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The Chicago Bulls are poised to shake things up in a big way this summer. They have a number of available assets, potential significant flexibility under the cap and have been linked to at least three relatively high-profile players in Arron Afflalo, Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony. And then there’s LeBron James, who just kind of hovers over everything.

The fact is that there are about 300 different scenarios for the Bulls this summer. I’ve come up with about 20 in the last three days without even trying. But right now I’m going to break them down in the simplest terms, lumping them together into kind of general ideas. Let’s start with Thursday’s draft.

Draft Scenario 1: The Bulls keep both picks 16 and 19 and use them on players that will be on the team next season.

This one is pretty straightforward. Rather than trade up or down or use one or both picks to acquire a veteran or taking an overseas player they could stash, the Bulls just stand pat and pick two guys they like.

The corollary to this scenario is that if the Bulls do this, they could well be picking for another team. More on that later.

Draft Scenario 2: The Bulls trade up.

The Bulls have been rumored to be interested in trading up. First it was packaging 16 and 19 for 11, targeting Nik Stauskas or Gary Harris. Then it was moving up to 8th, where they would take Doug McDermott. It’s possible that moving up to 8 would require Taj Gibson to be involved, but that gets tricky because then Sacramento would have to match salaries and they just don’t have anything the Bulls would want.

But a trade-up scenario makes sense for two reasons. One, Tom Thibodeau doesn’t really like playing rookies and swapping two picks for one pick allows the team to sign a veteran instead of another rookie. And two, it would save the Bulls some money under the cap. The 11th pick in this year’s draft would make just under $1.9 million. The 8th pick would make just under $2.3 million. The 16th and 19th picks combined would make about $3.75 million. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but every bit helps in this kind of situation.

Draft Scenario 3: The Bulls draft at least one international prospect that they stash overseas.

Dario Saric stands out as a guy who would fit with the Bulls plans, after word broke Monday that he would be staying in Europe for at least the next two or three years. Scouts love his talent, and he might have gone in the top 10 if he’d been willing to come over immediately. It’s reminiscent of Nikola Mirotic in 2011, really: a guy with obvious talent who drops to a team who’s willing to wait for him.

Drafting Saric or another international prospect allows the Bulls to eliminate that pick from their cap this summer. So it wouldn’t shock me if the Bulls traded up to secure Saric, as that would eliminate both picks from their cap number and guarantee them a juicy asset down the road.

Draft Scenario 4: One or both picks is traded for a veteran.

Arron Afflalo seems like the obvious candidate, though the Bulls’ reported offer to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love is Taj Gibson, Tony Snell and both picks. There’s also been some chatter that the Bulls just want a veteran wing scorer, like Afflalo or whoever. Either way, there’s a decent chance the Bulls don’t even have one or both of their picks by draft day.

So that’s the draft. Now there’s everything else.

Offseason Scenario 1: Carmelo Anthony Sign and Trade

This is what the Bulls would like to do. Boozer and picks and maybe a lesser asset like Snell or Mike Dunleavy would go to New York and Melo would come to Chicago. Centering the trade on Boozer allows the Bulls to stay over the cap, leaving them free to use the full mid-level exception to bring the aforementioned Nikola Mirotic over from Europe. But the Knicks are resisting taking back Boozer, so I guess we’ll see how everything shakes out.

By the way, there’s been come confusion about including this year’s draft picks in a Melo sign and trade, so let me clear that up. A sign and trade couldn’t happen until after the moratorium ends on July 10, which seems to rule out trading the picks. But the Bulls could simply draft a prospect the Knicks like and trade their rights to New York after the moratorium ends. Technically, the Bulls and Knicks can’t exactly have conversations about this now, since that would be illegal under the CBA, but Phil Jackson has been pretty vocal about his love for PJ Hairston, which could be a cue to the Bulls that he would like them to take Hairston and trade him to them. But the point is that you can trade picks after the draft.

Offseason Scenario 2: The Bulls trade for Kevin Love.

As I mentioned earlier, the Bulls have made an offer to Love. It is something of a lowball, yes, but I’m torn between trashing the Bulls for lowballing when they have a chance to get a superstar and applauding them for negotiating like pros. Golden State’s offer for Love was a joke, and Boston’s young guys are mildly terrible. The Phoenix Suns could pretty much trump everyone in terms of picks and young guys, but it’s unclear whether Love would re-sign there once he becomes a free agent. So the Bulls, by offering such a minimalist package, put themselves in position to call Minnesota on draft night and add Mirotic to the deal as a sweetener, which suddenly seems like a big get.

I still consider this unlikely to happen, but god knows I’ve been wrong before.

Offseason Scenario 3: The Bulls sign Melo outright.

This one gets tricky because it basically requires the Bulls to either dump Taj or convince Melo to take less. The Bulls can open up about $20 million by discharging their obligations to pay for their draft picks and finding a taker for Mike Dunleavy. That might be enough to bring Melo over or it might not. Their hope, I’m sure, would be to convince Melo to take $20 million, line up the deals to clear the space, and then approach the Knicks about a sign-and-trade. That way, the Bulls have all the leverage because the Knicks would otherwise be left with nothing when Melo leaves. But if Phil turns up his nose, the Bulls can go ahead with their deals and sign him outright.

I covered the financial aspect of this scenario over the weekend, though I theorized Melo might be willing to take just $15 million.

Offseason Scenario 4: The “fuller roster” approach with Arron Afflalo

In this scenario, the Bulls would eschew both Love and Melo and focus on building depth. The Bulls could conceivably send Tony Snell, one or both draft picks and maybe someone like Mike Dunleavy to the Orlando Magic and absorb Afflalo into their cap space once they amnesty Carlos Boozer. The deal could be agreed to on draft night, allowing the Bulls to pick for the Magic explicitly, though it wouldn’t go into effect until after the moratorium.

From there, they could bring Mirotic over using what’s left of their cap space (about $10 million if the Afflalo deal includes both picks, Dunleavy and Snell) and use the rest, as well as the $2.7 million “room” exception to fill out the rest of the roster. This doesn’t have the star power of some of the other options, but it is reminiscent of 2010, when the Bulls picked up a lesser star (Boozer then, Afflalo now) and filled the roster out around them and won 62 games.

Offseason Scenario 5: Love and Melo

This can go two ways. Pretty much any hypothetical Love trade is essentially cap-neutral. If a Love trade centered on Taj — for instance, the one they’ve reportedly offered — goes through, the Bulls could still amnesty Boozer and trade Dunleavy and have a decent chunk of cap space. So they could theoretically sign Melo outright. But if it’s centered on Boozer, or if they have to take back Kevin Martin as part of the agreement, it would have to be a sign and trade. The good news is that acquiring Love in a trade centered on Boozer would free the Bulls up to offer Taj to the Knicks for Melo, an offer that seems like it would be more palatable to New York than Boozer and picks.

The most plausible scenario — and it’s not terribly plausible, sadly — would be the Bulls getting Love and Martin in exchange for Boozer, Dunleavy, Snell, Mirotic and some combination of picks. Then they could offer Taj, $4 million in non-guaranteed contracts and whatever’s left of their pick stash to New York and sign Melo to a contract starting at $17 million. If they somehow managed to pull that off — not likely — they would have 8 players (Rose, Love, Melo, Martin, Joakim Noah, Greg Smith, Jimmy Butler and their 2nd round pick this year) under contract for $73 million. If they filled out their roster with only minimum salaries, they might not even pay the tax.

Alas, this won’t happen. Moving on.

Offseason Scenario 6: Melo and Afflalo

This one is less complicated, though still extremely unlikely. Trading Afflalo for the aforementioned Dunleavy/Snell/picks package is also more or less salary-neutral, then Boozer and picks would go to New York. Or the Bulls could amnesty Boozer and sign Melo outright. Either way.

Offseason Scenario 7: Standing pat.

Basically, the Bulls could just stick with what they have. Hold on to their picks. Bring Mirotic over, probably with cap space created by a Boozer amnesty. Fill in the roster around the guys they already have. It’s the most boring scenario, but frankly the most likely. The Bulls are notoriously risk-averse and like holding on to “their” guys. Maybe they make a couple of minor moves, but nothing too crazy.

Offseason Scenario 8: LeBron.

Yeah… no. Let’s just not even talk about this. We’re done here.

The post The Chicago Bulls have virtually infinite options this summer appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

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As you are presumably aware by now, the Philadelphia 76ers went on a one-team crusade to acquire the entire second round of this year’s draft at the trade deadline. Already in possession of a couple second round picks, they nabbed five more over this year and the next two by trading away Spencer Hawes and trading for Eric Maynor and Byron Mullens.

You might rightly ask what general manager Sam Hinkie’s plan is with all those picks. Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com took on that question today, and he theorized that because of the harsher luxury tax penalties in the new CBA, and because first round picks are significantly more expensive than second rounders, Hinkie likely will shop his second round picks to teams worried about the luxury tax who also have surplus picks towards the end of the first round.

So where do second-rounders come in? Good question. First-round picks are not only more expensive than second-rounders, but they also count against the cap regardless of whether they are signed. The key is that second-rounders, by rule, do not. So cost-conscious teams looking to preserve precious cap space in summer free-agent sweepstakes or looking to shave down their luxury-tax bill can still add talent to fill out the roster by unloading a first-round pick for a couple of second-rounders.

A tax-flirting team like Chicago, which holds two late-first-round picks next season (Charlotte’s first-rounder goes to Chicago if it doesn’t fall in the top 10 via the Tyrus Thomas deal), could improve its flexibility by swapping a first-rounder with Hinkie for say, the No. 32 pick and the No. 39 pick. Same goes for Oklahoma City, a team that also holds two late-first-rounders in the 2014 draft. Though it doesn’t seem like much in February, second-rounders could hold serious currency for capped-out teams come June.

Furthermore, second-rounders are far cheaper for tax purposes than picking up free agents off the scrap heap. As astutely pointed out by SB Nation’s Mark Deeks, there’s a reason why center Erik Murphy remains on the Bulls’ roster even though he never plays: As a second-round pick, he is saving them about $1 million in luxury-tax penalties compared to a similar non-drafted rookie thanks to the fine print in the CBA. With a repeater tax on the horizon, CBA minutiae matters more now than ever.

via What Are Second Rounders Worth? — ESPN (Insider)

We will, for the moment, leave aside Haberstroh’s assertion that Erik Murphy is a center when we’ve actually seen him most recently as a nominal small forward. What is important here is that he specifically names the Chicago Bulls as a team that might send out a first rounder to Philly for probably two or three second rounders.

While trading out of the first round of one of the best drafts in recent memory seems abhorrent — I certainly abhor it, for whatever that’s worth — there’s plenty of reason to think it could happen. Mainly, that Jerry Reinsdorf is incredibly cheap and likes to save his money rather than spend it. Well, on the Bulls, anyway.

There are two scenarios where such a thing might actually make some modicum of sense. One if the Bulls follow through with their amnesty of Carlos Boozer, one if they don’t.

If they don’t amnesty Boozer,* and we’ve heard rumblings to that effect in recent months, then the Bulls will find themselves hanging right around the cap line before making any further moves, with around $63 million in salary committed to 8 players. Two first round picks bring that number up around $66 million, perhaps a little higher, for 10 players, plus ~$500K for their second round pick, which gets us to about $67 million for 11 players. In that case, we’d have to assume that the Bulls would use their full mid-level exception to bring over Nikola Mirotic, if at all possible. That takes them up to about $72 million, which would be pushing right up against the luxury tax line. And note that, in this scenario, DJ Augustin is not on the roster, or if he is, he’s making a little less than $2 million, which would probably push the Bulls into the tax. That’s a problem for Mr. Reinsdorf, particularly in light of the new repeater tax. As long as the Bulls stay under the tax line this season, that wouldn’t apply unless they pay the tax in 2014-15 and 2015-16, but let’s just assume JR would prefer not to pay the tax in either of those years if he can avoid it.

*Note: This scenario also applies to a hypothetical Boozer-Carmelo Anthony sign and trade, which is unlikely to happen, but you never know.

If we swap in two second rounders for one of the first rounders, the Bulls could save themselves about $1.5 million in salary if they let DJ walk — one million from the drop from a first to a second, another half million saved in not paying the veteran’s minimum to fill out the roster.

Meanwhile, if Boozer DOES get amnestied, that $1.5 million kicks in again, only this time it’s another $1.5 million in cap space. Alternatively, it’s just another $1.5 million JR doesn’t have to spend on filling out the roster. Supposing Mirotic signs for something in the $7-8 million range, and Augustin comes back for something in the $2 million range, that leaves us with around $60 million committed to 12 players with the two first rounders compared to $59.5 million to 13 with the two seconds. That obviously doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but the difference between $3 million and $3.5 million isn’t to be sneezed at. This year, that’s approximately the difference between Greg Stiemsma and Jordan Hill, which is not insignificant. Granted, Stiemsma only makes about $2.7 million this year, but I’m counting that as close enough.

(There is, by the way, no real benefit to drafting two players in the second round and then cutting them to gain cap space. The cap charge for unused roster spots is virtually identical to the salary they would be paid, and you’d still have to fill those spots eventually.)

Let me reiterate that I think such a move would be stupid. First rounders, even late first rounders, are much more likely to be productive players than second rounders. Look at Jimmy Butler, the very last pick in the first round of the 2011 draft, as compared to 32nd overall pick Justin Harper, who lasted all of a year with the Orlando Magic, barely played, and is now in Israel. And keep in mind that this year’s draft is considered to be incredibly deep, so the odds of getting a productive player are even higher than they normally would be. But the possibility of saving money has never stopped The Chairman from making the on-court product slightly worse. And there is some slight merit to the idea in terms of maximizing cap space, as outlined above, though probably not enough to make it worth it.

I suppose we’ll find out in June.

All salary numbers that I did not invent for the sake of my hypothetical come via ShamSports.

The post Don’t be surprised if the Chicago Bulls trade a pick to save money appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Chicago has the 28th, 30th and 43rd picks. The team needs an athletic shooting guard who can create his own offense, nail jumpers from long range, and (of course) defend. That would basically complete the championship package.

So how does management make that happen?

Through the draft?

With a trade?

The Bulls have tradeable assets (most notably Omer Asik and Taj Gibson) and could package the draft picks to create a deal. There have also been grumblings and murmurs about moving Carlos Boozer, although I sincerely doubt anybody wants to stand within a thousand yards of his contract right now.

Assuming management wants to hang on to Asik and Gibson — or, at the very least, isn’t willing to give them up without a major return — the Bulls will need to pull off a minor late-round miracle. Unless Adam Morrison did something amazing while working out for the team last weekend. Which I doubt.

For what it’s worth, here are some players I think the Bulls either might or should target with their picks.

Marshon Brooks of Providence would be a great fit for the Bulls. He’s got decent height (6’5″), a huge wingspan (7’1″) and great athleticism (38+ vertical leap and a 3.1-second three-quarter court sprint). Last season, he averaged 24.5 ppg while shooting 48 percent from the field. Unfortunately, unless the Bulls trade up, Brooks will probably be off the board by the late first round. Which might be just as well, considering he has a tendency to hold onto the ball too much and lacks defensive intensity. (Of course, those qualities could be coached out of him…)

Georgia’s Travis Leslie might be more attainable. Like Brooks, Leslie has hops (40+ vert) and wings (6’10”), plus he can score efficiently (49 percent last season) and defend. He’s a premier athlete who’s been compared to Tony Allen and claims he’ll be better than Allen on offense despite not having a three-point shot. That deficit — in addition to his lack of handles — worries me.

Butler’s Shelvin Mack is a player the Bulls could probably snag with one of their picks. Having played out his senior season and appeared in two NCAA championship games, he has experience and pedigree going for him. He was a smart and consistent performer in college who hit clutch shots and played tough defense. Unfortunately, he’s a 6’2″ point guard who has an inconsistent jump shot and more strength than speed.

Purdue’s JuJuan Johnson is probably worth a look, and I’m not saying that just because I’m a Boilermaker. A 6’10” power forward, Johnson is the reigning Big Ten player of the year and has skills the Bulls could use immediately. He can score inside and outside, rebound and play strong defense. He’s athletic (38-inch vertical)…but a bit skinny for NBA play (220 pounds). Note that my interest in Johnson assumes the Bulls would be making a trade that involves Asik or Gibson, or that they’d somehow manage to move Boozer’s contract.

I like Duke’s Kyle Singer as a potential backup for Luol Deng. Yes, the Bulls need a SG first and foremost, but expecting Lu to play 40+ minutes every night seems like lunacy. Singer is a pretty versatile scorer — he can drive, post up and shoot — who will crash the boards and make hustle plays. My main worry is whether he’s fast enough to stay with other small forwards at the NBA level. Another potential backup for Deng is Richmond’s Justin Harper. He’s 6’9″ and hit 44.8 percent of his threes last season.

More draft thoughts in the coming days.

The post Some Bulls draft thoughts appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Take that, Pat Riley.

According to ESPN the Magazine’s Ric Bucher: “The Chicago Bulls have a deal in place that would move Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick to the Washington Wizards, freeing up enough cap space to pursue two maximum-salary players in this summer’s free-agent market, sources with knowledge of the Bulls’ plans said Thursday.”

Now, the reason I say the Bulls have “reportedly” agreed to this trade is because it cannot become official until July 8. See, that’s when the Wiz will have enough room under the salary cap to absorb Hinrich’s contract without exchanging a player or players of similar value.

So last night, the Bulls selected Kevin Seraphin with the 17th pick. And yes, he slapped on a Bulls hat after his name was called, but it’s somewhere between “very unlikely” and “highly unlikely” that he’ll ever wear a Bulls jersey. He’s headed to Washington. Know what I mean? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more.

After picking Seraphin, Gar Forman released the following statement:

“This evening we selected Kevin Seraphin with the 17th overall pick of the NBA Draft,” Forman said. “At this time, we are currently in discussions to trade our draft rights to Kevin Seraphin; however, we will not be able to complete a trade until after the moratorium period concludes on July 8.

“With that said, we are not at liberty to identify the team that we are talking to or reveal any other specifics of potential trades. Therefore, we will have no comment on this selection until we have completed all trade discussions.”

Mind you, Chicago’s agreement with the Wizards is what you’d call a “good-faith deal.” In other words, either party could back out before July 8. Obviously, the Bulls aren’t going to — they started trying to dump Kirk’s contract about fve minutes after the ink dried — but Washington could.

However, it appears the Sacramento Kings — who relieved the Bulls of Andres Nocioni’s contract back in 2009 — would be willing to make a Hinrich-for-cap-space exchange if the Wizards get cold feet.

But assuming the trade goes through as planned…what does that mean?

According to Bucher: “Either way, moving Hinrich and the pick would push Chicago’s space under the cap from $20 million to more than $30 million. That puts the Bulls on equal footing with the Miami Heat in pursuing not just one but two members of a free-agent class that is expected to include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson.”

So…although a theoretical core of Bosh-LeBron-Wade would trump LeBron-Noah-Rose, would it trump Bosh-LeBron-Rose-Noah? Or LeBron-Johnson-Noah-Rose? Or Boozer-LeBron-Noah-Rose? Or LeBron-Noah-Rose-Stoudemire? Or Bosh-Johnson-Rose-Noah? Or…?!

And that’s not to mention Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and James Johnson. The only other supporting character the Heat have on staff right now is Michael Beasley…and they want nothing more than to get rid of him.

Look, I was a big fan of Kirk Hinrich. I liked the utility he provided. I liked the way he could play both guard spots, the way he could defend three positions, the way he never backed down and did what he was told with relatively few complaints (the occasional sour look notwithstanding).

But let’s face it: Expunging his salary opens up a lot of amazing possibilities for the Bulls. Many things will have to happen before it’s all said and done — two big-namers must agree to sign, and management will have to fill out the roster with a couple shooters and a few capable backups — but the Bulls could become championship contenders by as early as…

…next season.

And seriously, why wouldn’t the big-namers want to come here? As John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times pointed out: “With a nucleus of point guard Derrick Rose (the team’s first All-Star since the Jordan era), center Joakim Noah, small forward Luol Deng and power forward Taj Gibson, the Bulls have more quality talent in place than any other of the teams with significant cap room.”

And don’t think the big boys aren’t taking notice.

This is what Bosh had to say on ESPN Radio yesterday: “Chicago is a team worth checking out. When you have a city like Chicago and you have young talent like Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah and a new coach like Tom Thibodeau, that’s something worth looking at. I know they’re all about winning. I know they have a winning tradition in Chicago and I know they’re trying to get back there.”

Of course, Bosh also said: “Toronto is a great place. … They have a lot of good things going. And they’re definitely a team that I’m going to be looking at very hard because they can do things that other teams can’t.”

In other words, they can offer him more money than anybody else can. So, like I said, many things will have to happen before Bulls fans start buying their 2011 NBA Finals tickets in advance.

But it’s starting to look like the sky’s the limit.

The post Say goodbye to Captain Kirk and the 17th pick…say hello to cap space appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Me too.

However, if Bulls management has it’s way, some other team is going to end up with the 17th pick.

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: “Like the Heat’s trade of Daequan Cook and their first-round pick, the Bulls are trying to shave payroll for free agency. They’ve tried to package the pick with Luol Deng or Kirk Hinrich with little serious interest yet, although talks with the Clippers continue.”

Speaking of the Cook trade, the Heat pulled off a real coup there.

According to Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald: “By trading [Cook], the Heat have only Beasley ($4.96 million) and Mario Chalmers ($850,000) under contract next season. The Heat also avoids having to budget $1.2 million in salary cap space for the No. 18 pick. With the salary cap set at $56 million, that would leave the Heat with enough space to re-sign Wade, another max-salary player and possibly a third max player (between $15-$17 million for the first year of the deal).”

Pat Riley’s salary wrangling has allowed the Miami to Leapfrog Chicago as The Most Desirable Potential Destination for LeBron James. After all, the Heat could realistically field a three-man core of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and (say) Chris Bosh.

I hate to admit it, but that would certainly trump a LeBron-Rose-Noah combo. But that won’t stop the Bulls from working to make moves right up until the last minute.

Said Bulls GM Gar Forman: “There are a lot of things we’re considering, some of which the (No. 17) pick is involved with. We’re not just going to move the pick (alone) for financial consideration. Like trade deadlines, a lot of times things don’t happen until the 24th hour.”

Like a trade that would send Luol Deng to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat? Apparently, this deal has been discussed…but it’s unlikely to occur. For financial reasons, of course.

According to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: “This deal would save the Bulls about $22 million in future salaries, but it wouldn’t give them any more cap space to add a second free agent this summer. In fact, it would erase about $300,000 in cap space, which probably makes this move unlikely. … The Bulls wouldn’t mind moving Deng this summer to add a second free agent, but they’re not likely to trade him for two reserves and no cap relief.”

Remember: Even if nothing happens by tonight, the Bulls still have a week or two to shed salary for the upcoming free agent bonanza. I’m not sure whether management can actually move Deng and/or Hinrich — their contracts are that much of an anchor — but if you’re a fan of either guy, I suggest you make peace with the idea of seeing them in another uniform next season.

You know, just in case.

The post Draft / Free Agent Watch: Bulls want to trade pick and shed salary appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Somehow, I can’t imagine any teams willing to absorb the Deng and/or Hinrich contracts unless a deal with the Devil was arrange. So it’s more probable that the Bulls will end up using their draft pick.

Johnson also pointed out that Gar Forman said the team is considering five to six players at No. 17 and provided a list of “logical possibilities.” Here they are with some bonus info on each:

Cole Aldrich
School: Kansas
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 236
Position: Center
NBA Equivalent: Joel Przybilla / Eric Montross

From NBADraft.net: “Smooth bigman with great length and developing skills who has quickly become the premiere center in the country … Shows solid basketball understanding/fundamentals and a high motor … Made a huge jump during his sophomore season (going from a 3ppg 3 rpg player to 15 ppg and 11 rpg) and appears ready to take his game to another level in his junior season … His long arms (7’4 wingspan) allows him to play a few inches bigger than his 6’11 height and patrol the paint … Has good agility for a player his size and is beginning to develop good body control and offensive moves … Not overly explosive or a freakish athlete but his length and agility make him very effective … His unorthodox shooting style (has a large range of motion on his shot and follow through) makes him appear to be less coordinated and less efficient than he actually is … Not overly fiery.”

More at DraftExpress.

Eric Bledsoe:
School: Kentucky
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 192
Position: Point Guard / Shooting Guard
NBA Equivalent: Keyon Dooling / Marcus Banks

From NBADraft.net: “Combines great length with tremendous explosiveness … Has a lightning quick first step that makes him almost impossible to stay in front of … Makes his moves very decisively and changes direction abruptly without losing stride … His speed with the rock, especially in the open court, is remarkable … Has a powerful, chiseled frame for a guard that helps mask his height deficiency … When he gets a full head of steam – look out. He’s like a running back in the open field … His upper body strength allows him to finish through punishing blows … Uses his left hand very adroitly around the rim … An impressive leaper, rising to the rim with relative ease and throwing down some impressive jams … Exhibits the ability to hang and adjust shots mid-flight … Has a knack for hitting shots of the circus variety on a fairly regular basis. … Turnovers have been a problem at 3 per game … Decision making has been questionable at times, as he tends to continually play on fast forward- this can be partially attributed to the chaotic style Kentucky plays … Goes through phases where he has tunnel vision towards the basket, dribbling with his head down and not paying any attention to the defensive alignment … Leaves his feet to pass on many occasions, which often results in an offensive foul or no place to pass and a turnover … Despite his strength, settles for too many wild layups in an attempt to avoid contact when he should be seeking it out (attempts only 3 FT’s per).”

More at DraftExpress.

James Anderson:
I’ve already covered this guy.

Larry Sanders:
School: Virginia Commonwealth
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 222
Position: Power Forward / Center
NBA Equivalent: Theo Ratliff

From NBADraft.net: “Sanders is a rare big man who has length, athleticism, hops and quickness … The only thing he’s missing is a diverse skillset … He has improved in virtually every aspect of the game since his freshman year, which is a good sign moving forward …With some specialized coaching, and a few years developing behind veteran players and coaches, Sanders could find a consistent role on a team looking to become more athletic up front … In a draft with not many surefire contributors, GMs will be looking to take a chance on Sanders in the late first round with the intention of developing him further his first few years.”

More at DraftExpress.

Patrick Patterson:
School: Kentucky
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 223
Position: Power Forward
NBA Equivalent: Buck Williams

According to NBADraft.net: “A smart, mature kid who understands his role, Patterson looks like the typical productive power forward that GMs know exactly what they are going to get when they draft him… Not the highest upside, but a safe and reliable pick who rarely turns the ball over and just screams efficiency… With his improved jump shot, and the ability to add a few post moves to his repertoire, Patterson could be a nice fit right away for a team looking for stability at the 4 position, especially if they already have an established rebounding center.”

More at DraftExpress.

The post NBA Draft Watch: Potential draftees appeared first on Bulls By The Horns.

Ford writes: “Anderson was one of the best scorers in college basketball and could be a very good fit in the Bulls’ backcourt. His ability to stretch the defense and attack the basket would make him a nice complement to Derrick Rose. Even if the team ends up landing LeBron James or Dwyane Wade, look for Anderson to be the guy. As far as NBA-ready players go, there are few better in this draft. I’d expect him to play the same sort of role James Harden did in OKC last season.”

According to Anderson’s ESPN draft profile, his selling points are that he has an NBA body and long arms, he’s a slasher to can draw fouls and earn trips to the line, he can shoot and has NBA three-point range (.341 3P% in 2009-10), and he rebounds well from the guard position (5.8 RPG last season). For what it’s worth, he was a big time scorer during his junior season (22.3 PPG) and is also a strong free throw shooter (.810).

As for downsides, he’s a one-dimensional scorer who won’t be jumping out of the gym any time soon, isn’t much of a ball handler and doesn’t exactly wow with his passing. Sounds a little Ben Gordon-y, right? Only Anderson is 6’6″.

Anderson might also be on Milwaukee’s radar. If the Bucks take Anderson at 15, the Bulls might be able to land shooting guard Xavier Henry of Kansas (whom Stein believes will be chosen by the Bucks). Henry played only one year of college ball, so he wasn’t the consistent, game-to-game scorer Anderson was (13.4 PPG). That said, Henry scored 27 points in his first college game, which busted the record for most points scored by a Jayhawk in a debut game as a freshman. Then, on December 12, 2009, Henry scored 31 points against LaSalle at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. That made him the first Kansas freshman to score 30 points in a game since a guy named Paul Pierce.

Upsides: Henry has good size for a two guard (6’7″), an NBA body, deep shooting range, and the ability to finish at the rim. I also love the fact that he hit .418 on threes as a freshman.

Downsides: According to his ESPN draft profile, Henry (like Anderson) isn’t an explosive athlete, isn’t solid at creating off the dribble, is a little too dependent on jump shots and doesn’t use his strength effectively. Of course, as I said, he’s a freshman. It’s natural that he’d have more flaws in his game than a junior like Anderson.

At any rate, the Bulls need a shooter/scorer at the shooting guard position. Anderson and Henry are the best SGs that could be available when the Bulls pick. Despite the fact that he didn’t hit 40 percent of his treys in college, I’m more interested in Anderson. Henry might have more upside, but he’s also a bit of a project. I think it’s more likely Anderson could come in and contribute immediately.

That said, we still have no idea what the Bulls’ plans are in terms of landing a big name free agent and filling out the rest of the roster. They could have signings and trade plans that completely alter their draft needs. But it’s still fun to speculate.

More James Anderson:
DraftExpress profile
NBADraft.net profile
Wikipedia entry

More Xavier Henry:
DraftExpress profile
NBADraft.net profile
Wikipedia entry

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With the 16th pick, the Bulls selected James Johnson, a 6’7″(ish), 257-pound power forward from Wake Forest. Johnson — who comes from a family of black belt kick boxersand is himself undefeated (21-0) — averaged 15.0 PPG and a team-leading 8.5 RPG during his sophomore year. He also led the Demon Deacons in field goal percentage (54.2), blocks (48) and was second in steals (44). Johnson has a good handle and can beat defenders off the dribble (he played point guard in high school). He also has size (did I mention he’s 257 pounds?), strength and a decent shooting touch. There aresome “buts,” though. Johnson has been criticized for inconsistency, lack of focus (scouts say he occasionally takes possessions off) and weight problems. Sounds awful Eddy Curry-ish, doesn’t it? I’m just sayin’.

According to Bulls GM Gar Forman: “”We love James’ versatility. He can play small forward. He can play power forward. He can play inside. He can play outside. At his size, he can rebound the ball, put it on the floor and push it in transition. He can penetrate. He’s a very good passer for a big guy. He can make plays for himself and his teammates off the dribble.” Added Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro: “James has a lot of skill. For a big guy, he has a feel for the game and can do a little of everything.”

With the 26th pick, the Bulls took Taj Gibson, a 6’9″, 210-pound power forward from USC. Gibson, who’s already 24 years old, averaged 14.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG (a team-best), 2.9 BPG (another team-best) and a field goal percentage of 60.1 (yet another team-best). Over his three-year career at USC, Gibson set the Trojans’ all-time record with 253 blocks, which also happens to be third-best in Pac-10 history. His age gives him maturity (or so the Bulls believe), and his wingspan(seven feet, four inches) gives him some serious length and shot blocking ability. However, he’s a wee bit on the skinny side — at 210, he’s almost 50 pounds lighter than the shorter Johnson — and his offensive game is pretty raw. So don’t expect him to bang bodies with the big boys or put up a lot of points.

According to Forman: “Taj gives us great length, which is something we need. He runs the floor well, which is important for our bigs to run with Derrick [Rose]. He also can play out on the floor some and can handle and pass it. USC ran offense through him. And he can make a 15-footer.” Added Del Negro: “Taj gives us length. He runs the court. He’ll block shots. He shot the ball better than I expected in his workout here.”

Management and the coaching staff seem to love these guys, but the two picks raise some serious questions. In addition to Johnson and Gibson, the Bulls also have Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, Brad Miller, Tim Thomas, Aaron Gray and Jerome James at the power forward and center position. Mind you, James — who played only two games for the Knicks in 2007-08 and never set foot on the court last season — probably will never suit up for the Bulls before his contract expires next summer. Gray, meanwhile, will most likely be exiled to the bench an relegated to Human Victory Cigar status (i.e., you won’t see him unless the Bulls are up or down by 30 points).

Still…that’s a pretty crowded front court, right? And Gibson’s skill set sure sounds familiar doesn’t it? As Tam Bamford of the Bleacher Report put it: “There is no question, watching the Bulls last season, that the Bulls needed more depth in the lane. But what sense does it make to draft a tall, skinny Gibson and an athletic ‘tweener’ in Johnson when the Bulls have a tall, skinny Noah and an athletic ‘tweener’ in Thomas already?”

It makes sense to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: “The addition of two forwards brings into question the future of Tyrus Thomas, whose window to extend his rookie contract opens July 1. Historically, the Bulls have been reluctant to extend rookie contracts in the first summer of eligibility, and adding Johnson and Gibson crowds the front court further.”

It sure seems like the Bulls wanted some Tyrus Thomas insurance, doesn’t it? Remember: This is a contract year for Thomas. Assuming that the Contract Year Phenomenon holds true, Tyrus could end up playing great next season, and that would make him potential bait for a Chris Bosh deal at the February trade deadline or during the summer of 2010 (as a sign-and-trade).

What’s more, the Bulls opted not to draft any guards. Does that mean they’re serious about re-signing Ben Gordon…even if the Detroit Pistons break the bank to steal him away? Losing Ben would leave the Bulls with a serious lack of depth at the shooting guard position, which would radically increase Kirk Hinrich’s value to the team (sorry, Portland.) And even if the Bulls do re-sign Gordon, dealing Hinrich would leave them without a reliable backup at the point.

At any rate, these picks seem to indicate that, for the moment, the Bulls are standing pat with what they have. It now seems very unlikely they’re planning to make a major move right now. Next summer? Maybe. But right now they appear to be opting for incremental improvement and financial responsibility.

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The TrueHoop Network blogs — led by Hardwood Paroxysm — will be liveblogging the event. As HP’s Matt Moore put it: “Join us on Draft Day, starting at 5PM EST for a liveblog event that will be so phenomenal, you’ll have to twitter about how awesome it was just reading about it on Facebook from a post someone made when they found it on Digg. Ya Digg?”

You can expect many members of the TrueHoop Network — myself included — and some very special guests to show up and discuss the successes and failures of the draft. There will be analysis, snark and much crying to the heavens. Should be a good time…so keep an eye on this post.

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I love Jo. His draft suit? Not so much.

We’re only one season into the Derrick Rose Era, and I think it’s pretty safe to say he was the right pick. Unfortunately, not every draft has been sunshine and puppy dogs for the Bulls. In fact, there have been some downright painful draft day failures over the last decade. Here are the worst.

Jay Williams: This one hurt. I mean, it hurt a lot. It was the NBA-equivalent of feeding your right leg to an exploding grizzly bear. The Bulls, coming off a 21-win season, had the second pick in the 2002 Draft. They used that pick on Jay Williams, who had distinguished himself during a three-year college career at Duke: 19.3 PPG, 6.0 APG, 45% FGP, and 39.3% from downtown. He was considered by many to be the best player in the draft, particularly after winning the Naismith Award and Wooden Award as College Basketball’s Player of the Year in 2002. The Bulls were more than happy to snap him up after Houston took Yao Ming with the first pick.

Chicago already had some established players (Jalen Rose, Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry), so then-coach Bill Cartwright didn’t exactly give his rookie the keys to the car. As a result, Jay’s rookie season was pretty tame (9.5 PPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG and 39% shooting). But he finished the season strong, averaging 13.1 points on 59% shooting (including 68% on threes) and 4.9 assists over the team’s final eight games. There was every reason to believe he’d come back and have a strong second season.

Only that season never happened. From Wikipedia: “Williams’ life almost ended on June 19, 2003 when he crashed his motorcycle into a pole at the intersection of Fletcher and Honore in Chicago, Illinois. Williams was not wearing a helmet, wasn’t licensed to drive a motorcycle in Illinois, and was violating terms of his contract by driving a new Yamaha YZF-R6. Williams severed a main nerve in his leg, fractured his pelvis and tore three ligaments in his left knee including the ACL and required physical therapy to regain the use of his leg. A week later the Bulls drafted point guard Kirk Hinrich. Many months later, after it was clear Williams would not be returning to the Bulls for some time (if at all), he was waived.” Despite a few valiant efforts, the last of which was a stint with the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League back in 2006, Jay never appearing in another regular season NBA game.

Players Chicago could have taken instead of Williams: Amare Stoudemire (whom we’d like to get), Carlos Boozer (whom we’d also like to get), Drew Gooden (whom we acquired later), Fred Jones, John Salmons (whom we now have), Luis Scola, Nene, Tayshaun Prince.

Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler: Here’s another painful one. The Bulls won only 15 games during the 2000-01 campaign, which “earned” them the fourth pick in the 2001 Draft, which they used to select Eddy Curry. Sometimes referred to as “Baby Shaq,” Curry’s tenure in Chicago was considered a major failure. It wasn’t that Eddy didn’t show potential. He led the league in field goal percentage during his sophomore season (58.5%), his scoring output steadily increased (from 6.7 PPG as a rookie to 16.1 PPG during his fourth season), and he developed into a legitimate low post scorer. However, Curry was dogged by inconsistency, injuries, weight issues and attitude problems. Even worse, he seemed to care only about scoring…his rebounding and defense couldn’t even have been considered halfhearted unless you cut that amount in half. (When asked by a reporter in 2003 what Curry needed to do to become a better rebounder, then-coach Scott Skiles simply replied: “Jump.”)

Eddy actually led the Bulls in scoring during the 2004–05 season, during which the team improved by 28 wins and made the playoffs. However, Curry was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat late in the season and missed the final 13 games of the regular season and the entire playoffs. Curry became a free agent, and the Bulls actually wanted to re-sign him…but John Paxson insisted that Curry take a DNA test to determine whether he was susceptible to a potentially fatal heart problem. Curry refused, saying that it violated his privacy. (The reality is, it would have violated his chance of earning a fat free agent paycheck.) “I would never put a player on the floor in a Chicago Bulls uniform if I didn’t do everything in my power to find out all the information that was available,” Paxson said. “You can debate genetic testing ’til you’re blue in the face. But from what I know, from what I’ve learned over the last six months, that test could have helped us determine the best course of action.”

Believe it or not, the Bulls offered curry $400,000 annually for the next 50 years if he failed the test. Curry said, “No, way.” Unable to reach an agreement, Pax pulled of a sign-and-trade with the Knicks, netting Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney and Jermaine Jackson. In other words: A bunch of junk. Jackson was waived before the season started, Thomas never played and eventually was bought out, and Michael Sweetney — who showed flashes now and again — was too fat to stay out of Scott Skiles’ dog house.

As for Chandler, well, the Los Angeles Clippers took him with the second pick in the draft…and the Bulls traded Elton Brand to get him. Mind you, Brand was coming off his second consecutive 20/10 season with the Bulls and was already one of the top five post players in the league. Chandler was a high school phenom with a lot of potential, but Brand already was awesome. Tyson never got there. Never even came close, in fact. And he never worked hard enough or played with the consistency that Skiles demanded, so in the summer of 2006 — one year after re-signing him for $75 million — the Bulls traded him to the New Orleans Hornets for P.J. Brown and J.R. Smith. Six days later, Chicago traded Smith to the Denver Nuggets for Howard Eisley, whom they quickly waived. Brown provided veteran leadership and had a monster playoff game against the Pistons, but he was a one-and-done.

Now, if the Bulls had kept Brand, they could have used the fourth pick to take Tony Parker, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson, Richard Jefferson, Gerald Wallace, Samuel Dalembert, Mehmet Okur or even Shane Battier (whom Skiles would have loved). Alas.

Marcus Fizer: Despite the fact that Elton Brand was coming off a rookie season in which he had averaged 20 PPG and 10 RPG, the Bulls used the fourth pick in the 2000 draft on Fizer, a power forward out of Iowa State. It was an odd choice, because with Brand entrenched at the four spot, there would only be backup minutes available for Fizer. But at the time, the Bulls were coached by Tim Floyd, who had recruited Fizer to Iowa State. Unfortunately, it was the presence of Fizer that paved the way for Brand’s exile to Clipperland.

Fizer spent four seasons with the Bulls but never really developed. In 2004, he was made available to the Charlotte Bobcats in their expansion draft. Sadly, he wasn’t even good enough for an expansion team. Unable to make Charlotte’s final roster, he signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks. After one blah season in Milwaukee — 6.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG — he failed to sign a free agent deal with another team. In November 2005, he signed with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. On March 8, 2006, Fizer signed a 10-day contract with the Seattle SuperSonics, but never appeared in a single game. On March 31, 2006, he was named the NBA Development League MVP for the 2005–2006 season. The same day, he was signed to a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Hornets. He played three games with the Hornets, averaging 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds. He hasn’t been seen in the NBA since.

There wasn’t a lot of talent in the 2000 draft, but the Bulls could have taken Michael Redd, Hedo Turkoglu, Quentin Richardson, Jamaal Magloire or DeShawn Stevenson.

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