It's been well documented that the Chicago Bulls need an upgrade at shooting guard. What general manager Gar Forman needs to decide is if he wants to sign one of the available free agents or perhaps try and swing a deal for a star. A drastic move Forman could look to make is a trade for Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson. ESPN's resident NBA experts Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard debate a possible deal that would bring Johnson to Chicago (ESPN Insider only).
BUCHER: A number of star-quality players could be available on the market once the NBA resolves its labor issues, providing a variety of teams the chance to elevate themselves with one bold move. For me, though, the Bulls are the team that most needs to add a piece to solidify itself as a threat to win the title. The guy they should go after is Joe Johnson.
I have not heard Johnson's name in trade talks, nor have I heard that Atlanta is desperate to move someone, even though Josh Smith has made it known he'd love to have a new home. But after yet another disappointing finish, I have to believe the Hawks know that Johnson will never make the six-year, $129 million deal he signed a year ago work fiscally in Atlanta.
So, with that in mind, I believe that not only could the Bulls tempt the Hawks to part with Johnson for some combination of Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Kyle Korver or Ronnie Brewer, but that they must if they have dreams of building off last year's conference finals appearance.
First off, I don't think the Bulls MUST make a trade for Johnson in order to build off of last year. I think they could get over the hump without making such a bold move.
This being said, Johnson would be a great fit on the Bulls. I don't think he can ever lead a team to a championship (as proven by his up-and-down play against the Bulls in the second round), but he would be a great Robin to Derrick Rose's Batman. I would salivate at watching those two in the backcourt together.
Unfortunately, Johnson is saddled with that absurd contract and it would probably take Boozer and Deng to get him. If all it took was Boozer and either Brewer or Korver, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But Boozer and Deng makes it a pretty big risk. Johnson is good, but I don't know if he's THAT good.
While Broussard also believes Johnson would be a good fit in Chicago, he doesn't think Atlanta would bite on the deal.
BROUSSARD: I agree that putting Johnson in Chicago would make the Bulls a a full-fledged title contender, but I don't see why Atlanta would do such a deal. The size and length of the deals of Boozer (four years, $60 million) and Deng (three years, $40 million) are just as onerous as Johnson's, and neither player — or even both — would make Atlanta a contender. So I don't think that deal could happen.
Here I think Broussard is overrating Johnson and underrating the combo of Boozer and Deng. There's little doubt that Johnson is a better player than Boozer and Deng individually. However, part of me thinks the Hawks would be a better team with Boozer and Deng than with Johnson. They probably wouldn't be title contenders, but they would still be a playoff team.
Bucher has some fight left in him in this debate, so please allow him to retort!
As for the Hawks' sending Johnson to the Bulls, Atlanta would have to deal a second contract (Marvin Williams?) to take both Deng and Boozer in a deal. Why would they do it? Because Joe for Booz and Deng alone would save them $17 million and Johnson's deal ramps up far more severely than the two they'd be getting, so if they don't move him soon, it's going to get infinitely harder. Throw in Williams — whom they've been shopping hard for two years — and they'd save more than $30 million. The Hawks are not a contender as is, yet they'd still be a playoff team with Boozer and Deng, so why not make that trade?
The thought of Marvin Williams coming to the Bulls is gross. The guy is a bum and was completely worthless in the second round against the Bulls. He's also very oddly shaped, and that kind of freaks me out.
But in all seriousness, as I mentioned before, I really don't know how I'd feel about this move. Getting rid of Boozer's contract would be great, but losing Deng too would really hurt. With Johnson's contract on board, I don't know how much more Forman would be able to add to the team. I know you sometimes have to take risks to win a championship, but would the Bulls really be a better team after this deal?
That's the tough question Forman has to ask himself, and that's why he makes the big bucks. I'm sure he'll look into every possible option, but in the end, I just hope he doesn't panic into a move. The Bulls are close enough where that's not necessary.
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Carlos Boozer, Chicago, Chicago Bulls, Chris Broussard, ESPN, Joe Johnson, Kyle Korver, Luol Deng, Marvin Williams, NBA, Ric Bucher, Ronnie BrewerRelated Videos
