Bad Boy Bill Laimbeer wants a job. He his resume isn't long, but he was a 2 time  NBA champ, 4 time all-star, generally regarded as one bad MF and, oh yeah he took the Detroit shock from the bottom of the WNBA to clinch three titles in the span of 6 years. When I was a kid I hated Detroit. I still hate Zeke, even though he's a homeboy. I hated the when the Bad Boys played my Bulls, mostly until I heard former bad boy  and later Chitown BullD-Rod quip: "I'd rather be called a dirty player than a soft one"

If anybody could immediately gain the respect of an NBA player, Laimbeer, all 7 feet 280 pounds of him could. He's a winner, and he's proved it. Why hire a mediocre former player/exec with 0 experience over a guy like Bill Laimbeer. I'm officially on the Bad Boy Bill train whe the team goes to hire Coach Next. After seeing the Bulls early schedule, I am all but certain Vinny's out unless D Rose proved that he is the unholy lovechild of JKidd and DWade.

Gar PaxDorf, Fire Viny. Hire Bill.

Captain Kirk for Sergio Rodriguez and Kenny Thomas: Two expiring contracts, one of which we could either buyout or bench, for Kirk's contract. and a draft pick or two. Thomas is washed up even as a journeyman, but Spanish Chocolate might be an inexpensive (and exciting) back up for Rose at the PG spot. Both of these contracts expire after this year, and it is doubtful that Sactown will be a major player in the FA bonanza of 2010. However, they need an upgrade at PG and a tandem of Kirk and Beno Udrih added to Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin could be a VERY good backcourt.

Sacramento Depth Chart:

PG: Kirk Hinrich/Beno Udrih

SG: Kevin Martin/Tyreke Evans

SF: Francisco Garcia/Chapu/Omri Casspi

PG Jason Thompson/Donte Greene/Sean May

C: Spencer Hawes

Bulls Depth Chart after my two proposed trades:

PG: Rose/Rodriguez/Hunter

SG: Salmons/Pargo

SF: Johnson/Salmons/K. Thomas/T.Thomas

PF: Boozer/T.Thomas/Noah/K Thomas

C: Noah/B. Miller/Boozer/Gray/J. James

I admit it's a gamble, especially at the 2 and 3. But our current depth chart is a gamble, and it doesn't leave us with a ridiculous amount of cap space. With Boozer, Miller, Jerome James, Kenny Thomas, Tyrus Thomas, Rodriguez, etc coming off the books, theoretically at least we could perhaps sign a DWade, A Lebron and a discounted Carlos Boozer in the 2010 offseason, and have a starting lineup like this:

Rose

Wade?/Salmons/?

James?/Salmons/Johnson

Boozer?/Noah/Johnson

Noah/Asik/?

That starting lineup plus filler (Salmons/Johnson/Asik, etc...) would be ridiculous...

With the recent news that the Bulls' cap space looks to be less than a max contract for the LeBrons, DWades and (gulp) Chris Boshes of the Summer 2010 mega millions lottery, I humbly submit a trade idea that may give the Bulls flexibility while also improving team needs for the immediate future:

#1 Luol for Boozer: This deal would exchange one talented but oft injured Duke forward for another. The deal would include Taj Gibson to both sweeten the deal for Utah, and give the Bulls cap room flexibility. Utah needs to improve talent wise, and has a difficult time attracting free agents (or at least retaining them. With Matt Harpring a constant question mark, AK 47 playing out of position at the 3 and Deron Williams in need of a number two scoring threat, I think Utah does this deal.

Utah Depth Chart:

D Williams/ E Maynor

R Brewer/ K. Korver/ CJ Miles

L. Deng/A Kirilenko/ Harpring

P. Milsap/ A. Kirilenko/ T Gibson

M. Okur/ Koufos

Bulls Depth Chart:

Rose/Hinrich/Hunter

Salmons/Pargo/Hinrich

Johnson/Salmons

Boozer/Thomas

Noah/Miller/Gray/James

So Miller, James, Thomas, Boozer and possibly Salmons come off the Books, we can sign DWade or LeBron (a big if). Or we can resign Boozer (we retain his bird rights) and still have between 12 and 15 million available for a sign and trade, to sign a free agent  or some such arrangement that improves the team. I know a lot of people think Boozer is overrated, but with Noah's post defense, I'm hoping he can be a low post scoring asset. It really depends on where and when Noah and Rose (our two main offense facilitators) get him the ball. I think the game plan should be let Rose initiate the offence with a drive. If he gets sealed off, kick to Noah to reset in a half court and either find a shooter, or an open Boozer for the inside bucket.

Anyway, let me know what other BaB'llers think....

Unless we can pull off a trade that nets a legit all-star and/ or an all star low post scorer, why dismantle this team at all? SO we sign Gordon to a $8-9M with incentives. This team is ridiculously deep, with 2 1st rounders and Omer Asik still incubating in Euroleague.

Let's say we draft DeJuan Blair (my fave) and I dunno BJ Mullins/Tyler Hansborogh/token white big...

Rose/Hinrich

BG7/Salmons/Hinrich

Deng/Salmons/Tyrus

Tyrus/Noah/Blair

Noah/Miller/Mullens(token boy)

That's a ridiculously 10-deep team. Why mess with it, if there is still significant room for improvement on upside alone? Not to mention that Salmons is cheap, Miller comes off the books after next along with Tim Thomas and Jerome James...add Bosh or D-Wade or LeBron (yeah right) to this mix, and you have the look of a Championship team.

Both are having breakout seasons and both are unrestricted FA's this summer. Both of their respective teams would have a difficult time resigning them for more than a mid level exception. In Lee's case, the Knicks are way over the cap and would have to scrap the idea of luring two elite FAs in 2010.  In Millsap's situation, if Carlos Boozer exercises his player option (as well he should, considering his string of nagging injuries), he'll likely only get an offer at best slightly above the mid level. Both these guys are double double 4's. They both "go after it. Does anybody think that either Millsap or Lee wouldn't be able to run a pick and roll with Rose? Does anybody think the Knicks are going placed with a tandem of Duhon and Lee?

So they're not all stars (yet), but an $7-8 million contract would be a steal. Would the Bulls be better off (especially defensively) with Stoudamire or Bosh? For the same money, we could pay two guys. Barring someone trading Dwight Howard, how else is Pax going to fill that gaping hole in the paint?

Maybe Miami doesn't do this blockbuster trade, but I cannot see why Toronto or Sactown wouldn' t.

It keeps some of our useful pieces (Deng, Gordon, Rose, Thomas) and rids us of almost all of our pesky albatross contracts (Noce, Hinrich, and potentially Hughes.)

As an added bonus, at least for this season, we get two above average servicable bigs, in J.O. and Brad Miller, and a waning all star in Marion.

Rose

Gordon

Deng

Marion/Thomas/O'Neal

Miller/O'Neal

Maybe Marion will rub off on Tyrus, (since that was what he projected as a lottery pick two years ago.)

We can also sign Gordon over the summer when Marion and O'Neal come off the books, and be in a very good position in summer 2010 to sign Bosh, Wade, Stoudamire, who ever....

NYK is never going to let poor Eddy Curry off the bench, despite his big soft hands. NYK is also never going to re-sign fan favorite David Lee, because of Donnie Walsh's 2010 plan. So, while it wouldn't exactly solve all our low post scoring problems (all Curry ever did was score from the low block) it gives us two assets (D Lee is RFA after this season) that both expire soon.

I expect to get flak for this post, but what about Hinrich to Milwaukee for Milwaukee's #1 pick in '09, Charlie Villanueva, Damon Jones and Ramon Sessions.
this trade works out financially

It also gives the Bulls some assets that will come off the books after this year, adn cleans up the back logged back court. If Villanueva can put it together, maybe he's a keeper. Jones and Sessions are cannon fodder to be waived or traded, or kept if they prove to be valuable for teh team. Milwaukee needs a floor leader and Hinrich had his best years under Skiles.

Also Milwaukee needs to win now, since it has invested heavily in Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson, and Hinrich would fill that need. If Milwaukee sucks we could get Blake Griffin or BJ Mullens in the draft (or both if we suck too.).

Among the threads that get posted when there is absolutely no news coming out of the Berto center (unless Noah gets caught with pot and brandy again), trades trades and more trades.  Very few of these involve proven all-stars, which I think most can agree, the Bulls need if their ever going to excel in the new Eastern Conference. I got excited  when I read TRue Hoops recent post, Teams in Turmoil.

Denver, Phoenix and other teams are predicted to disintegrate this season, perhaps providing Pax with a  face saving trade or two.

 We have a stable of young talent and tradeable contracts. Hinrich will need some burn in order to uphis market value, which is fine for teh first few months while Rose gets his feet wet. Deng's trade restriction prevents him from being traded before December 15th.  Gooden, Thomas, to lesser extent Noce have tradeable contracts. How about some combination of these, say, Thomas, Hinrich and a #1 pick for Amare Stoudamire. Or perhaps Deng and Gooden plus a #1 and/or the rights to Omer Asik (yeah yeah, acl tear, I know) for Anthony. I'd even be willing to take on K-Mart's max deal if the took Hughes off our hands. A team like this would instantly be a threat to top the east:

Rose/Gordon?

Gordon/Sefolosha/Hughes?

Anthony/ Nocioni

Stoudamire/Simmons/K-Mart?

Noah/Gray--Stoudamire splits time between 4 & 5

Of course, the only reason either Phoenix Denver or both do this is to rebuild, dump salary and pick up something in return. Phoenix gets a quality back up to Nash, an athletic forward to bring back that Matrix/STAT factor and Shaq gets more touches. Denver gets an expiring contract in Gooden, a scoring 3 to replace Anthony and both get a trade asset in a #1 pick or Asik. Either of these scenarios (both?) are likely sometime this season...Pax just needs to commit to making a deal...

It ain't like B-Easy is a prototypical 4. It ain't like he's a architypical big. At 6'7 230 pounds, he's smaller than Rodman. Nocioni could take him. No doubt he can score the ball, but is he a true PF? Still the lingering doubts about our draft day luck will persist until D-Rose either proves he's worthy of being just the 3rd guard (after Magic and A.I.) to be drafted since the inception of the lottery.

Our biggest need since trading away Big Eddy Curry is a low post scorer. Team rebounding can mask individual weaknesses in that department, but there is no mask for that glaring hole in the middle.

So what to do? Pray that we suck enough to get a crack at Blake Griffin? Trade an arm and a leg for some overpaid locker room cancer like Z-Bo Randolph, just because he put up 20 and 10 on a bad team? Let the Grizz make that mistake. We're never gonna get that special Brand/Duncan/Howard talent in FA to put us over the top. My suggestion? While Donnie Walsh is trying to wheel and deal, let's bring back the original homeboy. It's time for Eddy Curry part deux.

I know, Pax hurt his feelings, but Curry never really wanted to leave. We could offer up the expiring contracts of Gooden and Cedric Simmons. Curry's deal expires in 2 years, so no long term contract issues. The Bulls are a team of  role players; Curry's role doesn't have to be defense; he doesn't have to be the first option either. We can run the ball through Noah in a half court set and with his passing he can dish to the perimeter for a long jumper, to a slashing Deng for a mid range floater, or to Curry for an easy dunk. We'd still be a primarily jump shooting team, with a legit post option. If things don't pan out, move salaries and try to get Amare Stoudamire in 2011.

So I'm in the same camp as most of my fellow Chicagoenses: I like Rose. We're from the same area code. If the Bulls draft Rose, the only back court players they can easily unload are Gordon and Sefolosha. Hughes is just taking up space until he's off the books and Hinrich is undervalued coming off a bad year, with a hefty contract. Hinrich, Hughes and Rose could split time until Hinrich's market value improves (as I believe it will) or Hughes' contract expires (or becomes valuable in trade as an expiring contract).

If, on the off chance we draft Beasley, we still gotta contend with a glut at the 4 spot. Noah and Grey are the only centers, Gooden is a PF, Thomas is what he is. How many of these big guys do we need? Gooden and Thomas have movable contracts.

So it comes down to who do you think you can move and get value for? Can we net Elton Brand for Gooden/Thomas? Should we stand pat with the roster until we see what we got?  THe fans want rose. The non-chicago media seem split, with a slight edge to Beasley. It's a good place to be no matter what happens. Both these doods are gonna be good.