The Bulls are all in for 2010 free agency.
In a move with major ramifications for their ability to sign someone from the most heralded free agent class in NBA history, the Bulls have agreed in principle to trade John Salmons' and his potential gum-on-the-shoe player option to the Bucks for expiring contracts.
The Bucks will send either Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander or Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson. Like Salmons, the Bucks held Warrick out of Wednesday's game.
Not even Salmons knew his destination when reached earlier Wednesday, when the Tribune first reported the Bulls had asked him not to ride the team bus to Madison Square Garden.
"It's crazy," Salmons said. "They told me to stay at the team hotel and I'll know in the morning where I'm going."
Shedding the $5.8 million player option that Salmons may or may not exercise for next season guarantees the Bulls will have enough salary-cap space to offer a maximum contract this summer. The Bulls could be roughly $20 million below the salary cap, depending on new NBA revenue figure.
The move also proved the safest trade route when the Rockets kept driving up its asking price for Tracy McGrady, which could result in McGrady's $22 million contract staying in Houston past Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
Multiple reports suggested the Knicks might be balking at the Rockets' steep demands on draft picks as well, one night after it appeared McGrady would be heading to Chicago or New York.
Sources said the Rockets asked for Taj Gibson and multiple first-round picks in place of either Salmons or Kirk Hinrich in their talks with the Bulls. The teams had agreed upon Brad Miller and Tyrus Thomas as two components in any deal.
Not only would have trading Gibson not removed as large of a long-term deal as Hinrich or Salmons, it would have decimated the Bulls' front line at a time when they are without Joakim Noah. The Bulls' leading rebounder didn't accompany the Bulls on their two-game trip, remaining in Chicago to rehabilitate the plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Get the full story on Wednesday's trade here.
Photo: John Salmons waits as referees review a foul. (AP / Julie Jacobson)
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Good luck, Mr. Salmons. Initial high hopes were never realized but at least you seemed to give full effort and didn't burn bridges wherever you went. I, for one, hope you do well in Milwaukee - just not against the Bulls!
How about Deng for Brand?
Deng cannot dribble period ! I've seen better ballhandlers at Broadway & Belmont.
Brand is better offensively & defensively. We never wanted to lose him anyway. Imagine: Joe Johnson, Rose, Noah, Gibson, Brand (via Trade) Adam Morrison, Jordan Farmar and of course another 1st rounder between 11 & 15 .
Ohhh sexy !!!!
I'd like to see Hinrich go to LA for Adam Morrison and Farmar. Farmar is the the equivelant to Hinrich for pushing the ball up the floor, although I don't know about his shooting. I'm just sick of seeing Hinrich clang off the rim and he makes more turnovers than Pepperidge Farm. The bulls have been a system playing team. What if 6-8 Morrison could be revived to his College days potency by firing shots off screens ? Isn't that how Jerry West and Gail Goodrich made their livings ?
As far as Tyrus for Harrington ( Knicks ), Is it wise to bring a player off a losing team that obviously had not the mentality or skillsets to turn things around. Just like bringing someone in a trade from the Nets, Wizards....it would be like bringing a virus into a more productive team heading in the right direction. Frankly, as far as Thomas goes, exile his ass in Minnesota for a 1st rounder. If he goes all "Larry Hughes" on a second team, like he just did in Chicago...He'll be black-listed and mar-buried for the rest of his playing days.
Kirk Hinrich is a bum trade his sorry ass out of Chicago!!!
not a good trade..GOOD LUCK BUCKS..
Now keep Tyrus period
"Um, Wes Unseld isnt dead."
You obviously didn't follow his career as a GM. He's apparently been dead since shortly after he took over the Bullets in '96..
It's a good trade though the bulls got nothing back. It's worth trying to clear cap room for a shot at Wade, Bosh, Joe Johnson, and David Lee. I like Salmons but he lost confidence and really didn't seem suited to being a 2 guard. He was much better as a small forward. John good luck in Milwaukee.
I like the trade as a salary dump, but don't act like Salmons was garbage the whole year. He started slow but since moving to the bench the past 23 games, he's been shooting real well (11 ppg, .477 fg% and .471 3pt fg%). Hopefully theres another trade coming in addition to this one.
Um, Wes Unseld isnt dead.
Couldn't agree more, Jim. I was about to say the same thing. This would ease the impact of trading Tyrus and Miller for T Mac...
Interesting how it is for Kurt Thomas when he is on the court playing for the Bucks right now. That seems kinda odd.
Great job by GarPax to get expiring contracts for Salmons! Now they should keep Tyrus the rest of this season....who knows, maybe he grows up a bit during the last stretch and they end up signing him to a qualifying offer if they fail to attract a max free agent.
He was extremely disappointing as BG's replacement. Not a legit starting 2. We all hoped for the best, but it didn't work out. Good trade to at least give us a chance this summer, Now we just need to finish the season strong and enjoy an exciting, if unspectacular, postseason. It's fun watching Rose becoming a superstar.
well this will probably lead to the trade that was talked about for t-mac, Houston wanted tryus and brad miller at the least, now that the bulls have just picked up a back up center in francisco and another power forward, this has to set up the t-mac trade..
Does anyone watch pro basketball anymore? Since the Jordan years it seems the league has been bombarded with Alvin Iversons punks. Guys that don't play the game like my heroes used too! Players like Stormin Norman. And Tattoos? What's with that? Wes Unseld is turning in his grave with all these illiterate wanna be's! Who is stupid enough to pay these guys millions? How many owners are there?
Great, now either trade Tyrus, or renounce his rights and go get Bosh and Johnson.
Now they need to trade Miller, James and Thomas for Tmac and Brian Cook.
Bet they come up empty in the free agent market, just like coaches are knocking down the BEARS door were. WHAT A JOKE!
I feel like I am in bizzaro world reading these comments. Salmons has not been a good fit at the two guard spot and we have Deng locked up to play the SF spot. His contract next year also prevented the team from going after a max deal free agent. What is not to like?
The Bulls got to the playoffs last year because of Salmons. So I thank him for that.
@Thomas
This trade almost certainly means they're trading Thomas for a guard,what I was to no is will the bulls put one of these guys in that McGrady deal.
Elson is averaging .9 points and 1.2 rebounds - almost a double single!
This was a good move.
Salmons is not that great and to get anyone to take his contract was a steal.
It does not matter about the players they got in return because they are just bodies with expiring contracts.
That is exactly what they needed and Salmons was the idea player to dump.
Tyrus Thomas will be gone after this year no matter what and if they can sucker a 2nd round pick out of someone right now then that would be just fine with me.
Bye john you wont be missed.
The Bulls won't get any of the big name free agents, so this move is just another false hope
There isn't a big market for him because Salmons sucks. The last thing NBA teams are looking for are perimeter players who can't shoot. This is pure salary dump, adding two contracts that expire at the end of this season is just making room for this upcoming monster FA market.
LBJ, please?
I suprised they got that much. That is a great contract to get rid of and now they can at least go for it this summer. I like it.
Not sure how I feel about this. I did like John Salmons as a player but the make up of this team didn't leave him to be successful in Chicago. I am holding out for a Tyrus Thomas trade to land a decent shooting guard to be a back-up because we don't have one now.
BULLS BEARS MY GOD! GO HAWKS!
Stupid trade unless it leads to a bigger deal... Granted, I know it's a salary dump.. but still... false sense of hope
That's all they got for Salmons? Not a big market for this guy.
nooo! i liked salmons, he was a good guy and a good scorer at times. i wish johnny the best of luck in milwaukee.