The 2009-2010 NBA season is quickly approaching. Therefore, here are five bold, specific, quick hit predictions for the 2009-2010 NBA season.

1. The San Antonio Spurs defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA Finals behind a 17 rebound performance by Dejuan Blair. Tim Duncan wins the Finals MVP, while Manu Ginobili hobbles his wa through the Finals, retiring at their conclusion.
2. Brook Lopez makes his first Allstar game appearance and emerges as the top player from the 2008 Draft Class.
3. All four of the conference semi-final matchups (Cleveland vs. Detroit, Boston vs. Orlando, LA Lakers vs. Portland, and San Antonio vs. Dallas) will be epic playoff series.
4. Ben Gordon takes over the starting shooting guard spot from Richard Hamilton in November. At that point, Joe Dumars simultaneously trades Richard Hamilton for a center (it will be either Chris Kaman or Andrew Bogut). The Pistons combine one of the top producing back courts in the NBA with good interior defense to claim the fourth seed in the East. Ben Gordon has a better season than Derrick Rose and makes his first Allstar game. Gordon goes on to knock the Miami Heat out of the playoffs in Game 6 on a buzzer beating leaner along the baseline. The Pistons give the Cavs a hard fought series in the second round before being eliminated in six games.
5. Michael Beasley puts it all together as the Heat win around 46 games. Miami becomes the clear cut top free agent destination. Dwyane Wade re-signs with the Heat on the first day of free agency. The Heat also sign Lebron James or Chris Bosh on the first day of free agency.

Back during the 2003 NBA draft, John Paxson pegged an exciting guard coming from Marquette, who was fresh out of the Final Four as a potential star. The Heat were supposed to take Kirk Hinrich or Chris Kaman, and Dwyane Wade was to fall to the Bulls at seventh in the draft. Pat Riley, who kept his cards close to his vest, upset the Bulls draft plans by taking Wade with the fifth overall pick. The decision was a great one, and Miami has already ridden their superstar to a championship.

This summer, the Bulls will again have to beware of Pat Riley. The Heat seem sure to be interested in the Bulls’ unrestrictred free agent guard, Ben Gordon. This past summer, the Heat agreed to send Shawn Marion’s expiring contract to Chicago in exchange for Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni’s longterm deal, but the Bulls wisely declined. This summer, the Bulls will have to watch out for Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade recruiting Gordon to become a part of the Heat.

Because of Miami’s lack of state income tax, the Heat can stay competitive with the Bulls up to an $8 million per a year offer from the Bulls. Where does that leave the Bulls minimum offer at? Pretty much the $54 million over 6 year offer that the Bulls offered to Gordon last year.

Miami is a situation that makes a lot of sense for Gordon. He would get to be a starter, and get to play with one of the best players in the game, in Dwyane Wade. For the first time in his career, Gordon will be a second thought for the opposing defense, which should really free him up for some open shots. When Ben Gordon is wide open, he is deadly. Him and Wade could be a dynamic duo, who along with Michael Beasley, could compete for championships for years to come.

This past September, Dwyane Wade seemingly telepathed to Gordon that he should take the Bulls qualifying offer, when talking to the Chicago Suntimes Carol Slezak.

“He’s in a tough situation. Ben is a very good player. He’s taken a lot of knocks from people saying he’s not tall enough or he doesn’t play good defense. But scoring-wise he’s one of the best in the game.

“I think a player like him just has to understand that you have to do what you feel is right. Whatever you feel in your heart, you’ve got to go with it. You can’t do nothing that you don’t want to do, because you’re not going to give it your all. So he wants to make [Chicago] his home, do it. If not, wait it out.

“I don’t think he should go to Europe. I don’t think he’s at the Europe stage. He’s just such a good player. There are a lot of teams in the states that would love to have him. I just think he needs to be patient. But he could hop and go for it, and continue to start a trend that’s happening over there.

“His game is what his game is. Ben will score. He’s a great offensive scorer, a great catch-and-shoot player. That’s not going to change. As long as there’s a basketball and a rim, he’s going to be able to do the same thing.

Letting Ben Gordon slip away to the Miami Heat would be a double edged sword. Not only would the Bulls be losing their best player, but he would also be going to a conference rival. With a core of Dwyane Wade, Ben Gordon, and Michael Beasley, and the ability to still sign a 2010 free agent, the Heat would be a major obstacle for the Bulls in the playoffs every year.

How can the Bulls avoid this doomsday scenario? By coming out with an aggressive offer. Re-offering the $54 million offer that the Bulls pulled off the table and wouldn’t let Ben sign would be a minimum. A $60 million offer would greatly improve the Bulls chances.

Here is a scenario that is likely to play out. Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, and Micky Arison will fly out to meet with Gordon. Pat Riley will begin by talking about what a special player Gordon is. The Heat will probably put some type of option in Gordon’s contract, and will talk about how they can pay him more money when they acquire his bird rights. Dwyane Wade will then appeal to Gordon as a potential teammate, and talk up how he thinks him and Gordon will be a great duo who could win a championship together. The Bulls best defense to this plan of attack by the Heat? Giving Ben Gordon a fair contract offer.

Tech N9ne updated his site today, talking about a potential trade of Larry Hughes to the Wizards and Kirk Hinrich to the Clippers for Chris Kaman.

Don’t think the Bulls are done trading though. The team is still likely to make one or possible two more moves before the deadline tomorrow. It’s well documented that the Bulls could trade Kirk Hinrich to Minnesota for Rashad McCants and Jason Collins, and that Larry Hughes could be dealt to Washington for Etan Thomas and Mike James. However, the Bulls are still seeking to find better value for both.

The Bulls are trying to decide if they should trade Hinrich for expiring contracts to dump salary, or to get something equal or better in return. The Clippers and Bulls are discussing a trade that would send Chris Kaman and Mike Taylor to the Bulls for Hinrich. However, the Bulls are worried that Kaman would over clutter the front court, and they’re not sure if they want to take his big salary back.

As Larry Hughes, consider him being gone as an automatic. The 76ers are willing to trade Samuel Damelbert for Hughes, but the Bulls aren’t interested. If the Bulls cant find a better deal for Hughes, look for the trade sending him back to the Wizards to go down for sure.

In the Chicago Tribune, K.C. Johnson confirmed that the Bulls turned down a potential trade with the Timberwolves that would send Kirk Hinrich there in exchange for Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal.

Chris Kaman or cap relief in exchange for Kirk Hinrich? That’s a tough one. Kaman when healthy can be a really good center. He averaged 15.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 2.8 BPG last year for the Clippers. But he is often injured, and has a big contract that could be ugly if he continues to sustain injuries. Now that we have Brad Miller, I would rather do the Timberwolves deal, as that would give us a path to becoming players in 2010 free agency, while giving us a little more time to see if there is anything there with Thomas and Noah.

K.C. Johnson mentioned in passing that Paxson pulled Hinrich aside to tell him about trade talks regarding him and Portland. The trade with Portland would presumably be for Raef Lafrentz’s super expiring contract.

The Wizards trade for Hughes isn’t too exciting, but getting rid of Hughes for two contracts that end at the same time, but who won’t whine has to be looked at as a plus for the Bulls. Hopefully the Knicks trade talks heat up again, as that would give the Bulls some salary flexibility for this summer.

There is still a chance that the Bulls can work out a three way trade for Amare Stoudemire or Chris Bosh, using Minnesota or Portland to facilitate it. The odds of the Bulls landing Stoudemire or Chris Bosh going into the day of the trade deadline look slim to none.

The Bulls might want to take another look at Tyson Chandler, who is back on the block after the Thunder rescinded their trade for him.

It looks like the Bulls will have a busy day tomorrow.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Chicago Bulls have exchanged trade proposals, one of which includes a three way trade that would net the Bulls Amare Stoudemire.

The Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves have been exchanging trade proposals that include a possible three-way deal with the Suns that would send Stoudemire to the Bulls, a Western Conference executive said Tuesday night.

So far, nothing that the Bulls and Wolves have brainstormed has brought the Suns closer to moving Stoudemire. Nevertheless, one proposed deal would send Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas to Phoenix, along with the expiring contracts of Chicago’s Drew Gooden and Minnesota’s Jason Collins. Minnesota would receive the player it covets – Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich – and Bulls guard Thabo Sefolosha.

That three-way scenario remains improbable, but there are several possibilities between Chicago and Minnesota that are alive. The Bulls want expiring contracts and draft picks to dump Hinrich and forward Andres Nocioni. Chicago has shopped them separately to several teams, but sources say Minnesota has no interest in Nocioni.

The Bulls have also had discussions with the Los Angeles Clippers regarding center Chris Kaman, one Western Conference executive said.

The Amare Stoudemire, three way trade scenario is the one that all Bulls fans want. Bringing in Stoudemire while dumping Kirk Hinrich’s contract would be great. Is it a probable scenario? We will just have to wait until Thursday.

Ignoring Amare Stoudemire for a moment, what trades could the Bulls work out involving just the Timberwolves? Trade talks would certainly circle around Jason Collin’s big expiring contract and obviously, Kirk Hinrich and Thabo Sefolosha. The Timberwolves have an assortment of players on one and two year contracts that they could mix and match with the Bulls to make a trade that doesn’t oush the Bulls over the luxury tax.

What’s this trade do for the Bulls? It rids them of Kirk Hinrich’s long term contract, allowing them to potentially become players in 2010 free agency. It allows them to re-sign Ben Gordon this summer, while remaining comfortably under the luxury tax threshold.

The Chris Kaman talks are somewhat intriguing. Kaman is a good player, but he’s not Amare Stoudemire, he’s not Chris Bosh, and he’s not Carlos Boozer. Landing Kaman after those three names were mentioned as possibilities would be underwhelming, but could be a good trade depending on what we have to give up to get him. If Tech N9ne’s information is correct, then it would take Drew Gooden and Tyrus Thomas to land Kaman. That’s too much. Drew Gooden and Joakim Noah? That price sounds just right.

Bulls fans right now have given up all hope on Amare Stoudemire, and this is misguided. This is not to say that the Bulls have a good chance of landing Stoudemire, but as chronicled earlier, Sarver’s financial mess will not just magically go away, and a Stoudemire trade to the Bulls could save him over $20 million over the next two years. There is still 38 hours until the trade deadline, and a lot can change in 38 hours in the world of NBA trade talks.

Update: 11:45 PM

The article originally had this included as well, but it was later removed.

However, sources say the Wolves and Bulls are discussing Hinrich and Sefolosha for Collins and Brian Cardinal. The Wolves are intrigued with Hinrich’s ability to play the point and off-guard and see him as a good complement to Randy Foye. Collins and Cardinal have shorter-term contracts that bring Chicago payroll relief.

If that is the proposed trade, then the Bulls would have to include either Michael Ruffin or Cedric Simmons to make a trade scenario with Minnesota that doesn’t push the Bulls into the luxury tax.

Update: 12:19 PM

The portion of the article regarding the potential Kirk Hinrich and Thabo Sefolosha for Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal has been added back into the article.

The NBA’s February 19th trade deadline is quickly approaching.  This season was supposed to be different than last season’s trainwreck, but with fifty games in the books, the Bulls sit at just 22-28.  Changes will need to be made to this roster, and the Bulls front office will have a chance to make some as the trade deadline approaches.

It is important to first look at the fundamental questions that face the Bulls as they come into the trade deadline.

Kirk Hinrich or Ben Gordon?

This is probably the fundamental question posed to the Bulls’ front office as the deadline approaches.  The time for the Bulls to finally choose between Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon is now upon us.  This argument has been one discussed over and over again.  In the past, it was nothing more than player factions squabbling as the two played different positions.  Now this is a reality as the two players vie for some of the same minutes.

If the Bulls choose to do nothing to alleviate the guard glut they run the risk of losing Gordon in free agency this summer.  One of Gordon’s sticking points during contract negotiations with the Bulls this past summer was the guard glut.  Hinrich still being on the roster past the trade deadline will likely leave Gordon dismayed in regards to his place on the team.

The logical move would be to move Kirk Hinrich.  Hinrich plays the same position as Derrick Rose, the franchise player, and is a less than stellar shooting guard.  Gordon on the other hand is a shooting guard and one of the best shooters in the NBA.  A good shooter is presumably what the Bulls will want to put next to Derrick Rose long term.  However, the Bulls front office really likes Hinrich and would like to keep Hinrich around as insurance, in case Gordon were to bolt in free agency this summer.  While Hinrich’s name has popped up in some trade rumors, it still seems as if the Bulls are disinclined to trading Hinrich at the deadline.

Whether to pursue 2010 free agency?

This is the big question that the entire league is facing.  For the Bulls to make 2010 a possibility, they will need to either let Ben Gordon walk in free agency this summer or move Kirk Hinrich or Andres Nocioni for a contract that expires before 2010.  Pursuing 2010 free agency in this manner would most likely mean the end of Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha as Bulls, as their free agent amounts will eat up too much of the Bulls cap space.

Who fits with Derrick Rose?

Back in December, when John Paxson went on Waddle and Silvy to discuss the Bulls’ start season, Ben Gordon was the single player that Paxson mentioned as having learned how to play with Derrick Rose.  This can be seen by Gordon sacrificing much of his one on one game as of late, and playing more within the offense rather than being the offense.  Gordon is a natural fit next to Derrick Rose with his shooting ability and his ability to get out and run on the fastbreak.

Luol Deng at the beginning of the season looked like he would be a tough fit with Derrick Rose.  But since coming back from his latest injury, Deng has been phenomenal, running the floor and being one of the Bulls top scoring options in half court sets.

Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah have looked like better fits recently as well.  They are starting to get out and run and Rose is beginning to find them for easy alley oops more often.

Kirk Hinrich is the one player that doesn’t seem to fit with Rose.  A lot of this has to do with Hinrich being a point guard, but being forced to play at a position that he’s not very good at when on the court with Rose.  Hinrich isn’t the type of player suited for a fast paced offense and often shows poor decision making during fastbreaks.

Who is unlikely to be traded?

Derrick Rose

Rose has been thrusted into the role as the Bulls’ franchise player.  The fans love him.  Rose is simply not going anywhere. It would take probably Lebron James or Dwight Howard to get the Bulls to part with Rose, and those guys will never be available in a trade.

Ben Gordon

Being on the qualifying offer has created a situation which almost guarantees that Gordon will not be traded at the deadline.  Per the terms of his contract, Gordon posesses a no trade clause, which means he can veto any trade that the Bulls agree to that involve him.  The problem with a trade for Gordon, is that he loses his bird rights if he is traded.  Bird rights are very valuable to NBA players, especially a player of Gordon’s caliber, who should draw interest from a few teams seeking a sign and trade.  Therefore, Gordon would likely veto any trade that the Bulls agree to, so there really isn’t any reason for the Bulls to even bring up Gordon’s name in trade talks.

Luol Deng

He is not completely untouchable.  If the Bulls can get a star big man in exchange for Deng, I could easily see them moving him.  But outside of those types of trades, Deng should be untouchable.  He is one of Reinsdorf’s favorites and he has been playing some really good basketball as of late.

Who are the Bulls actively shopping?

The Bulls are actively shopping Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden.  The Bulls have moved Larry Hughes to the inactive list and will move him if they can get a contract of the same or shorter length in exchange.

Drew Gooden’s contract expires after this season, which makes him a valuable asset to the rest of the league.

Early in the season, the Bulls were actively shopping Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, and Thabo Sefolosha.  With their improved play, it seems as if the Bulls are no longer shopping them.  That does not mean that they won’t be traded, but it does mean that the Bulls will not be trying to trade them for the sake of trading them.

Who could the Bulls potentially trade for?

Carlos Boozer

The Bulls could potentially trade for the Jazz’s Carlos Boozer.  In 12 games this season, Boozer has averaged 20.5 PPG and 11.7 RPG.  However, he has not suited up for the Jazz since November 20th.  With Boozer out most of the season, Paul Millsap has had a very solid season, averaging 15.3 PPG and 9.4 RPG.  The Jazz are becoming disillusioned with Boozer’s ability to stay healthy.  In his previous four seasons, Boozer has missed an average of 22 games per season.  In addition to that, Boozer has already missed 38 games this season.

Carlos Boozer is one of those high risk high reward players that the Bulls might be able to find on the trade market this year.  If he stays healthy, he is a great player, and improves the Bulls a lot.  But if he gets injured, he is just another bad contract that the Bulls will have to eat and with Boozer’s injury history, he is likely to get injured again.

I think it is probably a good idea for the Bulls to trade for Carlos Boozer.  He has a lot of talent and would make the Bulls a good team if he remains healthy.  It is similar to the Baron Davis situation from a few years ago.  No one wanted to touch Baron Davis, despite all his talent, because of his injury history.  The Warriors took a chance on him and it won them a playoff series and got them a 48 win season after that.  I would not trade Luol Deng for Carlos Boozer, but I would trade for Boozer using a package of Drew Gooden and one of our young bigs, and that might be all it takes to get Boozer.

Amare Stoudemire

According to a Yahoo! Sports report, the Suns have began exchanging trade proposals with other teams regarding Amare Stoudemire.  The Suns are looking to ship Stoudemire to the Eastern Conference according to the article.

This is the one rumor that Bulls fans should keep a special eye on.  The Bulls have the combination of an expiring contract and young talent that the Suns will be looking for.  In addition, if the Suns are set on trading Stoudemire, Steve Kerr probably won’t mind helping his old team out in the process.

This season, Stoudemire is averaging 21.0 PPG and 8.1 RPG.  This reduced production is mostly a result of Terry Porter reducing Amare’s role in the offense.  Just a year ago, under Mike D’Antoni, Stoudemire was averaging 25.2 PPG and 9.1 RPG.

I would trade just about anything the Bulls have to offer in order to bring in Stoudemire.  If it took Luol Deng, that’s okay.  If you can get a trade done involving just Drew Gooden’s expiring contract and young talent on rookie deals, even better.  But the Bulls cannot pass on the opportunity to pair a superstar big man with their stellar backcourt.  It would be unacceptable to pass on such a trade.

Chris Bosh

This past week, Stephen A. Smith reported that Chris Bosh has told Bryan Colangelo that he will not be re-signing with Toronto, although Bosh has denied this rumor.  Chris Bosh is leaving Toronto in 2010 if he is still here.  I know it, the Raptors know it, the entire league knows it.  The Raptors are a bad team, who don’t appear to have the means to significantly improve themselves, and play in an undesirable location.  The Raptors know he’s leaving, and that’s why they will want to move him now.

This season, Bosh is averaging 22.7 PPG and 9.5 RPG.  Bosh is a superstar and as a result, the entire league will be bidding on them.  For the Bulls to have a chance at landing Bosh, they would probably have to part with Luol Deng, give up one of the young bigs, while taking back one of Toronto’s bad contracts in exchange for Drew Gooden’s expiring contract.  That’s what it will take at the very least to land Bosh.  He’s that good.

The same rules that apply for Stoudemire apply for Bosh.  Get a trade done, that does not involve Rose and Gordon, at all costs.  Creating a trio of Rose, Gordon, and Bosh is too talented to pass up on.

Elton Brand

It was declared earlier this week that Elton Brand will be out for the rest of the year.  Brand has been nothing short of a disaster for Philadelphia.  In just 29 games with the 76ers, Brand is averaging just 13.8 PPG and 8.8 RPG.  With Brand out for the season, he is set to have missed 127 games in two years.

It is probably time to label Brand as an injury prone player now, and it looks like he might be on the downturn.  With the economy in the state it is, it is likely the 76ers will look to move Brand.  The problem for the 76ers is injured players rarely get traded for and even with that said, Brand doesn’t look like that good of a basketball player anymore.

I would offer nothing more than Larry Hughes for Elton Brand.  Even that might be unwise, because there is a good chance that Brand will become an abominable contract that the Bulls would have to eat up.  I think the Bulls would have to pass on Elton Brand.  There is no reason to add another bad contract to the team.  I just don’t think Brand will ever be a high level basketball player again.

Tyson Chandler

In his ESPN column, Marc Stein mentioned that the Hornets are discussing a trade with Miami that would send Tyson Chandler to Miami in exchange for Shawn Marion.

Chandler has seen a bit of a downturn in production this season.  He is averaging just 8.8 PPG 8.3 RPG 1.4 BPG.  This is Chandler’s first season since his sophomore year in which he has scored more points than he has grabbed rebounds.  In addition, Chandler has been often injured this season.

The Hornets seem to be looking for some cap relief and the Bulls could make a competitive offer with that in mind.  Drew Gooden and Joakim Noah for Tyson Chandler would be a logical trade.  Gooden would give the Hornets the cap relief they are seeking and they could tout Noah as a younger Tyson Chandler, as many Bulls fans do.

This is a trade I think the Bulls would have to make.  Tyson Chandler gives the Bulls a legitimate, strong, and athletic center.  He is only 26 years and if things don’t work out, his contract expires in 2010 or 2011, depending on whether he picks up his player option.

Brad Miller

The Bulls have been in trade talks with the Kings regarding Brad Miller since the summer.  The Kings were reportedly interested in Drew Gooden’s expiring contract, Joakim Noah, and Tyrus Thomas.  The Bulls are unlikely to make any such move.  The Bulls, if they were to trade for Miller, would be doing it to help them out in 2010.  A trade involving those pieces does nothing to imrove the Bulls’ 2010 situation.

I see a trade with the Kings involving Brad Miller taking one of two variations.  The first variation would be a trade involving Kirk Hinrich or Andres Nocioni, maybe both in exchange for Miller.  The purpose of this trade would be to make the Bulls players in 2010 free agency.  This variation is the most likely in my opinion.

The second variation would be Larry Hughes and some type of sweetner for Brad Miller.  With Hughes causing waves in Chicago, I don’t see why the Kings would want to deal with him.

Trading for Brad Miller is a good trade to make the Bulls players in the 2010 free agent class.  The trade gives the Bulls a solid big man until 2010.  This may be a fallback trade that the Bulls have on the backburner that they will make if they cannot find anything better.

Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby

The Clippers are a horrible team, and the will likely want to shed some salary.  The team has no need for two centers, so there is a good chance that they trade one of their two centers at the deadline.

Marcus Camby is currently averaging 11.7 PPG 13.0 RPG and 2.5 BPG.  Given Camby’s age, there is no reason for the Bulls to trade for Camby unless they have already made a few other deals at the deadline that position them into instant contenders.

Chris Kaman is currently averaging 13.9 PPG 9.4 RPG and 1.9 BPG on the season.  Kaman has missed most of the season with injuries.  Given Kaman’s age, he is worth looking at.  But with bigger names now on the market, the Bulls would have to make a Chris Kaman trade more of a backburner trade rather than one they aggressively pursue.

Raef Lafrentz

Like Brad Miller, Lafrentz would be nothing more than an expiring contract that positions the Bulls as contenders in the 2010 free agency.

If the Blazers were willing to trade Lafrentz to the Bulls, presumably they would want Kirk Hinrich and Andres Nocioni to join Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden in the starting lineup and to finalize Portland’s core.

Lafrenz is a good coup for any team because he’s a super expiring contract.  Not only does his contract expire after the season, but insurance pays 80 percent of it.

Jermaine O’neal

Like the Miller and Lafrentz trade prospects, Jermaine O’neal would be nothing more than a trade to set the Bulls up for 2010 free agency.  O’neal is on the decline as a player and given his age, he has no place in the Bulls longterm plans as a player.

Vince Carter

According NJ.com, the Bulls have had some trade talks with the New Jersey Nets regarding Vince Carter.  This is by far the most interesting of any of the rumors.  Given Carter’s age, there is no reason that the Bulls would trade for him if they weren’t planning on making a run at the championship the next few years.

It is unlikely that the Bulls would be trading for Carter to replace Ben Gordon, as Gordon is unlikely to go anywhere at the trade deadline, but more likely would be Carter being brought in to play small forward for the Bulls?  What does this mean?  It means that the Bulls would have already traded Luol Deng.  I think that the Bulls would only part with Deng in a deal for Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, and maybe Carlos Boozer, so if the Bulls are preparing to trade for Carter too, that is a reason to be very excited as a Bulls fans.

I would suspect that New Jersey’s plan would be to completely blow up the team for 2010.  A logical trade would be something such as Larry Hughes and one of the Bulls young bigs for Carter.  Joakim Noah would be the logical big for the Nets, as he wouldn’t be up for an extension until after 2010 free agency.  The Nets would then have Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and whatever young big they received the Bulls to build around.  Then they would presumably be a bad team and get some high draft picks, and then adding the final pieces in the 2010 free agency.

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Last trade deadline John Paxson swung a trade that ridded the Bulls of Ben Wallace, while bringing in Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden.  Will John Paxson be able to make another big trade this deadline?  Will he be able to make the Bulls players in 2010 free agency?  Will he be able to do what the Celtics did in Summer 2007 and quickly build a championship contender through trades for superstars?  We will have our answers to these questions in just 12 days.

From Sam Smith’s blog on Bulls.com:

It goes back to this preseason when the Bulls, Wizards, Nuggets and Clippers were in talks for a massive player deal. Those rarely come to fruition because of so many moving parts, though sources say this one was getting serious before Hughes got hurt and then Kirk Hinrich. I usually don’t pay much attention to these scenarios since GM’s talk all the time and come up with some crazier stuff than my e-mailers. And presumably everything has changed since the Nuggets later dealt for Chauncey Billups and the Clippers for Zach Randolph. I’ve heard different versions of this, but the Bulls supposedly were getting Chris Kaman and Antonio Daniels after everything settled. Who knows how close it ever was. But despite what the Clippers have been saying, they have had long interest in dealing Kaman, now out two weeks. And I’d assume especially now with Randolph playing well with Marcus Camby.

The Bulls should continue to pursue Chris Kaman. Kaman is averaging 13.9 PPG 9.4 RPG 1.9 BPG and 1.9 APG so far this year. I still do not see why the Clippers are intent on trading Kaman, but if they want to be foolish, Paxson should pounce on the opportunity to get a good center.

Paxson should start by trying to trade for Kaman using Hinrich, Nocioni, and the young bigs. But if the Clippers don’t bite at that, Paxson should not hesitate at swapping Luol Deng for Chris Kaman. The Bulls could easily reach a trade involving Deng, despite his BYC status, by using Drew Gooden as the filler. Trades involving Tyrus Thomas as the filler are also possibly, but much harder to use, and involves exploiting a loophole in the CBA involving the minimum salary trade exception. Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas for Chris Kaman and Brian Skinner would be an example of this.

By swapping Deng for Kaman, we get a better player at a more important position given the construct of our team, while doing no damage to our 2010 plans. If we still are unable to find a taker for Kirk Hinrich or Andres Nocioni by the start of 2009 free agency, we can turn our attention away from 2010 and focus on building through 2009 free agency and leveraging the contract of Larry Hughes.

In this scenario, we would also be able to re-sign Drew Gooden with no concerns of it messing up our 2010 plan. Losing Deng would not be that painful, as Shawn Marion and Ron Artest are likely to be available for the MLE this summer. Creating a starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden, and Chris Kaman would not be too bad of an alternative plan to 2010. We would have competent players at all positions.

Hopefully the Clippers remain intent on trading Chris Kaman and the Bulls get lucky and land him. He would be a great addition for this team.

Victor Bellan of rumorpress.net, a Chicago Bulls insider recently answered some questions from Bulls fans.

Here are the main points from the Q&A:

• The Bulls very likely will make a trade, although closer to the deadline.
• Vinny is playing Hughes for two reasons.  1. He feels Hughes can contribute.  2.  Him and Paxson are afraid benching Hughes could create a distraction for the team.
• The Washington Wizards were mildly interested in Hughes.  The Bulls would love to trade him to Washington.
• The Bulls have shown interest in Al Harrington, Zach Randolph, and Chris Kaman.  The Bulls would love to trade for Kaman, but the Clippers don’t want what the Bulls have to offer.
• Bulls feel their best chance at landing a 2010 free agent is Dwyane Wade.

You can view the entire Q&A at rumorpress.net