Trade talk thread Options

[Balta1701-B]

It's 2011, less than 2 months to the deadline, so it's time to get this thread up.

Bulls are in on Sacto SF Omri Casspi.

Among the teams that have registered interest in the NBA’s first-ever Israeli: Chicago and New York.

The Bulls, in particular, like Casspi not only for his ability to shoot but also his experience in pressure situations after playing at the highest levels of the Euroleague with Maccabi Tel-Aviv as well as his defensive potential, believing that the energetic swingman would develop nicely on D under the guidance of Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. The bonus: Casspi is shooting 40 percent from 3-point range this season – up from 36.9 percent as a rookie – to further squelch his pre-draft rep as a non-shooter.

Yet there are obstacles for interested parties. Casspi is also a favorite of Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. Sources say Sacramento, furthermore, would likely insist on attaching a long-term contract from the Kings' roster (such as Francisco Garcia's) for the right to acquire Casspi, who’s earning a bargain $1.25 million this season. That could dissuade both the Bulls and the Knicks, with New York especially mindful of preserving salary-cap space for the summer.

It’s likewise true, from the Bulls’ perspective, that Casspi would give them another shooter but can’t really be classified as a shooting guard, which is the position Chicago has been openly looking to upgrade with Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans as its current primary options.

The Chicago Tribune reported earlier this week that the Bulls have also expressed interested in Rockets guard Courtney Lee, who earns a similar salary ($1.35 million) to Casspi's. The shooting guards previously linked with Chicago – Denver’s J.R. Smith ($6.8 million), Charlotte’s Stephen Jackson (in the first season of a three-year, $28 million extension) and Memphis’ O.J. Mayo ($4.5 million) – have all been all pricier.