2011 NBA Draft: Should the Chicago Bulls Trade Up to Draft a Quality Player?

As the final horn sounded in Game Five of the 2011 Bulls-Heat playoff Series and Chicago was left to lick their wounds and prepare for next year, the rumor mills began:

1. Can the Bulls get Dwight Howard?

2. Monta Ellis would look great in a Bulls uniform!

3. Is O.J. Mayo still available for Omer Asik?

4. Do the Bulls receive the Bobcats' lottery pick from the Tyrus Thomas deal?

5. What happened to Carlos Boozer? We need to get him out of town.

6. Did we overestimate Derrick Rose?

The facts are sometimes a little harder to accept than mere hearsay. The Bulls have very limited desire to enter the "luxury tax" area of the salary cap, so the chances of signing or trading for a big name player for next year is low, unless the team is willing to trade away some of the team's depth (Asik, Gibson) or one of their starting players (Deng, Noah). The market for Carlos Boozer is very limited, unless the Bulls are prepared to accept another bad contract in exchange.

How do the Bulls improve to the point where they can compete with the Heat and Celtics for next season? The answer is in three ways:

First, each player is responsible for their own, personal improvement. Rose needs to continue to work on his jump shot and defensive fundamentals. Noah needs to develop some offense. Deng and Boozer need to condition their bodies to take the pounding of an 82-game season.

Second, the Bulls need to try and add one or two high risk/high reward players with low salary cap implications. Two names that come to mind are Michael Redd, the often injured sharpshooter from Milwaukee and Shane Battier from Memphis. Both can provide the veteran leadership needed by this young team.

Finally, the Bulls need to do something in the upcoming draft to gain a quality player.

Let's look at the resources available to the Bulls to use as "bargaining chips" to other teams, as well as the likelihood of the Bulls using them to move up in the draft:

Omer Asik

The Turkish center has proven to be an intelligent, defensive-minded 7-footer. These are prized possessions in the NBA, especially when they don't come with an expensive price tag. Asik is signed through 2014 and has a very manageable salary. Most teams will inquire about him in a trade, but the Bulls will be hesitant to move him unless it is for another established player.

Taj Gibson

No non-starter on the Bulls will garner more interest from other teams than Gibson. In the regular season and playoffs, he demonstrated an energy and ability to make big plays (poster dunk over D-Wade, for example) and energize the team. He is young and has a tremendous upside. Again, the Bulls aren't expected to use Gibson to trade in the draft. If they move him at all, it would be for a big-name talent, such as Dwight Howard or a proven shooting guard.

2011 Draft Picks: No. 28, No. 30, No. 43

Here is where the Bulls need to make some decisions and try to estimate how far the players that they target in the draft will fall. According to past drafts, the combination two picks late in the first round will typically move a team no higher than picks 18 through 22.

The Bulls have been looking at players such as Tyler Honeycutt, a 6'8" SG/SF who plays excellent defense and has the size to compliment Derrick Rose. Honeycutt is projected to be drafted at No. 18 by Charlotte or No. 22 by Denver. The Bulls potentially have the firepower to move up to Denver's spot at No. 22 if they are aggressive and interested.

The No. 18 pick by Charlotte is another issue, and it brings up to the last trading piece the Bulls possess:

The Draft Pick Received in the Tyrus Thomas Trade from Charlotte

This pick is tricky in that it doesn't have any real value until 2014 or 2015 when the protections on the pick will finally make it available to whomever owns it. The Bobcats have a right to keep the pick through 2015 as long as they remain in the top eight spots in the lottery. However, it doesn't look like Charlotte is going to be a playoff team anytime soon.

Would Charlotte be interested in reacquiring their future pick, along with the No. 30 and No. 43 picks in the 2011 draft from the Bulls in exchange for their No. 18 pick this year? I think they would.

Who could the Bulls choose from with that pick?

I mentioned Honeycutt, who I think could be a great addition at little cost. Klay Thompson out of Washington State is another long shooter who could help add size and scoring to the Chicago guard rotation. Even Marshon Brooks out of Providence could provide this team with some spark.

I welcome your thoughts on these options. What do you think the Bulls should do in the draft? Who would you like to see added for the upcoming year?