Basketball Trade Deadline

A non-story here in Chicago.  No moves were made by the Bulls. 

Did they need to make a move?  Well, not just for the sake of making a move.  It appeared to me (with the limited effort I put into looking at the market) there wasn't anything out there that would justify giving up something they already have. 

I wouldn't have minded if they'd kicked the tires on a big man.  Others seem to want to get a wing who can spread the floor.  Seems to me that they've got those players on their team in Dunleavy, Butler, maybe Snell and McDermott.  OTOH, they've got bigs, sure, but they're OLD or banged-up bigs.  Nazr Mohammed is just taking up a spot on the bench mostly.  Joakim and Pau are both playing too many minutes, Gibson is solid but not as impressive as he was last year in my view, and Mirotic is more of a stretch four, not really a power forward even if he has the size. 

Maybe this team has been playing it right.  Players like Dunleavy, Rose and Butler, and even Joakim have taken time off for illnesses and minor  (or major, in Dunleavy's case) injuries.  Even McDermott got time off, but that was not so great because he needed minutes and reps in game situations. 

Maybe Pau or Joakim should think up some injuries that will keep them out for a little bit in this stretch run so that everyone is healthy and rested for the real season:  the playoffs.

*****

Trade deadline tomorrow for the NBA...

So here comes the trade deadline -- and the Bulls are NOT expected to be a player in any way, shape or form.  Is there something that they can use?  Well, there's always SOMETHING that a team can use, but the more pertinent question is, is any player available that makes sense for the Bulls?

That's a question I can't answer.  I look at the bottom teams and I don't see much that would truly help the Bulls.  Teams like the Pacers aren't going to give up pieces of their future because their 'future" (Paul George) will presumably be back next year and they don't want to have him return to a gutted team.  Amare Stoudamire would have possibly made some sense; a scoring big who can give limited minutes (18-20 per game?) off the bench, but he made sense for Dallas and they didn't hesitate. 

I suspect that this year's deadline (like many in the past) will come and go without notice here in Chi-town. 

*****

Not that strange...

So NBA free agency signings are winding down, and LeBron James' decision to leave the Heat for his hometown Cavaliers changed the balance of power in the East.  Suddenly the Heat are an aging Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and Luol Deng.  Not bad, but not the superteam that they were with LeBron and Wade near his prime. 

My Bulls made an important signing, though not exactly where they probably needed one.  With a dearth of impact free agents at the 2 and 3, they instead signed Pau Gasol, an aging big man who can score with his back to the basket.  Will he be what Derrick Rose needs (assuming Rose can stay on the court after two years of injuries)?  Maybe.  Boozer is gone, but Gibson remains.  And so does Dunleavy and Butler and Hinrich and most importantly, Noah.  Added to the team are draft pick Doug McDermott and Euro star Nikola Mirotic.  Is that enough to surpass the Heat and (now) the Cavs and the Pacers?  Maybe.  Just maybe.

So now the big talk all over is a potential trade.  It seems that the Cavaliers are really pushing to get Kevin Love from the T-wolves.  They've offered their number one pick, top overall selection Andrew Wiggins (no, not the kid from Ender's Game, this is Mitchell Wiggins' son) and other assets in an attempt to acquire the all-star power forward.  And the Bulls are in the hunt as well.  According to at least one report, they've offered Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott for Love. 

I'm torn.  Is it too much?  Does it decimate their depth in order to get a superstar at a position where they're not all that weak?  Is Love plus Gasol that much greater than Gasol plus Gibson?  Is it enough better to absorb the loss of Mirotic's and McDermott's potential scoring?  On paper I'd say no.  I'd say that if they were going to move that many assets, they should instead go for an impact shooting guard or an impact small forward.  Are there any of those such players available?  Or is it Love or nothing? 

On the other hand, Mirotic and McDermott are, at this point in time, nothing more than "potential".  Let's put it a different way.  If they had, two months ago, dealt Gibson, their 16th and 19th picks in the draft, and the rights to Mirotic for Love, would I have applauded the deal?  (This before the Gasol signing...)  I think I would have been cool with that deal.  I was nervous about including Butler in the deal but that was because I knew what Butler brought to the table in a more concrete sense.  But this is basically the exact same deal as that one. 

In the end, does it make the Bulls a better team?  I'm not sure it does.  Unless I'm sure, I don't think I'd get behind such a deal.  Love's a good player, but I've heard it pointed out that he got those boards and points on a bad team with very few options for scoring and rebounding.  On the Bulls, where Noah is the rebounder and Rose will also score, does he really have the impact?  Or is the hard-working Gibson just as valuable to this team?

If there's a deal out there for a SF or a SG, I'd rethink the deal.  Otherwise, for now - no deal.

*****

NBA Free Agency - something strange is about to happen...

What it's going to be, I don't really have a clue...but I have this feeling that something is going to go counter to the conventional wisdom - there is going to be a big surprise.

Two weeks ago it would have been a surprise to suggest that the big 3 from Miami were going to do anything other than resign with the Heat.  Now it looks like that team might be broken into a few pieces as Bosh decides whether to take the max offer from Houston and King James decides whether to go home to Cleveland, which seems to be where his heart still is.  (Remember a few weeks ago when his wife tweeted something about coming home and it being "real"?  Maybe she knew something after all, huh?) 

Or will Carmelo join James in Miami once Bosh is gone?  It won't be max money but it will still be more than my Bulls can offer.

Will Phil Jackson suddenly call the Bulls and say, "Hey, we'll take Boozer, Butler and Dunleavy in a sign-and-trade for Anthony, if you toss in a couple of future first rounders"?  Nah, that ain't gonna happen.

Suddenly I'm wondering where the chips will actually fall for the Bulls.  Their team is the one place I don't see anything strange or unexpected or really exciting happening.  I think that after Anthony says "No thanks, I'd rather have the extra 50 million," the Bulls will sign Nikola Mirotic and a few other pieces and hope that the breakup of the Heat opens things up for them to win the East next year. 

But I think we're going to see something strange and unexpected happening, whether it be Anthony joining the Heat or James going to Cleveland. 

Wouldn't it be interesting if the Bulls suddenly announce that they've come to terms with, oh, say, Dwayne Wade? 

It wouldn't completely surprise me, but on the other hand, I think it's more likely that they announce that they've come to terms with Trevor Ariza and a few other of those veteran minimum types. 

*****

Bulls' Options Clarifying...

Free agency has begun and it's beginning to look a lot like every other major free agent year for our Bulls. 

Oh, there are differences.  In those other years the Bulls were fully capable of offering max contracts.  Two, actually, in 2000, I believe, and at least one and a half in 2010.  In both years the top free agents (Hill, McGrady, Eddie Jones in 2000, James, Bosh and Wade in 2010) spurned the Bulls' offers.  In 2000 they ended up here and there; I think Hill and McGrady both went to Orlando and Jones...well, who remembers?  In 2010 they all went to the same team - the Heat. 

In 2014, the Bulls can NOT offer a max contract.  In fact, after they "amnesty" Carlos Boozer, they'll have about 11 million or so, if I heard correctly (or if what I heard was correct).  If Carmelo Anthony signed here without the deal being a sign-and-trade, he would be leaving some 50 million dollars on the table. 

So in the end, we're not going to watch Carmelo light it up in a Bulls uni next year. 

Option two seems to be bringing the European kid Mirotic over here and signing a tier two free agent.  Is that enough to win it?  Well, we don't know how good Mirotic will be in the NBA.  In fact, we don't know if he'll be ANY good at all.  Is he Hedo Turkoglu?  Is he Dirk Nowitski?  Is he Toni Kukoc?  One analyst stated that he would probably have been the #4 pick in this year's NBA draft if he was just becoming available now.  That's good, but what does it do for us next year?  Does it make us a contender for the title, or just a better team? 

Option two also seems to possibly involve trying to bring Pau Gasol in for a couple years.  Might make some sense if he isn't too expensive.

So the front line would be a combination of Noah, Gasol, Gibson, and Mirotic.  Doug McDermott, their first round pick (taken at #11 by Denver then traded for by the Bulls) would be the designated shooter.  I'm assuming Mike Dunleavy is history (though I liked him a lot last year).  Rose would be the point guard, Jimmy Butler would presumably be the swing 2/3, and there might be a couple other bench types that they'd work to bring in.  I heard Shawn Marion mentioned.  I also heard Trevor Ariza mentioned. 

That sounds like it would be a good team.  Still doesn't have that elite scorer, unless Mirotic becomes GREAT.  Possible, but hard to count on.

We might know something by the end of the week.  More to come...

*****

Chicago Bulls - which direction should they take?

So here are the Bulls, sitting with the potential to get about 11 million under the cap if they "amnesty" Carlos Boozer.  They had a good draft, getting the guy who many thought would fit best with their roster no matter what - Doug McDermott from Creighton.  They also got a power forward from New Mexico with the second pick (number 49), a senior with decent numbers. 

Here's the key pieces on their current roster:

• Derrick Rose - coming off two seasons off due to injuries to both knees
• Taj Gibson - power forward who really came on in 2013-2014
• Joakim Noah - center who I should have listed one spot higher - double double machine
• Jimmy Butler - swing man who can play big guard or small forward, good defensively
• Mike Dunleavy - swing man who can hit threes and do more
• Carlos Boozer - power forward with below average to average defensive presence
• Kirk Hinrich - may be a free agent at point guard
• D.J. Augustine - another free agent at point guard
• Tony Snell - rookie swing man with promise
• Jimmer Fredette - possible free agent shooting guard who can, well, shoot
• Greg Smith - forward/center who held up the end of the bench at the end of the season
• Cameron Bairstow - power forward rookie second rounder
• Anthony Randolph - power forward obtained in the pick swap with Denver in the draft
• Ronnie Brewer - free agent signed at end of year for playoffs then not used
• Lou Amundsen - forward and that's all I know
• Mike James - another filler player, point guard who Thibs likes
• Nazr Mohammed - center who has to be close to done, not used much last year

I took that info from the Chicago Bulls/NBA.com site.  I wouldn't have included at least a quarter of them as Bulls.  But they're listed as part of the roster for 2014/2015.

So what do they do?  Do they try to trade for Kevin Love, perhaps moving Taj Gibson and Tony Snell or even Jimmy Butler while amnesty-ing Boozer to get under the cap enough to make the deal work? 

Do they try to sign Carmelo Anthony, maybe doing a sign-and-trade with the Knicks and dealing Butler and Dunleavy while amnesty-ing Boozer?

Do they make a move to bring over Nikolai Mirotic, the kid playing in Spain (I think?) who it will cost big money in terms of a buy-out of his European contract and his salary?

What would I do?

I would try my darnedest to sign Anthony.  I thought that they could maybe do a sign-and-trade with Boozer, since his contract is expiring next year and he's not a bad player, just not worth 16+ million a year.  It would seem that if they could do that, they could easily accomodate Anthony's big contract.  Otherwise he's going to have to take a pay cut.

An acquaintance who played pro ball overseas says that, as an observer and someone who understands the game pretty well, he feels Love would be the best move.  He would give them the superstar they need to go with Rose and Noah (assuming Rose comes all the way back).  If they do that, their lineup would be Rose, Noah, Love, maybe Dunleavy, maybe Butler, maybe Ronnie Brewer.  There's a big three but is there anything beyond that?

Another acquaintance who also played pro ball and major college ball suggests that Anthony is the right move.  Assuming they'd have to deal Gibson, their lineup might be Rose, Snell or Butler, Anthony, Randolph (the kid they got from Denver) and Noah.  There's a big three with plenty of scoring but again, is there ENOUGH beyond that?

Tonight's the night.  Free agency opens and Anthony is meeting first with Chicago.  Hope we get him somehow.

*****

Carmelo as a Bull - Good idea?

Okay, I know...this is probably off the table now that Phil Jackson has agreed to run the Knicks as their president and has endorsed the idea of committing to Carmelo Anthony.  Phil knows how to win, and he knows how to work with star players.  He's got 11 rings as a coach, and 2 as a player.  If I had to bet money on the outcome, I'd bet that Anthony will stay with the Knicks, where he can earn the most money in the biggest market, and take a chance on Phil turning things around for that franchise.

But what if Phil is blowing smoke?  What if when Phil says that he believes that Carmelo can help the team, he means that Carmelo can help the team by being dealt in a sign-and-trade?   And who has what it would take to make that sort of a deal?  Who has assets that might just help the Knicks rebuild this year and in the future?  Or what if Carmelo looks at the picture in the short term and says, "There is no way we're going to compete next year...and probably not the year after either.  Not with as bad as the Knicks look and as capped out as they are."

What if either one of those things is the real truth?  I submit that the Bulls are one of, and maybe the only team that makes sense to make a move for Anthony, from both the Bulls' and Knicks' points of view.

For the Bulls, is Anthony a fit?  I don't know...but I do know that this Bulls team as it is currently constituted is not going to win an NBA championship.  So let's say they amnesty Boozer and they have the cap room for a really good player (which should be the case).  Who is that player?  After Anthony, who is the next best free agent?  Well, it looks to me like it is probably...wait for it...

Luol Deng!

Here's one list of free agents for 2014:  Sports Illustrated List

Notice that most of the free agents above #10 (Deng's position) are centers and power forwards.  Also note that many of them (Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Duncan, Nowitski, Kobe, and even Anthony) are likely to resign with their own teams.  Pao Gasol and Zach Randolph make some sense for the Bulls (especially Randolph, if they do indeed amnesty Boozer) but their real need is for a scorer at either shooting guard or small forward.  Anthony is the only one on that list before Deng who fits that role, and might possibly be available in a sign-and-trade.

Does Anthony make the Bulls a championship contender?  I think he does.  But if he doesn't, so what?  No one else, either free agent or draft pick (outside of maybe Parker or Wiggins or a couple of others who will be long gone when the Bulls draft) makes the Bulls a contender.  Anthony provides what the Bulls need - scoring.  With Derrick Rose (even if he isn't as good as he used to be), and a supporting cast including Noah and Gibson, and whatever is left that the Bulls don't trade to the Knicks to get Anthony, it's a Bulls team that can go deeper in the playoffs.  They have their secret weapon as well - coach Thibodeaux.  (I'm probably spelling that wrong.)

So why would it make sense for the Knicks?  The biggest asset they'd get in the deal would be Boozer and his 16 million dollar expiring contract.  Assuming Anthony's max deal with the Knicks is 130 million over 5 years (a figure I heard on the radio this morning, but I'd previously heard 23 million a year over 6 years), that means the Bulls have to match 26 million a year.  Boozer accounts for 16 million of that amount.  10 million to go.

What would the Knicks want?  I'd think they want a young player.  Butler, probably.  Butler's valuable to the Bulls but not indispensable, and Anthony is going to be the starting "3".  I don't know what he makes but it can't be too much.  So what else goes east?  Could they sign-and-trade Hinrich to a team-friendly deal that would make him very attractive to the Knicks, who could use veteran leadership at the point?  Or could they decide that Jimmer Fredette is their three-point shooter and deal Mike Dunleavy?  I think his contract is about 5 million a year.  Let's just guess-timate that Butler is around 3 million.  That brings us to 24 million.  Two to go.  I'm positive that they'd want the Bulls' pick.  I'd rather trade both Bulls' first rounders (2014 and 2015) if that's possible.  I know there's a league rule about dealing successive first round picks, but I don't know if it applies when you also have other teams' first round picks.  If it does, then keep the 2015 pick and send them the pick they got for Deng (the Kings' pick, I believe, protected this year but not next?).  I think all the Bulls have to do is find another million dollars in salary to deal.  I'm sure it could be done.  That's if the Bulls have to match 26 million.  If it's 23 million, it's a little easier.

The key is Boozer.  Does he work for the Knicks, who will also have Stoudamire under contract?  I think it does.  First, Boozer is expiring after next season.  Second, Boozer is a good player (if not a great player, and if not worth the big contract the Bulls gave him), and Stoudamire can swing between center and power forward.  Butler replaces Anthony, and Hinrich gives them veteran leadership for a couple of years.  Or Dunleavy gives them a year of a solid small forward and three point shooter.  And they get some young players  with not-too-low draft picks.  Would that work for someone like Phil Jackson and the Knicks? 

So is this likely?  I doubt it.  Like I said earlier, I'd bet that Anthony will stay in New York and the Bulls will have to find somewhere else to spend the money.  Maybe they don't amnesty Boozer, maybe they bring Mirotic over and draft a couple of more pieces and see what they have in Rose.  Maybe they make a run at Paul Pierce or something like that.  There are options.

But none of those options lead to a Bulls championship next year, in my opinion.  The only scenario where I see a championship in the picture is one where they get Carmelo Anthony.

*****

You can find my short story NIGHT FAMILY on Amazon!
You can also find another of my short stories   DEAD OR ALIVE on Amazon!

*****

Bulls Post-Season Wrap-up

So the Bulls season ended with one of their better games in the playoffs as they took the Heat to the final seconds and had a good look - no, two good looks - at tying the game with a three.  But alas, it didn't happen, and the Heat take the series in 5. 

Mark Silverman on ESPN1000 just asked what the big picture was for this Bulls team next year. 

I submit that it should be a fairly rosy picture.  Everyone should be healthy to start the season, and everyone should be in their proper places.  The starting point guard should be Derrick Rose, and Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson (if they resign him) should be playing the amount of minutes and against the players where they should have the better of the matchup.  Hinrich showed his worth this year, I think - he's not a scorer, but he does do a better job of passing and defending than most any other Bull.  Depending on matchups, he could start at the two guard or back up the point guard. 

Carlos Boozer seemed, to me, to play far far better when Hinrich was playing point guard than when he wasn't.  Would this be a way to get some real value out of Boozer?  What if he was putting up a double double a night in part against second teamers?  Start Boozer, play him 3 or 4 minutes, bring in Taj until the second team comes in and make sure Boozer and Hinrich get plenty of minutes together.

Backup center:  A weakness for this year's team.  Mohammed was okay in his limited minutes, but the Bulls ended up using Taj as the back-up center quite a bit, it seemed to me.  Or Boozer, with Deng at power forward. 

Jimmy Butler matured into a bonafide NBA player this year.  Is he the starting two-guard next year?  I think he's more of a small forward.  Would I rather have Deng at SF?  Sure, but Deng might also be the one guy on this team who could bring back real value in a deal.  It would depend on what they could get for Deng in a trade as to whether I would consider moving him. 

I'm not enamored with Marco Bellinelli, but I certainly wouldn't rule him out as the long range spot-up shooter and another backup two guard.  I'm certain that Hamilton, who appeared to be poorly used in the playoffs, is going to be bought out and I won't have a problem with that, though I wonder if Rip's lack of contribution throughout the latter part of the year was his problem or Tom Thibodeau's problem.  Thibodeau is a great coach, but he does seem to 1.) overwork his players a bit, too many minutes and too much pedal to the metal, and 2.) underutilize some players for whatever reason.  As examples of the second, see Rip, Marcus Teague, and maybe even Vlad Rad.  The guy ended up buried on the bench and really wasn't given any opportunity to contribute as far as I could see. 

There will be a somewhat higher draft pick this year, and that may translate into a useful player, but with Thibodeau's  tendency to sit young players, will it matter?  With Rip going, will there be a spot for a veteran PF or center who can back up in the front court?  Will some players look at the Bulls and say, now there's a team that can compete with Miami and I just might have a shot at getting to the Finals and getting a championship with this team, so I'll take the veteran's exception, or even the minimum, to play for them?  (So many players seem to do that with Miami.  There has to be someone who will do it with the Bulls...) 

The Bulls got some real experience in the playoffs this year for players like Butler, Bellinelli and even a little bit for Marcus Teague.  Can that translate to a much improved squad next year?  Let's hope. 

That's my big-picture view of the Bulls.  Now it's on to watch the BlackHawks on their road to the Stanley Cup, then focus on the Cubs' rebuilding efforts this summer...

*****

With a little bit of luck...

There are three elements, I think, that go into the making of an NBA champion. We got to experience that first hand here in Chicago, and may be experiencing it again.

The first is good coaching. Phil Jackson has a whole bunch of rings, and yes, he's done it with arguably the best players in the NBA at that given time, but he's still done it. He's a great coach. There are other great coaches out there. We in Chicago are hoping we have a great one in Tom Thibideaux. He's looking pretty good.

The second element is player acquisition. For all the abuse Jerry Krause took (and still takes) in Chicago from the fans, he did a great job of putting players around Michael Jordan who could complement their star and who could play together as a team. These guys were not slouches by themselves; Scottie Pippen is in the Hall of Fame, and Dennis Rodman should be. Horace Grant was a great power forward, too. But it was also about acquiring second team talent who could do what was needed to win games. Guys like Jud Buechler, Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, John Paxson and Bill Cartwright were not winning championships starting but by being role players who could play their role consistently.

John Paxson has done a good job surrounding his very own star, Derrick Rose, with talented players who complement his game well. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah are very talented players on their own, as is Luol Deng, but it's the way they fit together that's making this Bulls team a force to contend with. And second teamers like Kurt Thomas, Taj Gibson, Kyle Korver, and Ronnie Brewer are guys who are playing their roles to perfection so far.

But the third, and perhaps the most important, is luck. Let's face it: The Bulls lucked into Michael Jordan when the Trailblazers took Sam Bowie instead of him. To be fair, I think they already had Clyde "The Glide" Drexler at the two guard, and they badly needed a big man, and Sam Bowie was a 7'1" post player who had a ton of talent. But had they taken Jordan, things would have been a lot different.

And this Bulls team lucked into the number 1 pick at the point in time where Derrick Rose was available for them to select. Even so, there was a bit of disagreement on whether they should take Rose, the point guard destined for stardom, or Michael Beasley, the 6'10" front court force that they had lacked for so many years.

(Krause was poor at drafting this position back in the old days - who can forget guys like Jason Caffey and Dickie Simpkins? Not that they were bad players - just not guys who you could plug into the starting lineup and not guys who were ever going to be stars in this league.)

Paxson had a bit of luck at the PF position, coming up with Gibson near the end of the first round a couple years ago. A decent role player for a very good team. An average starter on an average team. For this team, he's a role player.

Paxson also had the good fortune to be positioned well for the 2010 free agent class, which contained luminaries Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudamire, Chris Bosh and the guy Pax actually got, Carlos Boozer. (He might like to have Hinrich back, having dealt him to clear space in case Lebron or Wade actually decided to come to Chicago instead of trying to form a super team in Miami.)

Other teams have been lucky. How lucky were the Lakers to have been able to trade for Kobe Bryant? I want to say that Kobe was selected at the end of the lottery by the Hornets (13th, maybe) and then didn't play much as a player who came straight out of high school. That the Lakers were able to deal for him was a lucky stroke for them.

The Celtics were lucky to be in a position to surround Paul Pierce with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen when both were available. And if an injury could be lucky, how lucky was it that David Robinson got injured and had to sit out a year, putting the Spurs in position to draft Tim Duncan number 1 overall then pair him with a healthy Robinson almost immediately?

The Cavaliers were lucky, too, to get the number 1 pick in a year where LeBron came out of high school. Local boy gets drafted by hometown team...what a great story. They weren't good enough at the player acquisition part, nor at the coaching part, to allow them to win with LeBron there. The Heat were lucky that they could get far enough down in salary to sign both James and Bosh in one year but it remains to be seen if they have the other two parts intact.

It remains to be seen whether the Bulls, or Knicks, or Hawks or Magic or any of the other up and coming teams, can sustain it; whether they've done a good enough job of putting the other guys around their stars and whether their coaches can make things work ala Phil Jackson. But it should be fun watching to find out...

*****

Trade deadline looms...

Today at 2 pm is the trading deadline in the NBA. Two significant trades have already gone down, and I know of two others of decreasing impact.

Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks was the first to be finished. Everyone knew it was coming. The Knicks want to put together their own triumvirate of stars, and everyone seems to think that Chris Paul will be their target this offseason or when he becomes a free agent. The Knicks gave up a lot. Did it make them a ton better? I just don't know. I know they beat the Bulls this year twice with what they had before. I tend to think the Bulls will match up better with them now than they did before.

Then, Deron Williams was dealt from Utah to New Jersey. NJ gets a star, but for how long? We'll see. They may regret giving up Derrick Favors for him.

In descending order of impact, the Wizards traded Kirk Hinrich to Atlanta. He's a guy I wish the Bulls still have. He's a great guy to have coming off the bench backing up both the point and the two. He can shoot some, can handle the ball, can play some defense. This could be an excellent deal for the Hawks. Could help them in the playoffs.

The last deal I know of at this point is the Bulls' trade of James Johnson to the Raptors for the draft pick they ended up with from Miami in the Chris Bosh deal. It will be a low first round pick, obviously, but JJ wasn't worth much more than that at this point. The pick may end up being trade fodder somewhere down the line, or it may just increase the cap space that the Bulls have next summer.

The talk in Chitown is that the Bulls are talking to the Grizzlies about OJ Mayo, and the Cavs about Anthony Parker. Parker could slot in without disrupting anything the Bulls have, if the Cavs would move him for that low first round pick. Mayo would cost a pick (or two) and a player - perhaps CJ Watson? For cap reasons, they'd have to include about two million of salary going back at the Grizzlies. But then the Bulls would again need a backup point guard.

We'll see what transpires in the next couple of hours...

*****

Basketball Season Begins...

The Bulls open their season tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma. Starting lineup for the Bulls, if I heard correctly, is Derrick Rose at point guard, Joakim Noah at center, Luol Deng at small forward, Taj Gibson at power forward, and Keith Bogans at shooting guard.

It's not exactly a lineup to excite someone with title hopes, especially with Carlos Boozer out for another month or so with his broken hand. But it's a solid lineup with few weaknesses. When Boozer comes back this should be a team to reckon with.

On another happy note, the Heat lost their opener to the Celtics last night. Now I don't hate the Heat, and I recognize that James, Bosh and Wade had every right to do what they did in free agency. I'm not all that pissed at them. But I don't usually root for overwhelming favorites (unless they're a hometown team) and would prefer that underdogs win more. I was happy to see the Rangers beat the Yankees, and I'll be happy if the Heat don't live up to the hype. I'm happy to see the best laid plans of these superstars not work out the way they want them to. I won't be rooting for the Heat this year one bit.