With the development of the Internet and social media, information has become much easier to access today. Sports information, too, is no different. When you hear rumors of your favorite team being in the mix for a trade that could result in a top five pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, one would naturally become excited.
As cited by ESPN and several other columnists,
the Chicago Bulls are flirting with the idea of trading their All-Star small forward,
Luol Deng, to the Washington Wizards for their third overall pick. With rumors
of Cleveland being interested in Maryland center Alex Len, and Orlando flirting
with the idea of trading out of the number two slot, this would create an interesting
situation for a team that fell to the Miami Heat in the Semi-Finals of the
Eastern Conference playoffs.
Before I dive into the analysis of this
potential trade, I must say this: Luol Deng has been a great player for the
Bulls and I would hate to see him go. When on the court, he’s proven to be an
All-Star player and workhorse for the club, leading the league in minutes the
past two seasons. Along with averaging 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds, Deng
provides tenacity on defense that has helped the Bulls stay near the top of the
conference without the presence of the franchise player, Derrick Rose.
The thing about Deng
that makes him potential trade bait, though, is the question of his durability
and age, especially after missing the entire Semi-Finals after complications
from a spinal tap. Deng has always been the type of player to battle through
injuries but by getting near the age 30 mark, one must question how his health
will respond as he becomes older.
Compounding the
situation was the tough play of second year man, Jimmy Butler, in his absence.
Butler brings a similar tenacity on defense, which became noticeable in this
year’s playoff run. The 6’7’, 220 pound Butler also brings younger legs and
better athleticism to the floor, while having similar size as Deng, though
being two inches shorter.
When placed in
perspective, the organization must consider what to do: either lose a young
Butler, who has more upside, or hang on to an older, proven Deng. With no talks
of a possible extension for Deng’s contract, a trade seems viable for the
franchise. If the Bulls decide to follow through with this, the franchise can
bring more youth and athleticism to the squad, as well as a player that could
help the team immediately.
Butler’s versatility enables him to play both
the two and the three would make a pick like Victor Oladipo from Indiana
University a splash pick. Oladipo brings another level of explosiveness with
his high flying dunks to go with the likes of Nate Robinson. Likewise, Oladipo
is a strong defender, commenting in a pre-draft interview with Jalen Rose that
“playing defense is fun to me,” and would fit well in Bulls coach Tom
Thibodeau’s scheme.
Another viable option
could be Ben McLemore from Kansas. McLemore brings a better outside shot than
Oladipo, thus projects better as a scorer but is not as good of a defender as
Oladipo. A big man, too, could be a good option for a team who lost big man
depth after the departure of Omer Asik to the Houston Rockets after the
2011-2012 season. Though, they signed Nazr Mohammed to replace Asik, Muhammad
does not project well for the future of the Bulls as he will be entering his 15th
season in 2013.
Nerlens Noel may be sitting in the green room
at pick three, but one must consider how he will respond after tearing his ACL
in February. Getting younger, more talented players is always on the mind of
franchises, but when considering a trade that involves an all-star player for
an unproven rookie, one must think the process out thoroughly. Regardless of
what the Bulls decide to do with Deng and the draft, it will once again be an
exciting season in Chicago and expectations will be high.
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