After several starts and stops to trade talks over 10 days, the Bulls and Toronto finally hit upon the right combination of names Saturday, continuing the Bulls’ overhaul that began with the hiring of coach Scott Skiles.
In a six-player trade that won’t be official until the league office opens Monday, the Bulls sent Jalen Rose, Donyell Marshall and Lonny Baxter to Toronto in exchange for Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams and Chris Jefferies.
On paper, the move subtracts scoring while adding more rebounding, defensive toughness and roughly $4 million to payroll over the lives of all the respective contracts.
But even more important to general manager John Paxson is what the deal does in theory.
“I’ll say this forever: I’m trying to build a team, a group of individuals who play together, play hard and are willing to sacrifice on the floor,” Paxson said. “I think we acquired some guys who fit that mold. Now I have to try to find some ways to build on that.”
Despite that loaded last sentence, team sources indicate Paxson has no more deals in the works, content for now to let a new coach and new-look team take root with an image that quickly is taking the shape of his as a player.
Rose never fit that image. He averaged a team- and career-high 22.1 points per game last season. But his poor shot selection and suspect defensive ability never endeared him to Paxson, who made shedding the remaining three years and $47 million on his contract a priority.
When word of talks first broke Nov. 21, Rose insisted Paxson promised him he wouldn’t trade him to Toronto, a claim Paxson disputed. But both men took the high road on Saturday.
“I have no resentment or hard feelings,” said Rose, reached on his cell phone. “I have a lot of love for Chicago. If you’re going to make Tyson [Chandler] and Eddy [Curry] the focal points of the future–and they deserve that–this is a great move.
“It always [stinks] getting traded because, somewhere along the line, either the individual or the situation failed. When I first got to the Bulls, it wasn’t positive from a record or attitude standpoint. I just tried to do the best I could for the franchise. I felt like I succeeded.”
Said Paxson: “Jalen and I had a real nice talk. He was great. Jalen is the best scorer in this deal. But I think we have become a more physical, tougher basketball team. That’s important.”
Indeed, Davis is a 6-foot-9-inch, 230-pound banger who is averaging 8.6 points and 9.5 rebounds in 35.9 minutes per game. Management envisions fewer minutes for Davis, which could increase his efficiency.
“Antonio is a proven veteran who is going to play hard in practice and in every game,” Skiles said. “He also can’t help but be a good influence on the other big guys.”
Davis, 35, almost signed with the Bulls as a free agent in the summer of 2001, and his wife, Kendra, is a Chicago native with a home here. He has two years and, with a 10 percent trade kicker, $27.5 million remaining on his contract.
“I’m happy, I’m sad, I don’t know exactly how I feel,” Davis said from Miami.
The adjustment will be tougher for Williams, a huge fan favorite in Toronto. An energetic forward, Williams is averaging 5.1 points and 8.5 rebounds in 27.1 minutes.
Williams, 30, also has a trade kicker in his deal that stretches four more years and $27.5 million. His contract could force moves down the line when the Bulls have to extend Curry and Chandler. But Paxson isn’t worried about that scenario now.
“He was important in this deal because we need energy guys,” Paxson said. “We have one in Tyson, and now we have another. I can see Scott using our front line in myriad ways.”
The Bulls don’t know much about Jefferies, a second-year bit player who has played eight minutes all season. He’ll likely land on the injured list.
None of the traded Raptors played in Saturday’s 78-66 loss to Miami. They will report for physicals Monday and aren’t likely to play in Skiles’ debut against Milwaukee that night.
To get these guys, the Bulls had to shed Marshall, whom Toronto insisted as part of the deal. “I came here to help work with these young kids, and I’m going to definitely watch their progress,” a shaken Marshall said as he left the Berto Center. “This is one of the few teams I’ve been on where I got along with everybody.”
Paxson said the trade also will benefit Jamal Crawford, who will see minutes at shooting guard and will be expected to make up for Rose’s scoring loss.
Both Marshall and, in particular, Rose were stalwarts in the community, doing plenty of charity work. Both said they would continue to follow the Bulls. “Make sure to give those guys love for me,” Rose said. “I have more than teammates on that team. I have brothers.”
