The Bulls announced late Monday night that they had agreed to a trade that would send veteran forward Luol Deng to Cleveland in return for center Andrew Bynum, the Kings’ top-12 protected first round pick in 2014, Portland’s second round picks in 2015 and 2016 and the right to swap first round picks with the Cavs in 2015.
The move had plenty of motivation on both sides. Deng, an All-Star each of the last two seasons, was set to become a free agent at the end of this season and had recently turned down a 3-year, $30 million extension from the Bulls’ front office.
The 28-year old Deng has been a fixture in Chicago throughout the entirety of his ten-year career. The former Duke standout has led the league in minutes in 2012 and 2013, despite dealing with a smorgasbord of nagging injuries. He has come to personify the warrior-like, defense-first culture in Chicago under Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls’ head coach is one of many who are sad to see him go.
“He embodied what we stand for,“ Thibodeau said. “You couldn’t ask anything more of a player. Practice hard, be a great leader, play for the team, be selfless. Whatever I asked him to do, he did. And he bought in from day one, from the minute I got here.”
The same type of glowing praise was not heaped on Bynum as he left Cleveland after playing in just 24 games in a Cavaliers uniform. Bynum, an All-Star in 2012 was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason after sitting out all of 2013 with a knee injury. He averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds, but he battled the same knee problems all season and he did not help turn the lottery-bound Cavs into contenders as had been hoped.
In mid-December, Cleveland suspended the 26-year old Bynum for “conduct detrimental to the team,” which translated to the center’s alleged lack of desire to be on the court.
The second half of Bynum’s $12.3 million was set to be guaranteed on Tuesday, so the Bulls, as expected, released him and ended up saving enough to end up under the luxury tax line for the season.
Bynum now becomes, effectively, an in-season unrestricted free agent and has already drawn interest from the Clippers and Heat, two teams that need a center more than Florida State’s championship t-shirts need a makeover.
Bynum will likely get to ply his trade in a reduced role for a contender. The futures of the two teams involved in the trade are less clear.
The Bulls, a team that entered the season with championship aspirations, hasn’t been a true title contender since Derrick Rose went down with a second consecutive season-ending knee injury.
The front office seemingly realized this and decided to try to rebuild for the future. Without two (and possibly three if they trade or amnesty Carlos Boozer) of their best players, the Bulls would seemingly be headed for the lottery in 2014, an advantageous place considering that this year’s draft is supposed to be one of the deepest in recent memory.
Whether the Bulls actually fall out of playoff contention is a dubious proposition, however, thanks to Thibodeau’s fiery competiveness and proud veterans such as Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich who will fight to help the Bulls sneak into the playoffs.
Regardless, the team seems in a good position for the future with a host of future picks and now, thanks to the trade, enough salary cap room to make a run at a marquee free agent this summer.
The situation in Cleveland is slightly murkier. The trade for Deng makes them better in the short term and might help the team reach its stated goal of a playoff berth this season in what is an incredibly weak Eastern Conference. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is certainly happy to have the reliable veteran.
“We have worked to acquire and maintain flexibility in order to capitalize on opportunities such as this.” Gilbert said. “Luol reflects all that we are striving for in building our team.”
That’s all well and good, but Deng will be a free agent at season’s end and will likely demand a multi-year contract in excess of $12 million per year. A high-priced veteran with more than ten years of mileage on his body isn’t a great investment for a team looking to rebuild after three straight seasons in the lottery. It will be interesting to see what the Cavaliers’ plan is moving forward.
No matter what they decide, one thing is certain: Deng will be missed in Chicago.
“To have him traded is tough on us,” Boozer said on Tuesday. “Luol is like a brother to us.”
Dylan Sinn is a freelance contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSinn or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
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