The Cost of Success

While the rumors of Luol-Deng-to-Golden-State have mercifully been shut down on two fronts (an effective leak by the Bulls organization), there may still be an underlying truth to them that makes Mat uncomfortable. KC Johnson, who historically has been the most well-connected beat writer, didn't say the trade didn't work for the team from a talent perspective. As it is all too often for a team in a market as large as Chicago (and much to Jessie J's dismay), it appears to have been all about the price tag:

"The entire purpose of trading Deng, which management isn't dying to do, would be to do so to a team that can absorb Deng's contract into its salary-cap space, thus eliminating the need to take back salary."

That the Bulls might be willing to dump a 27-year-old All-Star forward for the #7 pick in a draft bereft of sure-things seems like a huge red flag. Mat is fine with moving Deng if the talent coming back is satisfying (like, say, in a certain trade proposal in this post). If it's just a financial maneuver, though? That should be an unacceptable return for arguably your second-best player.

Mat understands the logic behind it: Derrick Rose is hurt, so next season might be a lost cause; the new CBA has harsh luxury tax penalties; Deng is overpaid. Might as well retool the team under the constraints of the new system and see if you luck into getting a more capable sidekick for Rose, right?

Except: Rose will come back* -- around March, perhaps, splitting the difference between eight and 12 months. Suddenly next season isn't such a lost cause. The harsher luxury tax penalties don't kick in until 2013-14, and the Bulls won't be in danger of the ultra-severe repeater tax until after Deng's contract expires and Boozer's enters its final year, making him significantly easier to trade.

The Bulls could easily ride this very, very talented roster for another two years, contend for those years, and adjust the roster to the new salary cap after that with few repercussions. They just have to be willing to pay the price.

Jerry Reinsdorf said he'd consider paying the tax for a contender. Unless you've got the most stringent definition of "contender" in the world, Mat thinks two consecutive years with the best record in the league probably qualifies. It's taken over a decade for the Bulls to get to this point post-dynasty; management should appreciate how rare it is to build a team of this caliber.

Two years of luxury tax payments to find out what this group of players is capable of when fully healthy should be a small price to pay for the most profitable team in the league -- particularly when the reward could be invaluable.

*Mat knocked on wood for one hour straight after typing these words. Mat's knuckles are raw and bloody, but all jinxes should be warded off.