NBA: Wizards Set to Acquire Kirk Hinrich and 17th Pick
Let the chaos begin
With the 2010 NBA Draft just a few hours away, the chaos of Draft-Day trading and swapping has already begun.
In arguably the most high-profiled trade of the summer thus far, the Chicago Bulls have agreed to send Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in this year’s draft to the Washington Wizards in exchange for a future second-round selection.
Although the deal cannot be consummated until July 8th, when the Wizards have enough room under the cap, the chances of this good-faith deal falling apart are slim.
Why for the Bulls?
Obvious reasons would implicate the Bulls trying to move some cash out of Chicago in order to clear some room for LeBron James.
Hinrich is set to earn $9 million next season, and the rookie scale demands the 17th draft selection to receive $1.3 million in 2010/11.
With almost $11 million off the books for next season, accomplished with just one trade, the Chicago Bulls are looking to sign possibly two major free agents amongst the class that includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire, and Joe Johnson.
The Chicago Bulls appear to be in the market for a big man and a pure scorer. In my opinion, LeBron James will be playing in Cleveland next season.
As a result, the Bulls will suddenly look to land Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson to come and give Chicago it’s NBA Finals run in 2010/11.
Maybe the Bulls don’t land their desired and favored King James, but they still pose a more-than-threatening lineup: Rose, Johnson, Deng, Bosh, Noah
Why for the Wizards?
The Wizards have only six players under contract for next season (prior to the Draft), meaning they have more than enough cap space.
Although $9 million is a little more than Ted Leonsis would like to pay for a bench player, Hinrich is a very good player. The 29-year-old has valuable experience, he can play both guard positions, and he’s a great locker room guy. The Wizards are happy to have him.
As for the 17th selection, it’s perfect! New owner Ted Leonsis has stated, on more than one occasion, that he believes in building his teams through the draft. What more could we ask for?
Leonsis is doing exactly what he promised, and he’s changing Washington basketball for the better. An owner doing what he tells is fans is something we need to get used to in D.C.
Who Wins?
The Wizards! They gain a great bench player and a top-20 pick for basically nothing. The Wizards, if they choose to do so, could allow Randy Foye to leave without making a qualifying offer, and it would free up roster room for Hinrich.
With the 17th pick, the Wizards could look to land a big man like Daniel Orton or Cole Aldrich. Or, the team could bite on a shooting guard that could potentially slip to 17 like James Anderson or Xavier Henry.
In all actuality, both the Bulls and Wizards make out well in this deal because they get what they want. As a fan, I have to say that the Wizards get the edge. But then again, Chicago could have just made a simple move to land Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh.
