Chicago Bulls Talking to Denver Nuggets About JR Smith, Not Carmelo Anthony

The Denver Nuggets and Chicago Bulls are in conversations about the Bulls acquiring JR Smith, according to ESPN. This is at least one step beyond who the Bulls might be considering. Now, the question is, how much they might be paying? Another related question, is it worth it?

To the first question, I've looked at the salaries and it basically comes down to the Bulls sending the Nuggets enough salary to get back $6 million. Keep in mind that there is the trade exception rule, which allows a club to gain up to 125 percent of the salaries of the players they are trading.

Furthermore, the Bulls have about $1.12 million left under the cap according to hoopshype. What that means is that the Bulls need to send about $3.8 million in salary to the Nuggets to make the trade work. 

We also have to consider that the goal is to get better, not worse. There are certain players that are either more important to the Bulls, or simply not worth Smith. Kyle Korver is too important to the present team to trade. The Bulls need his sharpshooting. He was the first signing after LeBron James' decision and it was an indication of his importance to the team.

I don't see Ronnie Brewer being dealt, either. His defense has been key in several of the comebacks and considering that for the Bulls to do well in the postseason they are going to need to slow down the likes of Dywane Wade, Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant (hopefully), they are going to need a defensive stopper at the 2 spot. 

I also don't see them dealing C.J. Watson, who has had an up-and-down season, but is still critical to the team. Think about what happens if Derrick Rose has to miss another game. Do you want John Lucas running the team? Yeah, I didn't think so. 

Also, Taj Gibson is just too much better than JR. Especially when you consider his contract is only $1.15 million. Why  would the Bulls part with a superior player with a smaller contract? I don't see that happening, either. 

No, when you break it down there's really only one trade that makes sense, with James Johnson being the featured player. If the Nuggets are trading out Carmelo Anthony, then they may be looking to go young.

JJ has talent, but he's prone to occasional bouts of stupidity. That's forgivable on a team that's rebuilding, but not so much on a team that's aspiring to going deep in the playoffs. Throwing in Lucas and Bogans would give them enough cash to complete the trade. They could then sign Kyle Weaver, who's been tearing up the D-League to fill the mandatory roster spot. 

So now the question becomes, is it worth it? As far as current players that really get any playing time, the Bulls would only be losing Bogans. While I'm inclined to give Tom Thibodeau the benefit of the doubt on all things, it's getting harder and harder to understand why Bogans is starting.

His defense is mediocre and he's scoring a whopping four points. His True Shooting Percentage is a horrendous .483. It's just a head-scratcher that he's starting at all. Ronnie Brewer is getting more minutes and finishing, so Bogans clearly is the starter in name only. Not having him play might be a plus all by itself. 

Now we have to think about what we're getting. JR Smith is younger. He's only 25 years old and extremely athletic. He's got some serious pros and some serious cons. He's a very good outside shooter with a lot of offensive talent. He spots up well and, if he takes the coaching he needs, would fit in very well with the Bulls offense.

But that's the really big if. He's struggled with coaching in the past. He can take too many shots and that's been a problem in the past. He doesn't apply himself on defense either, though he has the athleticism to do well.

Coach Thibodeau has taken players with a bad defensive reputation and turned them into good, if not great, defenders. Ray Allen was once considered a defensive liability, and now is considered one of the premier defensive shooting guards in the NBA, and a lot of that has to do with Thib's coaching. 

So this is what it all comes down to: Does JR Smith want to get better and receive coaching? If he does, then it's worth the trade. He has the physical tools and the basketball IQ to do so. He's at an age where a lot of players start "getting it." A change of scenery and coaches with a fresh start could be what Smith needs.  

On the other side, the worst-case scenario is that Smith brings a bad attitude to the Bulls and messes up what is presently a very nice team chemistry. He could make the team worse, not better, if he brings an attitude problem.  

Ideally, he could develop into a solid defensive player who gives Rose what he needs from a scoring guard who can both shoot and guard. Because of Luol Deng's improvement from the outside, the court has been stretched from east to west, but the north-to-south court remains compacted, because if Bogans takes a shot from the top, you know it's going to clang. Having a dependable 42 percent three-point shooter up there could really enhance the Bulls offense. 

And that's the crux. It comes down to risk/reward. Hopefully, they can talk to Smith first and get an idea of what he might be like on the Bulls. If he's willing to recommit himself to improvement, he could be a long-term capable shooting guard who helps win games.

It would also help to know if he's willing to re-sign with the Bulls and at what kind of money. All things considered, I think it's worth it. However, it's a gamble. 

Just as an aside. While I think it bears little relevance to the discussion, J.R. Smith was technically a Bull for two weeks during the offseason of 2006. He had been part of the package, along with PJ Brown, which sent Tyson Chandler to the Hornets. At the time the Bulls had plenty of young shooting guards and no need for another. His trade from the Bulls to Denver had nothing to do with attitude problems or play. It was just a basketball decision. I just point this out because some have made it seem that he was traded away because of negative reasons, which is not true.