Who's Afraid To Pull Off A Blockbuster Trade? (Suns-Bulls-Raps Proposal)

With the trade deadline fast approaching, and a number of teams at a crossroads, I’m looking forward to seeing a blockbuster deal that can alter a franchise’s course completely. Of course, you’re always looking for a win-win deal (unless you’re Memphis GM Chris Wallace – man, that Pau Gasol trade is one-sided). But since you probably can’t trust NBA GMs to have the guts to pull them blockbusters off, I’m just proposing my own (and hoping Steve Kerr, John Paxson and Bryan Colangelo are reading this right now).

*note: salaries match on ESPN’s trade machine, but I couldn’t find a way to incorporate the Bulls’ 5-million plus trade exception or draft picks into the system. The deal I made works fine without the exception, but I’m throwing in a draft pick for good measure.

Suns get: Tyrus Thomas, Drew Gooden, Joakim Noah

Suns lose: Amar’e Stoudemire

Why I do this deal: Amar’e is a star, but he hasn’t fit in well with Shaq this season. He’s disrupted team chemistry, said all the wrong things, and hasn’t been producing. Plus, there’s that fact that the Suns risk losing him for nothing in 2010. Phoenix gets two young prospects that fit in with the team in the long term. Tyrus Thomas plays a bit like Amar’e on the offensive end though with considerably less efficiency. He does have plenty of upside though, because of his age. He also displays a willingness to play defense never seen in Amar’e. This makes him a valuable player and potential franchise cornerstone. Of course, these are all based on his performance for the past few games, an admittedly small sample size. Still, he seems to have ‘turned the corner’ of late and Suns management has expressed much interest in him, as well as a strong desire to move Stoudemire. Joakim Noah is a solid big man who can play big backup minutes so as not to strain Shaq. Noah also has that upside and can potentially replace Shaq when he retires. He’s a much better option than Robin Lopez, though his hair is just as goofy. The Suns also get another solid big in Drew Gooden, but he’s more valuable for the 7.1 million cap relief he offers next season. You know Suns owner Robert Sarver likes him some cap relief.

Bulls get: Chris Bosh, Jason Kapono, Marcus Banks

Bulls lose: Tyrus Thomas, Drew Gooden, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Thabo Sefolosha, Chicago 1^st round pick

Why I do this deal: The Bulls are not a championship team, and won’t be with this lineup. As the Celtics have proven, championship teams need superstars on the roster. Right now, the Bulls have one potential superstar in Derrick Rose. It’s hard to see anything of value past him. Bulls management have been hesitant on the Amar’e trade because of the doubts on Stoudemire’s ability on the defensive end but it’s hard to pin any kind of criticism on Chris Bosh. Bosh is almost certainly the best player involved in the deal. I would willingly trade anyone on the roster, and even gut it if necessary (which is essentially what I’m doing), to acquire a player of that caliber to pair with Rose. Role players are easy to get, superstars are not. If you get a chance to trade for one, you do it. Rose and Bosh will be left with a lousy crew of teammates, but with both of them wearing the same uniform, they’ll both be closer to winning a championship than they ever had in their careers. If they are somehow able to clear enough cap space (don’t resign Ben Gordon in 2009, allow Larry Hughes to expire in 2010, or find a way to trade the long term commitments to Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni or both), they might also have enough star power to attract another superstar in the summer of 2010. Possibly, Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, a Chicago native and good friend of Bosh’s.

Raptors get: Amar’e Stoudemire, Luol Deng, Thabo Sefolosha, Chicago 2009 1^st Round Pick

Raptors lose: Chris Bosh, Jason Kapono, Marcus Banks

Why I do this deal: It will hurt to lose Chris Bosh, but I would have to seriously consider the risk of losing Bosh in 2010. The team stinks right now, and that increases the chances of losing Bosh. In fact, rumors say that Bosh has already informed Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo that he will refuse to resign with the Raps. With this deal, I get a superstar in return. And though Stoudemire’s contract expires in the same summer, chances are better that he’d resign with the Raptors. For one thing, the addition of Luol Deng and Chicago’s possibly high 2009 draft pick (as well as their own 2009 draft pick) to the team that already has Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani and Shawn Marion makes this a more talented team than the one Bosh will be leaving behind. Thabo Sefolosha can potentially fit in as well, but it depends how well the Swiss prospect develops. With the Eastern Conference being as bad as it is in the lower playoff seed race, though, I see this team as a playoff contender. Amar’e also has good relations with Colangelo, who drafted him as an executive at Phoenix in 2001. This could also potentially increase the chances of the Raptors landing Canada native Steve Nash in 2010. The SSOL-era Suns have all done considerably worse since their breakup and a redux in Toronto with some decent players them and in the Eastern Conference could give them a shot at redemption. All that would be missing is New York coach Mike D’Antoni. While this team is not a lock as a deep playoff team, this could gain the Raptors a level of popularity unprecedented in the only non-US team in the NBA. Not a bad deal for a bad team in very real danger of losing their franchise cornerstone.

Open Letter to Mr Dwayne Wade

Dear D-Wade,

There's been all this talk about LeBron bolting the Cavs in 2010 and going to New York. They're saying it's better for his career to go to a big market team, where his talents will be showcased to a larger and more valuable audience. It's a business move - and no one can blame him if he leaves his hometown for the bright lights of New York. There might be only one thing that keeps this from happening, they say. And that's if the Knicks can't put together a competitive product to challenge for a title. That's how the careers of most legends are judged, after all - how many rings were won before the end.

Well, he isn't the only one with a career crossroad to consider that summer. You have one, too. And yours might end up more important in the long run. How's this for a proposition: Dwyane Wade to the Chicago Bulls in 2010.

King James might be the most marketable NBA player this side of his Airness, but you're no slouch yourself. Going to a bigger market team may be as beneficial to you as it is to him. Chicago isn't just about the size, too. It's one of the most relevant franchises in NBA history. And it also happens to be your hometown. It won't be like LBJ and his search for greener pastures. Hey, we just want you to come home.

What's going to be waiting for you? Two words - Derrick Rose.

He's a hometown kid, like you. And he's a superstar, just like you. He's the first Bulls rookie to score in double digits in his first 10 games since number 23 himself. He's averaging a gaudy 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists in close to 50% shooting through his first 13 games.

(And if you don't count the game that doesn't count, those numbers get bumped up to 19.9, 4.6 and 5.8)

Know what people have been saying about him? Warriors coach Don Nelson said they were big Rose fans and that "he'll be up among the best of them in a really short time." Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said Rose will "blossom sooner than people think he is. He's going to be a great player, maybe as soon as the end of this year." Cavs coach Mike Brown called him "a gem." Suns guard Raja Bell called him "a highlight reel waiting to happen" and Warriors forward Stephen Jackson said he'd "have one of [Rose's] jerseys up in my house." ESPN's David Thorpe, who does the Rookie Rankings, said scouts are starting to call Rose "unguardable."

But a backcourt of you and Rose? D-Wade, THAT would be unguardable. We're talking championships here. You know what it's like to play for all the marbles with another superstar beside you. In 2006, the Big Diesel was still his HOF self. The year after that - not so much. So from experience, you know the difference between playing with good players and playing with great ones. Hey, you need any help you can always ask those three guys in Boston.

10 games into his NBA career, and this kid has already been drawing MJ comparisons. You know that counts for something. We haven't done that since Kobe and Vince. This guy is the next big thing. And for those who will tell you Mike Beasley can develop into a similar player. One, I doubt it. And two, even if he does - consider this. Look at the rosters of the Bulls and Heat. Eventually, they're going to build the team around you and Rose (or Beasley, for the sake of argument). With the Bulls, you're going to be trading guys like Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. These guys (with Ben Gordon) were almost traded for KG (if only Pax were a Celtic during the Bird and McHale days) or for Kobe. The Heat are going to try to move guys like Udonis Haslem, Daequan Cook, Chris Quinn and Mario Chalmers. (Gordon and Shawn Marion don't count since they're both probably gone by season's end.)

Realistically, the current Bulls roster can be traded for a decent supporting cast in return. We can probably get shooters like Kapono and Posey to spread the floor for you to operate. Maybe get a legit 7-footer who can rebound, defend and not screw up too often when you and Rose find him for wide open looks under the basket after you draw double- or triple-temas.

So here's all I'm trying to say: looking for a big market team? Chicago in 2010. Wanting to go back home? Chicago in 2010. Thinking of moving to a team that can offer you a shot at a championship or two? Chicago in 2010.

(It feels a little dirty, openly lobbying for a player currently entrenched in a two-year contract. But heck, if the Knicks can do it for LeBron, why can't we?)

How sweet would it be to win the Larry O'Brien trophy behind two homegrown talents? Man, you and Derrick will be immortal. We might have to build you a statue. And more than that. We might finally forgive the franchise for all the past hurts. For the untimely Jordan-Pippen-Phil Jackson breakup. For the fact that we had Elton Brand and Ron Artest together at one point and nothing to show for it. For trading for Larry Hughes.

So I think I speak for ALL Bulls fans when I ask you and the Bulls management: please bring Dwyane Wade to Chicago in 2010.

Thanks.

A Wade/Bulls Fan