Attempting to trade Thabo to clear the clog in the backcourt is largely moot. 

Let’s be honest, if Del Negro can play him 10 minutes he can play him 0 minutes. Whereas it unlikely that Del Negro will fan the flames of tumult latent in the conversely smirking and pouting Hughes.  So doing such functions only as a superficial treatment for the problem. 

The real solution to these woes of bounty is to trade Hughes and unless we wanted to package him with one of our better players and a pick for someone not as good as what we can get in 2010; we must find a team that (1) needs desperate backcourt help, (2) has multiple players who come of the books soon before the free agency flurry of the decade, and (3) does not create a clog at another position.
***
Looking at the league right now the only team seemingly in the position to make such a deal is Orlando, whose guard backups are among the worst in the league.

So, my trade proposal is as follows:

Larry Hughes to Orlando for Tony Battie, Brian Cook and Keith Bogans. 

Orlando gets Hughes, streaky shooting, steals and foul shots abound and in doing so --this feels really strange to say-- immediately improve their backcourt.  He can play both guard positions and because of their three consistent scoring options has no pressure to take over on any given night.  He is only required to play hard defense and not fuck up too much.

And while they lose their two backup power forwards, I am sure their Dooling trade exception and a second round pick could get someone like Diogu from Portland or Josh Boone/Sean Williams from New Jersey.  

The Bulls alternatively get three contracts that spread the costs around --one that comes off after this season and another that has a player option (Cook) that I assume will be taken-- and a lot less stress about playing time. Admittedly, Battie is pretty awful, but he is certainly another big body to soak up fouls if need be.

Here is a little interview with Derrick Rose at the Play for Peace clinic: Rose Interview

From everything I have read about the select team, Rose really tore it up.  That said, you wouldn't know that from the way he talks about it, which is a good thing, as the less Stephon Marbury there is in a player, the better.  

While there isn't much meat here, his comments on his knee, the fact that he is excited to work with Del Negro, and his working on his shooting all come as welcome news.  

Dwight Howard has started a new NBA.com blog, and while it is largely the same mundaneness and neutered blather that the rest of the NBA.com blogs are --excluding Gilbert's, for better or for worse--  there is a pretty nice compliment for our own young point.

On the Select Team … They’re NBA players and it’s their job to get us ready for the Olympics so we’re going to go at them and they’ve been going at us.

Since I’m almost their age, we’ve played against each other before. I’ve seen those guys play a lot. I think they know that this is a time where they can get better, playing against guys like Kobe and LeBron. Those guys have bright futures. We saw a lot of good things from Derrick Rose today. His quickness, his explosion … he’s going to be good.

Our goal is to get better. This is our first real practice together since last year, so our goal is to really learn the offensive schemes and also what we need to do on defense. It wasn’t about who we’re playing against.

Here is a link to the whole thing: Inside Presence by Dwight Howard.

This would be even better if it were CP3, Deron or Kidd; but you really can't complain.  This might relax some of those who plan on writing a "we really slept on Bayless" fanpost.