NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Reasons the Chicago Bulls Shouldn't Make a Move
We are over 50 games into this year's NBA season, and the elite teams are separating themselves from the merely good. In the Eastern Conference, four teams stick out from the pack, and one of them is the Derrick Rose-led Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls, alongside the Magic, Heat and Celtics, have the opportunity to make it to the NBA Finals if everything falls the right way. Nonetheless, many people are saying that they need to make a trade, particularly for a shooting guard.
Are Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans the answer at the 2-guard spot for the Bulls? No, and I don't think anyone would argue that they are. So should the Bulls make a deadline deal? Absolutely not, and here are 10 reasons why.
10. Answer Could Be Within
1 of 10
While I say the Bulls should not make a trade, I will admit one thing: Keith Bogans should not be a starter. He's just bad.
Yes, Kyle Korver is almost entirely defense-oriented, and Ronnie Brewer is almost entirely offense-oriented, but having those two swap in and out could work.
At least those two are good in one area Bogans isn't good in, either. Even if all three remain in that shooting guard role, having that position be filled by all three has not been at bad as fans make it sound. They each have their strong points and weak points that can be subbed out at will.
I'd rather have that than a 2-guard that you never know how he might perform in a game.
9. Everyone Has Holes
2 of 10
This is not a very good excuse for not making a move, but it's not possible to have players one through 12 full of All-Star talent—that's just not how it works. The Bulls are very well built at the other four positions, as well as the bench.
The Heat do not have much outside Miami Thrice, the Magic have Ryan Anderson in the 4 spot, and while the Celtics might be a relatively complete team, all the injuries have more than canceled that out. If you try to repair one spot, another will become deficient.
8. Chemistry
3 of 10
The main thing that a team needs to have if they want to win is chemistry. You can have all the talent in the world, but if they don't fit, then it won't matter. You can ask the 2004 U.S. Olympic Basketball team about that one.
Any time a team makes a deadline move, they need to spend time working on chemistry. Sometimes it works, but more often than not, they need longer than those two months to click.
7. Deadline Moves Are Risky
4 of 10
When teams make huge moves at the trade deadline, they don't win. The Cavaliers did that pretty much every year while they had LeBron, and they failed to win a championship. Many don't have the Magic winning this year for the exact same reason.
If you're going to make a major roster move, those are done in the offseason, like what Boston did. While gaining a shooting guard may not be as huge as the examples indicated, deadline moves always seem to be a big risk in the NBA.
6. They're Playing Well Now
5 of 10
If the Bulls had as big an issue as people claim, then they would not have a 36-16 record and be third in the East. Even if they were in the West, the team would be in the top four based on their record.
Beyond that, defense wins championships, and the Chicago Bulls allow the second fewest points in the league. A team that needs to make a change would not be defending as well as they are.
Sure, they could use a bit more offense, but with Derrick Rose leading the charge, they'll be fine.
5. They Could Get Back Kirk Hinrich
6 of 10
The Bulls traded Kirk Hinrich to Washington in the offseason, which may be coming back to bite them, since they have that shooting guard hole. Hinrich is actually becoming a much more efficient shooter and is posting solid numbers for the Wizards.
That being said, Hinrich is not happy in Washington and would reportedly have no problem making a return to Chicago. Should this happen, then that would help out the Bulls greatly.
That would have to be done in the offseason, though, and the Wizards would have to be open to a trade back, and I'm not sure they would be.
4. Joakim Noah Will Return Soon
7 of 10
While the Bulls have been playing well, they have been playing well without one of their main starters, center Joakim Noah. Once they get him back, then the hole at center will be filled again, as Kurt Thomas can only do so much at this stage of his career.
For comparison, Noah has averaged 14 points and 11 boards before his injury, while Kurt Thomas was averaging five and six. Those nine points can be the difference in a tight game, and the Bulls will be a much better team when Noah returns.
3. There Are Viable Free-Agent Options
8 of 10
If the Bulls wait until the offseason, then there are viable free agents they can pick up for the shooting guard spot. They are only losing Brian Scalabrine and Kurt Thomas, so they will be ready to pick up a good player.
The big name is Denver's J.R. Smith, who would fit in very well and could be found for a bargain since his points per game are down this year. J.J. Barea might be a possibility, too, but I don't know if he would be that much of an improvement.
I would add Michael Redd, but he's most likely out of Chicago's price range.
2. They Have Had Success Against NBA Elites
9 of 10
If making a move would guarantee a win against the top teams in the league, then I would be all for it. Such guarantees do not exist, however, and the fact of the matter is that the Chicago Bulls can beat these teams now.
They last faced the Orlando Magic on January 28 and won. They also won against the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat in January as well. They wouldn't be able to beat all those teams without Joakim Noah if they needed as much help as has been suggested.
1. Management Has to Think Long-Term
10 of 10
The Bulls making a trade might sound decent now, but Bulls management has to think about the long term, especially in the East. The Celtics are old and only have a couple years left to get a title, as do the Lakers.
The Bulls, meanwhile, will have Derrick Rose and company in their prime after a year or so, and as long as they re-sign him, they'll be one of the favorites to win a title in the NBA for many years to come.
