For the sake of tidiness and simplicity, it’d be convenient to declare the winner of Sunday’s Bulls-Raptors game as the victor of last November’s six-player trade between the teams.
Doing so also would be inaccurate.
For starters, the teams play three more times this season and, even then, the series winner will offer an incomplete answer.
Jalen Rose’s contract has three years and $47 million remaining on it. Jerome Williams has four years and $27.5 million left on his deal.
Such numbers carry with them the possibility for future trades and salary-cap decisions, making a definitive answer cloudy at best for now.
What is certain is this: “I’d make that deal again,” Bulls general manager John Paxson said. So would his counterpart, Toronto’s Glen Grunwald.
The six-player trade sending Rose, Donyell Marshall and Lonny Baxter to Chicago in exchange for Williams, Antonio Davis and Chris Jefferies has done little to alter either team’s record. Toronto was 8-8 at the time of the trade and has gone 12-13 since. The Bulls were 4-12 then and are 8-19 since.
But the move did address needs that had both general managers anxious enough to make a deal that it took 10 days of talks until the right combination of names was found.
“It addressed toughness, defensive issues and rebounding issues for us,” Paxson said. “It took away scoring, obviously. But it was right for our organization at the time.”
In the trade’s direct aftermath, Rose publicly took the high road despite earlier saying that Paxson had promised he wouldn’t trade him to Toronto. Paxson disputed this claim.
Since then, however, Rose has taken some shots at the Bulls. Privately, the trade upset him.
“I think [the trade] was premeditated, but I didn’t take it personally,” Rose said following Toronto’s practice Saturday at the United Center. “That’s the nature of the business and you have to be a pro about it. I felt like I did what I was asked to do [with the Bulls]. I played the best I could and tried to turn the situation around.”
Rose is averaging 15.4 points for Toronto, up from 13.3 with the Bulls. But his shooting is still below 40 percent.
“I’m happy to be in a situation where at least we exist and we are on the radar,” Rose said.
Rose said he could relate to Bulls veteran Scottie Pippen, who lambasted his younger teammates Thursday for a lack of commitment and poor work ethic.
“Patience ends when all the talk is about winning,” Rose said. “Rebuilding means you aren’t going to get it done for a while and you know it. Winning means that when [Toronto] gets out there, we expect to win. That’s the difference. It’s a mind-set.”
Of the six players, Marshall is enjoying the biggest statistical jump. His scoring average has doubled from 8.7 points to 17.3 with Toronto. His rebounds are up from 6.2 to 10.5. His shooting has improved from 41.9 percent to 49.3 and his minutes have risen from 25.5 to 39.4.
“I have more opportunities because of the offense that is run and the confidence these guys have in me,” Marshall said. “Every time I get the ball, they are telling me to shoot. A lot of times [with the Bulls] I might’ve had an open shot, but I didn’t take it because I kept looking over my shoulder [at the bench].”
Several variations of the deal included guard Alvin Williams, whom Paxson passed on due to concerns over insurance issues on his contract and his health. Williams is playing well for Toronto and would have served as solid insurance should Paxson deal Jamal Crawford.
Also, with trade kickers that increased the payout on Davis’ and Williams’ contracts, the deal added about $4 million to the Bulls’ payroll over the lives of all the respective contracts. This could come into play if the Bulls extend the contracts of Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler.
Bulls management, however, still is happy with the deal, completed one day after Scott Skiles took over as coach and also made with Curry and Chandler in mind.
“Both teams did that deal for longer-term reasons,” Skiles said. “I’m happy with our guys and I’m sure they’re happy with theirs.”
