Despite reports earlier this week suggesting that the Cavaliers and Lakers would put pen to paper and trade Pau Gasol (Los Angeles) for Andrew Bynum (Cleveland), the Bulls and Cavaliers have agreed to a trade just hours before tomorrow’s deadline to waive Bynum. The Chicago Bulls have sent All-Star forward Luol Deng, averaging a career-high of nineteen points per game to Cleveland. In exchange, they have received Andrew Bynum, three future draft picks and the right to swap first-round picks in 2015.
Cavaliers fans have something to be excited about; for this season at-least. Deng has openly expressed his desire to test the free-agency at the end of this season, however will don the wine and gold until then. But you have to wonder; since Lebron’s infamous departure, has Cleveland management gone a little haywire? Giving up all those picks for a player you’re not even guaranteed to keep past June is a little crazy right? Well, not necessarily. The East is week and the addition of Deng to an already talented roster filled with the likes of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, thrusts the Cavaliers right into the playoffs. And who knows? Maybe Deng re-signs with the club?
Then there’s the Bulls, who I declare clear winners of this trade. First off, Bynum won’t play a single game in Chicago, let’s make that clear. The Bulls head-office will waive him by tomorrow, save $6 million on his contract and clear up huge amounts of salary space. If the Bulls further decide to amnesty Carlos Boozer in the summer, they will be looking at close to $30 million dollars to spend in the golden free-agency period coming up this July.
Lets face it; the Bulls were facing another run without Derrick Rose and had to decide whether they chase the championship or bite the bullet. Deng’s trade was the key move that the Bulls needed to make in order to ‘tank’ the season. Now let’s drop Jabari Parker’s name, who might I mention, is a Chicago native. The Bulls ‘tanking’ with all those future picks put’s them right in the Jabari sweepstakes.
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