If Chicago could keep Luol Deng and acquire Orlando’s center Dwight Howard, they would be championship favorites this year.
Chicago’s “Big 3” would be better than Miami’s with Derrick Rose, Howard and Deng. Rose and Howard both play an inside game but in different ways. Howard plays from the post and Rose plays with the ball. Unlike Dwayne Wade and Lebron James who both play with the ball in their hands. It will work great, the defense will collapse on one of them in the paint leaving open shooters all day. Deng is perfectly suited for the number three role, he’s a good jump shooter, skilled defender and all-round great player.
On February 8, Howard destroyed the Heat scoring 25 and grabbing 24 boards in a 102-89 victory. How much could he beat the Heat by if Rose and Deng were playing?
“If I could play with Derrick Rose right now and God wanted that to happen, it will happen,” said Howard to the Chicago Sun-Times. So Howard is open to playing for the Bulls but they are not at the top of his list. Consequently if they do acquire him it is uncertain if Howard would stay past 2011. It will be risky, but success could persuade Howard to stay in Chicago. Chicago’s offer could include Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and C.J. Watson, who are under 27-years-old. The Bulls also could trade their 2011 and 2012 first round picks, and a Charlotte Bobcats first round pick that was acquired in the Tyrus Thomas trade.
The problem is getting the trade done. ESPN.com’s Rumor Mill has reported these players are on Orlando’s trading block: Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Duhon and Glenn Davis. It will be tough for the Magic to unload all those players because they’re contracts are worth nearly 40 million dollars just this year, but the team wants to get rid of at least three.
Lakers, Mavericks and Nets are Howard’s top three destinations, the Knicks and the Bulls are on the outside looking in. The Mavs and Nets have the least to offer, and the Knicks are offering two blotted contracts, Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire. It seems the best two deals would come from the Bulls and Lakers.
A trio of players entering their prime and a trio of first round draft picks sounds like the best deal for Orlando. Unless the Lakers are willing to part with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol subsequently the Bulls would have to add Deng to the mix. There are three trade scenarios that workout financially for both teams. 1. The Bulls trade Noah, Gibson and Watson for Howard and Duhon. 2. Chicago trades Deng, Noah, Gibson and Watson for Howard, Turkoglu and Duhon. 3. The Bulls trade Deng and Noah for Howard and Turkoglu.
Noah’s contract says he can’t be traded until March 1 and the Magic want to keep Howard until after the All-Star game that is in Orlando on February 26. So expect the Howard deal to go down between March 1 and March 15 at the trade deadline.
Salaries and trade scenarios were provided by the ESPN Trade Machine.
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