After a string of failed trades and signings,
the Bulls have begun to right the ship.

The Chicago Bulls completed a trade deadline deal sending 30-somethings Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, and Adrian Griffin to Cleveland for four younger players; Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons.  This is a big win for Chicago, both long-term and short-term.

Currently, the Bulls are 10th in the Eastern Conference, just two games behind the lowly Philadelphia 76ers for the final playoff berth.  They are facing a summer where cornerstones, Ben Gordon and Luol Deng, will face restricted free agency.  Simultaneously, prior to yesterday’s deal, they were locked into Ben Wallace for two and a half more seasons totaling $44 million for his pitiful on-court production.

By moving the uninspired Wallace, General Manager John Paxson managed to shed perhaps the NBA’s worst contract.  Regardless of what he may end up contributing on a playoff team like the Cavs, he was a terrible weight around Chicago’s collective neck.  Not only was his production among the worst of all the starters in the league, but he also had become a distraction in the locker room. Similarly, Adrian Griffin’s send-off to Seattle moved someone who clearly thought higher of himself than the team did.  These veterans were often the first to speak out even though they were helplessly untalented on the court. This “leadership” was especially troubling because it seemed to have stifled the spirited growth of young frontcourt investments such as Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray. 

This deal could serve as foreshadowing for what is to become of Ben Gordon and Luol Deng.  By taking on Larry Hughes’ remaining two and a half years and $39 million contract, coupled with the development of 23 year-old Thabo Sefolosha have made Gordon.  The undersized shooting guard will likely fetch an offer of $10 million per season, which the Bulls will not likely match.  The Bulls will have enough cap space to offer Deng a long-term contract, but they could also choose to let him go if they want to make a play at another free agent.  The Bulls already have a similar player, Andres Nocioni, locked up for four more seasons.  I would expect Deng to stay in Chicago but the Bulls could hold onto the cap space until the following summer, when Kobe Bryant can opt out of his Lakers deal.

The immediate future is not a complete loss.  The Bulls become the youngest team in the NBA but are still a team that can make the playoffs.  Deng and Gordon have returned from injury, Hinrich has rebounded from a terrible slump, Hughes is anxious to prove he can play in a new system and the young talents from the previous two drafts appear to be on the cusp of sincere impact.  We should look forward to the reunion of former Kansas teammates Kirk Hinrich and Drew Gooden.  Look for Noah to move into the starting center position.  Both he and Thomas can expect twenty-five minutes per game despite Gooden’s presence.  Also, with a legit shooting guard in Larry Hughes, Gordon can focus on what he is best at – coming off the bench to provide offense.  The new ten-man rotation is younger, quicker, and hungrier.  A run at the playoffs is likely, but with a rookie center, a playoff impact might be a long shot.  Then again, that rookie is a two-time NCAA champion who is known to play his best in big games.  How sweet would a first-round match-up between Cleveland and Chicago be?  Chicago is less-talented, but they would surely give their all against their old teammates.

So, no, I do not see the Chicago Bulls as a team that is rebuilding.  Instead, this is a team that is recognizing what a huge mistake it was to shell out so much money to an aging role player and addressing that mistake.  They have adjusted their roster to address future needs:  Developing Thomas, Noah and Gray and how to compete next season without Ben Gordon.  GM John Paxson took a calculated risk and successfully managed to ship out three players all at the ends of their careers and fetch younger assets in return. 

Photos Courtesy of cnn.net and espn.com, respectively