Deng It All

With the Chicagoland area still in a deep freeze, the Bulls tanking crowd is a feeling a little bit warmer today.  It's all thanks to a development most didn't hear about until they woke up this morning.  It happened so late, local newspapers couldn't get it into their print editions.

In a clear sign of waving the white flag, the Bulls traded their longest tenured player in Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum and three future draft picks.  Deng's contract comes off the books and Bynum, who has a similar contract, will be released within a few hours after this post's publication.  That will free the Bulls from paying a luxury tax and save them over $20 million.  If Carlos Boozer is amnestied this summer, that will create even more space for them to legitimately go after a big-name free agent.

Try and follow me for this next part because it gets a little tricky.  The Cavaliers were not the original owners of the picks coming the Bulls' way.  The first-round pick belonged to the Sacramento Kings and that will go to the Bulls this year if it's outside the top 12.  If not, the Bulls will receive it if it's not in the top 10 in any of the following three drafts.  The final resort would be what was the Kings' second-round pick in 2017.  In addition, the Bulls are now the owners of what used be the Portland Trail Blazers' second-round picks in 2015 and 2016.  Finally, if the Cavaliers' first-round pick in 2015 falls outside the top 15, the Bulls will have the right to swap draft positions.  Whew.

I know I've been unwavering in my position that the Bulls should tank the season, but remember, I said they should compete hard with what they have, which they'll continue to do.  Still, ever since Derrick Rose's season ended, I've always thought the Bulls should get something for Deng if they could.  His contract was set to expire and with neither side on the same page as to what he should be paid next, just letting him walk via free agency with no compensation would have been unacceptable.

The Bulls were never going to meet Deng's demands with how the market for players of his stature has shaped up.  According to a Yahoo! Sports report, there were very recent talks of the Bulls extending his contract by three years and $30 million.  The responding rejection was when the Bulls realized there was no hope of anything getting done.  We now know what happened to conclude this story.

While it comes as a disappointment that the front office has finally admitted the window for this core group of players has closed, it was the right thing to do.  When you have a chance to round out your roster with good, young players over the next few years, you have to take the offer that will best allow you to do that.  With the Bulls' leading scorer and two-time All-Star ready to hit the market, the conditions were right to benefit two teams by giving up something of great value to each of them.  The Cavaliers can win now and the Bulls can legitimately plan to go after seasoned top-tier talent that will push them back into the NBA's elite class.

There are many options for the Bulls to be competitive in the future.  Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson are undoubtedly the core to build around.  Nikola Mirotic is said to be tearing it up for Real Madrid, so next year could finally be the time we see him make significant contributions to a winning Bulls squad.  What's more, Gar Forman and John Paxson have done pretty well in finding draft sleepers, particularly Gibson and Butler.  With more picks to work with, they've increased their chances of finding another one, which could result in that one piece the Bulls need to push themselves over the top.  Of course, some of those could be traded again to pull off another significant deal or two, but given how highly Forman and Paxson regard their draftees, that appears unlikely.

Then of course, we get to the bad part of this whole thing, which is being subjected to worse basketball in the present.  Whether Mike Dunleavy or Tony Snell take Deng's place in the starting lineup is unknown as of this writing, but regardless, the current roster just became less talented and less intimidating.  Even though some solid players remain, that's not enough to compete with a good portion of NBA teams.  The bad East might allow them to still reach the playoffs, but they're one or two deals away from being a legitimate lottery team.  While the thought of pulling the trigger on that makes some people giddy, it won't happen unless the right offer comes their way. 

My gut tells me those same people were through watching the 2013-14 Bulls anyway, but for those of us who wish to continue watching the best basketball the city has to offer (all the college teams here stink), it will be gut-wrenching to watch.  Trying their best won't always be good enough anymore, though lately, that wasn't getting many results anyway.  I'm not saying everyone has to keep watching, but if these latest developments are what you wished for, you better be happy with whatever comes on the horizon, for better or worse.

Whether the Bulls will be a lottery or playoff team this year remains to be seen, but if you're one of those ready to order a custom Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins Bulls jersey, I advise you to slow down.  No matter how many chances you get in the lottery, a top-3 pick is not guaranteed.  Chances are those two players will be off the board once that portion of the draft ends, so if the Bulls miss the postseason and don't have their numbers pop up, they're out of luck with those guys.  I know this is a deep draft class coming up, but there's always the chance the Bulls won't finish with a record bad enough to earn even a top-10 pick.  A lot will happen between now and mid-April, and with the talent remaining with the Bulls, don't call those dreams legitimate.

On a sentimental note, I will definitely miss Deng.  He gave us nearly a decade of solid basketball.  While it took him later than expected to blossom into an All-Star, he still personified what it means to be a Bull:  someone who quality gets the job done, but does so well enough that opponents have to consider you when making their game plan.  He provided offense the way only a handful of Bulls before him did and had the heart of a workhorse that made us love to watch him play.  That's why this deal is especially hard for Tom Thibodeau, who saw Deng as the player he always wanted.

Deng came to the Bulls at a time when they were finally ready to play well again in the post-Jordan era.  Along with Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry and Andres Nocioni, he helped the city fall in love with the 2004-05 Bulls, who made the playoffs after a six-year drought.  Paxson knew what he was getting when he acquired Deng on draft night and his product did not disappoint.  Deng will always represent the glimmer of hope we in Chicago have had for our basketball team over the past decade.  Hinrich is on his second stint here, but only as a shell of his former self.  Deng, meanwhile, was solid until the very end despite numerous health setbacks throughout his tenure.  We love you Luol, and there will always be a place for you here.

This new chapter in Bulls history begins tonight when they take on the Phoenix Suns at home.  It will be interesting to see what kinds crowds fill the United Center in this and every other game for the rest of the season.  When the towel is thrown in, you often wonder just how loyal your fan base is.  Keep filling those seats, Bulls fans.  It's what Luol would want.