What do these two guys have in common outside of obvious ploys to get anti-perspirant spokesperson deals?

They may both be headed out of Chicago within the next two weeks.

Mayor Daley is going to have to take some action if Chicago’s sports teams keep this up. We can’t keep sending jobs out of this city.

First, the Blackhawks outsourced jobs to crazy outposts like Nashville and Edmonton. And now it seems like the Bulls are intent on sending workers to Washington D.C. or Sacramento, California.

Rick Bucher of ESPN reports that the Bulls have tentatively secured a deal with the Washington Wizards to trade Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in this year’s draft. His sources were unclear as to what the Bulls would receive in turn.  No matter how good you think Hinrich is, I doubt we’re getting the #1 pick this year in return. Would next year’s Wizards first round pick be a possibility?

From the Wizards point of view, I can see why they are making this deal if they fear that Gilbert Arenas will do irreparable damage to John Wall without some kind of mitigating veteran presence to share minutes with both of them.  I guess it’s not the craziest thing in the world if they use Kirk to form a three-headed monster sharing minutes at the PG and SG spots and making up for Gilbert’s below average defense (his steals numbers have always been misleading).

What would the Bulls receive in return?  If they did take a player back, the Wizards’ only other guard under contract for 2010-’11 is Nick Young, who is due to make $2.8 million.  I doubt they’ll want to take on any contracts for this year and ruin the chance of signing two max players, so I’ll assume they would be angling for future draft picks. And if this is the case, it would work out rather well. Whomever they sign with the money saved from Hinrich’s contract will be an improvement over Hinrich, no slight to Kirk’s contributions over the years. Thus the trade would come down to being a swap of the 17th pick for whatever pick the Wizards offer. Even if it’s not a first round pick next year, but maybe the year after that, the Wizards aren’t going anywhere fast and it will likely be better than where the Bulls sit in this year’s weak draft. And as a potential contender with the right free agent signings, the Bulls would be smart to accumulate future picks to use to prolong their success.

This trade wouldn’t be able to go through until July 8th when the Wizards would have enough salary cap room to not have to take back a matching salary. And if this falls through Bucher also reports the Sacramento Kings are interested in making a similar deal for Hinrich.  The man has trade value after all!  Stay tuned for more details.

Excuse me if I don’t cover much of the first three quarters of this game, but  I was spending time with my grandmother who is extremely ill. Thus, most of my impressions from the first three quarters were based on what the radio team was telling me on the drive back into the city.

Without further ado:

• Chris Paul is fearless in playing the passing lanes and looking to pick the ballhandler’s pocket.
• Kirk Hinrich is no slouch and seemed to fluster Chris Paul on a number of occasions, using a combination of quick feet and a bigger body than folks give him credit for. Also the elbow to CP3′s temple and the ensuing step back 3-pointer was vicious.
• Aaron Gray looked like a pretty big jack ass grinning on the Hornets’ bench after they tied it up late in the game and went ahead. Now I know how the rest of the NBA’s fans felt all these years. (Javier Sandooski and I are organizing a Favre-like burning of all Aaron Gray jerseys the next time Gray returns to Chicago).
• Luol Deng really seems to be finding his rhythm in the Bulls’ offense and looks more confident than he’s been in the last year and a half.
• The City of New Orleans is awesome right now. Most of the crowd was on their feet for the last 5 minutes of the game. Consistently cheering, living and dying with every play. This is obviously spill over from the Saints making the Super Bowl but the entire city is just jacked.  Hell, do you realize that Mardi Gras is in full force from the February 7 until February 16th? If the Saints win on the 7th, the city would be a non-stop celebration for the next two weeks.  Chamber of Commerce meetings would include beads and beer bongs.  The local Jaycees would devolve into an organization dedicated to the flipping of cars.  The National Guard will be called in to combat public urination and treat those traumatized by incessant “Who Dat” cheers.
• What a great play at the end of the game by Hinrich to track down Chris Paul, corral the loose ball, and push it up court quickly.  And what a great controlled follow up finish by Luol. Really took the energy out of the crowd.
• On second thought for most of OT, the crowd sat on their asses and barely cheered. If the Saints lose the Super Bowl and in heartbreaking fashion, they might have to ban beads from Mardi Gras as a preventative measure for emotionally distraught fans.
• Brad Miller redefines the  “crafty veteran” role. Only he would have the guile to pretend he’s injured for a month, lull opponents into thinking he’s even slower than he already was, believing his only move is the flat footed jumper from the top of the key, only to appear in January and become an offensive threat with his patented head fake and burying hanging driving jumpers in the key.
• Hinrich and Deng sealed the game with the great stop at the end forcing Collison’s turnover.  The Bulls defense is good and getting even better.
• It also appears the offense is gelling, with guys getting comfortable with their roles. We had six players in double digits, and Taj Gibson and John Salmons each threw in eight.
• Joakim Noah continues to impress, thoroughly outplaying Emeka Okafor, and continuing to shoot well from the charity stripe. Did you know he was an 88% free throw shooter in the month of January (52-for-59)?
• All in all, this was a great win for the Bulls. Who would have thought they’d win five straight over five legit Western Conference teams, closing out a 10-5 January?
• Heading into February, the Bulls play 14 games, only 3 of which where they will be the underdog (@ Atlanta, and home against Orlando and Portland).  While this road trip proves that the Bulls may let down to lesser opponents (or we can just blame it on the flu) they could be heading into a tough March around nine games above .500. Not too shabby for a team we left for dead in December.

The last week’s 4-game winning streak has given Bulls fans hope for the stretch run this season, but it’s tough not to look ahead to the deadline and the summer.  Mike McGraw wrote an article this morning, speculating on all kinds of Bulls rumors that are a combination of speculation and actual news.  The biggest rumor is about Kirk Hinrich, but bit of McGraw’s speculation deserves a closer look, so we will start from the top.

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.

As well as Kirk is playing (and its well, the Bulls look like a better team with him on the court), we can’t lose sight if the real goal: getting as much cap flexibility as possible for the summer.  Vujacic, though a douche, can be a very helpful 3 point shooter, and Morrison’s 5 million dollar expiring contract will give us even more flexibility this summer.  If the Lakers are interested, the Bulls should go for it.

It’s possible the Bulls could resurrect the potential deal sending Salmons, Brad Miller and Jerome James to Houston for Tracy McGrady and filler before the deadline.

I discussed this earlier.  This scenario is only slightly different with Salmons instead of Hinrich.  Since Salmons is essentially signed through 2011 ($7 million player option), it would free up space and give us an interesting 3 months watching Rose and T-Mac.

By trading either guard before the deadline, the Bulls could have around $20 million to spend on free agents this summer and wouldn’t have to sweat Salmons’ decision of whether or not to opt out of his contract.

The Bulls’ dream scenario is to sign Dwyane Wade or Atlanta’s Joe Johnson this summer and also trade for an elite power forward. In theory, the team would become an instant title contender.

If they can move either Salmons, Kirk or Deng for expiring contracts, they have to do it.  Even if they are unable to sign any of the big names being thrown around, it won’t hurt them long-term to move Kirk and Salmons.  Deng’s contract is also a bad one (he’s not bad, but not worth $11 million a year for the next 100 years).

There are reports that Phoenix is again shopping all-star center Amare Stoudemire, who has the option of becoming a free agent. The Bulls’ interest is mild, though there has been talk between the teams.

The Suns are listening to offers because they’re not sold on the idea of giving Stoudemire a long-term contract near the maximum salary. Neither are the Bulls, so it makes little sense to give up assets now for a player who might not stick around beyond the end of this season.

In the same scenario last year, Phoenix was interested in a package of Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha for Stoudemire but also wanted multiple first-round picks, according to a league source, and the Bulls passed.

Would the Bulls take a chance on Stoudemire if the Suns were willing to take Deng, a higher-salaried player in return? Still doubtful, since no one knows what kind of money it would take to keep Stoudemire around.

We’ve covered this Amare rumor ad nauseum.  I have my reservations about his defense and his attitude, but in general…wait, what?  The Suns were willing to take Tyrus Thomas, Thabo and picks for Amare?  That can’t be true.  Because no sane person would have hung onto Tyrus and some first-round picks over Amare.  If we had Amare we wouldn’t have lottery picks every year anymore anyways!  Another blown blockbuster because Paxson is afraid to pull the trigger.

For now, it appears that Toronto’s Chris Bosh and Utah’s Carlos Boozer will not be traded before the deadline. That could change, since both power forwards are likely to change teams as free agents this summer.

We’ll see, we’ll see.  This doesn’t bother me one bit.  I’m in no rush to make a big move by the deadline, as long as they end up having a big summer.  So there you have it, McGraw basically covered all the bases.  The general idea for this trading season is simple: 1) Noah and Rose are all but untouchable; 2) Anyone else is fair game, but not for any contracts that go beyond this summer; and 3) Clear space!

To address those who say its a sad situation that the Bulls are literally throwing this season away, I say to you that they are not.  The last 4 games have proven that if nothing else, this team can be very fun to watch right now.  They are out there trying to win with what they have, and in spite of Vinny’s ineptitude, they are 22-22 and tied for the 7th seed in the East.  That Derrick Rose kool-aid is unbelievable…try some.

The Rockets are trying to get Tracy McGrady out of their locker room and off to another team.  Hell, even here at NQTC we named him one of the NBA’s top douchebags for the crap he has pulled in Houston the last year or two.  T-Mac’s contract is for $23 million this season and it expires in the summer.  Thus, the Rockets are looking to get a few expiring contracts back and maybe a young piece or two in exchange for the oft-injured T-Mac.  Chicago apparently is taking a hard look at “Half Man Half a Season” as I like to call him:

Chicago, which has definite interest in McGrady, also has the combination of young talent and expiring contracts the Rockets are looking for. There is a Bulls player Houston covets, but it’s not clear who that is. Since the Rockets surely realize that Derrick Rose won’t be traded, logic suggests it’s Joakim Noah.

A package of Noah, Brad Miller and Jerome James (the latter two have expiring contracts) would work financially, but sources say the Bulls have no desire to part with Noah.

As for the Bulls, Kirk Hinrich is ahead of even Tyrus Thomas on their list of players they’d love to trade. In fact, Thomas is being offered around the league as a sweetener in any Hinrich deal. But with two years, $17 million left on his contract after this season, there’s not a great market for Hinrich.

This analysis is exactly correct.  The Bulls should not part with Noah now or Rose ever.  If they can somehow move Hinrich’s contract, some expiring contracts, and Tyrus to make the deal more appealing to the Rockets, that would make a ton of sense.  I know you all hate T-Mac (especially you dad), but think about it.  The Bulls starting lineup would be Rose, T-Mac, Deng, Gibson, and Noah this season.  Even at T-Mac’s diminished strength, he would be able to draw some attention on offense and get these triple-teams off Rose.  Worst case scenario, he’s a total bum and his contract expires this summer.  If Kirk’s contract is moved, now we are talking nearly $30 million in cap space this summer depending on the new salary cap.  That’s enough to go out and buy 2 superstars instead of just one (Wade and Bosh? Johnson and Bosh? James and Wade? The possibilities are endless).

Would Houston take back any big contract past this season for T-Mac?  Seems unlikely, but if they will this deal looks really good for the Bulls.

We knew that this season leading up to the deadline would be huge for trade rumors.  Teams are going to be trying to clear as much cap space as they can to position themselves to get a big-name free agent, or just trying to get something in return for a big name before they walk. Chris Bosh is the prime example of this.  Toronto will likely be trying to get something in return for him before the trade deadline since it is pretty much common knowledge that he wants to leave the Raptors.  That’s where the Bulls come in, and according to Boers and Bernstein, there may be a trade in the works:

Try this on for size, as something that is percolating. And as of now, this is all I can tell you. I’m not going to tell you this is a done deal, or that it’s even close, but as far as something that is out there as a possibility. Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, and at least one pick to the Toronto Raptors for Chris Bosh.

Now it totally depends on how they value Tyrus, but it seems unlikely that the Raptors would take a bad contract like Hinrich’s.  The likelihood is that they will want an expiring contract and some young talent and/or draft picks.  The rumor isn’t exactly substantiated by any real evidence either, but we can always dream…

Wait, so you’re saying the Bulls cannot win a game without their backup point guard?  Yes, that is what I am saying.  Is that a bad sign for this team?  Probably.  But the cold hard truth is that without Kirk the Bulls lack of backcourt depth has been severely exposed.  Hinrich’s value to the team is undeniable, even with apparent disappearance of his already shaky jump shot.  Take a look at the Bulls points allowed and record with Kirk as opposed to without him:

With Hinrich: (6-7) 96.9 points allowed per game

Without Hinrich: (1-4) 100.0 points allowed per game

But the real difference in the loss of Kirk can be seen against opponents the Bulls should be able to beat.  Losses to great teams like the Lakers and the Nuggets are going to happen with or without Hinrich.  Look at the mediocre to bad teams though.  With Kirk in the lineup, the Bulls beat San Antonio, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Sacramento.  Not only did they beat two good teams in the Spurs and Cavs, but they were able to take care of business against lesser teams.

Without Kirk, the Bulls have lost to the Jazz, Bucks, Cavs, and Raptors.  Now the Cavs are a tough team and I don’t think Kirk would have changed that game, but the defensive liabilities of a Hinrich-less Bulls backcourt were severely exposed against Deron Williams, Brandon Jennings, and even Demar DeRozan and Marco Bellineli.  Sure, our frontcourt has been torched by opposing big men, but with Pargo-Hunter-Rose defending the perimeter, the big men have to come off their men constantly to help.

Now word comes in that the Bulls will be without Kirk for at least two more games.  While Atlanta is a far better team than the Bulls, if they lose to New Jersey tonight, that will only further confirm my theory.  God I hope I’m wrong.

I would have to say watching Luol Deng belt out “Fame” is probably the highlight of my day.  Enjoy the Bulls Totally 80′s tapes!

h/t: Rule 5 Draftee

As the Boozer-to-Chicago rumors were heating up a couple weeks ago, word had it that Hinrich had been telling his friends that he was sure he was being traded.  There were no reports as to what led him to this belief, beyond speculation and trade rumors in the media and blogosphere.  Today, however, Kirk has ramped it up a notch from telling his friends to actually selling his house in anticipation of his “imminent” departure:

“Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich has listed for sale his four bedroom, 3.5-bath at 816 Castlewood Lane in Deerfield for the asking price of $829,000. Hinrich paid $906,500 for the home in Aug. 2004. The 4,000-square-foot home was built in 2004 in the subdivision of Deerfield Park.”

The fact that he is selling his house is no big deal, considering he’s just re-listing it and its been on the market for a while.  What makes this news (I swear this is news) is that he is now willing to take a $77,500 loss on the house, instead of trying to wait it out and make back his full purchase price.   What’s the rush?

h/t: By The Horns

• Ok so Utah matched Millsap’s offer sheet which puts them at $81 million in salary.  That is pretty much the death knell for Boozer’s tenure in Utah.  The Boozer-Hinrich-Thomas rumor lives on. [By The Horns]
• Some suspended tennis player had his drug suspension lifted after convincing a panel that the cocaine was in his system from kissing a girl who had coke on her lips.  [Tony Blogs]
• By now everyone has heard about the Cubs signing of B.J. Ryan.  According to one blogger, it was the perfect move by the North Siders. [The Friendly Blogfines]
• I’m not much of a White Sox fan, and I cannot stand Cubs or Sox fans that hate the other team for no real reason, but this picture of some Sox fans mocking Cubs fans is just hilarious. [Zoner]
• Barack Obama loves “Cominskey Field”.  Oops. [Home Run Derby]
• A gatorade bottle art tribute to Michael Jordan.  If you haven’t seen it take a look, it’s pretty cool. [Ball Don't Lie]
• The Cubs have dumped some players in recent years, but how have the players worked out for their new teams?  To be honest I just love the picture in this post. [Bleacher Nation]
• Shaq does a Michael Jackson Beat It tribute.  Yeah its a video and you can watch it. [NESW Sports]
• So now that Ben Gordon is gone, who will shoot the three?  The options are a bit bleak. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• LeBron James isn’t going anywhere, and here’s why.  Sidenote: Personally I think he’s leaving. [Paneech]

I know I said that the Bulls were pursuing some options and that for the most part I didn’t like any of them.  Although I said Boozer would be the best of the available options, I still tried to argue he probably wouldn’t be a good fit for the team.  Upon hearing the latest rumor, however, I’m changing my tune:

Sources stressed to ESPN.com that no deal was imminent Thursday and that both Portland and Utah are still evaluating multiple trade scenarios. But two sources with knowledge of the three-team proposal confirmed that there have been substantive talks regarding a trade that would land Boozer in Chicago, Hinrich in Portland and Tyrus Thomas in Utah.

I’m still a bit skeptical about Boozer fitting next to Rose in the upbeat offense the Bulls are trying to run, but if Hinrich’s contract can be moved this would be amazing.  The Bulls would then have around $40 million in cap space next summer, since Boozer’s contract expires then and Hinrich’s wouldn’t have expired until 2011.  2009 would then basically be a test year for Boozer, and if he works out they can try to re-sign him (for more than he could get anywhere else under the current collective bargaining agreement).  They would also then have more than enough leftover for another one of the big free agents from the 2010 class, which includes Bosh, Wade, James, and Stoudemire.  Or if Boozer doesn’t work out, the Bulls can say bye-bye and use all that money to pursue not just one, but possibly two of the big-name free agents.  Although seeing Tyrus leave would be regrettable, since I am one of the believers that he could still mature into a great player, it would be well worth it to replace him with Boozer and then have the flexibility this move would allow.  Hopefully Gar Paxdorf can pull it off.

The debate here at NQTC over Ben Gordon has raged on for a while now and his departure has only served to stir it up even more. Clearly I have been a Ben Gordon supporter from day 1, although I will be the first to admit that his game has some severe flaws. Regardless, an interesting question surrounding a backcourt without Gordon has arisen: How will it effect Derrick Rose? TrueHoop took an in-depth look and here are some of the conclusions they made:

On Gordon’s positive effects on Rose

• Ben Gordon: More efficient than you think, given the volume of shots he launched on a nightly basis. As a 41% shooter from beyond the arc in 2008-09, Gordon was a classic floor-spacer for the Bulls. Since smart opponents were loath to leave Gordon on the perimeter to help, this allowed the rookie to attack the defense, which is the most potent feature of Rose’s game. With a less lethal shooting guard on the weak side, Rose might find defensive help and double-teams heading his way early and often next season.
• Rose is a natural penetrator. His drives-and-kick often resulted in a pass-out to Gordon once the defense collapsed, particularly in end-of-shot-clock situations. The luxury of having Gordon on the perimeter — ready and eager to shoot — took a lot of pressure of Rose, who didn’t have to be the guy in every series. On a team with very little help up front offensively, Gordon was indispensable.

On problems Gordon caused for Rose

• Although Gordon was a dynamic one-on-one player for the Bulls, he rarely created opportunities for anyone else on the court. That left virtually all of the playmaking duties to Rose. If ever there’s a young point guard who could handle that burden, it’s Rose, but Gordon’s tunnel vision made life more difficult than it needed to be for the rookie. Rose has the potential to be a very good off-the-ball player. Unfortunately, Gordon’s tendencies didn’t allow those skills to flourish for Rose. A shooting guard with a greater capacity to facilitate will help Rose develop that part of his game.
• Gordon, to put it kindly, was a below-average defender at the two for Chicago. And Rose, though his defense will almost certain improve with age, was no great shakes on the other side of the ball either. Some of Gordon’s deficiencies can be chalked up to inattentiveness, but he’s also quite small for a shooting guard. Either way, Vinny Del Negro didn’t have the comfort to cross-match his smalls, which meant that Rose spent almost all of his time guarding the ball. A more capable defender at the two would afford Rose a breather on defense.

On what Salmons and Hinrich can do for Rose in the backcourt:

• Salmons is more of a natural small forward, but could very well land as the Bulls’ opening night starter at the shooting guard. He’s not the one-on-one player Gordon was by any stretch, but he shot a respectable 41.7% from 3-point range last season (better than Gordon), and is a far superior defender on the wing. The downside for Rose will be that, regardless of what the number say, defenses will be far more likely to move off Salmons to collapse on Rose.
• Back in January, TrueHoop examined how Rose and Hinrich play together as a backcourt tandem. There’s real value in having two guards on opposite sides of the court who can both handle the ball and initiate the action. In addition, Hinrich is a pesky defender who can spell Rose defensively at the one. It won’t always be a viable option — don’t expect Rose to draw Dwyane Wade or Vince Carter — but Hinrich gives Del Negro a lot more defensive flexibility. On the downside, Hinrich is a below-average offensive player who, at times, has trouble breaking down a defense, and gets to the line about once every election cycle. While his presence allows Rose to work off-the-ball, that doesn’t mean Hinrich can always capitalize on that scheme.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

• Here are two relatively new Bulls rumors.  Pick 16 and 26 for the Nets 11th pick sounds fine to me I guess.  Then this crazy Hinrich to Portland rumor that I could definitely get behind. [Yahoo Rumors] + [Blogabull]
• Dusty Baker must be kidding about not knowing his players were using steroids.  He presided over two of the best hitters (who coincidentally did steroids) of the modern baseball era.  [Bleacher Nation]
• DeRosa was good as a Cub, but does he deserve the adoration he got at Wrigley Field this weekend?  I think he did, but some clearly did not. [WV23]
• An old school high school slam dunk contest featuring Kobe Bryant and Tim Thomas.  [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• Random retro Cubs player.  I love this feature.  Hopefully we get to see some Henry Rodriguez and of course Ron Cey. [Friendly Blogfines]
• Ben Gordon talks about his situation heading into free agency. [Docksquad]
• Speaking of Ben Gordon, didn’t you find it strange that he claimed to have that ludicrous offer from Detroit?  Besides the legal implications (it is a violation of rules to make offers to free agents before the period begins July 1), I wonder what Gordon actually knows and doesn’t know about his own situation.  KD takes an interesting look at BG’s situation. [BDL]
• Baseball Players Union head Donald Fehr is resigning.  He did a lot of great things for players’ salaries and benefits, but boy did he dick up the steroid thing. [Shysterball]
• Kerry Wood looked miserable in his return to Wrigley Field.  Who cares?  I love the guy no matter what he does.  [Tribune]

Gordon, Hinrich, Gordon, Hinrich, Gordon, Hinrich…the debate over the Bulls backcourt has focused on that since Derrick Rose was drafted.  Who to keep and to trade/not sign?  Well according to some extremely unreliable internet sources, Bulls management is not framing the issue the way us fans are.  According to Bulls confidential:

Sources close to me have told me that Kirk Hinrich will be traded sometime before next season starts.   His status seems to be independent on whether the Bulls are able to bring back Gordon.

We have all been so focused on Gordon vs. Hinrich, but if you think about it Hinrich’s contract needs to go regardless of whether Gordon stays.  The Bulls have given hints that seem to add credence to this rumor, bringing in college point guards to work out leading up to the draft to replace him as the back up point guard.  And then there is this little rumor:

Don’t really know why the Bulls, who now have a nice three-guard combo, would go for this, but the Mix hears that the Wolves could offer the No. 6 pick in a very weak draft for Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich. Think of it: A combo guard who can even defend (including forwards as big and strong and talented as Paul Pierce). One down side: He has already been in the league for five years. Trent Tucker’s idea might be even better: Offer Mike Miller for Hinrich.

We don’t want Mike Miller, but that 6 pick would be great.  I’m not sure how the salaries work, I assume we would take on some expiring deals if they were offered.  Either way stay tuned, as the draft approaches I’m sure there will be more developments.

When the Bulls are at home playing in the United Center, fans who attend the game have an opportunity to win a Big Mac.  If the Bulls score 100 points and win the game, fans can take their ticket stubs to McDonalds and redeem them for the delicious sandwich.  I think it’s a fun promotion and anyone who has been to a game where the Bulls score 100 and win knows it’s fun to cheer for.

Well apparently not everyone thinks its fun.  After Tuesday night’s fiasco involving Kirk Hinrich, many people are outraged at fans, the Bulls and even the players for this “poorly thought out” promotion.  The Bulls were sitting on 99, but they were up by double digits with a few seconds to go.  Kirk missed the free throw and the fans booed him so hard he felt the need to apologize to them at the post-game press conference.

Basically the argument goes one of two ways.  The first is that the fans are just ignorant and classless because they cheer or boo louder for a Big Mac then they do the entire game.  The second  argument is that management’s greed has led to the “Love it Live” campaign, which is clearly geared at broadening the fan base to people who are less interested in basketball and more interested in seeing halftime shows and Dunkin Donuts races.

My response: Who cares?  It’s a Big Mac!  Let people cheer for the opportunity to win one.  This is the same garbage argument I hear at Cubs games.  People say “Oh fans just go to Wrigley to have fun and be in the sun, they don’t care about the game.”  I respond to this the same way I would respond to that: Of course there’s a few people like that but let them have fun!  It also doesn’t mean there aren’t real fans just because a few people pay more attention to winning a Big Mac than watching the Bulls stumble through another game.

So if the Bulls are sitting on 99 with the final seconds ticking away, cheer for your 100 points!  It doesn’t make you classless or ignorant, it just means you want a Big Mac.  Mmmmm, a Big Mac…I haven’t had one of those in years.  Sounds delicious.

There are some important questions that are raised by yesterdays Bulls-Kings trade.  Though it is not the most important question on people’s minds, the issue of what John Salmons game consists of seems to be the thing most people in Chicago are confused about.  Other questions that have arisen are: Are the Bulls done making moves?  Is this a good trade?  And what are the salary cap implications?  Let’s try to address all of these.

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.