Many NBA fans wrote off the Chicago Bulls as contenders the moment Derrick Rose crumpled to the floor with his second consecutive season-ending injury. Now it seems the organization finally decided to follow suit after the team traded two-time All-Star Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum and three future draft picks.
The deal came almost two weeks after the Cavs banished Bynum into an indefinite suspension for conduct “detrimental to the team.” That could describe his poor play this season with meager Kwame Brown-esque averages of 8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. However according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Bynum’s selfish behavior became a distraction to the Cavs team, and the former All-Star allegedly doesn’t have the desire to play basketball anymore.
Bulls fans don’t have to worry about Bynum’s lackadaisical attitude infecting their team, as Bynum was essentially cut before he boarded the plane to Chi-town. For the Chicago brass, the move represents a tank job. After Deng turned down a three-year $30 million contract extension, the team decided to ship away its best player on two legs in hopes of saving money and increasing its chances in the draft lottery.
The bad news for GM John Paxson is that even without Deng and the injured Derrick Rose, the Bulls could still claw their way into the playoffs in the terrible Eastern Conference. So don’t be surprised to see Chicago amnesty Carlos Boozer if the players don’t take the hint to start losing. Either that or head coach Tom Thibideau, who was none-too-pleased with the trade, will be sent to the unemployment line to ensure the Bulls officially have a shot at landing atop what’s expected to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers hope to play in the postseason for the first time since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach to start a new trophy collection. It’s no secret Cavs owner Dan Gilbert was burned by James’ decision to bolt and is dying to get back to the playoffs. Despite the fact that the Cavs record sat at a lackluster 11-23 at the time of the trade, the team was only three games out of the eighth playoff position in the atrocious East.
Though Deng was overshadowed in Chicago by Rose’s ever-looming return, he should get the proper big dog treatment in star-starved Cleveland alongside Kyrie Irving. Deng is a talented player who can score, defend and distribute at an elite level. If he can get the Cavaliers back into the playoffs, he’ll surely get the key to the city and will become a key recruiter in bringing better free agents to town.
There have long been rumors that King James might consider returning to Cleveland following his fun run in Miami. It’s also no secret that James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh could all become free agents this off-season. While it’s certainly a longshot to bring James back, Cleveland would appear to be a much more enticing destination with Irving, Deng and Anderson Varejao. If James gives his old team the cold shoulder, maybe Angry Snyder will reappear and the owner will make a serious run at Bosh. Who knows?
One thing is clear however, the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed in opposite directions. Looks like Cavs fans can finally exchange their lottery tickets for playoff tickets.
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