ESPN.com is reporting that Mike D’Antoni will not play Eddy Curry in the Knicks season opener. here is what ESPN.com wrote.

New Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said he doesn’t plan to play Curry in the team’s season opener Wednesday against the Miami Heat, simply responding “no” when asked Tuesday if Curry would be part of his eight- or nine-man rotation.

After playing in four of the seven Knicks’ preseason games (including one DNP/coach’s decision), Curry was surprised by the news that he is not part of his coach’s regular rotation. “Definitely stunned, especially being that [D'Antoni] didn’t tell me that,” Curry said Tuesday. “I haven’t talked to him. I’m here with him every day. All he has to do is tell me. I’m definitely stunned to hear that.”

D’Antoni said minutes were earned during practice and the preseason, though he may make an exception for first-round draft pick Danilo Gallinari. Gallinari, who has a bad back, did not play in any of the team’s preseason games, but D’Antoni may give him some minutes in Wednesday’s opener. Such a scenario was not lost on Curry. “You can’t help but to think about that, especially [since] I feel like I’m in pretty good shape,” Curry said. “Hopefully I can contribute and, if not, I will cheer my team on and see what the Knicks’ plan is.”

I would hope that John Paxson is at least inquiring about Eddy Curry. The guy is not in bad shape, much better than Aaron Gray. He would be that center that you could dump the ball into to create an inside game, and you really don’t lose anything defensively going from Gooden to Curry in the front court.

The Bulls would have two main options, Kirk Hinrich or Larry Hughes for Eddy Curry or Drew Gooden and filler for Eddy Curry.

It is an interesting option, and I would hope that John Paxson at least looks at this option.

Sam Smith is back with a vengeance in his writing for Bulls.com. When Smith said that the Bulls have no right of prior approval he was telling the truth, as he starts off by dropping two rumors in his first article. It is great to have Sam Smith back writing about the Bulls, and I look forward to his writing all season long.

The first rumor is about a potential Larry Hughes trade.

That injury to Larry Hughes was unfortunate. Of course, the joke going around with the Bulls crowded backcourt is the unfortunate part is it wasn’t longer. But it may have been unfortunate for a bigger reason. I heard the Washington Wizards, with Gilbert Arenas out probably half the season, have been looking for ways to hold it together until then and have interest in Hughes. There supposedly were some talks with Etan Thomas (scheduled to start the opener as a showcase?) leaving Washington. There’ll still be $6 million for the Wizards to make up, and perhaps that would include Darius Songaila, whom the Bulls liked when they had him. I heard the Bulls had talks this summer for the Wizards’ Oleksiy Pecherov in a multi-team transition, but that faded. This one makes some sense for both teams and might be workable if Hughes can return from his shoulder injury quickly. He has his beat seasons in Washington and remains close with Arenas. The Bulls desperately need to unclog their guard logjam to give Derrick Rose more opportunities. Thomas never has worked out in Washington and rookie JaVale McGee, the Chicagoan, has been a pleasant surprise for the Wizards.

This makes a lot of sense. I found the Bulls originally cutting Michael Ruffin to be very suspicious, and had the hunch that the Bulls had agreed to a trade but it fell apart at the last minute. Something like Larry Hughes for Etan Thomas, Darius Songalia, and another player (Oleksiy Pecherov) would have required the Bulls to have 2 open roster slots, which the Bulls created when they cut Ruffin.

The second rumor is in regard to Eddy Curry.

So the Bulls need a big man in the middle, a post presence who can draw a double team and just over a season ago was averaging about 20 points per game. Well, Eddy Curry can be had. Been there, endured that. The former Bull has been banished by new coach Mike D’Antoni, and few survive those banishments. One of D’Antoni’s major issues leading to leaving the Suns was his refusal to play much more than an eight-play rotation. Once he settles, he’s pretty much done. So Curry is. Plus, D’Antoni likes Jared Jeffries, injured again, and when he returns he’ll get the D’Antoni treatment by playing inside as D’Antoni enjoys showing his critics, who say he’ll never win, they don’t know what the heck they are doing as he believes Jeffries always played out of position on the perimeter.

Curry, surprise, surprise, hasn’t been well conditioned. The story going around the league is Curry sat on a medicine ball in camp and it exploded. I’m not sure I believe that. But I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, either.

The Bulls may be able to simply do something like Larry Hughes for Eddy Curry; or Kirk Hinrich for Eddy Curry. But if the Bulls wait a little longer, they could do something like Kirk Hinrich and Drew Gooden for Eddy Curry and Chris Duhon. I like this second trade, as it gets us Duhon, who is probably better suited for a backup point guard spot than Hinrich and clears out a power forward for a center, which should open up minutes for Tyrus Thomas.

Curry does not look too out of shape. He could definitely stand to lose a few, but he is in no way grossly out of shape. There is a difference between not being in shape to run in Dantoni’s offense and not being in shape for the typical NBA offense. Curry could give us that elusive low post option that we have been missing ever since he left.

It is no longer a no brainer to trade for Curry if he is available, but it is an option that you have to strongly consider.