[Ghost01Participant]

 So, if you’re following the Chicago Bulls, you will notice they have done next to nothing this offseason. Remember, this is a team that at full strength probably can’t beat the Miami Heat, and are entering a season where there one good player is going to probably miss most of it with injury. This is the same team that bowed out in 6 to Philly without him.

If the Bulls were smart, they would realize that the way there team is currently constructed is flawed. They have no guys who can take over off the dribble other than Rose, they are overpaying the hell out of their 2nd best power forward, and again, they have to go through the Miami Heat. The Bulls are also going to be cap-stressed since they will be paying Rose, Deng, Noah, and Boozer different 8 figure salaries for the next coming years. In my opinion, Noah is worth about a max of 12 mil, Deng could be an 8 figure guy on the right team (not where he’s the 2nd guy, expected to score a lot of points and take over when Rose is gone, the Sixers series showed that isn’t going to work), and Boozer, who has been mediocre as hell the past 2 seasons, and is getting older, certainly doesn’t deserve the contract he’s earning. But instead of doing what any good GM would do, and amnesty Boozer, extend Gibson, and let him take over as the key PF on the Bulls, they instead are going to keep him around, just to try to prove they didn’t epically fail in the summer of 2010. Gibson is about 100X better defensively than Boozer, and if given the shots and looks Boozer has gotten offensively, I’m almost positive he would be just as good. 

Not only are they cap-stressed, but this team might actually match an absurd 3 year, 25 million dollar offer sheet the Rockets offered Omer Asik. You know, a guy whose assets are he’s tall and he’s okay at blocking shots. Something Marcus Camby will get paid the league minimum to do for some team next season. Not only could they have dumped Boozer’s contract, but they could have potentially traded Deng for a lottery pick. Not saying this a great idea, but Deng has reached his peak and is just decent. He can’t take over playoff games, he’s rarely ever giving you 25+ ppg, he is a very solid defender, but you can pay much cheaper to find one of those. They should have tried harder to ship Deng for a top 10 pick (Golden State seemed like the logical spot) and could have found a more skilled offensive player (Barnes and Rivers come to mind) and been able to compensate Deng’s defensive responsibilities with someone else. Last season They paid Keith Bogans next to nothing and he shut down Dwyane Wade in the East Finals. Don’t tell me you can’t find good defenders off the street. The Bogans’ and Stephenson’s of the world are always available for dirt cheap. In doing so, they would have been paying only their top 2 guys Rose and Noah legitimate money, would have had Gibson locked out, and could have added a 4th nice piece in the lottery. Plus all those guys would be 25 and under. And, they would have had cap space to add backup big men, and possibly upgrade the the wing spots, maybe rolled the dice on Brandon Roy, and still had money and cap flexibility going forward. Would you rather for the next 3 years start Rose-Hamilton-Deng-Boozer-Noah, and been stressed for cap, or had Rose-Roy-Barnes-Gibson-Noah, with a couple free agent big men, a free agent defensive guy, Marquis Teague, and maybe Derrick Fisher coming of the bench? I take option #2, but thats clearly not what they were thinking. 

[220Participant]

The Bulls need a healthy Rose and one more go to guy on offense, that is if they hope to get over the top. I don’t know what hope they have of making that happen, but they’ll need to try.

[HotSnotParticipant]

The Bulls should tank next season while Rose is on the shelf and hope for a high lotto pick.  Even if Rose returns in January, he’s not going to be himself again untill the following season.

Trade Deng and Noah for young players/picks/cap space.  Noah has a fantastic motor but he’s just not very athletic and his shot is medicore while being extremely ugly.  Play Gibson, Asik as your FT time starters so they grow and gain experience for the following year. 

I agree with you 100%  Nows the time to retool for the Bulls.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

When Elton Brand got amnestied I mentioned that the Bulls and Sixers should do an amnesty swap.
The Bulls need to amnesty Boozer and sign Elton Brand, bringing him back to Chicago. Boozer could
work in Philly.

Then do a sign and trade with Memphis for OJ Mayo. Move Rip Hamilton, an aging two guard, and pick up a younger combo
guard with upside.

Trade Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Ronnie Brewer, and a first round pick to Orlando for Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, and DeAndre Liggins.
They get a superstar center, move Ronnie Brewer’s contract and maybe get a cheaper version in DeAndre Liggins.

Then do a sign and trade with Houston for Asik and get Marcus Morris, Jon Leuer, Courtney Fortson, cash, and a second round pick in return.

Sign Ryan Hollins or another cheaper backup center.

The team would start slow with Rose and Howard coming off injuries, but if they got close to 100% by the playoffs then I would like their chances to win a round or two.
Then next year they could make a legit title run in 2013.

Starters:

PG: Derrick Rose
SG: OJ Mayo
SF: Jason Richardson
PF: Taj Gibson
C: Dwight Howard

Bench:

PG: CJ Watson, Courtney Fortson
SG: Jimmy Butler
SF: Kyle Korver, DeAndre Liggins
PF: Elton Brand, Jon Leuer, Marcus Morris
C: Ryan Hollins

Not the best bench, but it is a little bit younger and cheaper. If they can add another small forward, either in next year’s draft or in free agency they could move J Rich to the 2 and then bring OJ Mayo off the bench. Mirotic could end up being that guy for them.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Lol… that worked on 2k, didn’t it?

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

^^^

I forgot about Marquis Teague. After Rose comes back and Mirotic comes over they can use Teague as the backup point, and either trade Watson or let him sign somewhere else.

This revamped team makes more sense going forward.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

I like Teague and he’s getting a HUGE opportunity to play valuable(possibly starter minutes) minutes in his first year, I think he may even do better in the NBA than college, the floor is bigger and the NBA is turning into an league where scoring ultra athletic guards are a must to have, and Teague displayed both of those traits extremly well in HS.

[NYK2010Participant]

Be realistic Dwight Howard isn’t coming especially not for Noah, Deng and Brewer all for a pick that won’t be in the lotto even.

The Bulls don’t have the assets to get him, I agree they need to retool the team.

Also they aren’t bad enough esp. in the East a high lotto pick isn’t likely and in a draft that isn’t deep.  People forget Rose will be back in January or February and the NBA season ends in April.

Even with a healthy Rose they aren’t beating Miami unless they make some moves.

Chicago should amnesty someone and Boozer makes the most sense since he has a bigger contract then Deng and they have a PF they can use in Gibson.  I wouldn’t match Asik’s contract offer either a backup Center who’s limited offensively isn’t worth that kind of money.  They already have Noah making 11 million and they aren’t good eough at other positions to pay so much for 2 Centers. 

Picking up guys like Elton Brand, Ryan  Hollins would be a smart move.  Putting someone like Deng and Rip Hamilton on the trading block would be another maybe they could get some decent young players back.  Signing OJ Mayo would be a big addition and he’d start and have a big role in the offense.

Here is the starting line up I’m thinking of

Rose, Mayo, Deng, Gibson, Noah

Bench of Watson, Teague, Butler, Brewer, Brand, Hollins

Fill the rest of the roster with minimum guys and exceptions if possible.

The following summer you move Deng who is an expiring for a scorer or with Mirotic in a larger deal for a lottery pick.

[Ghost01Participant]

 Your ideas are all saving the Bulls money, and opening up cap, which is what I’d like to see done. However, if the object is to insert some new players who might be able to create mismatch problems for Miami and take their man off the dribble, OJ Mayo isn’t going to be that guy anytime soon. 

[Author]

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