Remember when Luol Deng was the subject of trade rumors around the trade deadline almost every year for a while? Then recently it seemed like the Bulls just accepted that they were stuck with him forever until the end of time or his contract, whichever came first.
The All-Star small forward has been shipped over to Cleveland in exchange for the All-Star center, but one of these All-Stars isn't going to be playing any games for his new team. The Bulls waived Andrew Bynum in order to avoid paying him more money than they have to, meaning that he's only going to make $6 million from the $24.8 million contract he signed with the Cavs this previous off season.
In addition to Bynum, the Bulls have acquired several of their conference rival's draft picks, including Sacramento Kings' 2014 first-round pick (which should be a lottery pick), the Portland Trail Blazers 2015 and '16 second-round picks, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavs in 2015 if the Cavs' pick is outside the top 14.
In my eyes, this trade shows us a few things.
1) The Cavs aren't trying to build their team through the draft- Irving, Waiters, and Thompson are all early lottery draft picks from Cleveland, and apparently the Cavs think they've gotten all they can get from the draft. It's hard to blame them when all three men are performing very well this season, and the Cavs only seem to be a few pieces away from being a championship contender. Luol Deng adds a more veteran presence to what is otherwise a young team, and should help the players around him continue to develop. Is it too late for the Cavs to turn this season around and become a playoff contender? In a weak Eastern Conference and about a month and a half to go before the All-Star break, it's hard to say no unequivocally, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
2) The Bulls are looking to rebuild- It seems weird to say that considering they are in second place in the central division, but they do currently have a losing record. But while the Bulls aren't an older team, they're not exactly a young one either. Jimmy Butler is young and talented, but after that their youngest starter is Noah, whom is 28 years old and turns 29 in February. Taj Gibson, the man that seems to be in the process of being groomed to take over for the aging Carlos Boozer, is also 28 and turns 29 in June. Derrick Rose is only 25, but with all the injuries he's suffered there's no telling if he'll ever be the top-quality PG he once was. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls trade away a few more of their players in an attempt to grab more first round picks in an attempt to get young players that they can build a future around.
3) Andrew Bynum is not long for this league- I think we've all known this since he sat out a full season in Philadelphia, but the fact that a team would sooner waive the former All-Star than even give him a chance to play is the icing on the wall and the writing on the cake. I would imagine there is a team out there that would be willing to give him a chance, but Bynum shouldn't expect to sign for half as much as he did with the Cavs. I have no idea which team would be crazy enough to sign him, but he is very talented, and perhaps there's a coach in this league that thinks he has what it takes to motivate the listless Bynum.
4) The Cavs have leverage when it comes to LeBron James- Luol Deng is in the last year of his contract, but with 19 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, he's making a strong case for getting that contract extended. Cleveland may come sniffing around LeBron James come free agent season, but they're not going to be as desperate to sign James now that they have a perfectly fine option at small forward that they could just as easily resign. If the price isn't right for LeBron James, the Cavs may just pass on signing him altogether. Then again, is there any price to high for LeBron James?
This is an interesting trade that will certainly shake up the NBA's Central Division. What are your thoughts on the trade?
The All-Star small forward has been shipped over to Cleveland in exchange for the All-Star center, but one of these All-Stars isn't going to be playing any games for his new team. The Bulls waived Andrew Bynum in order to avoid paying him more money than they have to, meaning that he's only going to make $6 million from the $24.8 million contract he signed with the Cavs this previous off season.
In addition to Bynum, the Bulls have acquired several of their conference rival's draft picks, including Sacramento Kings' 2014 first-round pick (which should be a lottery pick), the Portland Trail Blazers 2015 and '16 second-round picks, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavs in 2015 if the Cavs' pick is outside the top 14.
In my eyes, this trade shows us a few things.
1) The Cavs aren't trying to build their team through the draft- Irving, Waiters, and Thompson are all early lottery draft picks from Cleveland, and apparently the Cavs think they've gotten all they can get from the draft. It's hard to blame them when all three men are performing very well this season, and the Cavs only seem to be a few pieces away from being a championship contender. Luol Deng adds a more veteran presence to what is otherwise a young team, and should help the players around him continue to develop. Is it too late for the Cavs to turn this season around and become a playoff contender? In a weak Eastern Conference and about a month and a half to go before the All-Star break, it's hard to say no unequivocally, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
2) The Bulls are looking to rebuild- It seems weird to say that considering they are in second place in the central division, but they do currently have a losing record. But while the Bulls aren't an older team, they're not exactly a young one either. Jimmy Butler is young and talented, but after that their youngest starter is Noah, whom is 28 years old and turns 29 in February. Taj Gibson, the man that seems to be in the process of being groomed to take over for the aging Carlos Boozer, is also 28 and turns 29 in June. Derrick Rose is only 25, but with all the injuries he's suffered there's no telling if he'll ever be the top-quality PG he once was. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bulls trade away a few more of their players in an attempt to grab more first round picks in an attempt to get young players that they can build a future around.
3) Andrew Bynum is not long for this league- I think we've all known this since he sat out a full season in Philadelphia, but the fact that a team would sooner waive the former All-Star than even give him a chance to play is the icing on the wall and the writing on the cake. I would imagine there is a team out there that would be willing to give him a chance, but Bynum shouldn't expect to sign for half as much as he did with the Cavs. I have no idea which team would be crazy enough to sign him, but he is very talented, and perhaps there's a coach in this league that thinks he has what it takes to motivate the listless Bynum.
4) The Cavs have leverage when it comes to LeBron James- Luol Deng is in the last year of his contract, but with 19 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, he's making a strong case for getting that contract extended. Cleveland may come sniffing around LeBron James come free agent season, but they're not going to be as desperate to sign James now that they have a perfectly fine option at small forward that they could just as easily resign. If the price isn't right for LeBron James, the Cavs may just pass on signing him altogether. Then again, is there any price to high for LeBron James?
This is an interesting trade that will certainly shake up the NBA's Central Division. What are your thoughts on the trade?