Thibs Introduced and Draft

Pretty standard media conference introducing Thibodeau as coach, with the exception of a plethora of LeBron James questions that obviously he couldn't address. He notably recognized that Derrick Rose needs to improve his defense among all the nice things he said about Chicago and the Bulls, both the players and the organization. I'm still sold on him and a bit shocked that the Bulls seemed to have made a wise coaching choice.

Tomorrow is draft day and more importantly for the Bulls, a day of trading. It's no secret that the Bulls are trying to clear more cap room so they can sign two max free agents. Lots of teams are trying to save money though, so it will be difficult. The two contracts the Bulls most want off their books are those of Deng and Hinrich, in that order of desire. Unfortunately, Deng will be harder to move than Heinrich. The Bulls will package their number 17 pick in any reasonable deal that would get rid of one of those guys.

Of course, I really, really want to see Deng go. Now that Tyrus Thomas is gone, Deng is the Bull I'm most likely to bash. There is a rumor that has us swapping Deng for Orlando's Gortat and Pietrus. May not sound like a lot to get back but I would take that trade in a heartbeat. I know there is plenty of talk of "saving" Deng to use in a sign and trade for someone like Bosh, but the Bulls would be foolish to wait around for that possibility. If they can get Deng off the books on draft day then they should jump on it.

It will be tougher for me to see Hinrich go, but as I've said before, he's a bit overpaid, although not as much as Deng is, and he should be far easier to move than Deng. If Kurt was just a bit more consistent with his 3 point shot, then I would certainly keep him, but the Bulls need someone who can spread the floor, more than they need Hinrich's capable defense. The rub is that I could see Kurt improving his shot too, but the Bulls need to roll the dice for free agents, and that means saving money.

If we wind up keeping the 17 pick, then we have to focus on a three point shooter or a big, but take the best available player, regardless. I like Paul George, Xavier Henry and Luke Babbitt, but fear they will all be gone before 17. I know there is plenty of talk about James Anderson, and I think he will be available, and I'm not sure about him. If he really can bury the NBA three, then he could be a good pick. Larry Sanders is another name tossed about for the Bulls and I don't know enough about him to know if he's a good pick. I suspect he's more of a project than an immediate contributer. Texas guard Avery Bradley is another name you hear. I think he's a pretty decent player, and if Hinrich winds up leaving then we'll need a combo guard, although Bradley seems a bit short for that. Ditto for Kentucky's Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe's teammate, Daniel Orton, is another possibility. Kentucky will likely have 5 players drafted first round, which shows how insanely talented they were, but all are young, and Orton is more likey to be picked for future upside rather than what he will offer next year.

Bottom line, if the Bulls can pick up someone as good as Taj this year (and avoid a pick as bad as Johnson was) then they did a great job. Likewise, if they include this pick in a trade that nets them cap room.