After Derrick Rose’s terrible knee injury and the early exit in this year’s playoffs, Chicago management seems to be looking to shake things up a bit. The Celtics and Rockets are interested in backup center Omer Asik, and now rumors are flying about the possibility of dealing starting small forward Luol Deng.
Reportedly, the Bulls are looking for a high draft pick in this year’s very deep draft in exchange for Deng, who is considered by many to be the team’s second best player behind Rose. The prime motivation behind this seems to be Deng’s massive salary next year; he is scheduled to make $13 million. He is a nice player on both ends of the floor, but he can not carry the team without Rose on the bench, and is probably not worth the money.
Someone like North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes is someone who could produce next season for the Bulls, and at a much lower salary in comparison to Deng. It could also infuse some youth into the starting lineup, which is never a bad thing.
The Golden State Warriors have the number 7 pick and have been rumored have heavy interest in forwards Andre Iguodala and Rudy Gay. Iguodala, Gay, and Deng are very similar players, so it is very possible that the Warriors would be willing to deal their number 7 pick in exchange for Deng.
This could be a trade that could save money for the Bulls while not losing a ton of production, if someone like Barnes can be drafted with the pick that they would receive. It would also free up money to sign an additional quality free agent or two to complete their roster.
This should get very interesting on draft night. This will show us if Bulls management truly believes Deng is worth the money, and if they have confidence that they can win a title with him as Rose’s sidekick.
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June 21, 2012
