Time to put Vinny out of his misery and put Paxs on the hot seat he deserves

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Just my take on the recent posts and rants

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The worst kept secrets are usually the truth. I scratched by bald head a few times when I heard the news that we had offered BJ Mullens a guarantee with our 16 pick. What about Hansbourgh? What about Blair? Weren't these guys better fits for us and fit that Paxson pedigree?

 Mullens is a true center standing over 7 feet tall and tipping the scales at 258. He is said to be an elite athlete for a big man with a strong NBA body. He’s an explosive leaper with big hands and long arms. He runs the floor well and isn’t afraid to finish at the basket with either hand. He has a post game and a jump shot range of up to 15 feet.  The knock on the kid is  he is said to be very raw and has a limited basketball IQ. He lacks aggression and takes plays off. He needs to improve on his focus, defensive discipline and better rebounding.

What I take from the scouting report is a talented kid that just doesn’t get how good he can be and what it takes to reach his maximum potential. So why would we take that leap of faith at number 16? I think the positive out weights they negative, He definitely fits our need of a big man that can score and give us a presents offensively inside.  He won’t need to play big minutes for us next season, splitting time with Noah and Miller. I also think that Noah and Miller can be a positive influence on him, challenging him in practice every day, helping him learn. I think by playing limited minutes the first year, he can contribute some points off the bench while we bring him along at a pace of maybe 10 to 15 minutes a game.

Hopefully by the trade deadline he is good enough to replace Miller, making Miller a valuable trade piece. If not we hope that by playoff time he’s ready to take Brad’s minutes and we don’t have to resign Miller next off season.

I think Hansbourgh will be gone by 16 and Blair’s knees plus my doubts on what shape he can keep himself in make Mullens a very safe pick.  

Your thoughts

This comes from today's Hollinger's Per Diem post on ESPN.

5. Washington Wizards

Remember a couple of years ago when Washington had the fifth pick and traded it to Dallas for Antawn Jamison? Me too. And with 14 players already under contract for next season I have a feeling they might do it again, packaging it with an unwanted contract in order to make a run with their current roster while still getting under the luxury tax.

For instance, the Wizards could trade down with Memphis (No. 27), Oklahoma City (No. 25) or Sacramento (No. 23), throw in $3 million (the maximum allowed) and dump Etan Thomas' $7.3 million on their lap, simultaneously getting Washington back to the tax line while still adding another young player. Alternatively, the Wizards could ask for a role-playing wing with a modest contract, or just structure it as a straight salary dump for a future conditional pick.

A lot of possibilities are on the board here, too many to enumerate. Suffice to say that I'd be stunned if Washington actually uses the pick. The salary commitment is too high once tax concerns are taken into account, and the expected immediate return too low. For a team hoping to bounce back quickly behind a healthy Gilbert Arenas, they're much better off using the pick as a trade asset.

John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, click here.

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Playoffs we're talking about Playoffs? Yes we are Bull's Fans with 20 games to go we are tied for the 8th seed in the East. Who can belive that with everything this team's been through this year, Vinny's coaching, "Big Money" Ben Gordon farewell Chicago Tour, Larry Hughes, Loul "Baby Soft" Deng, Paxon quiting then not, The Aaron Gray experiment and finally D Rose's 4th quarter benchings we would even be within a nose's whiff of the playoffs.

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ASSET No. 12: Expiring trade exceptions
OWNERS: Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets

A trade exception allows the acquiring team to take on a player making an equal or lesser amount of salary without the trade having to conform to the 125 percent rule. There are six trade exceptions that expire Feb. 23, the largest of which belongs to the Bulls: a $5.205 million exception from the deal that sent Joe Smith to Cleveland last year.

The Cavs have a $1.63 million exception from including Cedric Simmons in that deal, and the Thunder have a $1.89 million exception from the Delonte West end of that same trade. Two of the Rockets' six trade exceptions (Bonzi Wells, $2.284M, and Kirk Snyder, $917K) expire Feb. 23, and the Nuggets have an expiring $771,000 exception from last year's Von Wafer deal.

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I hate to do what has already been done time and time again but since I'm a newer poster to the site I think I'm entitled to my rebuildabulls post. Let me know what you think?

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