NBA Trade Alert: Chicago Bulls Send James Johnson To Toronto Raptors
ESPN is reporting that the Chicago Bulls have traded 2009 first round pick James Johnson to the Toronto Raptors. In return they receive the Miam Heat's first round pick from this year. The other thing the Bulls get is $1.7 million in salary cap relief.
Combined with what they already had, that means they are now about $2.5 million under the cap. While the Heat's pick is not a huge commodity, it does offer a better trade chip than JJ because it doesn't count against the cap. Combining this with the Bulls working out four D-League players yesterday, it's feasible a trade is in the works for the Bulls. There doesn't seem to be much other reason to be sending off Johnson.
Rumors were circulating earlier that the New Orleans Hornets were shopping shooting guard Marcus Thorton, who has a good outside shot and is only making $740,000. It's possible the Bulls could be trying to acquire him, but there would be no need to trade JJ in order to do so.
More likely, there is another bigger trade in the works. One possibility is OJ Mayo, who would now be obtainable for draft choices and Keith Bogans. There is no small percentage of Bulls fans who would consider it a double-barreled victory to land Mayo and lose Bogans in one fell swoop.
The third possibility is, of course, JR Smith. However, reports are coming out that the Nuggets aren't looking to trade away the shooting guard after having traded Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.
Another possibility is that by freeing up money the Bulls improve their position to sign Richard Hamilton provided that the rumors are true and the Pistons buy him out. While the Boston Celitcs are eying him as well, they couldn't offer him the playing time or salary that the Bulls could, so Chicago would have the better possibility there.
It remains to be seen what will follow, but I believe the Chicago Bulls will be making a trade before the deadline. In part they may be doing so to respond to the Knicks trade. Certainly a lineup of Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah would be a starting five that could compete for several years.
