NBA Trade Rumors: Dwight Howard Not Interested, Chicago Bulls Must Pursue Plan B
Dwight Howard has not included the Chicago Bulls on his short list of teams he will sign with, so the Bulls must move on to plan B. It was a long shot from the beginning, but one you at least had to look in to.
Now, the Bulls must address their bench scoring. The Bench Mob was huge last year, but they were missing a scorer to augment their nasty defense.
Though Rip Hamilton has not officially signed, it appears he is still headed to Chicago. Hamilton seems better suited as a starter than a reserve. He was unhappy with a lack of minutes in Detroit; the last thing the Bulls need or want is to bring him into a similar situation.
Kyle Korver proved he is not dependable in the clutch and is nearly unplayable against the Heat, the team that will be the only thing standing in the Bulls' way in reaching the NBA Finals. So, the bench scoring help needs to come at either the shooting guard, small forward and/or the center position, as Kurt Thomas signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.
This addition is only phase one of what should be the Bulls' plans. The team the Bulls send out this year still won't be favored to defeat the Heat, unless there is an unexpected highly impacting trade made. The team is better than last year, and will be more competitive, but that looks like a loss in seven games as opposed to five.
To increase their chances of overtaking Miami for Eastern Conference supremacy, the following players would be smart to pursue:
Restricted Free Agents
Marco Belinelli
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Unrestricted Free Agents
Dan Gadzuric
Reggie Evans
Belinelli is a good scorer with decent size at 6'5". He also shot 41 percent from three last season, in which he averaged 10 points per game. The Bulls have already shown interest in Belinelli. He'd be a nice backup for Hamilton.
CDR is another option; he'd offer a better natural scoring instincts and more size. He could play both the 2 and 3 spots.
At center, unrestricted free-agents Dan Gadzuric and Reggie Evans may be attainable for the veteran's minimum. Anything more than that is uncivilized.
The Bulls also need depth at the small forward. Because of limited funds, they may have to just play Deng fewer minutes and depend on Ronnie Brewer.
The next piece of the plan would be to amnesty Kyle Korver. Ultimately, the Bulls' long-term solution at the shooting guard will have to come via the draft. Management is unable to secure the big fish through free agency.
The Bulls don't have the assets to really move up in the draft without parting with a major player. If they fall short again this year, the Bulls must entertain parting with Noah or Deng to acquire a player and one of the top five picks in the 2012 draft to grab another prime-time talent. UConn's star 2-guard Jeremy Lamb would be the ideal fit.
They cannot afford to waste Derrick Rose's career; they must be bold and proactive. Even if that means parting with fan favorites.
