Thomas on his way out

After being suspended for arguing with Chicago Bulls Head Coach Vinny Del Negro,  Tyrus Thomas finds his name in the trade block. The trade deadline is only a week away for the Bulls to make a move with Thomas if this is what they want to do.

2010 free agency has been the talk of the NBA for the last year because of the big names: Dwayne Wade, Lebron James and Chris Bosh.  There are also many mid-superstar players and solid role players who will be available.  Could getting rid of Thomas for an expiring contract be helpful to get a top tier player?

Thomas is valuable.  He is a leaper who has perfect timing for massive swats and is a solid rebounder.  His rebounding skills would show more if he wasn’t on the same team as Joakim Noah.  Thomas can also take it in the paint.  He is not a great offensive player, but with a little developement could be a go to guy.  At the current time,  he is more of a rebound put back guy or a cutter coming through the paint.

Thomas was the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft.  Thomas was originally drafted by the Portland Trailblazers but traded to the Bulls for Lamar Aldridge. In his three years as a Bull, Thomas has been a part of three different coaching tenures.  Scott Skiles, Jim Boylan and Del Negro.  In each different term,  Thomas’s rotation in the lineup went through highs and lows.  He has been a starter and then a 10 minute off the bench small role player.

There has been rumors of Thomas and Kirk Hinrich being packaged.  Hinrich would be a good trade for an expiring contract.  For this season, he will make 9.5 million out of the 26 million owed to him in the last 3 years of his contract.  Hinrich’s plus Thomas’s 6.6 million dollar contract gives the Bulls something to work with to get either a superstar,  a first round draft pick or two or three role players.

Honestly,  the Bulls need a star player.  Thomas is not a starter on the Bulls and there are other players who can do what he does.  Rookie Taj Gibson has been starting over him.  Gibson has more of a complete game.  He can post up and has a better mid-range jumper.  Hinrich has been solid for the Bulls but he has proven he cannot help the team to the next level and getting rid of his contract would help the Bulls in efforts to pick up one of the big free agents.

The teams who have shown interest in Thomas are the Bobcats, Kings, Knicks, Blazers, Spurs, Nuggets and Hornets.  Trying to package Thomas and Hinrich to these teams may be hard, but Thomas could help all of them with his youth and athletic ability.