One would think that a prudent owner/GM might face some trepidation in matching J.J. Redick’s offer sheet. With their roster already $10 million over the luxury tax level of $70 million for 2010-11, the Magic will essentially be paying double the salary offered to Redick if they match his offer sheet. Assuming the Bulls do a little front-loading of his contract and pay something like $8 mil for the first year with subsequent decreases, the Magic would be faced with essentially paying $16 million for the services of Mr. Redick.  I don’t care how ballsy you are, that’s a lot of loot. Apparently though, Stan Van Gundy says the Magic intend to match any offer, so frontloading his contract to create as big of a “poison pill” as possible may be necessary.

With the Magic’s fiscal constraints (however real or imagined they might be) the Bulls should be able to plan on having J.J. Redick on the roster for next season. If so, that will take up some of the remaining cap room, but the Bulls will still enjoy some flexibility.

July began with the Bulls having nearly $31.9 million available under the cap of $58.04 million. Carlos Boozer’s contract will likely be structured with escalators that will only pay him $13 million for 2010-11. Let’s say Kyle Korver’s three year deal for $15 million will be stretched out evenly over each of the years. Combined with Redick’s $8 million in the first year, this leaves the Bulls with a conservative $5.3 million left to spend (give or take depending on how these salaries are structured).

Omer Asik has reportedly agreed to finally come over and play for the Bulls so he must be factored into the remaining salary cap space(please no Tarlac/Bagaric flashbacks). One blogger suggested we look to the Grizzlies’ signing of Iranian Center Hamed Haddadi to base our expectations on what Asik’s salary will look like. Haddadi signed a 3 year deal for $4.8 million. With the injury and free-throw shooting concerns (Hack-an-Omer could be a viable strategy at sub-50%) the Bulls should be able to sign him for a little less. Let’s pencil in a 3 year deal for $4.2 million. That would leave us with something close to $3.9 million left.

Who would the Bulls consider with the remaining cap space? The Bulls could use some additional depth in the backcourt and another big man to pair with Noah and Asik. My two suggestions? Ronnie Brewer and Brad Miller.

Brewer made close to $2.7 million last year in Memphis, but the Grizzlies elected not to resign him. The Jazz are reportedly interested in him as well, but they are currently up against the cap as well, and may have to use their remaining cap space if guard Wesley Matthews draws any qualifying offers in the next few weeks. It may be wishful thinking to think that Brewer would take a pay cut to play with the Bulls, but a nice three year contract that would last into the new CBA might be the kind of security that Brewer is looking for.

The fleet-footed Brad Miller will undoubtedly be in demand this summer with teams willing to offer a significant portion of their MLE to get his services. But maybe it’s time for Miller to think about sticking close to home, playing with players he has already achieved a comfort level with, and taking a little less pay to stay with the Bulls. I mean his last contract did pay him $23.6 million dollars over the last two years. From my limited knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement, the Bulls could get away with paying Miller less than $1 million and the league would pick up the rest of his veteran’s minimum salary which would actually reach $1.35 million for 2010-11. Not too shabby for a few minutes subbing for whomever has plantar fasciitis that week and lending your six fouls when we go up against teams with significant center/power forward duos (i.e. Not Miami).

It will be interesting to see what the Magic do with J.J. Redick and what other moves the Bulls can make, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I’m too upset to break down the game now, but no worries, we have a few months to be miserable about it until July 1 and the opening of free agency.  By the way, according to Gar Forman Vinny’s job is safe, at least until the weekend.

h/t: Hardwood Paroxysm

So here’s the clip, you tell me what you think (keeping in mind the call on the court was a made basket):

Here is my problem, all the angles look like it was out of his hands except one, which looked like it could have gone either way.  So how does that result in anything but a bucket and a win?

As you can see from the picture, the Bulls and Cavs game was a physical battle.  The Bulls managed to pull it out 86-85 after a very poor final possession by Cleveland, but not before Hinrich lost a good amount of blood.  More importantly to note, I think we are learning the character of this Bulls squad.  Although their shooting woes continued last night, they once again kept the game close to the end and were able to overcome the Cavs.  You can sense the energy on this team.  I’ll admit the talent level is lacking, and Rose is clearly hobbled somewhat by his heel (although he did post a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists last night), but they have shown a lot to get excited about.

So what is the identity of this team?  It appears to be a team that is essentially 9 deep and will find any way to stay in a game that it can.  While the shooting hasn’t been there, the team defense has evolved greatly since last season.  Everyone seems to be communicating better, and although there are still major lapses, even Brad Miller looked like he was trying on the defensive end against Shaq.  Last night?  The Bulls were actually outrebounded, but by protecting the ball better than I have seen them in years (only 5 turnovers the whole game, it has to be a record in this millennium for the Bulls) they were able to secure the victory.

So what to expect from the Bulls this season?  I know the haters out there point to the poor shooting and lineup full of question marks and say “this year is gonna suck”.  But I beg to differ.  I think this team is very exciting and plays with heart.  If Derrick Rose can get healthy, we could see 40+ wins, another playoff appearance and maybe even a shot to advance to the next round if they can somehow snag the 5th or 6th seed.

You notice how I didn’t mention Vinny in all this?  It’s hard to tell where he fits in to this team’s identity.  He seems to have them playing better defense, but at the same time the shooting woes cannot be completely blamed on a team-wide shooting slump.  If anything, Vinny Del Crapo’s “everybody freeze and watch each other force up bad shots” offense is more likely the cause of their shooting struggles.

Derrick Rose as Jesus

Sacreligious? Maybe.  True? God I hope so.

Joakim Noah as Cheech Marin

Sideshow Bob would have been appropriate too, but he didn’t smoke as much weed as Noah/Cheech

Kirk Hinrich as Captain Kirk

Always a captain of the squad, the costume is just fitting for our scrappy white leader.

Lindsey Hunter as a Ghost

Just when you think he’s disappeared, all of a sudden he shows up.  Boo!

John Salmons as Inspector Gadget

He is extremely versatile and has a tool for every occasion, be it defense, outside shooting, or getting to the basket.

Luol Deng as Mr. Glass from Unbreakable

If you didn’t see the movie, basically this was a character who’s bones were so brittle they shattered anytime he did anything.

Tyrus Thomas as Balloon Boy

Both are high fliers and both are a complete hoax.

Brad Miller as Jed Clampett

Every time Miller takes the floor, I always hear that Beverly Hillbillies music.  “Black gold, that is!”

Taj Gibson as an alien

I mean he does kind of look like one, agreed?

Jannero Pargo as a garbage man

This is based entirely on his prior stint with the Bulls, where he served as the garbage-time MVP.

Awe: One fact has become increasingly clear during this series–Derrick Rose is not the only future superstar point guard playing.  Rajon Rondo is absolutely amazing.  Although he is far different than Rose, he brings some of the same greatness to the game that Rose does.  He can get anywhere on the court at will.  The difference is where Rose has strength and speed, Rondo relies almost exclusively on speed.  His ability to rebound is also amazing.  He has averaged about 11 rebounds a game this series and Sunday was no different.  He has two triple-doubles in this series.  I felt most of the game that even with guys like Pierce and Allen on the court, the game would hinge on the Bulls ability to stop or at least contain Rondo.

Anger: This may seem insignificant, but at the time it was possibly a game-changing play.  With 16 seconds left in regulation and the Bulls up by 2, Tyrus Thomas corralled the rebound.  He looked left and right and saw Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon.  Unfortunately, in true Tyrus Thomas form, he started dribbling around knowing that Boston was looking to foul.  Not to say that Tyrus isn’t a decent free throw shooter, but when you have Rose shooting well over 80% from the line and Gordon being the best free throw shooter on the team, why would Tyrus think that he should be shooting the big free throws?  Sure enough he only made 1 of 2 which set up Allen for the game-tying 3.  I posed this question to my dad at the game, and I think it summarizes the issue with Tyrus: “Is the problem that Tyrus doesn’t think enough, or that he tries to think too much?”  The answer remains a mystery.

Respect: Going into this game, the one thing that seemed to be hurting the Bulls the most was defense.  Brad Miller was the main suspect for this problem.  His inability to move faster than a snail was killing the Bulls on the defensive AND offensive end.  Like the true veteran he is, he came up huge when it counted.  He had a very big game on both ends, and most significantly he showed some spine when he stood up to Big Baby Davis.  He showed that the Bulls will not be pushed around by what had been a Jordan-Rules-esque defensive scheme by the Celtics so far in this series.  Come on Davis, why are you flopping on this little scuffle anyways?  Grow up.

Frustration: It seemed like every single time there was a big free throw to be made, I heard a loud clank come from the basket.  Although overall the Bulls shot a mediocre 26-35 from the line, it seemed like every player got to take part in the brickfest.  What really started it was Hinrich missing 2 of 3 on a 3-point foul.  He had a great game overall, but he went 2-5 from the line in the 4th and overtime.  He wasn’t the only one though.  Rose, Noah, Tyrus and even BG missed big free throws down the stretch.  Ahhh!!  Missed free throws during crunch time are one of the most frustrating things to watch in an NBA game.

Joy: Gordon was playing a decent game going into the 4th quarter, but in general Allen was keeping the ball out of his hands.  Then he started to make some shots at the end of the 4th and into overtime.  When the end of the first overtime was closing in, the Bulls were down 3 with 9 seconds left and things were not looking good.  The crowd was basically silent, counting down the seconds until what seemed like the inevitable loss.  Without KG Boston struggles to defend the paint, but overall they are still very good on the perimeter.  Ben Gordon didn’t give a shit about all that.  He took a crazy looking off-balance 3 and everyone held their collective breath…and it went in!  The stadium erupted and the Bulls survived for another overtime.  I wish we could afford to keep that kid next season, he can take a team on his back and literally shoot them to a win.  And anyone that thinks he’s soft or doesn’t care, take a look at this explaining how he had a shot at halftime to play through pain during his great 4th quarter and overtime.  Oh and if you missed it, after he made that shot, he did a little crotch-grab for everyone’s enjoyment:

Disgust: I hate Glen “Big Baby” Davis.  It’s not that he is a terrible player, but he’s not as good as he’s played this series.  A double-double yesterday?  The guy is undersized, has no offensive skills and is pretty slow.  When he raised his hands to Miller I wanted to strangle him.  The less I have to see of that moron the better.

Appreciation: While John Salmons has had a pretty mediocre series on the offensive end, his ability to keep Pierce in front of him and contest all of his little mid-range jumpers on the defensive end has been nothing short of spectacular.  Unfortunately it has gone almost completely unnoticed by most fans and media this series.  In fact, when discussing Salmons with NQTC reader Adam, a generally knowledgeable Bulls fan, all he wanted to focus on was how Salmons has been terrible and was explaining to me how Salmons was a black hole on offense.  With Salmons draped all over Pierce the last 4 games, the Truth has shot 8-21, 8-19, 9-15, and 9-24.  Besides that Game 3 blowout, Salmons has held Pierce to about 40.5% from the field.  This is the Finals MVP who literally won the championship for the Celtics last year with his ability to score, contained by a relentless Salmons.  I love this guy.

Exasperation: Obviously once the offseason begins, I will have a lot more to say about this guy.  Suffice it to say I was keeping a close eye on Vinny after his timeout bloopers earlier in the series.  He didn’t disappoint, this time with countless questionable coaching moves.  Here’s the list that I noticed.

• You’re not going to make sure coming out of that timeout at the end of regulation that someone, anyone, keeps a hand in Allen’s face?  They need a 3 to tie and Allen is literally an assassin in those situations.  Come on.
• What was with that small lineup?  I know Tyrus is difficult at times, but come on!  We were getting killed on the glass and needed some rebounders in there to prevent Boston from getting second chance opportunities.
• Get the ball to Rose or Gordon to shoot free throws!  Did you not tell them that during the timeout?  Tyrus should never have been allowed to think he was the one who should have the ball in his hands at the end of the 4th with the game on the line.

Amusement: After the Bulls won, Noah was interviewed.  He had played a monster game again, continuing his high-energy series that is starting to make people think that he has the potential to be a legitimate double-double guy in the League.  The interviewer asked Noah something about the game, and his response was “Hi mommy!  Mommy!  Hi!  Yeah I see you up there!  Hi Mommy!!”

Irritation: I never realized this about the Celtics, but they bitch about literally every single call or non-call.  Pierce is the worst of the bunch.  Godforbid he misses a shot or makes a bad pass, he immediately looks to the ref and whines.  Seriously?  The best is when you see on the replay that there was clearly no foul.  No one is disputing that Pierce is an amazing talent, but every miss is not because of a foul big guy!  Sometimes you just miss the shot.  Stop whining and play the damn game.  Oh and one other thing.  What’s with the flopping all the time?  I thought this team was tough?  Come on.

Pride: Derrick Rose had another monster game.  When he asserts himself he is one of the best in the league.  He almost got a triple-double yesterday, with 23 points, 9 assists and 11 rebounds.  There were a lot of times where he was fouled on his way to the basket that the refs swallowed their whistles, but that’s just because he’s a rookie.  He’ll get those calls next season.  This kid is a superstar in the making and it is fun to watch.  The fact that he is from Chicago and plays the kind of tough, physical, yet skilled game makes me love him even more.  Whenever you find yourself frustrated or mad about the Bulls, just remember,Rose will be here long after Vinny is fired, Gordon leaves for free agency, and Paxson resigns as GM.

Euphoria: The Bulls were up 119-115 with just 25 seconds remaining and it looked like they would finally win.  Salmons had just hit two big free throws to make it a 2-possession game.  Ray Allen jacked up a 3 which always makes opponents nervous, but this time it clanked off the rim and it looked like the game was over.  But wait!  Glen “Big Bitch” Davis grabbed the offensive rebound somehow, and Pierce managed to nail a 3.  The Bulls were only up one.  Salmons got fouled quickly and sunk both free throws (thank god).  Then on the other end, it looked like Pierce might get a decent shot off with time expiring but no.  Salmons got a piece of it and the Bulls won.  The series is tied at 2 and the entire United Center erupted.  See you all in Boston.  Sick!

All those things are wonderful.  And yet the Bulls could be going back to Chicago up 2-0.  The reason they aren’t?  Vinny Del Negro.  There are a number of things he dicked up in last night’s game (and Saturday’s).  For starters, Brad Miller cannot guard ANYONE.  He got burned by Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, and even Leon Powe.  He rotates slowly and doesn’t get back in transition.  Don’t get me wrong, I like what Miller brings to the table offensively.  But in a game where Tyrus Thomas has 6 blocks, why is he on the bench for the final 10 minutes?  He was actually stopping people, while Miller looked like swiss cheese out there.

Let’s talk about timeouts.  They are pretty much the one thing an NBA coach has to manage effectively.  And yet there the Bulls were with the ball, 2 seconds remaining, and no timeout to advance it and maybe get a decent look at the basket.  Oops.

And another thing.  You know that play Vinny calls?  Yeah that one play that he calls every single time?  You know the one.  It goes like this:  Derrick Rose brings up the ball.  Miller sets a high screen, but doesn’t really set a good one.  Then he tries to slip the screen and Rose hits him with the ball.  Then Miller turns the ball over.  I think it’s time to dream up something new with your clean-looking whiteboard Vinny.

I’m trying to figure out a way to blame the Bulls inability to rebound on VDN (they were outrebounded 21-8 on the offensive glass).  I want to say that if Tyrus had been left in the game, he would have gotten more rebounds.  The problem is he was standing at the perimeter the whole game calling for the ball and looking for his jump shot.  Moron.  So the rebounding thing may not have been Vinny’s fault, but pretty much everything else was.

All in all this was a good stretch in Boston for the Bulls and they should be able to win at home.  Vinny just needs to stop abandoning either Noah or Thomas for huge stretches in the 4th quarter and the Bulls have a real chance of winning this series.  Game 3 is in Chicago on Thursday night.

Gooden, Nocioni, Simmons for Miller and Salmons: A-

I already broke this trade down in an earlier post.  I will summarize what I said there briefly.  In terms of talent it was a very good deal for the Bulls.  Acquiring Miller was a significant upgrade over Gooden and Salmons was a huge upgrade over Nocioni.  Miller will hopefully complement Rose well for the next year and a half and be a decent defender in the paint, which is what we have been needing as much or more than post scoring.  Also, Salmons looks to have enormous upside.  Getting rid of Noce is addition by subtraction, since he was a liability on defense and very trigger happy.  In terms of salary, it was an excellent move.  Nocioni’s long-term contract is gone and is replaced by Miller’s $112 million dollar deal that expires in 2010 and Salmons who is making $5.5 (or $7.5?) million through 2011.

Hughes for Jerome James and Tim Thomas (and Roberson?): B

This trade really has very little impact in terms of on-court improvement.  Hughes was already getting DNP-CDs every night and Jerome James isn’t going to play.  Tim Thomas has been a Bull before, though only briefly before Skiles sent him home and the Bulls released him.  This time around he may get a few minutes here or there at the 3/4, but probably won’t have any real effect.  Salary-wise this move does one thing.  It takes Hughes $12 million dollar 2010 expiring contract and breaks it up into two, far more movable, $6 million dollar deals.

Also my understanding of a medical retirement in the NBA is that if James does not play for one year, the Bulls can put him on medical retirement and as long as he doesn’t play the rest of his contract, his salary would not count against the Bulls 2009-2010 cap.  Its possible that James will never play again, so this move has the potential of freeing up some of that $12 million as early as 2009 season.  (UPDATE: This cannot happen based on the current CBA.  Oh well. The Bulls will only have to pay about $1.5 million to him next year, but the full $6.6 million will count against the cap).

Sefolosha for OKC’s First Round Pick (The lesser pick of the Nuggets or San Antonio’s pick that OKC acquired via trade): C+

Yeah Thabo would be buried on the bench now with Salmons, but I still believe he will become a very good player in the league.  It looks like this move was done because the Knicks deal put the Bulls slightly over the cap for this year and Pax needed to shed some salary to avoid the tax.  The loss of Thabo is unfortunate and I have very little sympathy for Reinsdorf having to pay a little tax this year.

Inability to Land Stoudemire/Bosh/Camby/Boozer And Non-Trade of Kirk: B

Once again Pax didn’t get the big deal done that would make the Bulls a legitimate contender.  We can only speculate over whether a big offer was possible or even on the table.  Amare was being shopped, but Phoenix clearly took him off the table in the last few days.  Bosh was only coming here in a deal involving Amare, so that went out the window when Amare came off the table.  Camby is too old and hurt.  I also don’t think the Boozer deal was ever offered.

Also, why didn’t the Bulls move Hinrich’s contract?  Pax claims they had an offer but they feel they can get more in the summer.  Whether that’s true or not, the Salmons acquisition leaves Kirk with less minutes and now he knows he’s being dangled as trade bait all season.  Hopefully this works out but it seems very odd.

Cap Management: B+

The moves give us little to no cap room this summer, but position the Bulls to make a big move in the summer of 2010.  With Bosh, James, Wade, Anthony and Stoudemire all becoming free agents, the Bulls will have a ton of cap space.  If they pick up Noah and Rose’s options, they have only about $35 million committed in 2010/2011, leaving almost an estimated $30 million to offer to one of those free agents.  Another option is that the Bulls will have a combination of $30 million dollars of expiring contracts to trade this summer and during the 2009/2010 season to another team trying to clear space for a free agent in the 2010 summer.  Also dividing Hughes contract into two smaller contracts may make them easier to move.  Perhaps all the expiring deals could be used to pry a star away in a trade from one of those teams.

Overall Deadline Grade For Paxson: B+

He made all good moves but once again failed to bring in something for fans to get excited about and that would make the Bulls a contender.  At least he did something this time I guess.

Who is John Salmons?
We don’t get to see a lot of Kings games here in Chicago, so most people don’t know much about this guy.  Over at NBA Post Up, they prepare scouting reports based on statistics and other factors.  Here is what they have for Salmons:

John Salmons has solid ability to score;
Will look to score; Not looking to attempt threes; Just an average three point gunner; Able to get to the free throw line; Very good free throw shooter; Average shooter; Mediocre off the dribble; Adequate inside; Average running the break; John Salmons is adequate on the offensive glass; Average defensive rebounder; John Salmons is a good passer; Weak handling the ball; John Salmons is very good at picking up steals; Gets an average amount of blocks; Solid defender of outside shots; Very good perimeter defender; Post defense is adequate; Very good transition defender; John Salmons is not overly strong; Has some quickness; John Salmons is a basketball player with some ability and can provide strong minutes off the bench

Ok, there is a lot to digest there.  Based on this analysis, it appears that he is a very versatile player.  ESPN’s scouting report summarizes his abilitie as well:

In addition to his slashing ability, Salmons is a very good defender who can guard three positions. He’s quick and has good size at 6-7, and ranked in the top third of shooting guards in both blocks and steals per minute. The Kings often used him as the primary stopper against elite scorers, even when Ron Artest was on the court with him, and he held his own in those matchups.

Offensively, he likes to attack off the dribble for layups or short-range jumpers. He’s a mediocre spot-up shooter and isn’t a good shooter off the dribble, plus he tends to have high turnover rates because he’s driving into traffic so much. However, he’s a good enough dribbler to play point guard in a pinch.

It sounds like Salmons will be an excellent player to have for the Bulls.  His ability to be a stopper against elite scorers will help the Bulls defend the perimeter against bigger guards that have abused Rose and Gordon all year.  But isn’t that what Thabo is for, you ask?  Yes, the difference is Thabo is a huge liability on offense, to the point of making him detrimental to the team at times even if he is shutting down his man on defense.  Salmons can do what Thabo does, and put up points in the process (he is averaging 18.3 points/game).  The main inconsistency in the two reports are that Post Ups has him being unable to handle the ball well, while ESPN says he can even play the point.  If Hinrich is dealt, this skill will be tested when Rose needs a breather.  Which leads to the next question…

Are The Bulls Done Making Moves?

It looks like the Bulls may still move Hinrich (and possibly Thabo) to the T-Wolves for Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins, as reported here earlier.  This move makes sense for both teams.  The Wolves need a combo guard that can play both the 1 and the 2.  Foye has been unable to fill that role for them.  For the Bulls, they would be stuck with Cardinal until 2010 (more on 2010 later), but Collins $6 million would come off the cap this summer giving the Bulls about $9-11 million in cap room this summer.  They could use this money to sign Gordon to an expected 5 year $50 million deal or perhaps go get another solid free agent.  I think this would be a great deal and hopefully Paxson/Reinsdorf aren’t so in love with Kirk that they don’t do it.

***UPDATE: It looks like the Hinrich deal may have fallen apart late last night, though it’s possible it could still happen.

Was The Miller-Gooden Trade a Good Move?

There have been mixed reactions throughout the mainstream media, the blogosphere, and even from NQTC readers.  I think this trade is a great trade.  Before all the nay-sayers freak out in the comments, let me qualify my assessment with this:  It isn’t Amare or Bosh and a deal to get either of them would have been better.  That being said we have to assume those deals were impossible.  Looking at this trade in a vacuum, it was a coup for Paxson.  Brad Miller can not only duplicate what Gooden did for us, but he can do some things better.  He is a better defender and a better passer than Gooden ever was.  Also it will be interesting to see if he and Rose can run a more effective pick-and-roll.  With Miller being a good outside shooter, it may be more of a pick-and-pop at times, but it could work very well.

Also with Miller helping chew up minutes at the 4 and 5, Nocioni would be relegated to the 3, where he would be competing for minutes with a far superior Luol Deng.  Noce has had a terrible year and I don’t think I need to convince anyone that his departure is addition by subtraction.  On top of all that we get John Salmons, who I hear is quite the defender and scorer.  Also the contract situation is a lot better, which leads to the next question…

What Are The Salary Cap Implications of The Trade?

Depending on whether you are in the school of thought that believes that it is important to have cap space in 2010 to go after LeBron/Wade/Anthony/Bosh/Stoudemire, this move could be considered good or bad.  I believe having space that summer is crucial to make a run at one of the elite players in the league.

Nocioni had 5 more years (including this one) at about $8 million a year, though the deal was front-loaded so that amount decreases some as the deal goes on.  Gooden’s contract was $7 million and expires this summer.  Getting something in return for Gooden as opposed to letting him walk this summer for nothing was nice, but moving Nocioni’s long terrible contract was far nicer.  Having that much money locked up for that long to a player like Noce was unacceptable, and Pax has essentially erased that mistake from the books.

In return, the Bulls take on Miller’s rather large contract at about $11.5 million a year that expires in the summer of 2010.  Between him and Hughes, the Bulls have a combined $24 million in space just from those two players in 2010.  That is more than enough to go after one of the big free agents that will be available.  Also, pieces like that will be very valuable to teams in the 2010 FA sweepstakes, so Pax (or whoever will be running the Bulls) can possibly get some very good talent back in return for teams trying to clear space for that summer.

Salmons contract is a little trickier.  He is owed about $5.1 million through 2011, which seems like a great value for the kind of contributor Salmons can be.  Unfortunately it turns out that his contract has a trade kicker that requires the team acquiring him to pay a 15% bonus payment that counts against its cap.  This would be another $2 million dollars against the cap.  I am unclear on whether this is a one-time bonus or if it applies every year.  Assuming it is one time, it doesn’t affect the Bulls cap in any real way down the road beyond costing our old buddy Jerry another $2 million (which he can afford). (Thanks to Judd for pointing out this clause in Salmons contract)

Conclusions

All in all, this trade is a great move in terms of cap space and the talent we are getting in return.  If the Bulls are able to move Kirk that would give them some flexibility this summer, but that isn’t crucial and its not clear that Ben Gordon is even in the Bulls plans for the future.  I give this deal an A- and if Pax can move some more salary (Hinrich or maybe Hughes), this deadline period can be considered a huge success.

Here is what the lineup will probably look like after this trade:

PG: Rose, Gordon, Salmons

SG: Gordon, Salmons, Sefolosha

SF: Deng, Salmons, Sefolosha

PF: Thomas, Miller, Noah

C: Miller, Noah, Gray

Though not exactly a legitimate contender, that definitely looks like the lineup of a playoff team to me.  We’ll see.

The Bulls couldn’t lure Amare or Bosh to Chicago, but they made the move for Brad Miller and gave up much less than we were hearing in the process.  Here’s a little taste of how the blog world is reacting…

Tom Ziller at Fanhouse (Kings Fan): The Nocioni acquisition is odd at best for Sacramento; Andres is 29 years old, getting worse every year, and signed above the midlevel until 2012. He might fit better in Sacramento than Salmons did, but Salmons is cheaper and less likely to eat children. We like our children in Sacramento, and we like our children to have heads.

The Bulls should certainly make the playoffs now. Salmons could very well start in front of Ben Gordon (and make him expendable this summer). I imagine Vinny Del Negro will start Miller; it’s plausible that Tyrus Thomas or Joakim Noah could be involved in some trade talks, as well. (Who knows?)

The Big Lead: The Bulls send Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden and Cedric Simmons to the Kings in exchange for Brad Miller and John Salmons. Knee-jerk: Uh … the Kings get the better talent here, and the Bulls get another big man without a back-to-the-basket game, a SF who is expected to steal minutes from … Luol Deng?

Ball Don’t Lie: Beyond that, it’s hard to see what the Kings actually are expecting from Nocioni. He’s a crowd favorite because he works his tail off and provides obvious hustle, but he’s a low efficiency performer on offense, and a poor defender at both forward spots despite his energy and effort.

In the meantime, Miller gives the team a solid offensive option at center, and Salmons gives the Bulls that size in the backcourt that will make the talk radio types happy, even if John doesn’t have anything close to Ben Gordon’s abilities.

Thank You Isiah: Miller is both a nice complimentary piece to Ty and Noah, and an expiring deal in the much-anticipated “Summer of ‘10″ (TM). Salmons is having a career year this season, and will likely never play this well again, but as a backup to Deng and possible 1-year Gordon insurance, he’s fine. What’s more, he’s owed considerably less than Noce, which is fantastic. Plus, I’m obviously pleased that I don’t have to watch Gooden and Noce any more.

StevieY19: Man the Pistons really suck this year!