So what do the Bulls do, Part II.
Yes, this is going to be worthy of Roman numerals.
With the Bulls getting the second overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, there could be CXVIII possibilities before this all ends at the June 28 draft.
And it’s at Madison Square Garden, of all places. How much do the Knicks have to suffer?
Toronto has the first selection–for now–and has no desperate need for a big man because it has Chris Bosh and Charlie Villanueva. I still believe the Raptors–or someone–will take 6-foot-11-inch center LaMarcus Aldridge with the No. 1 pick and the Bulls then will take LSU 6-9 power forward Tyrus Thomas.
I also believe the Bulls will engage in more trade discussions than they ever have because Thomas still is only a prospect, though an impressive one. He’s 19, and we have seen such young players usually take a while to develop, Luol Deng not necessarily included.
Now that it has become clear in these playoffs that the Eastern Conference isn’t necessarily the monster it was believed to be, the Bulls may decide to take a shot now by adding veteran talent through trades and free agency.
So, who should they trade for?
What, and ruin my fun for the next month?
For now, here are just some idle thoughts about the draft.
Toronto obviously has leverage with the No. 1 pick, and the talk has been it has a deal with 6-11 Italian power forward Andrea Bargnani. The signs were all there: The Raptors hired a Benetton executive, general manager Bryan Colangelo’s connections with Italy and clues to the existence of a first Raptors championship in the old locker of Zan Tabak.
The thinking was the Raptors would get the fifth pick and scare everyone ahead of them into believing Bargnani could stay in Europe so would slide to No. 5. Now that they could take him No. 1, it’s hard to believe he’s that good. I’ve heard he’s somewhere between Dirk Nowitzki and Nikoloz Tskitishvili, at least in pronunciation difficulties.
Of course, if the Raptors indeed have dreamed up this Fran Vasquez scare tactic (he’s the 2005 Magic lottery pick from Spain who is considering coming to the NBA by the time of the Chicago Olympics), they might want to trade down to No. 10 and still get him.
I believe Toronto adding a piece like Aldridge would give the Raptors a strong, young front line to grow with. The talk is they will let go shoot-first point guard Mike James as Colangelo tries to build in the Phoenix-European-style open-court model. Not having Steve Nash will make it more difficult. Not having any point guard makes it impossible.
Because neither the Bulls nor Bobcats at second and third seem a threat to take Bargnani, the speculation is Toronto could trade down to No. 4 and get a point guard from Portland. The problem with this scenario is I’m not much of a fan of any of the Portland point guards. And because there isn’t a sure star at the top of the draft, it’s not like you’re going to be offered that much for one of the top picks.
You would guess Portland would want Aldridge as it figures to lose Joel Przybilla in free agency, possibly to the Bulls. But let’s move back. What if the Raptors take Bargnani at No. 1?
That would leave the Bulls the choice of Aldridge and Thomas.
I think 6-6 shooting guard Brandon Roy and 6-8 small forward Adam Morrison are ready to make an impact quicker in the NBA. But for all of the athletic, so-called small ball being played in the playoffs, you still need some size.
Can you get it in free agency? Sure, but most of those available are role players. I always like the idea of getting an immediate contributor in the draft, but Roy, the big two guard who would fit the Bulls, isn’t exactly Michael Jordan.
I probably would take Aldridge. He’s not the dump-it-down-and-score center, but he can step out and hit a shot, runs the court and is said to enjoy playing, actually rare in big guys. He can grow well with the current Bulls group and complement Tyson Chandler.
But here’s the interesting part. The Bulls even could take Thomas if they had the No. 1 pick, but the rumor floating around now is Aldridge wants to play for the Bulls. There’s also a question about whether he will work out for certain teams. While it’s not known how he feels about the Raptors, they’re not about to get into another of those Americans-can’t-bring-their-kids-up-tryi ng-to-learn-a-foreign-language-in-school-here messes.
Plus, Aldridge is working with agent Arn Tellem, who has been close with the Bulls and remains grateful for letting one of his clients enhance his career by playing with the Suns. The Bulls were prepared to just pay off Tim Thomas and let him sit out the playoffs, but have endured the critics since Thomas has been invaluable to the Suns.
The talk is Tellem will work to get Aldridge to the Bulls, if possible. And if Tellem has his client’s best interests at heart, he certainly wouldn’t want him going to Portland.
Yes, this is just the beginning.
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sasmith@tribune.com
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– Sam Smith answers questions at bancodeprofissionais.com/asksamsmith
