Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by McK1:

Posted by martin:

Posted by McK1:

and only the **OPTION** to switch with us in 07, doesnt mean we are switching, but even if we are, the bulls pick couldnt be much worse.

2 first rounders (both likely in the top 15) and 20 mill in cap-space in a top 3 market to go along with Deng Gordon Heinrich Duhon and Sweetney all still playing on their rookie contracts and Chandler.

Projection is the key here. Bulls have a ton of assets to boost themselves externally as well as internally

realistically the Bulls have had this same option for like the last 5 years, and they are still treading water. Remember the year TMac was a free agent... wouldn't go to Chi.

I can't remember the last big name free agent switching teams. TMac to Orlando, Shaq to LA, who else?

a) different regime

b) Joe Johnson to Atlanta. KG might want to go home after this season . 20 mill in capspace and the roster spot(s) + multiple draft picks + perhaps young talent on rookie contracts is good clean deal to a motivated seller

Joe Johnson's hardly a star. But he did a *sign and trade*, which any team over the cap can do. The JJ signing is irrelevant to any claims that you need cap space to rebuild.

I have to disagree. Atlanta originally signed him to an offer sheet. If they hadn't done that Phoenix wouldn't hear of trading him. They made a point in saying that their biggest priority of that season was to re-sign Joe Johnson. They didn't sign and trade because they wanted to. They did it because a team under the cap would have signed him anyway.

Joe Johnson doesn't want to return to the Suns, having told the franchise not to match the five-year, $69.2 million contract offer sheet he received from Atlanta. And what Phoenix will take in a sign-and-trade deal for one of the most versatile players in the league is fairly paltry: a $4.9 million exception, two first-round picks and a starter or substitute such as Boris Diaw, who isn't half the player Johnson is. If he could be talked into joining the Hawks, there's no reason to believe he would close the door in the face of the Hornets without listening to a sales pitch. Although the Hawks envision him as a point guard, Johnson seamlessly could fit in with New Orleans as an offense-initiating small forward who can shift to the point or off guard when the situation warrants.