According to hoopsworld, Brandon Bass is unhappy with the current situation in Orlando, wants more minutes and almost doesn’t speak with Van Gundy in these days (he didn't play nine games due to coaching decision). Portland tried to sign Bass last summer, but he felt that he would have more playing time with the Magic. But the things have changed. Portland desperately needs a big man and the Magic have him available, since they prefer to stick with Gortat. Instead of both teams making a deal, the Bulls could try to enter the deal offering Deng as bait. My idea is:

Bulls send: Deng and Salmons to Orlando

Bulls get: Matt Barnes, JJ Redick (both from Orlando), Steve Blake and Outlaw (from Portland)

Portland get: Brandon Bass and M. Pietrus

The Bulls would increase their chances in the 2010 FA because they would get expiring contracts. Orlando would get a potential future All-Star in Deng and a 6th man in Salmons, who could play behind Vince Carter (SG) and Deng (SF). Portland would get their much needed big man - Aldridge could play the C - and a SF with quality, that would have little chances of playing in Orlando with Deng and… (i admit it) I needed his money to approve this trade on ESPN trade machine). Plus, trading Blake, that could increase Bayless minutes

Starting Five

Bulls

Rose

Hinrich

Outlaw

TT

Noah

Magic

Nelson

Carter

Deng

Lewis

Howard

Blazers

Miller

Roy

Pietrus

Bass

Aldridge

I know it’s too early for the great summer of 2010. There’s a full season ahead of that. But I think we could start choosing who do we want most and what others players we should persue in the case of the first two - I hope the Bulls have enough money to sign two max free agents to play with Rose and Noah - end up elsewhere.

Now, here is a list of players who are going to be/might be free agents in 2010. From that list, I would clearly focus my attention in signing Wade and Bosh. I really don’t care much about LeBron. He can go to the Big Apple or wherever he wants, because the Bulls would be almost unbeatable with a core of Rose/Wade/Bosh.

But since there’s a chance we don’t get anyone of those Big Three (LeBron/Wade/Bosh), I think we would be ok with Manu/Johnson and Amare/Boozer/Nowitzki. They are older than the top three, but maybe they could also help Rose get ring.

What are your thoughts?

According to Hoopsworld, Sam Smith and KC Johnson, the Bulls didn’t promise to draft BJ Mullens. Of course this could be a way to keep the expectation until the draft day, but the articles have some valuable points.

The Bulls do have eyes for Mullens at #16, but so do the Phoenix Suns who at #14 could grab B.J. Typically when a "promise " is made the player shuts down workouts, but in Mullens case he's got workouts scheduled for the balance of the week.

 

Hoopsworld

 Sam Smith

I have done substantial research on this and can assure everyone this is not true in any way: That the Bulls have made a guarantee to Mullens. This is not to say the Bulls will not select Mullens.

KC Johnson guarantee

Tweet this: Ohio State center B.J. Mullens told Charlotte reporters after his Monday workout for the Bobcats that the Pistons and Bulls have expressed the most interest in him. This comes on the heels of Mullens allegedly posting on Twitter that the Bulls promised him they would pick him at No. 16.

Though the Bulls have worked out Mullens, no such promise has been made.

[From the FanPosts - brings up an interesting question about team building.  Personally, I think while D-Wade is the better player of the two, Bosh makes a bigger upgrade to the team at his position.  Of course, in all likelihood neither will actually come available, but it gives us something to discuss today.

As a side note, all this new access feels really weird, like I'm a 16-year-old again sneaking out to "borrow" the car after my parents are in bed.  So bull83, my apologies in advance if I wreck your fanpost while driving solo for the first time.  -wjb]

I was reading Sam Smith's column on Bulls.com and he raised an interesting question: what should the Bulls this offseason? Getting Wade or Bosh? Keep the same team and wait for 2010?

In my opinion, I still think we should pursue Bosh instead of Wade right now if he becomes available. We need a inside scorer and Bosh can give us that. What would be need it to make the deal is another story. Besides, I think Rose is too much similar to Wade. He needs someone like Ben on his side, someone who can stand near the 3 point line and hit some 3. What do you guys think?

First of all: I prefer winning games than playing well. We just need to win to reach the playoffs, not playing good. But since we have a positive record (9-8) after the trade that got us Salmons and Miller, does that mean we are playing better than before? I came up with this question because I have the feeling that not everything got better. And my suspicious became true when I started to make some equations.

If I recall, the trade with Sacramento happened on January 18th, the day we played at Milwaukee. So, I didn't included that game on the equations - because Noce and Gooden did not played -, neither the Denver game, since the new guys only played after that one, in Indiana.

Now, before we got Salmons and Miller - the others don't really count and Tim Thomas was injured for a few games -, we averaged 100,26 points and conceded near 102,06 per game, in 53 games. Since the one in Indiana, played on January 22nd, we averaged 103,24 points and allowed the opponent to score 103,29 per game, in 17 games.

Conclusions

We got fire power with the trade and are averaging almost 2,98 points more than before. Nothing strange there, since Salmons exceed our expectations and we new Miller could score. But, as strange as it may seem - since we all kept criticizing Noc and Gooden for not playing D -, our defense is worst (1,23 points worst). I know that most of the fault lies in Vinny, because he doesn't seem to have any strategy to stop the opponents. But what do you guys think?

Are we playing worst than before? Better? Or just winning games?