Bulls trade

On the one hand, Wednesday's six-player trade sending Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni, Cedric Simmons and Michael Ruffin to Sacramento for center Brad Miller and swingman John Salmons feels like unfinished ...

[russ]

horrible move...nocioni was the heart and soul of this team...this trade will set the bulls back more than they could ever imagine!!

[Chris Carr]

Great trade. Salmons is very underrated and provides good punch on offense and solid defense. Not expecting much from Brad Miller but the expiring deal goes off at the right time. Salmons is a bargain at 5 mil/season. A shake up needed to be made and I believe this is a good start in the right direction. Salmons is a keeper if we dont use him as a piece in a bigger deal before the deadline. He is a great replacement for whenever Hinrich or Gordon get shipped out of Chicago.

[ACW]

Pretty decent move for the Bulls. While its not the move I wanted, you gotta figure Bosh and Amare really weren't available. Makes them a better team right now, while allowing their bigs to continue to develop. Also with the expiring deals of Hughes and Miller in 2010, we have some serious cap space (only 25 million committed). Chad Ford on ESPN is reporting that sources close to Bosh say that Chicago is his first choice come free agency. Things could be lookin' up in a season or two. Good win MIL tonight, god were those officials atrocious.

[bullsfan09]

I disagree russ. Nocioni is a decent player but is making 8 mil a year and is a bench player. We get him off our books and get 2 good offensive minded players who can shoot. Brad is a one yr rental and Salmons will be off the books by 2010.

Plus Salmons will come in to help us since Tiff's boyfriend is not playing anymore (Larry Hughes). Salmons can play SF/SG and Thabo can sit down forever, Deng if he don't play better will sit down and when Gordon out we got a bigger 2 Guard. I like having Salmons 18pts a game out there.

In 2010, only people on the books right now are Deng, Rose, Hinrich. Look for us to get Bosh and/or Wade in 2010.

[bullsfan09]

ACW wrote:

Pretty decent move for the Bulls. While its not the move I wanted, you gotta figure Bosh and Amare really weren't available. Makes them a better team right now, while allowing their bigs to continue to develop. Also with the expiring deals of Hughes and Miller in 2010, we have some serious cap space (only 25 million committed). Chad Ford on ESPN is reporting that sources close to Bosh say that Chicago is his first choice come free agency. Things could be lookin' up in a season or two. Good win MIL tonight, god were those officials atrocious.

MIL lost.

[shawn]

Its a ok trade for the Bulls. Salmons will definatly help on the days Deng is playing like garbage and he gives us a bigger body than Gordan in the back court. Miller is a definate upgrade from Gooden. I went to the game in Milwaukee tonight and 1st thing i noticed was how much bigger the Bucks players were compared to the bulls. They were taller at every position except point guard. This gives the bulls a little more height and makes them more athletic also.

[Tiffany]

their stupid for trading andres,but smart for keeping larry

[Chris D]

I like this move. I hate losing Nocioni, but we needed to move somebody of value and he is a bit expensive for his role.

Now I'm hoping the Bulls can convince the Knicks to make the move I saw rumored earlier... Hughes & Thomas (or Noah) for David Lee, Malik Rose, & Jared Jeffries.

[Mr Belvedere]

Brad Miller Redux.

Solid trade. I knew all along that if the Bulls were to pull a trade it would be Nocioni, and not Thomas, that netted us some talent. Though I will miss his heart, hustle, and intensity, I will not miss his flopping, chaotic drives to the hoop, and constant jaw-jacking with the refs.

I liked Brad Miller the Bull pt. 1, and I'm pretty sure I'll like Brad Miller the Bull pt. 2. We now have a 7 footer who can hit from 20ft, run the pick and roll properly, and passes like Vlade used to. Salmons is a solid 2/3 who has improved every season. He can shoot the 3, and take it to the hoop. Sure it's not Amare or Bosh, but those honestly were not going to happen.

Goodbye Thabo, we hardly knew thee. If you aren't in a trade w/ Hughes by tomorrow, then you'll be back to the Swiss Alps in the offseason.

[shiraz soysa]

thanks noce, u were always loved for the hard work...keep at it in sacramento mate...hopefully the bulls keep hinrich, he's probably the last real hustle player left on this team which was built on hustle!!

[dtay]

I hope they find a home for Larry, because it's not right how this organization is destroying his career. The guy still got 5 decent years left in him.

[Joe]

Too bad Noah didn't go with them.

[Stretch]

Larry Hughes to the D League!

[michael p coy]

Great Another Swing Player! Why oh why another guard?

[Miguel]

hopefully bulls don't stop now. bring in new blood.

[Chris D]

Hughes still has value with the right team, but he just doesn't fit with the Bulls. He's not good enough to make a big difference in wins & losses to justify getting other players minutes with Rose to see how they will fit.

He really hurt himself by talking too much publicly about being unhappy. If he had kept his mouth shut and just talked with Paxson maybe they would have been able to move him earlier. He should have just repeated the cliches of "I just want to contribute in the way that is best for the team" and "I'm just working hard and taking advantage of my opportunities". Now it looks like the Bulls will either trade him this summer or at next year's trade deadline (when his expiring contract might have some value) or hold onto the contract until expires and they get some money off their own cap.

Again, I wish we could send him to the Knicks as part of a package for David Lee. Or maybe the Clippers for Camby.

[AX Pax]

Set aside Bosh and Amare. Of everyone that is available this is the best trade he could do?

Okay everyone knows we are guard heavy so he trades 4 bigs for 1 and adds a combo guard? I really hope this is leading to a bigger trade cause if this is all he's got that is pathetic.

All I am saying is if he is going for 2010 then don't half ass it trade Kirk and free up 40+ Mil.

[Pica PIca]

Gracias por todo "Chapu" Nocioni

[Bronko Nigurski]

The Bull's main deficiency is a low post inside game on both offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Miller is more of a short-mid range offensive threat maybe he can help some but I'm not counting on much else.

All in all a neutral basketball move. Perhaps this move is a necessary and significant step to rebuilding the Bulls around Rose. I guess the front office could be hamstrung by the constraining accounting rules for salaries with trades. Maybe this frees up money in a few years??

Anyway not the blockbuster move that Bulls fans hoped for, just the move (or lack thereof) we all expected.

[Vlade Rabinowitz]

Stretch wrote:

Larry Hughes to the D League!

Your stupid remark is emblematic of the stupidity on the Bulls for refusing to play Hughes when he could be putting up 20-25 a night. Salmons? Why do they need him? Why they need him is because of the weak player that Luol Deng has turned out to be. Cut salary, the Bulls? If that was a pressing need, then they should have got rid of Deng's horrendous $80 million contract. So what that Nocioni makes $8 million off the bench when you've got Deng drawing more for basically performing like a scrub off the bench night in and night out. As usual, you mopes aren't able to see the hypocrisy and double standard in your trade assessments. This was a move born out of desperation and failure, money moves that don't get rid of the bigger money problems on the payroll. Hughes for Malik Rose? C'mon ... wake up; Malik Rose can't carry Larry Hughes' jock strap, another weak sister like Deng.