NBA Free Agency Rumor: Eddie House To Chicago Bulls
First and foremost, before reading on, consider the source that broke this news: Dime Mag.
Who knew it was the breaking news type?
“Talked about” could mean the Bulls frequently considered the possibility of fitting House in their roster, or just pondered the idea.
“Talked about” could mean representatives from both sides met formally and discussed deals.
Talk about being vague, Dime Mag.
Either way, House in Chicago is somewhat reasonable.
Although, there are many Bulls fans who won’t run along with this idea, considering the heated match up between the Bulls and Celtics in the 2008 first round playoff series. Consider the heartbreaking three-pointers House knocked down during that series (and the way he rubbed it into his opponent’s faces) that made Bulls fans despise him so much.
From the awkward angles to the quick releases, House has mastered the art of shooting.
He’s a 40 percent three-point shooter and has a lethal jump shot. But at 32, House isn’t exactly the explosive, young shooting guard the Bulls are looking for. Also, the House they'd be getting from New York might not be the same as he was in Boston.
The Bulls struck out with J.J. Redick and had to settle for Ronnie Brewer to start at shooting guard. With Kyle Korver backing up Brewer, and C.J. Watson capable of playing both the one and two positions, the Bulls could use more shooting depth with House (though he wouldn’t get many minutes).
However, that’s all House would be useful for—shooting. He definitely adds an offensive punch in the lineup.
At 6’1", the Bulls need to up their defense in the back court, and House doesn’t fit there.
The Bulls shipped ole' Captain Kirk Hinrich (their prime defender and a guard who can play both shooting and point very well) to Washington. Hinrich was one player who came with talent, but also a hefty contract.
Now, the Bulls are looking to buy leftover pieces in the free agency market to fill the void left by Hinrich.
The burns from playing solid defense, however, drains the energy from a shooter.
Brewer is a decent defender, but if the Bulls want to utilize him mostly for shooting, they’ll need to find a more aggressive and bigger player to defend guys like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and their likes.
Korver can’t do that. C.J. Watson and Derrick Rose are inches too short to step up to that level.
Defense is Tom Thibodeau’s area of expertise, so we can leave the questions about defense to him.
After acquiring Watson, the Bulls have about $4.5 million salary cap space left, and a 10-player roster.
The most House could get might be the veteran minimum, which would leave some money left for the Bulls to add a backup center or a defender.
At this point, Tracy McGrady could be a better buy than House.
