MVN - Most Valuable Network

The mess in Chicago

After drafting Derrick Rose with the number one overall pick in June, the Bulls have been rather quiet. The Chicago Tribune explains why.

Right now, the Bulls need to see what happens with unrestricted free agents Ben Gordon and Luol Deng. Both players have limited options as to teams interested in them, but still have negotiation leverage. That’s because they could easily just sign a one-year tender and bolt for free agency following the 2008-09 season, not getting the Bulls anything for them.

Right now, they want more money than the contracts offered to them last season would have given them(Deng- 5 years, $57.5 million. Gordon- 5 years, $50 million). Chicago, however, is not willing to give them a penny more because of their sub par play last year, as shown in the statistics. Now, some of this can be contributed to the whole team’s horrendous basketball, but it’s difficult to deny that they also showed a decrease in talent. I can’t really blame the Bulls for not meeting the offers, although I might give Deng the money he wants.

So, the Bulls may just have to end up signing both to short-term deals because of how far off both sides are. It doesn’t look like either the players or the Bulls will cave in anytime soon. What could end up happening is GM John Paxton trading either Deng or Gordon to get something for them before they go elsewhere, making a sign-and-trade.

Until he does know the fate of these two guys, he really can’t do anything else. That’s because his biggest trading chip, Kirk Hinrich, might be needed if Gordon and/or Deng leave after next season. They do have a crowded back court right now, but it would become very empty if both Hinrich and Gordon left.

We’ll see what happens, it’ll certainly be something to watch. My guess is that Deng signs a one-year tender and extension talks continue into the season, and Gordon is traded, putting Hinrich at the two position. Hopefully for their sake they can figure this mess out soon, as they might miss out on trade possibilities.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 12:29 pm and is filed under The NBA Source. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.