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.

The Chicago Bulls lost to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier tonight 103 to 95 in overtime.

The reasons the Bulls lost in this game can easily be divided between regulation and overtime. In regulation, the Bulls failed to finish off the 76ers because of a lack of rebounding and some poor defense by Andres Nocioni. In overtime, the Bulls lost because they could not hit a shot.

The Bulls big men were terrible, except for Tyrus Thomas. The Bulls big men allowed Philadelphia to grab 18 offensive rebounds. Drew Gooden was horrible most of the game, but came on strong in the fourth quarter.

Andres Nocioni was terrible. Vinny Del Negro needs to sit Nocioni and keep him on the bench until Nocioni starts putting out effort on the defensive end. Nocioni wasn’t even jumping for rebounds out there in the fourth quarter of a close game.

Still, behind some great defense and dunking from Tyrus Thomas, the Bulls were able to hang on. With the Bulls down 90 to 88, Derrick Rose had one of his layups blocked but Tyrus slammed it in for the put back jam.

Thomas finished the game with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

In overtime, the Bulls never just got there shooting going. Ben Gordon set the tone with poor shooting, missing all of his shots in overtime. Early in the overtime period, Gordon was tripped, what looked like it was probably intentional, by Andre Miller. Gordon than played selfish ball the next few possessions to try to prove a point to Miller. Although Gordon backed off the one on one play and gave the other guys a shot after that, but they never really hit their shots as well.

In regulation, the Bulls backcourt was good. Gordon was solid, scoring 18 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing 4 assists. Derrick Rose was phenomenal scoring wise, scoring 24 points, although he only had 2 assists. Philadelphia’s backcourt did a good job crowding Rose and Gordon, making the game difficult for both. Rose and Gordon were also bothered by the length and athleticism of Philadelphia’s big men on help defense.

Luol Deng looked solid from time to time, scoring 11 points on 4-11 shooting.

The Bulls were killed by a solid three man attack by the 76ers. Elton Brand had 22 points and 14 rebounds, Andre Miller had 28 points, and Andre Iguodala had 25 points.

The Bulls also lost as a result of their turnovers. The Bulls had a total of 24 turnovers. Derrick Rose and Drew Gooden had 6 turnovers a piece and Ben Gordon had 4 turnovers.

This was a disappointing loss for the Bulls because it was such a winnable game. The Bulls will have to try to bounce back tomorrow night in Milwaukee.

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in Philadelphia 103 to 92 to finish up their circus trip.

The Bulls fell behind in the first quarter, but fought there way back in the 2nd quarter. The Bulls trailed by 3 points at the half.

During the second quarter, Derrick Rose made Andre Miller fall down when he crossed him over, breaking his ankles.

In the third quarter, Ben Gordon got hot, scoring 13 points (would have been 14 points if it wasn’t for a Derrick Rose lane violation on one of his free throws). After Gordon opened up a sizable lead for the Bulls, Derrick Rose blew it open with a spectacular finish to the third quarter, capping it off from an alley-oop dunk that was assisted by Ben Gordon. \

The Bulls outscored the 76ers 31 to 11 in the third, and entered the fourth with a seventeen point lead. Del Negro got a little reckless in his coaching when he took Rose and Gordon out of the game, allowing the 76ers to creep back in, but the Bulls hung on to win the game.

The Bulls backcourt duo was simply great today. Ben Gordon finished the game with 21 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds. Derrick Rose finished the game with 18 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. Having two guys who can take over the game at anytime makes the Bulls a really deadly team.

Drew Gooden also had a strong game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Gooden should be considered the Bulls third option, behind Rose and Gordon now. Gooden has averaged 19.4 points and 10.6 rebounds in the past 5 games. The Bulls were 3-2 in these 5 games. As long as the Bulls are getting third wheel production out of either Gooden or Deng, they will be a tough team to beat.

Luol Deng was pretty much a nonfactor in today’s game, but he by no means had a bad game, finishing with 8 points on 3-7 shooting in his return to the starting lineup. If Deng doesn’t start stepping it up soon, Paxson will need to begin exploring trade options before Deng loses all of his value.

Larry Hughes had 16 points in his new role as the Bulls’ sixth man. The 76ers left him open for three and Hughes made them pay by shooting 4-6 from three point land.

For the 76ers, Elton Brand had 21 points and 12 rebounds, but didn’t seem to have too much of an impact on the game.

Andre Iguodala only had 8 points on 3-9 shooting. The 76ers tried to post him up on Gordon early in the game, but that experiment failed.

Andre Miller had 15 points and 10 assists and Thaddeus Young had 17 points.

The Bulls finished the circus trip 3-4 and finish the month of November with a record of 8-9. This is a terrific start, given that the Bulls have had the toughest schedule in the NBA thus far, and also because Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon have been the only one’s who’ve had good all around months for the Bulls. Drew Gooden has been good as of late.

The Bulls will play the 76ers again on Tuesday at the United Center.