Bulls Prepared for the "Summer of 2010"

Yesterday's trade deadline was an active one for the Bulls. Even if they failed to move Kirk('s contract), moving Salmons was enough to clear cap space to sign a free agent to a max contract this summer.

With enough money to match what other teams are offering, the Bull have to look like a fairly attractive option to someone like Bosh. We have Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and didn't destroy our entire roster (see: Knicks) in order to create space. Plus, we should still make the playoffs this year.

So now that we have the pieces in place, what should the Bulls do / who should they try to sign??
VOTE IN THE POLL ----->

Bulls Trade Deadline Recap: Not Disappointed, but .... Disappointed

Overall, it's hard not call the moves the Bulls made in the past couple days a success. In trading Salmons to the Bucks for the expiring contracts of Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander, we successfully turned one of the worst contracts in the NBA (Nocioni) into a bunch of expirings (Miller and Milwaukee's spare parts). That sets us up to have enough cap space to offer a max-deal to a free agent this summer, which hopefully means we can pair Wade or Bosh with D-Rose. And that alone means that this was a successful trade deadline, but ...

There were plenty of rumors that had us moving Kirk Hinrich, which I would have loved. Having that contract off the books would have allowed the Bulls to possibly offer a max and another near-max deal to FAs this summer. That would have been fun, but seems far-fetched, even today. I'm not sure signing two max (or near-max) FAs was ever realistic.

Based on how things went down, I'm not sure there was ever a real market for Kirk and his contract. So that means signing 2 big names this summer is pretty much out.


We also heard plenty of rumors about trading TT for a 1st round pick, including an early offer from the Bobcats that was put on the back-burner. It looked very likely that we would move TT for Al Harrington. That may have helped the offense this year, but it's clear that this year is not a priority for this franchise. We are preparing for the future, and it would have been a pointless/sideways move. We basically would be disguising the fact that we would let TT walk this summer (because we would surely let Harrington walk). It would have meant that in consecutive summers, the Bulls let BG walk (#3 overall draft pick in 2004) and TT walk (#4 pick in 2007, swapped for #2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge).

Instead we swapped TT for some Bobcats expirings and a future #1 pick, which at least means we got something. So we turned the #3 pick in 2004 and the #7 pick in 2007 into a non-lottery future first round pick! [Singing: "Only the Bulls ... Ooonly the Buuulls ..."]


So while this trade deadline must be considered a success as we prepare to make a run at Wade or Bosh this summer, the deadline was definitely not everything I had hoped for.

Happy Birthday Michael Jordan

10 minutes of pure greatness ...

Downloads: Views: 8875

And one of my favorite MJ clips ever ...

Downloads: Views: 21728

That Michael Jordan fellow was a pretty good basketball player

However, just in case you weren't convinced, Ben Blatt of the Harvard Sports Analysis Collective calculated the odds of Michael Jordan's epic run of going eight years without losing three games in a row:

MJ was never part of a three-game losing streak from November 1990 until he retired from the Bulls (for the second time) in 1998. This streak, brought to my attention in Bill Simmons' recent "Trade Value List" column, includes 500 regular season games and 126 playoff games, for a total span of 626 games. Just how unlikely was this streak? Let's start by determining the chances for a typical .500 team.

We can accomplish this through the use of a statistical tool known as binomial distribution. Statisticians use this technique to figure out the probability of a success-failure event occurring x times in n number of opportunities, provided that we know the chance of the event occurring any one time. In order for us to use it here, we have to determine n (the number of chances the Bulls had at losing three in a row), p (the probability of a single three game losing streak) and x (the number of single three game losing observed in n trials). With the Bulls, we observed 0 three game losing streaks in n trials, so x equals zero. If we are looking at .500 team, the probability (p) of a team losing three games in a set three game span is simply .500 cubed, or .125. The number of chances the Bulls had at losing three games in a row was 624. This is because there were 624 separate chances for the Bulls to lose three consecutive games (games 1-3, 2-4, 3-5...all the way to 624-626).

Using x=0, p=.125 and n=624, we get a probability of a team going on such a streak at 0.00000000000000000000000000000000006502%, about one out of every two-undecillion tries. If you haven't heard of undecillion before, don't worry. Neither have I, or Microsoft Word. Just realize how unlikely of an event that is.

Of course, Jordan and his Bulls were no .500 team. So after a few more calculations, Blatt's watch spits out a probability of the Bulls going on such a streak at .2114% — or about one out of five hundred.

"Even for a team that had the ability to maintain such a high record for such a long time, we should have expected them to have at least one three game losing streak 99.8% of the time," Blatt expains.

Aaaaaaaaand ... this is where you start arguing about who's the G.O.A.T. — Jordan or Kobe.

Click-a-Bull (Bulls Trade-Rumors Update)

I just saw a rumor on twitter that had the Bulls sending Deng and Noah to the Raptors in exchange for Bosh. While this is an unverified rumor, it really gets my head spinning ... the Bulls would shed Deng's contract, but give up a valuable asset in trading Noah; it would be huge to land Bosh, but there's a chance he leaves this summer and the Bulls are left with nothing; and of course, playing with Rose could be so much fun for Bosh that they help bring another FA here this summer. Not worth getting too into it, because it is just a rumor.

Here is the latest on the trade rumors that have more legs:

McGrady trade talk gets hot

NBA sources say Bulls have offered Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas and either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons to Rockets




The Bulls and Knicks' competition stretched beyond the Bulls' 118-85 blowout victory Tuesday night, achieved without the services of Joakim Noah.

The teams also are in battle for Tracy McGrady's expiring $22 million contract.

League sources said the Bulls have offered Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas and either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons to the Rockets for McGrady, who has been granted a leave and is training in Chicago.

The Rockets have shown little interest in either Hinrich or Salmons and thus, sources said, the Bulls have tried to recruit a third team to get involved. It's also possible the Bulls have made another unknown offer with a player replacing Hinrich or Salmons to the Rockets.

Some league sources believe the Bulls' offer is emerging as the front-runner as the 2 p.m. Thursday trade deadline looms.

Separately, as reported, the Knicks, Spurs and Nuggets have made bids for Thomas.

Because trading Thomas alone does nothing to this summer's salary-cap situation, the Bulls are seeking at least a draft pick along with expiring contracts in return for the fourth-year forward in those smaller deals. That's why, at least for now, they're sitting on the Knicks' offer of Al Harrington for Thomas and Jerome James.

NBA Trade Deadline: Chicago Bulls on the Block

As the NBA trade deadline gets ever so close, teams around the league are forming two groups: the buyers and the sellers.

Realistically, there are about eight or nine teams that can look at themselves in the mirror and say, "We are title contenders." The rest of us, including the Chicago Bulls, need to look towards the future—specifically this summer's free agent bonanza.

What the Bulls do now can go a long way towards making themselves a title contender. They have bad players (Tyrus Thomas) and bad contracts (Kirk Hinrich) to unload, and if they are able to get rid of one (or, preferably, both), the Bulls could be on their way back.

In many ways, Derrick Rose's first All-Star game signals good things on the horizon for the Bulls, who hadn't had an All-Star since some guy named Jordan back in 1998.

But you need to water and groom this Rose like you would any other, and that means getting him the players and pals necessary to compete for basketball's highest prize: an NBA championship.

Let's take a look at some Bulls on the block.

Sources: Rockets mull offers for T-Mac

The Houston Rockets have narrowed their long-running quest to trade Tracy McGrady to offers from the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls and plan to choose between the offers Wednesday, according to sources with knowledge of the Rockets' thinking.

One source close to the process told ESPN.com that the Rockets, after intense talks with both teams leading up to Thursday's trading deadline, are determined to finalize a deal for McGrady and are leaning toward taking the Knicks' offer.

The source said Tuesday night: "I expect it to happen tomorrow."

The Knicks were considered a slight favorite as the evening wore on because, according to one source, New York has agreed to swap first-round picks with Houston in 2011 and include a 2012 first-round pick in the deal to convince the Rockets to take back Jared Jeffries' $6.9 million contract for next season along with rookie forward Jordan Hill and out-of-favor guard Larry Hughes.

The Knicks and Rockets, however, have not yet agreed on the level of lottery protection that will be applied to the 2011 and 2012 picks. ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported earlier Tuesday that the Knicks -- even though shedding Jeffries' contract would position them to bid on two max-contract free agents this summer -- are fearful that surrendering multiple picks would prove too costly in the event they strike out in free agency and are not prepared to go through with a trade for McGrady if they have to surrender that much.

Ah, if only to play the Knicks every night…

Well, Derrick Rose returned to a performance that could have served him well at the high-visibility all-star game. Despite a bruised hip, Rose made his first nine shots and poured in 29 points on 14 of 18 shooting, leading the Bulls to a 118-85 win against the Knicks. Clearly, the panacea for Rose, as it is for most teams, was to play the the Knicks, who have lost 7 of their last 8 games, and whom the Bulls have the good fortune of playing again tonight on the back side of a home-and-home set.

Furthering the everyone-is-better-against-the-Knicks theme, Luol Deng was the second leading scorer for the bulls, pouring in 18 on 8 of 12 shooting.

Another symptom of playing a horrible team two nights in a row is that trade talks become even more fascinating by comparison. The latest news, not-so-ironically, is that the Bulls are also battling the New York Knicks off the court to land one of the most coveted things any team can acquire this year – a big expiring contract. And Tracy McGrady has one. These days, that’s about the only coveted thing he has.

While the Knicks supposedly look to deal rookie Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes, and Jared Jefferies, the Bulls reportedly are offering Tyrus Thomas, Brad Miller, and either John Salmons or Kirk Hinrich.

It appears the Bulls have the edge over the Knicks, mainly because Jefferies’ contract (he is due 6 million next year, plus an additional 2 if he is traded), is not attractive to the Rockets.

Let’s face it, any move that makes the Bulls more financially prepared to pick-up a Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh is a good one. As long as there is a legit possibility of acquiring one of them (even the typically directionless Knicks are wary of parting with young talent on the possibility of landing a big name), and as long as the team that remains contains a strong supporting cast.

Consider Luol Deng to be a second key (the first, of course, being Rose) to what kind of team could lure a superstar to the Chicago. Still only 24 years old this April, Deng needs to stay healthy and maintain his solid status an 18 ppg scorer throughout the rest of the season. If he can live up to that “great third starter” status on a Rose /(Wade/Bosh)/Deng-led team, then maybe one of the two guys in parentheses will actually realize the potential that those of us who follow the team with regularity see.

Management has 1 day to decide team's future

With the NBA's trading deadline just a day away, Bulls management doesn't have much time left to ponder its options.

Barring a new development, there doesn't appear to be an All-Star on the trading block other than Amare Stoudemire, and there has been no indication the Bulls and Phoenix Suns have talked.


So if the Bulls make a deal, it appears it will involve dumping Tyrus Thomas or dumping the salaries of Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons.

Basically, management's decision comes down to this:

Does it create as much salary cap as possible this summer, even if it means sacrificing this summer and missing the playoffs?

Or, does it see how far this team can go this season, let the young players gain valuable experience with another playoff appearance and worry about the summer after the season?

There are strong arguments on both sides. We'll find out management's thinking Thursday when the deadline passes at 2 p.m.

Until then, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro doesn't believe the trade talk will be a distraction.

''We have good character guys,'' he said. ''They understand the business part of it. Like I always said, if their name is in rumors, that means teams want them. And that's a good thing for a player.''

NBA Fantasy - Auction Keeper League: All-Star Break Update

As you probably know, all 3 BBS writers are in the same Fantasy League this year. Other than the Bulls and Kevin Durant, it is my favorite thing about the NBA. Here are the basic rules and my pre-season predictions.

DC was running away with the league, then Collins and Fil made some big trades, so those 3 should battle for the top spot in the second half of the season. Spots 3-8 in the league are volatile with people swinging 2-3 places each day. Keeps everything interesting. Before the season started, I predicted how things would finish, putting everyone into groups of 3, followed by current place in parenthesis:

My team - Projected finish: 1. (T-4)

I spent most of the first 2 months in last place, but currently sit in 4th. My first major change was quitting on assists, and not playing a PG - that let me play KD and Joe Johnson as my guards. I moved up in scoring and boards as a result, but have since swapped JJ for S-Jax and David West.

Current line-up:
C Amare Stoudemire, Pho C, PF
G Kevin Durant, OKC SG, SF
G Stephen Jackson, Cha SG, SF
F Kevin Love, Min PF
F Danilo Gallinari, NY SF, PF DTD
UTIL David West, Nor PF

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D-Rock - Projected finish: 4-6. (6)

D-Rock swapped D-Howard for Melo (other pieces were involved), and currently sits in 6th place with this lineup:

C Tim Duncan, SA C, PF
G Andre Iguodala, Phi SG, SF
G Baron Davis, LAC PG
F Carmelo Anthony, Den SF DTD
F Andrei Kirilenko, Uta SF, PF
UTIL Lamar Odom, LAL PF, SF

If Linker and Odom can stay hot, D-Rock has a chance to make a run.

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Gasser - Projected finish: 7-9. (8)

Gasser was the other half of the Howard/Melo trade, which took him from 1st in FT% to dead last. Gasser also got Joe Johnson in a trade with me (as mentioned above). His team currently looks like this:

C Dwight Howard, Orl C [Recent News]
G Kobe Bryant, LAL SG DTD [Breaking News]
G Rajon Rondo, Bos PG
F Rashard Lewis, Orl SF, PF
F Joe Johnson, Atl SG, SF DTD
UTIL Derrick Rose, Chi PG DTD [Breaking News]


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Kmart - Projected finish: 4-6. (7)

Kmart has made some big trades ... one that killed his team, and another that just occurred over the break. The team killer: traded Chauncey for Gilbert and KG. Recently traded D-Wade and KG for Maggette and Nash - so to tally that up, he went from a backcourt of Chauncey and Wade to a Maggette and Nash. His team now looks like this:

C Brook Lopez, NJ C
G Aaron Brooks, Hou PG
G Steve Nash, Pho PG
F Al Horford, Atl C, PF
F Corey Maggette, GS SF DTD [Breaking News]
UTIL Kevin Martin, Sac SG

(Note: He has Joa-Noah, but he is out with plantar fasciitis)

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PC - Projected finish: 1-3. (2)

PC has made some major moves. The only two players he drafted that remain on his team are LeBron and Rudy Gay. Current team:

C Marc Gasol, Mem C
G Tyreke Evans, Sac PG, SG
G Chauncey Billups, Den PG
F LeBron James, Cle SF
F Rudy Gay, Mem SF
UTIL Paul Pierce, Bos SF, SG DTD

Legit team, should make a strong push for 1st place.

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Sacks - Projected finish: 7-9. (T-4)

Sacks' team has been a surprise, as Z-Bo and Kaman have really helped, and wasn't hurt too badly by Granger's injury. Current team:

C Chris Kaman, LAC C
G Deron Williams, Uta PG
G Darren Collison, Nor PG
F Danny Granger, Ind SF
F Josh Smith, Atl PF, SF
UTIL Zach Randolph, Mem PF

No idea if his team can keep it up, but they've played well so far, so no reason to assume they won't continue. Sacks and I could stay close and battle for 4th place pride til the end.

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DC - Projected finish: 4-6. (1)

DC started the season hot, and has since come back to earth. He has stayed in first place, but who knows how long CP3 will be out? I predict a slight slide for DC, but his team should battle Fil and PC for first place. Current roster:

C Jermaine O'Neal, Mia C
G Jamal Crawford, Atl SG, PG DTD [Breaking News]
G Russell Westbrook, OKC PG
F Carlos Boozer, Uta PF
F Chris Bosh, Tor PF, C [Breaking News]
UTIL Luol Deng, Chi SF

(Note: Entire bench is hurt, including CP3)

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Big Fil - Projected finish: 1-3. (3)

Fil has made some huge trades, and currently has this roster:

C Samuel Dalembert, Phi C
G Anthony Morrow, GS SG, SF
G Dwyane Wade, Mia SG
F Gerald Wallace, Cha SF, PF
F Pau Gasol, LAL PF, C
UTIL Al Jefferson, Min C, PF

With Pau at full strength and D-Wade in the backcourt, Fil should make a run at 1st place.

(Note: B-Roy is injured on Fil's bench)

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Catron - Projected finish: 7-9. (9)

Catron took over last when I moved up, and has been stuck in the cellar. Current roster:

C David Lee, NY PF, C
G Stephen Curry, GS PG, SG
G Jason Kidd, Dal PG
F Dirk Nowitzki, Dal PF
F Caron Butler, Dal SF
UTIL Jason Terry, Dal SG, PG

Really dependent on the Mavs, so who knows if he can move up? Should be able to jump into that 4-8 group because everyone is really tight in the standings.

Click-a-Bull (D-Rose Top 10, Joe Johnson, Trade Deadline, TT/Kirk, TT, Pippen on Rose)

Derrick Rose’s Top Plays of 2010 [Videos]

VOTE IN THE POLL ----->





Joe Johnson Out Of Mix For Bulls This Offseason?

The perception right now is that if the Bulls lose out on D. Wade, LeBron and Chris Bosh in this summer’s free-agency blitz, they’ll then target second-tier guys such as Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay or David Lee.

But as Ric Bucher wrote over the weekend ($), don’t count on Johnson:

Johnson would go to New York because he has a good relationship with Mike D’Antoni from when they were in Phoenix together and he knows he could thrive in D’Antoni’s system. But he also supposedly likes everything about his situation in Atlanta as well. Don’t put him in the mix to join Derrick Rose in Chicago, the GM said: too many unknowns, including the prospect of being second banana to Rose.

Of course, this is but one GM’s opinion, and a lot of things can change between now and the summer. But it’s one thing to potentially tempt Johnson away from re-signing with the Hawks, and a whole other to not even have a chance in the first place.

The Chicago Bulls Should Be Active at the Trade Deadline

With the Feb. 18 trade deadline just two weeks away, we should start to see some fast and furious movement from two types of teams: Those who want to get one more piece for a playoff run, or those who want to clear up as much cap space as possible before the massive 2010 free agent class drops. Guess which category the Bulls fall into.

Although some optimism seemed to be sprouting during the Bulls recent five game win streak, expectations have since fallen back to earth with another losing streak and the announcement that Joakim Noah is going on ice until after the All Star break. While it was fun to watch the Bulls make a little run and was a relief to see Derrick Rose start taking over games like he did, I think the last stretch of games has done far more to solidify the Bulls position than the winning streak did.

It has reminded us that, despite flashes of brilliance from a promising young player, this is not a team that is going to win a championship this year. With that knowledge in mind, I think the Bulls have three options here at the trade deadline:

Option One – The Bulls take their tradable pieces and make a move for a player who can help them win right away. This likely means moving some combination of Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, Brad Miller, or John Salmons for a player like Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh or Tracy McGrady.

This option is bad for the Bulls for two reasons. First off, while adding one of these players will certainly help the Bulls to a few more wins (with the possible exception of McGrady who may very well be done as an NBA player) it does not make them a title contender, which should be the point of a move of that magnitude.

Secondly, it makes it much less likely that they will land one of the big fish from the 2010 free agency class. Your biggest asset in that race is going to be cap space and the Bulls are looking to have a ton of it at the end of this season. Brad Miller alone represents $12.2 million coming off of the books, which means that any team trading one of their star players to the Bulls is going to want that contract to come back to them.

Unless a team is willing to trade one of those players without getting that cap relief in return, this option should be very unattractive to the Bulls.

Rumors:Tyrus and Timberwolves, Hinrich staying put?

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports has been told by numerous league executives the Minnesota Timberwolves could be a sleeper destination for Tyrus Thomas.

Sounds like a solid trade partner for the Bulls, in that the Wolves have first round picks, second round picks and expiring contracts. You can’t expect a solid talent in return, but you’ll take the flexibility if it means a better standing for free agency for the summer.

As for the Wolves, I like the idea of trading Al Jefferson and trying to sell as high as possible. If Kurt Rambis doesn’t get fired, I like their chances if they put more of a emphasis of playing through their guards and opening up the offense. It’s clear Al-Jeff and the new blood up north isn’t going to work.

In the same article, the Hinrich chatter continues with talks of a three-way deal with the Portland TrailBlazers and Los Angeles Lakers.

They say Portland rejected the proposal because they don’t want Vujacic, but tell me:Why would the Bulls want to make this trade? I know Hinrich has the contract, but he’s a good player.

The Bulls became a much more efficient team when Salmons was benched in favor of Hinrich. If nothing else, leverage should have swung in the Bulls’ favor a bit. But in today’s NBA era, it seems all decent talent should be given to the Lakers for absolutely nothing.

Timberwolves could make bid for Thomas

As the Chicago Bulls prepare to trade forward Tyrus Thomas(notes) before Thursday’s deadline, the franchise’s front office has suggested to prospective bidders that they have a solid offer of a middling first-round pick and expiring contracts, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets made bids for Thomas over the weekend, league sources said. The Nuggets have actively searched for a big man in recent weeks, working to pry younger (DeAndre Jordan(notes)) and older ones (Antonio McDyess(notes) and Ben Wallace(notes)) without success.

After losing out on Caron Butler(notes) to the Mavericks, Houston has gotten serious with bids for Thomas and Washington’s Antawn Jamison(notes), sources said.

Pippen: Rose's All-Star status is only the beginning

The Bulls finally have an All-Star again and I couldn't be happier that it is Chicago's own Derrick Rose. It means so much to the city and to the organization to have a young player like that who is a genuine winner. He plays hard every night and he makes his teammates better. You can tell how badly he wants to help raise their level of play because he understands it will contribute to the team's success. Now that Derrick has reached the level of being an All-Star, he isn't going to want to lose any momentum from his upward ascent. He wants to be one of the best players in the game, and that is a very realistic goal for him.

Rose being an All-Star brings a little bit more of a presence and swagger to what is happening with the Bulls. Obviously you have to put the individual accolades aside and the team must win, but he is starting to gain a lot of respect from around the league for his play. He has been tremendous these last six weeks or so and that includes down the stretch in close games.


One of the problems with the Bulls earlier in the season was that they didn't have that one guy who could put the ball in his hands and draw fouls or do whatever it takes to get it done in the final minutes of a game. That player needs the respect of his teammates and even the officials to be in that position, and Derrick has made a lot of strides in moving towards that level. When it's late in a game and things are tough and you need a basket, someone has to step up. That player has to have the ability to create opportunities and draw fouls. Now that Derrick is an All-Star, he's legitimately respected in that sense and capable of being that guy.

TBJ / BDL: 1-on-1 with Derrick Rose

TBJ Does Dallas: One-on-one with Derrick Rose

TBJ Does Dallas: One-on-one with Derrick Rose from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

The Basketball Jones teams up with NBA 2K10 to bring you an exclusive interview with first-time All-Star Derrick Rose(notes). Find out how his hyper-competitive video game battles with his older brothers made him a better basketball player and who he thinks is the fastest guy in the league.