Barnes About It?

NBADraft.net's mock draft currently has the Bulls taking Vanderbilt shooting guard John Jenkins with the 29th pick.  Picking another Jimmy Butler-type player wouldn't hurt at all and Jenkins might get more chances than Butler did this past year if Rip Hamilton has to sit more for whatever reason.  But what if the Bulls could do better?  There are rumors floating about that they might.

Word has it the Charlotte Bobcats may try to trade the No. 2 pick in a draft that doesn't have many sure things after Anthony Davis.  That shouldn't be too surprising.  Michael Jordan has a relatively poor history of evaluating young talent (Kwame Brown) and No. 2 is never a guaranteed success (Darko Milicic).  At the same time, the Bulls recognize that Harrison Barnes will be taken early, so their only option in this case is to trade up.  Should the Bobcats concede their pick, the two clubs could have a match.  The Bulls would have some high potential added to their lineup, one that could pick up a bit of the slack left by whoever on the current roster departs, and Charlotte would be free to explore the market for a veteran that bests fits their needs.

Trading Luol Deng is the only way to virtually guarantee this scenario plays out.  That would only make the weakened roster worse.  With already lower expectations thanks to Derrick Rose's indefinite absence, you don't want to send a message that you've not only give up on next season, but put yourself in trouble for the distant future.  The small forwards in this year's free agent class don't include the second star the Bulls need to put them over the top (Gerald Wallace, Grant Hill, etc.).  With Carlos Boozer not likely to be amnestied, they need to fill that 3-spot somehow.  Dumping salary seems like a good idea, but sometimes, you have to consider other factors such as the above.  That said, Deng will be in a Bulls uniform next season.

So if the Bulls are to have a shot at Barnes, they'll need to get creative.  I'm not a GM, so I'm not going to list off every possible scenario that would make this possible.  Instead, we'll just have to pray that some sort of miracle will rain down.  I'll be happy with whoever the Bulls get late in the first round, but wouldn't it be great to find another player from a longtime winning college program?  That's part of the foundation of the current squad.  We like what this team is capable of when completely healthy.  Adding to it would help immensely.