rose, Noah, Rudy Gay, Amare)

Sources: Hornets trade Brown for Gray

The New Orleans Hornets have reached terms on a trade that will send guard Devin Brown to the Chicago Bulls for reserve big man Aaron Gray, according to NBA front-office sources.

The trade, barring an unforeseen snag, is expected to be formally approved by the league office later Monday.

The Hornets nearly traded Brown to Minnesota in hopes of reducing their luxury-tax bill in December, but the deal could not satisfy salary-cap requirements unless Brown agreed to waive a portion of the trade kicker in his contract. Brown declined.

This deal would net only a small luxury-tax benefit for the Hornets but bring them an extra big man for their bench. Brown has started 37 games for New Orleans this season, but the Hornets want to give more minutes to rookie Marcus Thornton and decided they needed the extra size.

In spite of its recent improvement, Chicago has been looking for perimeter help to help fill the void created by Ben Gordon's free-agent departure to Detroit.

I have never liked Aaron Gray, so getting anything for him is an improvement. The fact that we got someone who could actually contribute is even better. Anyone who can give us some perimeter scoring off the bench - and whose name doesn't rhyme with Benero Fargo - is a welcome addition!




Bulls' weekend road sweep not the only NBA surprise

The good theme to the current NBA season would be, "Don't be so quick to judge."

The Bulls kept up with the slogan this weekend by pulling off surprising wins at Phoenix and Houston. An 0-7 road trip seemed possible, if not likely, when they started with losses to Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers.

But then, who knew veteran center Brad Miller would erupt for 25 points while Joakim Noah rested a foot injury and help beat the Rockets?

In the past two games, the Bulls demonstrated what can happen when Derrick Rose is aggressive, they get scoring from both Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons, and someone steps up with a good performance off the bench.

The three remaining games on the ice show road trip - San Antonio, Oklahoma City and New Orleans - will be tough, but maybe another win is possible.

Noah still hurting, Rose sick

Joakim Noah said he will do anything he can to play tonight when the Bulls visit the San Antonio Spurs despite plantar fasciitis of the left foot, but the usually upbeat Bulls center was subdued and didn't sound optimistic about his chances of playing following the morning shootaround.

"It's frustrating because I had it for a while and it just got worse," Noah said. "I'm trying to go, but I'm limited and I can't really go the way I want to. We'll see how it goes.

"If I can play, I'll play. I'm gonna take a pill, take a shot, I'm gonna do whatever I have to do, but I took a shot last game and it didn't help at all. There's no point in trying to go when deep inside you know you're only hurting the team."

Noah isn't the only player trying to get ready for tonight. Derrick Rose is battling flu-like symptoms (apparently unrelated to the stomach virus that hit Kirk Hinrich and John Salmons last week) and Brad Miller has a sore knee.

"We'll see how he feels before the game," coach Vinny Del Negro said of Noah. "Hopefully, we can get him out there. Brad's knee is bothering him a little bit, Derrick's sick, so we're just trying to get over this sickness with the team, heal some plantar fasciitis up and try to get our guys out there.

"But the rest of the guys will be ready. We'll see how Derrick feels and how Jo warms up and Taj [Gibson] and Brad and just go with what we can go with. Our body counts a little low, but we'll see."

Grizzlies' Gay could be a diamond in the rough this summer

He doesn’t get talked about much with the big free agents, in part because he is a restricted free agent. But some of the teams lining up for this summer’s potential free agent bonanza are quietly eying Memphis’ Rudy Gay as the secret diamond in the rough.

Some of the scenarios being discussed have LeBron James perhaps winning a title—or making the NBA Finals—and staying in Cleveland, and then maybe Chris Bosh joining Dwyane Wade in Miami. If that were to happen, the three A-list free agents would be off the board, leaving several teams to fight over the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, David Lee (no one expects Dirk Nowitzki to leave Dallas) and Joe Johnson. When you want to pay big money for a star, you want a finisher, someone to whom you can throw the ball and isolate to make a last shot. Among that group, there’s perhaps only Johnson, and I can see given his age and superior athletic ability, teams will go for Gay.

I can see, assuming you cannot get any of the Big Three, someone throwing a max offer front loaded with a bonus at Gay. I know Hall of Famer and longtime team executive Jerry West has a bias because he traded for Gay when he ran the Grizzlies. But West is one of the most knowledgeable talent evaluators in NBA history, and while not connected to any franchise now, West keeps a keen eye on the league and he sees big things coming for the underrated Gay.

Suns seeking trade offers for Amare

After recent discussions with Amar’e Stoudemire’s(notes) agent that didn’t appear to destine a contract extension, the Phoenix Suns have increased their efforts to trade the All-Star forward, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday night.

League executives say the Suns have become more active initiating talks over the past few days, and believe the franchise will take the best offer for Stoudemire before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. The Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Detroit Pistons are among multiple teams that have a strong interest in Stoudemire, sources say. The Arizona Republic reported Sunday night that the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have also inquired about Stoudemire.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr met with Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, on Thursday, and league sources say there was little sense an agreement could be reached before the trade deadline. With Stoudemire able to opt out of the final $17.7 million season of his contract, the Suns don’t want to risk losing him for nothing in free agency this summer.

As they did when shopping Stoudemire last season, the Suns want a combination of young talent, salary-cap relief and draft picks for him. Some teams are hesitant to trade for Stoudemire for fear he won’t want to re-sign with them this summer. The Minnesota Timberwolves lead that group of teams, sources say. The Wolves are mostly eyeing small forwards, including the Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay(notes), the Bulls’ Luol Deng(notes) and the Washington Wizards’ Caron Butler(notes). No one is untouchable on the Wolves roster, sources say.

2010 NBA Free Agency = Fantasy Auction Draft (& a Bulls' FAIL!)

Regular readers know that all 3 BBS writers/contributors are involved in an NBA Fantasy Auction Keeper League. To save some time, here are the basic rules (+our strategies), and here are my pre-season predictions. [Note: DC is currently leading the league and is a lock for 1st place with CP3, Bosh and Boozer. Kmart is in 2nd place, and I am ranked a few spots lower (no details needed).]

The draft basically went down in 3 big steps:

(a) the top players were called (DC set the market by getting CP3 at $26 dollars) and everyone bid to get one of the top players for about $21 to $26 dollars. Everyone had money to spend and wanted a big name on their roster.

This basically included:

CP3 $26
Granger $24 (more than LeBaby and KD if you're keeping track)
Lebron $23
KD $23
DWade $22
Kobe $21


(b) Everyone started to realize we spent about 1/3 of our salary cap ($60 or $65 with the luxury tax) on 1 guy, and eased off for a while. This lead to some incredibly great deals on some really good fantasy players.

Dirk $18
Bosh $17
Pau $15
B Roy $13
Melo $11
Joe Johnson $10
Devin Harris $9
Timmy D $8
Pierce $7
Booxer $6
Gerald Wallace $6
J Smoove $4

(c) Some people had a decent amount of money remaining and were able to get whoever they wanted by out-bidding the other owners. Certain owners had money to spend, and needed to fill out their rosters. Some of the players weren't as good, but everyone had needs to fill and money to spend. The rest of the owners had to wait until they could fill out their rosters with $1 players.

Instead of going for $1-$2 like most guys at this point in the, these players had a slightly elevated price. I would provide examples, but I don't recall how our draft order played out and there were a lot of players in that $3-6 range. You get the idea.
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The 2010 Free Agency period will look exactly like (a) then (c) above, then maybe a little (b). I think we will skip the (b) part (where players go at a discount after an initial big spending period) because too many teams have freed up cap space and convinced their fans to sit through some really bad seasons waiting for a "savior" in the summer of 2010. When that "savior" ends up signing elsewhere (in part (a)), each team is going to panic, needing to get something, and jump right into overpaying a player from the next wave (just like part (c)).

First, let's take a look at the 2010 free agent players available ...

The Big 3:
LeBron
DWade (Player Option)
Bosh (PO)

The next level:
Kobe (PO)
Dirk (Early Termination Option)
Boozer
Rudy Gay
Joe Johnson
Amare (ETO)
Paul Pierce (ETO)
Yao (ETO)

Other notables:
Ray Allen
Josh Howard
Will Bynum
David Lee
Carl Landry
Przybilla (ETO)
Ty Thomas
Camby
Ronnie Brewer
Manu
Michael Redd
Mo Evans


(Source: ESPN)


Second, the teams that have cap space ...

Many teams have planned the past couple seasons based on creating or maintaining cap space for next summer's free agent market. According to Chad Ford (Insider), that list includes: "nine teams -- the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings."

And for more details on teams with cap space, check NBAroundtable:

Max Contract Players

* New York – $20.2-to-$23.4 million in cap space – link
* New Jersey – $20.35-to-$25.5 million in cap space – link
* Miami – $18.4-to-$21.9 million in cap space – link
* Chicago – $9.2-to-$17.9 million in cap space – link

The Rest Of The Group

* Minnesota – $7-to-$14 million in cap space – link
* Oklahoma – $9.2-to-$12.7 million in cap space – link
* Houston Rockets — $6-to-$12.7 million in cap space – link
* LA Clippers – $6-to-$11 million in cap space – link
* Sacramento – $6-to-$10 million in cap space – link
* Atlanta Hawks — no substantial cap space (below MLE) – link

In part (a), the teams will sign the big players for max contracts early in the free agent period. This is where DWade, Bosh and Bron will sign with their "new" teams.

I have a hard time believing Wade will leave Miami (that extra year at $25 million would be tough to pass up). The only reason I see Wade going elsewhere is if there is truth the the rumor (conspiracy theory?) that there was a late-night meeting in Beijing where Bosh, Bron, Wade, CP3 (next year) and a bunch of them decided to play together and win 8 straight titles.

I would say the same for LeBron staying in Cleveland, but he is a selfish, cocky ass-clown who thinks he will be a "global icon" - even though he's making plenty of people dislike him with his antics. I have no idea what he will do, but I think it depends on how the Cavs do this season (and since I've said from the beginning that Shaq makes them worse, I dont see it going well).

So that leaves us with Bosh from the top group ... it seems very, very unlikely that he will remain in Toronto. But no one seems to know where he will end up. Could he go to the Knicks with LeBaby? Sign in Miami to play with DWade? No idea, but I have a feeling he plans on joining a legit team, with the hopes of pushing them over the top and competing for titles. So let's just say the Bulls have not made a great impression.

OK, so let's assume the Bulls make a run at hometown hero, DWade. Maybe there is a chance he leaves Miami to come home and play with DRose for the Bulls? That would seem conceivable if the salary/contract would be identical. But as I said, the Heat can offer an extra year at $25 million, so Chicago has to seem $25 million better than Miami. Seems much less likely considering that. (As a side note, I have made the argument that the Bulls shouldn't sign DWade (scroll way down). I was basically being devil's advocate, but there is an argument, right?)

LeBaby either stays in Cleveland, signs with the Knicks or Nets, or does something drastic like signing with the Clippers (why not? Eric Grodon, Blake Griffin and LeBron would be an excellent core).

No Idea what Bosh is doing, so I guess there is a chance the Bulls could get him. I thought he had "maxed out" as NBA player, reached his peak and would just be the same old same-old for the next 10 years. But with the way he bulked up this offseason and is crashing the glass (one of only 2 players averaging 20points/10rebounds this season), I have changed my mind. I think he has become much better, and the EXACT type of player the Bulls need - scrappy, hard-working 4 who can run the pick-and-roll and score in the post. Pair him up with D-Rose and we are looking excellent!

The pessimist Bulls fan in me feels like there is 0% chance that this happens. The Bulls big stroke of luck was landing D-Rose, and we cannot expect 2 things to work out this perfectly less than 2 years later, right?

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So now let's get into why I absolutely fear/dread/despise the summer of 2010 ... This is where we will see part (c): teams that missed out on the big name players, but cannot come away empty-handed. Assuming the Bulls miss out on CB4, this is where they still have money to spend and need to get something from the "greatest year of free agency in NBA history."

So the Bulls miss out on Wade and Bosh, but will still be looking at some legit players (most likely): Boozer, Rudy Gay, Joe Johnson and Amare. I really like all four of these guys, but I don't love any of them for the Bulls. The key here is that the Hawks have $ that they will aim at JJ, the Knicks will have $, etc - so the price on these guys will be max or near-max. So none of these "second-tier" free agents next summer will sign for "second-tier" dollars. With all of these teams creating cap space, every player will be playing teams against each other to get a bigger contract.

If the Bulls can land one of these 4, we are automatically much improved in any way you look at it. Boozer (the other player averaging 20points/10rebounds) would have a similar effect to Bosh - great in the pick-and-roll, would be excellent with D-Rose and Noah. Rudy Gay gives us a young, athletic, scoring 3 that could play off (and grow together with) Rose. It would give us versatility on both ends with him and Luol playing the 2/3, giving us an athletic, big lineup and creating plenty of matchup problems. Joe Johnson would have that same effect, and give us the much-needed aplha dog to takeover at the end of close games. Amare is having a down year (for him) since eye surgery, but has been hitting the boards much better recently. His killer 17-20' jumper would work incredibly well with D-Rose in the pick-and-roll, which would create much more space for Rose to use his speed/quickness.

(Note: I don't even want to think about what will happen if the Bulls put their time/effort into signing Wade and Bosh, then those second-level players sign deals with other teams before the Bulls get a chance at them. Could be panic-mode where the Bulls end up throwing too much money at Landry/Przybilla/Camby. I'm just saying - be prepared).


At first glance, it appears the Bulls come away from the summer of 2010 much better than they were before with any of JJ/Gay/Booz/Amare, but the long-term effects will end up destroying our team ... leaving us stuck as a 45-52 win team that is always competitive and in the playoffs, but never a real elite team that has a chance to win the title. I will cover the details in my upcoming post: "Why the Bulls Must Trade Luol Deng: To Keep Joakim Noah and Win a Championship"