Deal #2- Thomas to Bobcats
Tyrus Thomas and the Chicago Bulls got their wish the day of tradeline when Thomas was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for a first round draft pick, Acie Law and Flip Murray. In the past few weeks, Thomas has reportedly argued with head coach Vinny Del Negro. His main argument was his minutes on the court. Thomas has had decent amount of pt at times and at other times he is hardly played. This has happened throughout three different coaches in his three and a half seasons with the Bulls. (more…)
2010 could be a giant roster shift for Bulls
John Paxson has some huge decisions in front of him. A few of them go like: What kind of player do the Bulls need? Who on the Bulls current roster can they do without? Should they make moves for key players for next year’s team now or wait for free agency?
Lets answer a few of these.
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.
Del Negro still Employed??
Vinny Del Negro made it past the usual Christmas Eve head coach firing squad the Chicago Bulls are famous for. His two predecessors, Tim Floyd and Scott Skiles, were let go with sorry we want someone new, but hey, Merry Christmas. Del Negro has kept his job and looks to want it for some duration.
Even after he made it past Christmas, rumors were still being typed on the web, printed in papers, heard on the radio and discussed on countless Chicago street corners. Then about a month ago, the Bulls started to play the game they are being paid for.
5-5 to start 2010
With the loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls register a 5-5 record for the new year and the new decade and 18-22 for the season.
There are pluses and minuses comparing the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010.
A quick and well known minus, Vinny Del Negro could lose his job at any minute. Some of the following may not be on the shoulders of Del Negro. On the other hand, if it isn’t, it is his job as the head coach to find and right the problem.
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