A friend of mine here in Chicago suggested this situation and I worked it out from there.

Sometime next week, the Bulls approach Ben Gordon. They say, “Ben, we realize we’re at an impasse here. These negotiations have turned sour and neither side wants to back down. But here’s the deal. The Golden State Warriors want you now that Monta Ellis is injured and we’ve worked out a trade. All you have to do is sign the 6 Yr / $50M deal we have on the table. Then we’ll trade you to Golden State where you’ll get a fresh start.”

Ben Gordon says, “Yes, thank you. I’d like the opportunity to play in Don Nelson’s free-wheeling system. Where do I sign?”

The next morning the headline in the Chicago Tribune sports section says, “BULLS TRADE WITH GOLDEN STATE.” You flip to page C3 and you read the details. They are either…

Gordon, Joakim Noah and Thabo Sefalosha

OR

Gordon, Joakim Noah and Cedric Simmons

FOR

Al Harrington and Brandan Wright

Now that looks like a deal where the Bulls are getting ripped off except that Al Harrington’s contract expires at the end of this year. That gives Chicago $16.4M of deals expiring this summer by combining his contract with Drew Gooden’s expiring deal. Which means the Bulls could trade for someone making about that amount of money like Michael Redd ($15.8M) or Zach Randolph ($14.4M).

PG – Rose

SG – Redd

SF – Deng

PF – Thomas

C - Wright

OR

PG – Rose

SG – Hughes

SF – Deng

PF – Randolph

C – Wright

It’s not perfect. But what do you think?

Instead of having Ben Gordon say "Yes, thank you" I would have him say "Ok that would be fine." That's all I would change.

It's not a horrible trade for Chicago, but not great either. They definitely need to do *something* with Gordon or they will lose him after this season (assuming they don't give him a massive deal... which they shouldn't)

Also, if they trade, I can't imagine that Noah would be included. It would probably just be Gordon + filler. I think Harrington and BWright makes a lot of sense for Chicago to receive. They win because they get an expiring deal, young talent, and DON'T have to overpay Gordon. Golden State also wins because they desperately need a playmaking guard now that Ellis and Baron are both gone.

Solid post.

On a more serious note, MHerman39, why do you suppose Ben Gordon is still on the market? I find it strange that there hasn't even been any rumors about him going anywhere yet. Is he bad news? I always thought of him as a scoring stud and he seems pretty low key. What are your thoughts?

mmaland wrote:
On a more serious note, MHerman39, why do you suppose Ben Gordon is still on the market? I find it strange that there hasn't even been any rumors about him going anywhere yet. Is he bad news? I always thought of him as a scoring stud and he seems pretty low key. What are your thoughts?

I think Ben Gordon has been and will be an excellent quasi-starter/6th man who scores effectively. The problem is he didn't take it up to the point where teams might think he is an AI or Arenas like undersized scorer. Teams just aren't willing to pay 5 years/55 million for a guy with that profile. Gordon's number is just too high for anyone to even put in an opening bid.

One BIG problem for Gordon is that guys like Rashad McCants and Ricky Davis have been there for the taking at 10% of the cost and 85% of the production.

I think it's a good deal for Chicago because I really don't like it. I would hate to see a Michael Redd or similar player end up on Chicago who already have Rose and Deng.

Then again, if I'm a Warrior's fan, I don't know how much I like that contract we're taking on. I'd almost rather suck for a year and get a draft pick, then take on a bad deal that's going to kill us for years for a player who's not going to put us over the edge.

(Happy Labor Day to All!)

Since I've lived in Chicago for a little more than two years (moving home next weekend), because I was a fan of the Jordan-era Bulls and, most importantly, because they're in the other conference I've kind of kept up with the Bulls. I've watched them on TV, gone to a few games in person and talked a lot about them with my friend who spurred this post. This is merely what I see with my own two eyes.

Ben Gordon is the best player on the Bulls. I don't really see what Deng does special, Heinrich gets a lot of undue credit for fitting the "All-American boy" model and Tyrus Thomas shows flashes of brilliance with a just crippling lack of focus. Gordon is the only one on the team who can create his own shot, make plays and get to the basket on a consistent basis. You can argue that, at his size, he's not someone you will base your entire team around. Therefore you shouldn't pay him the sort of money he wants. That's fine and I can understand that argument. It doesn't change that he's the best player.

The crazy thing I see with the Bulls is how screwed up a team's culture can get. Everyone in the front office is still patting themselves on the back for the Jordan Era when really they kind of lucked into Michael as well as Scottie. Skiles was a good coach for the young set of guys when they were getting their legs and learning how to play together. But, as I told my friend when they were winning two years ago, he wasn't the one to take them over the top. He built the guys up but felt it necessary to break them back down. Then when he "left", they immediately put in his croney. On top of all of this, players are being constantly passed up for lesser players that have big money contracts and therefore "need" to play. That's what I think has happened with Gordon.

I think Gordon probably blanched at Skiles getting on him for not playing D. It's a valid criticism because Gordon doesn't play very good team D. But Skiles didn't take steps to defuse the situation. He let the veterans in the locker room bark Gordon down. That's no way to deal with a man. Skiles was more worried about his authority than bringing one of his wayward players back into the fold. Gordon gets upset and then there's some distance between him and the coaching staff. Skiles isn't interested in solving it, thinking that it's him who give Gordon playing time. He puts Gordon in the 6th man role and makes it a question of being dead right. That's just enough playing time to have Ben help him win games but just enough time on the bench to show him who is really boss.

After being jerked around by the Bulls and acquiring a semi-undeserved label as a malcontent, Gordon can only negotiate with one team. People want him to basically sign his career over to the team that is certain he can be replaced easily and more cheaply and make that well known. Most importantly, they're the people who control his playing time. They can let him waste away and fume on the bench while his open market value drops. So I can't blame the guy for wanting to make as much money as he can.

I just see a different situation where Ben could play for a good coach like Don Nelson, play in a system that would work with his skills creating his own shot, making plays and get to the basket and also be around a bunch of other guys who no one could figure out. I think he'd flourish in Golden State like Brand did on the Clips and I don't think it's a question everyone in the Bulls front office knows this would happen.

Wow... great post MHerman39, that was very insightful. A Howl to you.

Al Harrington is a better low post scorer than anyone the Bulls have on their roster - thus he's more valuable to them.