QUOTE (ZoomSlowik @ Jul 6 2007, 11:50 AM)
I don't think he's doing that as much as he knows how HUGE an impact Gasol can have on this roster. Instead of waiting 3 years and hoping Tyrus and Noah turn out well you can add an elite big man that's still pretty young. It's choosing the known over the unknown. MAYBE in 2 or 3 years Tyrus is the next Josh Smith/Shawn Marion and Noah is the next Tyson, but you just don't know what you're going to get from them.
You have a team that's already pretty good, and you could potentially trade 3 non-essential players for a good, young big man that could very well put you over the top. You gotta do that in a heartbeat if Memphis is dumb enough to take that package. The only way that deal REALLY blows up in your face is if BOTH Thomas and Noah turn into stars and you get one $14 mil star instead of 2 or 3 cheap years from those guys before the extension. That's pretty unlikely though, especially since it looks like Tyrus still has a long way to go and Noah has looked pretty limited at times in college. Even if one of them blows up it's not all that bad because you still have your All-Star big man, I really think you can live with that risk when you're getting a player of Gasol's caliber.
Zoom, I know where your coming from, I really do. However, if it is Tyrus, Nocioni and Noah I'd be real hesitant before pulling that trade.
I'd have no problem doing it if Paxson and the Bull guaranteed that they'd pay Gordon & Deng enough to keep both in town. However, my concern is that once we get Gasol we'd lose one of those players b/c i'm not sure the Bulls want to significantly go over the cap.
If we get Gasol, we have to keep Gordon. That's a must. You need that player to stretch defenses and allow Gasol to work down low. Plus, Gordon is going to be so much better if we get Gasol.
If it's a sure thing that we re-sign both Deng and Gordon, I think we'd be stupid not to do it, win 2 or 3 championships and then figure out what to do once Wallace leaves. The long term success of the team might be put in jeopardy but the short term (next 2-3 years) would look great.
I'd be sad, very sad, to see Tyrus go, but you are right. We have no idea whether or not he will develop into Marion/Amare/Smith or anyone else. He's got a good chance to develop into a Smith type player but offensively he's got a long way to go to be Amare or Marion.