Bulls Might Now Be More Likely To Trade Luol Deng

[Rerisen]

Rerisen I agree they're on the same level. I'd take Deng over Iggy on the Bulls because he's younger, I think a little less reliant on athleticism which should decrease a bit for both of them, and because he's a long time Bull. There are plenty of teams I'd prefer Iggy on.

I personally don't really care what we pay Deng - it's more a binary thing than a scalar thing. I don't think paying him say 14 million next year vs 12 is going to change the team we put on the floor.

If money was no object, I'd agree. But I know that its not academic to the FO. And especially into the lux tax each dollar counts against you double or multiple times.

Deng is 2 years younger, at the same time, he has missed a lot more games than Iggy, who was near an ironman earlier in his career and played 80 games 5 out of the last 8 years. Deng has missed all or significant portions of 3 playoffs runs out of 8 the team has been in since he's been here.

I think you have to figure likelihood of injury based on history into any contract.

[League Circles]

Bulls can pay Deng like 14-16 mil next year, while resigning Kirk to like 2 million, a BAE player for like 2 million, Mirotic at 5 million on the MLE, our number one pick plus the Charlotte pick, and have this team:

PG: Rose, Kirk, Teague
SG: Butler, Snell, #1 pick
SF: Deng, MDJ
PF: Mirotic, Taj
C: Noah, BAE, #1 pick

and completely avoid the luxury tax!!!

Think about that. Upgrade from Boozer to Mirotic, add two mid first round picks in a great draft, and add a BAE player to upgrade from Nazr, and not pay any tax. That would be so sweet. It would allow us to do something like max decreases to Deng's deal so it is more tradeable and manageable year by year.

[greenl]

I'd take Parsons and Chandler over Deng. Probably Green right now as well. Kawhi IMO is better as well.

Disagree- I would maybe bite on Kawhi Leonard- but no way on Chandler or Parsons. But- to each their own.

Deng is a really good player- is he the ideal fit next to Rose (assuming you still want to build around Rose- which is a topic for another thread). It depends on what you have around him. If it's Boozer and Butler? Maybe not. Lu's not a great ball handler- nor is he a great deep shooter. Butler is somewhat redundant and Boozer is a mid range shooter pretty much exclusively. If it's Mirotic (stretch 4) and Snell (secondary ball handler and deep threat)- with Butler as the super sub- maybe Deng begins to look a lot better- as he is no longer the secondary ball handler- and the floor is now more evenly spaced by Mirotic and Snell (yes- I'm putting a lot of confidence in Snell).

[KwaZulu]

Bulls should try to package Boozer with Deng.

[DJhitek]

Bulls can pay Deng like 14-16 mil next year, while resigning Kirk to like 2 million, a BAE player for like 2 million, Mirotic at 5 million on the MLE, our number one pick plus the Charlotte pick, and have this team:

PG: Rose, Kirk, Teague
SG: Butler, Snell, #1 pick
SF: Deng, MDJ
PF: Mirotic, Taj
C: Noah, BAE, #1 pick

and completely avoid the luxury tax!!!

Think about that. Upgrade from Boozer to Mirotic, add two mid first round picks in a great draft, and add a BAE player to upgrade from Nazr, and not pay any tax. That would be so sweet. It would allow us to do something like max decreases to Deng's deal so it is more tradeable and manageable year by year.

I mean, I like the fact we have this kid Mirotic but to call him an upgrade over Boozer is kinda nuts isn't it? He hasn't played a single NBA minute yet.

[League Circles]

Bulls should try to package Boozer with Deng.

Honestly though in some ways sad for both teams, I think both would have to look strongly at this deal which works:

Bulls trade:

Boozer
Deng
Teague

Lakers trade:
Gasol
Blake
Meeks

[League Circles]

I mean, I like the fact we have this kid Mirotic but to call him an upgrade over Boozer is kinda nuts isn't it? He hasn't played a single NBA minute yet.

Well you always have to project when a player changes teams and of course when he enters the league. But I think most people project Mirotic as an upgrade over Boozer. He's the equivalent of a top 5 draft pick in a strong draft. He has much more length, range, and quickness than Boozer, is a young MVP in a top foreign league, and will play better defense. It's far from a sure thing, but I think if you have to project which one will be better, it's definitely Mirotic.

[Payt10]

Bulls should try to package Boozer with Deng.

Honestly though in some ways sad for both teams, I think both would have to look strongly at this deal which works:

Bulls trade:

Boozer
Deng
Teague

Lakers trade:
Gasol
Blake
Meeks

Ick.. We don't get a single asset coming back in that deal besides expiring contracts. We already could just amnesty Boozer and let Deng walk as is. I don't understand the point of that trade.

[Flopper]

I agree with Kawhi Leonard definitely being the better SF and the gap will only widen as the season progresses. There's also Batum and Afflalo (playing the 3 in ORL) who are both excellent two-way players that you could make an argument for as well. Both have better handles and shoot the three much better than Luol, which could make them more valuable depending on the team situation.

[KwaZulu]

I'm surprised Houston isn't looking at Boozer as a good (though expensive) complement to Howard. Boozer would help both Howard and Harden.

[League Circles]

Ick.. We don't get a single asset coming back in that deal besides expiring contracts. We already could just amnesty Boozer and let Deng walk as is. I don't understand the point of that trade.

That's fair. I forgot to add that I think they should send us their pick. The real benefit is that Gasol could be resigned with bird rights and he's probably worth a substantial deal still IMO. He'd probably be our best big man. He can play C unlike Boozer, and of course PF. Also, from a realistic standpoint, getting rid of having to amnesty Boozer means more money to sign other players. Not in terms of cap space, not, but in terms of actual money spent which I'd guess is a consideration for the organization.

I mean, if Deng is going to be gone anyway, and frankly both Taj and Mirotic are likely to be better than Boozer next year, then having Gasol's bird rights and a pick and getting rid of Teague's deal is pretty good.

[AAU Teammate]

I'm surprised Houston isn't looking at Boozer as a good (though expensive) complement to Howard. Boozer would help both Howard and Harden.

They prize scoring from three or up close. Harden is perfect for them. Boozer is not. Considering he's a PF and can't do the latter super-well (and of course the former he doesnt do, period).

Maybe he'd diversify their offense some...but they love spacing (which boozer wont provide)..........and I'm thinking they are more worried about defense right now than jumpshooters coming in taking shots away from the other guys they have

[Rerisen]

I mean, I like the fact we have this kid Mirotic but to call him an upgrade over Boozer is kinda nuts isn't it? He hasn't played a single NBA minute yet.

It's maybe a big assumption, a reach, but I don't know about 'nuts'.

Boozer is soooo bad on defense, we lost the last game largely on how much Cleveland kept running plays at him successfully (and also Bynum). Not only is he unable to play PnR defense at all, but even 1v1, Boozer is a lead statue, and cannot ever close space to contest. Especially when he gets switched on defense, or is supposed to cover with help, he always gives the guy wide open room to shoot, which boosts jumper percentages obscenely.

This could all be lived with when Boozer was feasting inside on easy buckets, and attacking inside upwards of .600 TS%. He was lighting them up right back.

But since Rose went down, that is all gone. His efficiency has been tanking, is about to cross below league average again, and the 'read and react' looks dead as far as getting him better looks. He is playing just like last year now, where he was pretty much a volume chucker offensively as far as efficiency. That doesn't really help your offense other than to help float it at maybe around 25th, which is of course still near bottom of the league.

[KwaZulu]

I was thinking more along the lines of replacing Asik. Boozer is also a good passer and will help set Howard up a lot more than Asik can

[DJhitek]

I mean, I like the fact we have this kid Mirotic but to call him an upgrade over Boozer is kinda nuts isn't it? He hasn't played a single NBA minute yet.

It's maybe a big assumption, a reach, but I don't know about 'nuts'.

Boozer is soooo bad on defense, we lost the last game largely on how much Cleveland kept running plays at him successfully (and also Bynum). Not only is he unable to play PnR defense at all, but even 1v1, Boozer is a lead statue, and cannot ever close space to contest. Especially when he gets switched on defense, or is supposed to cover with help, he always gives the guy wide open room to shoot, which boosts jumper percentages obscenely.

This could all be lived with when Boozer was feasting inside on easy buckets, and attacking inside upwards of .600 TS%. He was lighting them up right back.

But since Rose went down, that is all gone. His efficiency has been tanking, is about to cross below league average again, and the 'read and react' looks dead as far as getting him better looks. He is playing just like last year now, where he was pretty much a volume chucker offensively as far as efficiency. That doesn't really help your offense other than to help float it at maybe around 25th, which is of course still near bottom of the league.

Boozer has his flaws, but again, I repeat….Mirotic hasn't played a single minute of even summer league ball.

To say he would be an upgrade over a player like Boozer is very presumptuous, assuming he is even better than Boozer defensively to begin with. We all know how rookies struggle with defense and the simpler concepts. I read that comment and was struck back by the ease at which is was made. We don't know who Mirotic is and we won't know until he comes over.

[wonderboy2]

Bulls can pay Deng like 14-16 mil next year, while resigning Kirk to like 2 million, a BAE player for like 2 million, Mirotic at 5 million on the MLE, our number one pick plus the Charlotte pick, and have this team:

PG: Rose, Kirk, Teague
SG: Butler, Snell, #1 pick
SF: Deng, MDJ
PF: Mirotic, Taj
C: Noah, BAE, #1 pick

and completely avoid the luxury tax!!!

Think about that. Upgrade from Boozer to Mirotic, add two mid first round picks in a great draft, and add a BAE player to upgrade from Nazr, and not pay any tax. That would be so sweet. It would allow us to do something like max decreases to Deng's deal so it is more tradeable and manageable year by year.

I approve this message.

[Jimako10]

Bulls can pay Deng like 14-16 mil next year, while resigning Kirk to like 2 million, a BAE player for like 2 million, Mirotic at 5 million on the MLE, our number one pick plus the Charlotte pick, and have this team:

PG: Rose, Kirk, Teague
SG: Butler, Snell, #1 pick
SF: Deng, MDJ
PF: Mirotic, Taj
C: Noah, BAE, #1 pick

and completely avoid the luxury tax!!!

Think about that. Upgrade from Boozer to Mirotic, add two mid first round picks in a great draft, and add a BAE player to upgrade from Nazr, and not pay any tax. That would be so sweet. It would allow us to do something like max decreases to Deng's deal so it is more tradeable and manageable year by year.

I mean, I like the fact we have this kid Mirotic but to call him an upgrade over Boozer is kinda nuts isn't it? He hasn't played a single NBA minute yet.

I would normally agree with this but it's more like Taj is replacing Boozer and Mirotic is replacing Taj, at least for the 1st year.

[wonderboy2]

I agree with Kawhi Leonard definitely being the better SF and the gap will only widen as the season progresses. There's also Batum and Afflalo (playing the 3 in ORL) who are both excellent two-way players that you could make an argument for as well. Both have better handles and shoot the three much better than Luol, which could make them more valuable depending on the team situation.

Only thing lenoard has on deng right now is potential and being younger and more athletic which doesnt make him a better basketball player. Lenoard at this point in his career have not done anything better deng. Teams arent game planning for lenoard yet.When duncan retires leanord is going to have to pick up his scoring. When Butler is at his best Leanoard and butler are the same level player.

[DJhitek]

Bulls can pay Deng like 14-16 mil next year, while resigning Kirk to like 2 million, a BAE player for like 2 million, Mirotic at 5 million on the MLE, our number one pick plus the Charlotte pick, and have this team:

PG: Rose, Kirk, Teague
SG: Butler, Snell, #1 pick
SF: Deng, MDJ
PF: Mirotic, Taj
C: Noah, BAE, #1 pick

and completely avoid the luxury tax!!!

Think about that. Upgrade from Boozer to Mirotic, add two mid first round picks in a great draft, and add a BAE player to upgrade from Nazr, and not pay any tax. That would be so sweet. It would allow us to do something like max decreases to Deng's deal so it is more tradeable and manageable year by year.

I mean, I like the fact we have this kid Mirotic but to call him an upgrade over Boozer is kinda nuts isn't it? He hasn't played a single NBA minute yet.

I would normally agree with this but it's more like Taj is replacing Boozer and Mirotic is replacing Taj, at least for the 1st year.

While I don't completely agree, that statement holds more water to me. Taj needs to prove himself as a starting caliber player but I think he does have that talent and skillset.

BTW, I like Taj, but his shooting numbers seem like an outlier to me. But he is playing well this season.

[League Circles]

I mean, I like the fact we have this kid Mirotic but to call him an upgrade over Boozer is kinda nuts isn't it? He hasn't played a single NBA minute yet.

So, just to be clear, if you had to bet on how could help the Bulls win more next year between Mirotic and Boozer, you'd say Boozer right?

IMO, it could easily be either player, but if I had to choose, and the Bulls probably will have to choose, I'd take Mirotic. And I think the Bulls likely are going to also.