I was with the Bulls on part of their Western Conference trip, and I’m not despairing anymore. There’s hope, and where there’s hope, there are opportunities for trades. With 11 days to the trading deadline, I’ve got to get busy.
It’s most likely the Bulls will make moves after the season, when they know who their coach will be and whether they’ll have another lottery draft pick. But there’s a frenzy of talk going on in the NBA now in the wake of the monster trades of Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol. In talking to general managers, I’m hearing teams calling one another multiple times daily and comparing rosters.
There are loads of big names out there who could move, such as Jason Kidd, Jermaine O’Neal, Ben Wallace, Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Ron Artest, Mike Bibby, Larry Hughes, Ricky Davis, Charlie Villanueva, Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick, Andre Miller, T.J. Ford, Earl Watson, Luke Ridnour, Wally Szczerbiak, Andrei Kirilenko, Raef Lafrentz, Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry, Vince Carter, Travis Outlaw, Eduardo Najera, J.R. Smith, Sam Cassell, Corey Maggette, Lamar Odom, Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry.
One player who hasn’t been mentioned much is Golden State’s Al Harrington, once a peach in the Bulls’ eyes. The Bulls thought they had a deal with the Pacers for Harrington in 2004. Indiana supposedly wanted a lottery pick, so the Bulls paid $3 million — rare these days and a sign they do spend — for the Suns’ pick at No. 7. When the Bulls went back to the Pacers, Indiana apparently changed its mind and asked for the No. 3 pick, which the Bulls used for Ben Gordon.
At No. 7, the Bulls selected Luol Deng, who’d look awfully good now in Indiana or Phoenix. The Pacers eventually dealt Harrington in the trade for Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy, while the Suns got the Bulls’ pick the next year, which was No. 21.
I was with the Bulls in Golden State last week when Chris Webber made his debut. Lost in that was coach Don Nelson’s decision to move Harrington to the bench, though he was starting again Saturday.
In talking about adding Webber, Nelson said it enabled him to “bring Harrington off the bench, something I wanted to do all year.”
It’s been no secret in the Bay Area that Nelson isn’t enamored of Harrington and has positioned Harrington as strictly a three-point shooter, rarely giving him post-up opportunities. The Bulls envisioned Harrington posting up and shooting with his versatility, and he’s the guy I’d target.
So what makes sense for Golden State? I think the Bulls could have a nice package. And it probably didn’t hurt that Chris Duhon had 34 against them. Audition?
The Warriors, fighting just to make the playoffs in the West despite being 10 games over .500, badly need a backup point guard to spell Baron Davis, who rarely can get off the floor because of the lack of a suitable reserve. It’s also growing clear that Gordon’s role with the Bulls is declining, though I wouldn’t trade him within the Eastern Conference. He’s a unique scorer and can torch you for 30 every time you see him.
In the Warriors’ open style in which defense is optional, Gordon could be an explosive weapon and also play some point guard with Monta Ellis, who handles the ball. Duhon and Gordon would match Harrington, but you figure Golden State would need some size back. I’d offer Tyrus Thomas if they wanted him or Joe Smith.
In return, the Bulls could get Mickael Pietrus, who is in the final year of his contract and has trouble finding a role with the Warriors. I thought it was interesting that Pietrus played more against the Bulls than he normally does.
The deal would provide the Warriors another exciting scorer, a point guard and frontcourt depth. And the Bulls would get a legitimate post-up player who can spread the court at power forward and a chance to look at an athletic big guard for the rest of the season.
YMCA player all right
Webber is an inexpensive gamble for the Warriors, so he’s worth the risk. But I had to laugh when Nelson was trying to describe Webber to the local media and said: “I liken it to playing at the YMCA in a pickup game. All of a sudden you play with this guy who’s really good. He passes and does all the things and makes it fun to play with.” And I was thinking of Webber the previous year, when maybe he looked like a guy you’d find playing at the Y.
Guard surplus in Memphis
When the Lakers played the Nets last week, the Nets were all upset about coach Phil Jackson’s observation that “[Vince] Carter seems to be just playing right now, not playing with that fire that Jason [Kidd] seems to imbue in his game.” Like that’s some revelation? The Nets just want to pretend no one notices as they try to deal Carter. … With Javaris Crittenton acquired from the Lakers, some team is going to get a good point guard in Memphis’ Kyle Lowry because Mike Conley is the starter. … You wonder if the Pacers would take a chance on bringing Zach Randolph so close to home — he’s from nearby Marion, Ind. — for Jermaine O’Neal, long coveted by Knicks coach Isiah Thomas.
Brown young … at heart
You have to wonder if Larry Brown will find his way back to the sidelines, though I hope he does. As a fellow old guy, you should all be warned this is what you are facing. You think like you’re 30 until you see yourself. “I’m pretty confident I will [coach] in some capacity, whether it’s an assistant coach, or involved in a franchise in some way, or possibly get back to [head] coaching,” Brown said last week while traveling with the 76ers. “I don’t feel really good about the way it ended [in New York]. If I didn’t look in the mirror, I feel pretty young and energetic. When I look in the mirror, I kind of think I’m 67.” … Devin Harris, on no one in the Mavericks organization reassuring him there was nothing to it after he was mentioned in Kidd trade rumors: “Like everybody else, I’m just a spectator in the madness.”
Artest speaks, Kings wise to listen
It should be any day now for Ron Artest. He told the Sacramento Bee: “I just think [the Kings] would be better if I wasn’t on the team. I think [coach Reggie Theus] would be doing much better. Just the feeling of knowing your last days as a King are near, I just try to appreciate the guys every day.” Artest also blew off a practice last week, saying he was tired. He said he had worked too hard in the previous game. I mentioned this to Pacers President Donnie Walsh, who knows from bitter experience. He laughed and said, “When Ronnie tells you something like that, you better listen.” … Redick, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time leading scorer (so much for the quality of college basketball these days), is getting antsy and asking to be traded because he almost never plays for the Magic. But the market remains limited for short, slow shooting guards. “I enjoy Orlando and love it here, but at a certain point you have to have your career in mind,” Redick said. “I’m only promised one chance, one shot to play, and I want to make the most of it.” Responding to criticism of his defense, the still-cocky Redick said: “You can talk about defense all you want, but there have been nine or 10 [shooting] guards who have had their season high on us this year. At some point I figured I’d have at least gotten a chance.” Redick is said to be playing more golf. Meanwhile, Jameer Nelson, with his new five-year, $38 million deal, continues to pile up DNP-CDs.
Jordan-Pippen, Part 2 … or not
I believe Shawn Marion is merely on loan in Miami and that the Heat eventually will prefer the cap space, though Pat Riley told Florida reporters that having Marion with Dwyane Wade “it reminds me a little bit of the beginning of Jordan and Pippen.” Pat, easy on the hair gel. … The South Florida Sun-Sentinel noted that the increasing tension between Wade and Ricky Davis is the highlight of some games. … The Grizzlies are getting bashed for the Gasol deal, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told media last week in New York: “What they were thinking in Memphis is beyond comprehension. There should be a law, a trade committee that can scratch off trades that make no sense.” … Reason No. 46 the Nuggets are going nowhere: Coach George Karl left Carmelo Anthony in to try to get to 50 points as the Nuggets were running away from Washington. In the last minute, the Wizards put a box-and-one on Anthony to highlight the Nuggets’ pettiness. Even usually restrained Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said: “The end part of that game I felt was a little bit on the classless side. But we all have our ways, and when you get your butt kicked, the other team can do whatever it wants to do. I thought it was very classless to close a game out like that.”
And the award goes to …
Delusional player of the week (and it is usually a tough award to narrow down) goes to the Knicks’ perennially injured Jerome James, who suggested he was somewhat responsible for the success of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. “A lot of those guys [from Seattle] need to thank me,” said James, formerly with the Sonics. “I did the dirty work for those guys. I kept them clean. Nobody messed with them, and everyone knew not to mess with them because then they’d have to answer to me. I’m not saying Ray and Rashard and those other guys owe me any money or anything like that, but they should say thank you.” The only thank you from Seattle will be to the Knicks for signing him away. Also, Jamal Crawford said he never told a Seattle writer he wanted to be traded. Though no one had a problem believing it.
Old school
Kobe Bryant on Gasol: “He’s an incredible player. He makes everybody’s life easier. It’s fun. He makes the game simple.” Bryant is now supposedly being caught on amateur videos praising teammates. Give Bryant this. He plays. With a horribly mangled finger last week, he refused to sit out and had only six points. “Those players from the old school would look at me like a chump if I didn’t play,” Bryant said. “I’ll get a call from MJ, I’ll get a call from Harp (Ron Harper). You don’t want those calls.” Bryant still could miss the All-Star Game with the injury.
———
sasmith@tribune.com
