NBA Insider Jan 20

[thebac]

Running the Bulls out of town

I'm giving up on the Chicago Bulls.

Remember when Jerry Krause resigned, claiming he left the once proud Bulls in "fine shape?"

Stupid me, I believed him.

There was a time I was convinced Jamal Crawford was going to be a star. I thought Eddy Curry would join Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming as one of the elite centers in the NBA. I felt Tyson Chandler would be Curry's perfect partner in crime. While Curry racked up 25 points a night, the long, athletic Chandler would grab 12 to 15 rebounds, block three shots and become a defensive force in the middle, meshing perfectly with Curry.

I was sure the Bulls had the juice to make a playoff run this year. When the team stumbled out of the gate, I thought the hiring of Scott Skiles and the trade that sent Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall packing would fix things. Blue-collar guys like Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams would give the Bulls the grit (and rebounding) they sorely lacked.

I've moved on.

The 12-29 Bulls aren't going anywhere. They'll be lucky to repeat the 30-52 season they had last year. New GM John Paxson's preseason motto of "no excuses" is a farce. The only thing there is no excuse for is the team itself. It's awful.

Crawford and Curry on the Block?

That's why, according to several GMs who've talked to Paxson recently, he's seriously contemplating blowing the Bulls apart -- again. Over the weekend word began to leak (courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times) that, for the 10th time this season, the Bulls were talking about trading Crawford.

Jamal Crawford
Shooting Guard
Chicago Bulls
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
39 16.9 3.3 5.6 .390 .851



That's the beginning, not the end. Several other GMs told Insider on Monday that Curry and Chandler are also available. They won't come cheap, but for the first time ever, the untouchable tag has been lifted as Paxson searches for something, anything, that can rekindle the passion and pride of the Bulls.

If what these GMs claim is true (Bulls sources aren't talking), then the NBA trade market has been turned upside down a month before the Feb. 19 trade deadline. No one is claiming Curry or Chandler will be traded in the next month. But the fact they're available speaks volumes about the conclusions Paxson is coming to with this team.

Crawford has the makings of a star, but I don't see it happening in Chicago. He's been burned too many times and, in the process, burned too many bridges of his own. Crawford is an incredibly talented and insecure young man who's never had a definitive role in three-plus seasons in the league. On the right team, in the right offense, he could be a dominant combo guard. In Chicago he's little more than an enigma.

Curry has the body and the offensive skills that most NBA big men lack. But his lack of motivation both on and off the court has him looking more and more like Jerome James by the day. He doesn't rebound, doesn't play defense, doesn't even make the effort sometimes. His conditioning will always be an issue, as will his maturity. Playing in his hometown can't help. The distractions have always been overwhelming. A change of scenery could be the wake-up call that finally gets him focused on what he gets paid to do -- play basketball.

Eddy Curry
Center
Chicago Bulls
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
34 12.8 6.1 0.8 .492 .709



Chandler? Who knows. He's 7-foot-2 and an amazing athlete. He's also a hard worker who's done everything the Bulls have asked him to do. However, he's a 21-year-old kid with a back problem. No one likes the sound of that.

The Baby Bulls know nothing but losing. They never learned what it takes to win. Throwing them in the deep end without a veteran supporting cast to show them the ropes was Krause's biggest mistake. Now it's coming back to bite the Bulls in the butt.

What does that leave? Rookie point guard Kirk Hinrich looks like a keeper. Skiles loves him, because he's everything Crawford and Curry aren't -- a tough, smart determined player who gives maximum effort every night.

After that the cupboard is pretty bare. Davis is past his prime and overpaid. He's the last piece of a championship team, not a cog in a rebuilding one. Williams is a bundle of energy, but his lack of offense and his offensive contract (four more years at $7 million per) make him a liability. Eddie Robinson's career ended the minute he signed his huge deal with the Bulls. Marcus Fizer has never fit in a Bulls uniform. Scottie Pippen is literally on his last leg.

In other words, if Paxson decides it's time to move Crawford and Curry, he essentially is committed to gutting the team for the fourth time since Michael Jordan left town. As awful as that sounds, does he have another choice?

Tyson Chandler
Power Forward
Chicago Bulls
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
10 13.0 10.3 1.0 .494 .787



Crawford hits restricted free agency this summer, and all signs point to him looking for a new home. If he gets a big offer, the Bulls aren't going to match and will lose him for nothing.

Skiles sounds pretty convinced Curry isn't going to make dramatic improvements anytime soon. Read what the coach had to say about his center-of-the-future on Monday.

"So far, I think we know what we've got [in Curry]," Skiles told the Sun-Times. "We've got a very skilled big man who struggles with his conditioning and has been part of Bulls teams that have racked up huge amounts of losses.

"It is what it is. That's not just a knock at Eddy. As I've said before, that's everybody who's been part of that. I don't know that there's a big mystery about it all of a sudden, about what Eddy is or anybody else."

While Skiles claims he hasn't given up on Curry, from the sound of things, Curry's going to have to get an offseason lobotomy before he gets out of Skiles' doghouse.

"This is not an indictment about Eddy, as if to say this is the end of the road for him or this is what he is [for the rest of his career]," Skiles said. "It's just what he's done so far. He's got a lot of skill and has a lot to learn."

Chandler? The Bulls should be more patient and wait the back thing out. His value is severely diminished anyway, and his upside, because of his attitude, is still worthy of an extended look.

Let's Make a Deal

For Skiles to begin turning around the Bulls in a timely fashion, he'll need two things. One, a team willing to take some bad contracts along with Curry and Crawford. Two, a young proven star around whom to begin building the team.

That shouldn't be as hard as it seems. With so many teams in dire need of a legitimate center, plenty of GMs will be willing to take a chance on Curry. If there's a feeding frenzy for Rasheed Wallace right now, I can only imagine what teams will do for a chance to rehabilitate Curry. To a lesser extent, the same holds true for Crawford. Point guards with that size don't come along every day. While Crawford isn't the "pure" point some teams covet, he has more talent than half of the point guards starting in the league.

Who could the Bulls get in return?

For starters, write off the Knicks. Their interest in Crawford has been well publicized the past few days, but an offer of Shandon Anderson and Frank Williams for Crawford and Robinson is exactly the type of offer the Bulls shouldn't be entertaining.

Also write off teams that have been in the cellar the past few seasons. The Bulls need winners, not other talented phenoms (like Shareef Abdur-Rahim) who've never tasted the playoffs.

Let's start in my favorite spot, Seattle. Would the Sonics consider Ray Allen, Vladimir Radmanovic and Jerome James for Crawford, Curry, Fizer, Robinson and Jerome Williams? The move would give the Bulls a legit all-star who knows how to win, a young forward who can play the three and the four, and James, another underachieving center who, luckily, has only one year left on his deal.

The Bulls also would rid themselves of two bad contracts in return. Why would the Sonics do it? Their two biggest needs are at the point and in the middle. A Crawford-Ronald Murray-Luke Ridnour backcourt would be very explosive, and Curry would give them the low-post offense they've been searching for. The lack of defense would drive Nate McMillian crazy, but it isn't like Allen, Radmanovic or James are all-star defenders either.

The Mavericks would do probably anything to get their hands on Crawford and Curry. They've coveted them in the past and desperately need Curry's ability to score in the paint. We know Mark Cuban isn't shy about taking on bad contracts and likely would agree to take Robinson, Williams and Davis off the Bulls' hands to get Crawford and Curry.

The problem is, the Mavs won't be offering guys that would interest the Bulls. A trade of Crawford, Curry, Robinson, Williams and Davis for Michael Finley, Josh Howard and Antawn Jamison works under the cap. But would the Bulls be willing to swallow both of those long-term contracts in return? A team of Hinrich, Finley, Howard, Jamison and Chandler would be better than what the Bulls have now, but it's not a championship team. And such a move would kill Paxson's flexibility to make trades down the road.

Smaller deals are more feasible.

The Pacers continue to claim Al Harrington isn't available, but Harrington and Fred Jones for Crawford and Jerome Williams would make some sense for both teams, if the Pacers were prepared to sign Crawford to a long-term deal.

A straight up Crawford-for-Jason Richardson deal also makes some sense for both teams. The Warriors are trying to move Nick Van Exel, and Crawford would be a nice fit in his place, especially if rookie Mickael Pietrus is ready to begin playing big minutes in Golden State.

The Nets could use Kenyon Martin as bait to make a run at Curry. A Martin-for-Curry-and-Marcus Fizer trade works under the cap.

The possibilities (and that's all they are right now) are endless. The question is, does Paxson have the vision or the courage to make one of them happen?

Around the League

Rasheed Wallace
Small Forward
Portland Trail Blazers
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
35 17.0 6.6 2.7 .426 .732



Have the Blazers closed the door to a Rasheed Wallace trade? It depends on who you ask. As my colleague Marc Stein reported this weekend, the folks in Dallas claim they were told by Blazers' owner Paul Allen that 'Sheed was off the block. Several other GMs, who have talked to the Blazers about Wallace since the Don Nelson-John Nash meeting on Saturday, claim Wallace is still in play, but that the price remains unreasonably high for a guy who won't commit to re-signing with anyone this off-season.
A report in the N.Y. Post that the Blazers are holding out for Antoine Walker makes no sense. The report reasons that the Blazers don't want to take on Antawn Jamison's long-term contract but would be interested in Walker's because he can opt out at the end of the season. The problem is that a player with a long-term contract like Eduardo Najera, Tony Delk or Tariq Abdul Wahad would also have to be included to make the numbers work. If the Blazers are just trying to clear cap, aren't they better off clearing $17 million off Wallace's contract than $13.5 million off Walker's and still being stuck with Najera, Delk or Abdul Wahad?

Sources claim the Blazers are holding out hope the Hawks come through with an offer. But with the sale of the team on hold yet again (the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today that it might not be finalized until February) who knows when the Hawks will be ready to make a deal?

Keith Van Horn
Small Forward
New York Knicks
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
36 17.0 7.3 1.6 .448 .818



It sure sounds like Keith Van Horn's days in New York are numbered. Isiah Thomas keeps talking about landing an athletic forward to run with Stephon Marbury -- a not so subtle dig at Van Horn. The question is whether Thomas can get someone to take on the last two years, and $30 million of Van Horn's contract. Thomas has tried to convince Portland and Cleveland to take him, to no avail. Is there someone else out there that wants Van Horn? Conventional wisdom says no. The irony, however, is that Van Horn has been money ever since Isiah took over. He's averaging 18.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg on 49 percent shooting in just over 32 mpg since Thomas was hired. Those aren't shabby numbers. With the Knicks on a nice four game winning streak, does Thomas really want to start rocking the boat?

"I still think, ideally, [in a] fantasy world, you would still like to get more athletic and go out and acquire the best talent," Thomas told the N.Y. Daily News. "I would like for us to become a much more athletic team, a quicker team. A better reacting team."

Mehmet Okur
Forward-Center
Detroit Pistons
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
42 9.9 6.8 1.1 .444 .782



Rampant rumors that the Pistons are trying to combine the expiring contracts of Zeljko Rebraca, Bob Sura, Lindsey Hunter and Hubert Davis (totaling about $16 million) to make a trade before the deadline are bogus. The Pistons are counting on those contracts coming off the books so they have a better chance at re-signing Mehmet Okur, a restricted free agent this summer. If the Pistons are over the cap, they will be allowed to match offers only up to the average player salary (around $4.9 million) for Okur, because he has only two years in the league. If Detroit allows all four players to come off the cap, it will be looking at between $5.5 and $6.5 million in cap room to re-sign Okur. The way he's playing lately, that might not be enough, but at least it's a start. Trading any of those four players for a guy with more years left on his contract would virtually eliminate their chances of retaining Okur. The Pistons don't want that to happen.
Eric Snow
Point Guard
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
41 11.0 3.6 7.2 .398 .784

The Sixers are in a deep funk now, and GM Billy King is rethinking his decision to sign point guard Eric Snow to a lucrative contract extension before the season started. Before the extension, Snow was the team's second-most tradeable asset, behind Allen Iverson. Now? The Sixers quietly have been exploring a Snow trade for the last few weeks, but they aren't finding any takers. While a number of teams love him as a player, the five years remaining on his contract are a killer. If they can't move Snow, they're in a very tough position cap-wise. The team wants to keep young players like John Salmons and Samuel Dalembert. Almost every other player on the team is locked into expensive, long term contracts. Glenn Robinson is probably the most tradeable -- he has only one year remaining on his contract -- but folks aren't really beating down the door to get him either.

Rumor Central

WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Keith Van Horn
Knicks

Blazers?
Cavs?

Jan. 20 - It sure sounds like Keith Van Horn's days in New York are numbered. Isiah Thomas keeps talking about landing an athletic forward to run with Stephon Marbury -- a not so subtle dig at Van Horn. The question is whether Thomas can get someone to take on the last two years, and $30 million of Van Horn's contract. Thomas has tried to convince Portland and Cleveland to take him, to no avail. Is there another team out there that wants Van Horn? Conventional wisdom says no.


WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Jamal Crawford
Bulls

Knicks

Jan. 20 - The Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday that Bulls GM John Paxson and Knicks president Isiah Thomas had spoken about a Crawford-to-the-Knicks trade. According to the New York Daily News, the Knicks offered Shandon Anderson and Frank Williams for Crawford and Eddie Robinson. While the Bulls are exploring trade options for Crawford, it's unlikely that they'll pull the trigger on the Knicks trade.


WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Eric Snow
Sixers

???

Jan. 20 - The Sixers quietly have been exploring a Snow trade for the last few weeks, but they aren't finding any takers. While a number of teams love him as a player, the five years remaining on his contract are a killer.


WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Ron Mercer
Spurs

Pistons

Jan. 20 - The Spurs have been trying to move Mercer for about a month. The Pistons have been trying to get him from San Antonio, but don't have anything the Spurs want in return. The two teams have tried to find a third team to make something happen, but so far, nothing has worked out.


WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

Darius Miles
Cavs

Knicks
Heat

Jan. 20 - Miles is having another disappointing season and has fallen out of favor with head coach Paul Silas. Miles skipped practice on Monday, raising Silas' ire. The Knicks made a run at Miles two weeks ago, offering Moochie Norris in return, but the Cavs understandably balked. The Cavs countered with Miles for Frank Williams and Othella Harrington, but sources say Isiah Thomas balked. The Heat also have shown limited interest in Miles, but they probably don't have enough ammo to make a deal.

Peep Show

Philadelphia 76ers: After losing four of their last five games, the Sixers are beginning to hear voices. "It's not like it's a real big issue," Allen Iverson said in the Philadelphia Inquirer. "You hear a little whispering and talking and stuff you don't hear once we are winning. It's not one individual or two individuals. That's the way things happen when you lose games, and it's just natural for that type of stuff to happen. Me being in the league eight years, I have seen it even the year we went to the [NBA Finals]. You whisper about something and talk about something." But he doesn't expect the backbiting to continue. "Once we get together and get on the dance floor, it's important for us to just be a unit and throw all that out the window," he said. "When things are going bad, you are always going to hear negative stuff. It's important for us to handle things on the basketball court and be accountable for each other."

Minnesota Timberwolves: Fifteen minutes never felt better for Troy Hudson. "One hundred percent better," Hudson told the Star Tribune after his third attempt to play since severely spraining his right ankle. "Tonight, I had a little tenderness. A couple times I tweaked it. But that was expected. Right after I tweaked it, it hurt for a second. But then as I kept running up and down, it went away."

Orlando Magic: The fans may want Tracy McGrady to dunk the ball every time he gets it. But after shooting nine 3-pointers Monday night, he had a simple explanation. "I'm just letting it go," he said in the Daytona Beach News. "If they're giving it to me, hell, shoot it." McGrady has already taken 276 3-point shots in 40 games after taking only 283 in 76 games during the 2002 season.

Detroit Pistons: Detroit may have won 13 games in a row to tie a franchise record, but tonight they have arch-rival Indiana. "It's going to be a dogfight," said Chucky Atkins in the Detroit Free Press. "We end up going against our old coach for No. 14, which is a good thing for us. We haven't beaten them all year. They're trying to fight us from getting the record of 14 in a row against them. They were in a situation last year with Dallas coming to them and Dallas had won 13 in a row (actually 14), and they popped them. So we have to be ready to compete for 48 minutes and play hard." But Chucky doesn't expect it to get any easier from here. "As the streak continues, the games are going to be tighter and teams are going to play harder and harder against us, which is going to be beneficial to us toward the end of the season, because tonight was like a playoff game," Atkins said. "We stepped up and held our ground and competed."

Phoenix Suns: Rookie Maciej Lampe wants to play. His coach Mike D'Antoni wants him to play. But it isn't that easy. "I would like to see how he responds first," D'Antoni said in the Arizona Republic. "We have a good thing going. I don't think we want to go experimenting. But if fouls or the situation warrants it, I'll try him and see how he reacts. Then we can build on it from there." D'Antoni said the rook will get most of his time when the Suns need him least. "We like the rotation, and if anybody is going to get garbage minutes it's going to be this kid," he said.

Chicago Bulls: It's not that Scottie Pippen doesn't want to play. He just doesn't want to lose. "I'm fine," Pippen said in the Chicago Tribune after not entering Monday night's game until the fourth period. "I thought we had been staying in ballgames with some of the other guys. I told [coach Scott Skiles] to not put me in unless he really needed me." Pippen had missed 20 games earlier in the season due to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.