Luol Deng Rumors: Chicago Bulls Won't Be Able to Trade Small Forward
The Chicago Bulls weren't able to make good on their regular-season greatness during the 2012 NBA playoffs, as star point guard Derrick Rose went down with an ACL injury.
Now, in a classic bit of overreaction, the Bulls management is prepared to break up the core of the team and ship off one of the key players in an effort to move up in a deep 2012 NBA draft. Hoopsworld's Steve Kyler reports that Luol Deng is one of the main players who could be moved right before Thursday night's festivities.
First of all, the Bulls shouldn't be looking to trade Deng, even if he's failed to develop post moves and take the next step as a player. He's a first-time All-Star and one of the most crucial pieces on Tom Thibodeau's squad.
Without Deng, this team partially loses its identity. That identity has been enough for the Bulls to win more regular season games than any other team in the NBA for the last two years.
If Deng is kept, the Bulls are a healthy Rose and a new shooting guard away from truly competing for a title. With a deep shooting guard class to choose from at No. 29 in the draft, Chicago could potentially add a two-way player like Doron Lamb or a flat-out sharpshooter in the form of John Jenkins.
Rookies are always risky, but there are plenty of shooting guard options.
Like I said earlier, trading Deng would be an overreaction and an unnecessary move for Gar Forman and the Chicago brass.
Fortunately for the Bulls, it doesn't appear as though they're going to be able to move the defensively-oriented small forward, according to NBA.com's Sam Smith.
With Andre Iguodala, Josh Smith, Danny Granger, Rudy Gay and a few other players all on the trading block, there are more intriguing options out there for teams to pursue. Deng should be an afterthought or backup plan at this point in the proceedings.
Moreover, Deng's wrist is going to need surgery after the Olympics, forcing him to miss at least the beginning of the 2012-2013 season. That will continue to drive his trade value down.
Although Deng has been connected to many teams, none have continuously shown serious interest in the small forward who put up 15.3 points, 2.9 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game this season.
None of the top three teams in the draft have been accurately mentioned as possibilities, so let's look at the rest of the lottery.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are more interested in moving up in the order to select Bradley Beal, which would give them another scoring option besides Kyie Irving.
The Sacramento Kings would be the most logical trading partner as they need a small forward, but there haven't been rumors of any major discussions.
Neil Olshey maintains that the Portland Trail Blazers will keep their No. 6 and No. 11 picks.
The Golden State Warriors are commonly believe to have interest in moving their No. 7 pick. However, Chicago doesn't need that spot in the draft and isn't a natural trading partner with the Dubs.
After the No. 7 pick—really starting at No. 7—there just isn't enough talent to justify moving Deng.
Things could change in the hours leading up to the draft—as they often do—but right now it appears as though Deng is staying put and will continue to play basketball in The Windy City.
