OT: Flip calls Kirk the 'glue guy'

[clancy]

Good for Kirk, I've always been in the belief that a change of scenery might help him better than being the Bulls ambassador.

I wouldn't be surprised though if we tried to bring him back at the end of his contract, and he'll probably be apart of the organization when he's done playing.

He may not want to come back after tasting life in another organization....

[Red Larrivee]

He may not want to come back after tasting life in another organization....

I'm sure the Wizards will be a life changing experience, but post-trade, Kirk didn't seem too pleased about not being a Bull.

We long debated whether Kirk himself wanted out of Chicago, after Rose took his spot. But really Kirk just wanted to be a Bull, in any respectable form.

[DRoseNation1]

Korver alone makes it all better
and I remember from somewhere that Kirk's dream as a kid was being a bull. so yeah he might have been pissed/frustrated when he got traded.

[clancy]

He may not want to come back after tasting life in another organization....

I'm sure the Wizards will be a life changing experience, but post-trade, Kirk didn't seem too pleased about not being a Bull.

We long debated whether Kirk himself wanted out of Chicago, after Rose took his spot. But really Kirk just wanted to be a Bull, in any respectable form.

True, but Kirk had never been anything else. And it's not like his only choices would be Washington or Chicago. You never can tell with him, the way he gives interviews - I agree he wasn't thrilled about it when the trade happened, but he seems OK with it now.

At least he got a free iPad out of it.

[The Evidence]

I'm sure the Bulls will hold up just fine without that particular glue guy.

[Trm3]

We'll bring him back in 2 years..

[boogydown]

We could bring back Kirk in 2012 but he'd have to make significant less.

Rose - 10
Noah - 11
Deng - 12
Boozer - 15

We'll have around 48 million there. The cap which I expect to be a soft cap will be set around 70 is my belief.

That means we'll have 22 million to spend on 8 players. Assuming we draft 3 rookies

Bobcats Pick - 1.5
Bulls 11 Pick - 1
Bulls 12 Pick - 800k
Gibson - 2
Asik 2.5

We now are down to 14.5 million for 3 players. I'd say we keep one of Korver/Brewer/Watson which will be around 4 or 5 million. Now we have around 10 million for 2 years with increasing contracts in Deng, Boozer, Noah, and Rose so if we add someone we're likely going to have to get rid of one of Gibson/Asik as well.

We're not going to have much to spend and I think the best way to go here is signing someone next offseason.

We're definitely going to be on a tight budget in the future, and can't sign anyone to a long term deal which I think someone else could offer Hinrich.

[Benedict Miller]

Flip calls Kirk the glue guy.... *shrugs*

[dougthonus]

At the end of the day, the Bulls are real close to the cap right now. The trade of Hinrich and that pick freed up roughly $10M of capspace. You can pick any combinations of additions from this summer that add up to $10M and say that's what trading Hinrich got you.

Conversely, you could also just find $9M in salary on the roster in additions and say, I would rather have Hinrich than these guys. For example, Brewer, Watson and Bogans.

Personally, I think that if Brewer is healthy, he will be a Kirk replacement. Better in some areas, worse in others but roughly fills the same role with the same skill. Since Hinrich makes double what Brewer does, I think it was a good exchange.

In retrospect, I think a near perfect off-season knowing the big 3 were going to Miami, would have been something like:
Boozer + Korver + Asik while keeping Hinrich and our draft pick.

We then could have still bid on Ronnie Brewer or Anthony Morrow with the money left, possibly throwing in our draft pick or James Johnson to free up salary, and instead of signing Bogans/Thomas, we'd sign guys to the minimum.

Roster:
Rose, Boozer, Noah, Deng, Korver as starters
Hinrich, Gibson, Johnson, Asik, draft pick off the bench with a couple million to add one more guy (possibly brewer or morrow still if we'd trade jj, or bogans as a worst case)

That team has a versatile quality starting lineup, and good players on the bench to cover all positions.

[cot2]

Looks like Kirk will start over Areanas

And play he will. During Tuesday's shoot-around in Dallas, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders said that if the season began today, he'd start Hinrich as off-guard to John Wall, and Arenas would be coming off the bench.

"He's helped me a lot," Wall said after dishing out nine assists in his first official NBA action. "He's a smart defensive guy, and I think he helped Derrick a lot. He's also smart offensively, though. He's only got one or zero turnovers every night. So there's a lot you can learn from him."

Hinrich knows that, on top of showing Wall the ropes at point guard, he's got a bit of an obligation to show the rest of this young team what it takes to get to the post-season.

[SpinninHouse]

I don't miss him. 8 million and you couldn't hit an open 3-pt for the life of him. He played solid defense, but that ain't worth his contract. I liked the guy, but we wouldn't have the money to sign Boozer, Deng, Rose, Noah is we had kept him, and I'd rather have those 4 players.

THIS. Watching Hinrich was so frustrating. If he were a bench guy making $2.5M a year, he'd be great. But he never developed a consistent perimeter shot and it was extremely aggrevating.

[MrFortune3]

i didn't like losing the first rounder because they could have traded up and gotten Henry or waited and got Anderson or a Bradley type. but to move his salary was worth the risk.
if they hadn't then everyone would have demonized them for being cheap and stupid to not chase the FA's.

[dice]

I don't miss him. 8 million and you couldn't hit an open 3-pt for the life of him. He played solid defense, but that ain't worth his contract. I liked the guy, but we wouldn't have the money to sign Boozer, Deng, Rose, Noah is we had kept him, and I'd rather have those 4 players.

THIS. Watching Hinrich was so frustrating. If he were a bench guy making $2.5M a year, he'd be great. But he never developed a consistent perimeter shot and it was extremely aggrevating.

i dunno guys. 38% career taking over 4 per game. aren't those the kind of numbers people are eagerly hoping for from deng

[kyrv]

I don't miss him. 8 million and you couldn't hit an open 3-pt for the life of him. He played solid defense, but that ain't worth his contract. I liked the guy, but we wouldn't have the money to sign Boozer, Deng, Rose, Noah is we had kept him, and I'd rather have those 4 players.

THIS. Watching Hinrich was so frustrating. If he were a bench guy making $2.5M a year, he'd be great. But he never developed a consistent perimeter shot and it was extremely aggrevating.

i dunno guys. 38% career taking over 4 per game. aren't those the kind of numbers people are eagerly hoping for from deng

You are correct sir.

[kyrv]

Good for Kirk, I've always been in the belief that a change of scenery might help him better than being the Bulls ambassador.

I wouldn't be surprised though if we tried to bring him back at the end of his contract, and he'll probably be apart of the organization when he's done playing.

I thought maybe Washington would buy him out and he would come back. Agreed on all of your points.