The Bulls have held discussions about trading Tyrus Thomas to the Knicks, according to a league source.
Yahoo! Sports first reported the talks, which, for now, have centered upon Thomas and the expiring contract of Jerome James for the $10 million expiring contract of Al Harrington. The Knicks are trying to keep Harrington and make the deal work with other players, the league source said.
The Bulls long have admired Harrington's game. And trading Thomas would preclude the Bulls from making the decision of whether or not to place an approximately $13 million salary cap hold on his services at a time when they might be trying to optimize salary cap space for the 2010 free agent class.
Furthermore, the emergence of rookie Taj Gibson as at least a viable rotation player has allowed the Bulls to consider shopping Thomas, the league source said.
Thomas is currently recovering from a fractured radius in his left forearm. He is scheduled to return in the next two weeks.
Photo: Knicks' Al Harrington dunks at Madison Square Garden. (Nick Laham / Getty Images)
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Bulls, do you like Al? Just take Jeffreis along for the ride and he's all yours.
Trade him for a #1 pick on a bad team.
Taj has shown me very little .. His shot takes a hour to go up.. Taj nneds to put on beef and strength . Salmons the same type player with a better shot but gets pushed around and doesnt rebound. His shot is helter skleter the 1st few 5 or 6 shots.. Once he settles in hes OK. But No a real scorer. This said Im NOT a THomas fan because he either has a good game or a bad game. His mental sharpness is a lot to be desired.. Hes Doesnt always rebound or fight for bvalls like he should .. Some games he does others hes lost out there... Harrington shots whwnwver he touches the ball.. Dont like him one bit.. LEE from New York is another thing though. I like him and his hustle and rebounding.. Better fit for the bulls hustling types. Where is the Byars kid that looked good in preseason.. They should have kept him as a reserver tall gurad and he could shoy.. BUt the Bull are the Bulls .. They had Aldridge and gave him up for Thomas.. They always let good guts like Byars go and keep Fargo.. WHO he cant cover my mother.
I'd like to hear KC weigh in on this. I like the deal. 19 ppg is just what the Bulls need. Harrington could be a keeper and there should still be some room to snag a big gun next year. Go for it!
If we are going to trade with the knicks AGAIN; I'd prefer David Lee over Harrington. Think he is a better fit, and the Bulls need more size in the front court. I know he is only 6-9 but he plays bigger than Harrington who would just be another perimeter player, on a team of perimeter players.
It's typical of these "forums" similar to talk radio that the only people with time on their hands to talk are usually negative trash talkers many of whomare unhappy with their own dreary lives. Otherwise they'd have better things to do then bitch and moan about a franchise steeped in mediocrity.
If people can't even agree that Tyrus Thomas does not play the game the way it should be played, and really has no offensive game then so be it. Someone is really saying they'd rather have Tyrus then LaMarcus Aldridge? Good lord.
Harrington is still only 29. He shoots 45% for his CAREER. While only shooting 36% for threes for his career tells you he has more game then the perimeter. Also his steals and rebounding numbers are not bad. The Bulls really do need another scorer, and he's a versatile guy. The problem is he can be emotional/temperamental(though not as big of a headcase as Tyrus).
I'd have to say right now taking a chance on a sparkpulg to get the Bulls momentum rolling is worthwhile when he can be gone for free agent cap space at the end of the year. Anything to make this season more of a success for Derrick and attracting 2010 FA's is a good thing in my book. Too bad Vinny's horrible offensive mind will keep Chicago from fully utilizing Al's versatile offensive game. Also, he can be emotionally difficult without a strong coach to deal with it. So being paired with Vinny could cause some friction. Still, Tyrus = four years with no real production. This trade should get done while people still feel Tyrus' "athleticism" has real value.
for you morons saying tyrus will walk next year you are wrong. He is a restricted FA !!! the guy is 23 years old and is a defensive monster. He alters the game when he is in there. Give the guy some solid minutes without having to look over his shoulder for once. TAJ GIBSON HIS TERRIBLE .He gets pushed around in the paint and is constantly out of position. Tyrus is better than him and is younger than him. Get real monday morning fans. Trading him is a pure salary dump and thats stupid because you cant guarentee that you will even sign some1 to replace his pos. next year
I'm in the keep Thomas crowd. The people that hate on Thomas for the fact that the Bulls traded the rights to Aldridge for him are a joke. Taj Gibson is a no talent, no potential bum. He will NEVER be starter material. If this happens Aldridge should forever be known as the player we gave up for Taj Gibson!
I think it's a good deal. Why does everyone think that Tyrus is this great player and think we can get a better player than Harrington? I'll take Harrington. He's a scorer and if he doesn't do well, he won't be here next season. That will give the bulls money to spend.
I think the Bulls will be very attractive to free agents next year. We have a solid core, not great, but definitely solid. What other team will be attractive next year? The Knicks? The Nets? I don't think so. If Lebron, D-Wade, Bosh, Joe Johnson or any other big name free agent don't re-sign with their current team, the Bulls will be a viable option compared to the other teams with money next year.
To Good Move
Even though the "Bulls should have never gotten Thomas" argument makes sense, if Aldridge wasn't traded for Thomas maybe the record would have been a bit different and the luck would have been and therefore we wouldn’t have ended up with Rose and without Rose maybe we wouldn’t be able to attract someone next year. Maybe we still won't but the point is that everything may ultimately work out despite what for now seems to have been a bad move a few years ago.
Hopefully your comment is just a joke considering how little sense it would make for the Bulls to possibly get rid of an african american player in hopes of clearing up salary cap room for another one next year. In other words nothing points to racism.
Rod from Tennessee...saving money is good for the 2010 free agent class. How in the hell you know they can't get L. James in 2010? Just in case you don't know, L. James said he considers Chicago one of the top 3 teams he'll go to. And also Tyrus Thomas sucks. I hope the bulls trade that bum.
This is the best we can get for Tyrus Thomas? Its a shame we took him when we had Lamarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy filling a bigger need for us. Pax and Gar Foreman have drafted pretty well since they have been here but this was a big time swing and miss. Skiles had something to do with wanting Thomas after an awkward dinner with Aldridge before the draft. Either way make the trade and look towards 2010. Joe Johnson will come here and hopefully they can actually spend more and get Boozer also.
Rose
Joe Johnson
Deng
Boozer
Noah
equals a sick starting 5 for years to come.
A move which makes no sense other than to save the team money. If the team really is fond of Harrington's game, then why would they be trading for him for expiring contracts purposes only.
What this trade would end up amounting to, is losing another top draft pick for absolutely nothing. Another example of just how crummy Paxson has been at his draft evaluations.
The Bulls are not going to attract a big name F.A. It just aint happening, and i'm sure the Bulls brass knows this. They keep this nonsense going as a smokescreen, when in reality it's all about salary and evaluations. This staff isn't smart enough to determine if T.T. is worth paying his next contract for. They've blown it on Deng and Hinrich, and i believe have just decided to take a once bitten, twice shy attitude.
RE: Reality Check
wow. you are SOO right. *rolleyes* We have Noah now, so we dont need another rebounder. Nooooo And since Noah is such a great passer and has awesome post moves...we don't need anything else. "Championship"
Talk about typical Bulls fan? You pretty much sum it up. You watched other NBA games you can see why teams are winners and why others are losers. You have to have more than one guy who can rebound. You need more than one guy who can shoot the 3. You need more than one guy who can keep a D honest with a mid-range jumper. You need more than one guy who can break down a defender with the dribble. Having ONE guy that is good at each makes for any easy defense and is too predictable.
Harrington can spread the court with his inside outside game and compliment the players we already have....
Keep Tyrus Thomas. The bulls need to stop being cheap, and pay for another superstar who can come in, and help D. Rose live up to his full potential. They can get Broozer, LB, or D'Wade, next year. Give the fans their money worth, and make the "Through Thick and Then" mean something...The coach is a C, we need a A+ coach.
Guys get it out your mind, we are not getting a superstar for tyrus thomas, harrington is no superstar, but he can help us out with the pick and roll which seem to be are favorite play harrington can keep the defense honest with the pick and roll he can hit the open shot, so the defense jus can't trap rose when he comes off the pick, I'm not saying harrington is an all star by any means but he is a scoring options we can use
All the talent in the world will not change Tyrus Thomas or his character. I think he was born to play for the Knicks. He truly is a real ooh-ah athlete when he's on his game, but the profound lack of moxy he repeatedly mixes with a lack of respect for others is exactly the same down-side he showed as an all-American in high school. B-bye!
i love tyrus freakish athletic ability
but his IQ is lowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
dude even said he wants to be mentioned with the names of kobe & lebron
that right there should be an indicator that dudes head is not right
Not sure what Bulls team Chad has been watching to think Tryus ceiling is still so high....are suggesting the Bulls keep him past this year....its not happeing....he's not worth the 13 million or whatever he would cost....he's gone. I just dont know if Harrington is any better (we wouldnt be keeping him either next year). Overall, we might as well keep TT for the Defense. I would swap him (and whatever else) for Boozer though.
grif on:
I agree with ya...Tyrus has more upside, which was finally showing up somewhat on the floor...last year TT did show what he can do if dedicated and combined with his freakish athletisim...he is a great roamer defender to roam the paint...in case one forgot...we could have used him for the games against the Lakers and portland...not saying we would win those games, but we would have allowed less points and better defense overall. Get him s mentor/coach and give him some minutes without him fearing or looking over his shoulders everytime he may make a mistake (part of growing process)....seems like the bulls would like to down grade his value by the way they utilize him...he is much better now than Taj Gibson will ever be.....think about at....at 23-24 he will improve on defense and is showing he can hit the mid jumper when facing up...blocking shots, defending the paint, running the paint, put backs, dunks, and mid range jumpers from him now are well beyond Taj Gibson today....in the end, I am not saying that he is our franchise player or anything, but given his skills, some additional development, he fits well with Rose and the defensive identity we are seaching....please keep TT, no Al Harrington....we need talent not just players who are "nice"...
two words: Joe Johnson
he is the one who we will sign this off-season. for those of you wishing for lebron, please, dont kid yourself.
this move is a SALARY DUMP. for those of you 'analyzing' this trade need to realize this. harrington would at least back up the two, which pargo is doing a horrific job. he is NOT a shooter. tyrus thomas is not as good as taj gibson so what's the point of keeping him? this would be a great move IMO
It was a horrible draft day trade to get him in the first place.....he seems a little slow in the head....too much standing around wondering what to do or just standing around with no thoughts at all.......Wouldn't LaMarcus Aldridge look great in Chicago????? But no we traded Ty.....yet anothe horrible move from the Paxson's time as GM.
Thomas should be overjoyed if he is traded. He has talent and skills an will do well in a different system. But this is so typical of the bulls, trade for players past their prime or with limited skills, like they did with ben wallace( but at least he was a aggressive player unlike the layback boys on the bulls now) Or even worst choose a unaggressive guard over beasly who is developing into a go to guy. For all you "true bulls fans", keep drinking that cheap beer, you are going to need something to get you through while watching the overrated rose, erractic shooting salmons and "mr soft" deng lead this team to the bottom of the conference.
Tyrus is how old? 23-24?
He has all of the ability in the world! Just get this guy a real mentor. Teach him how and when to put the ball on the floor. Motivate the kid! He's never had a guy to show him the ropes. Look at what KG did for Glen Davis.
I'm not going to ack like Tyrus is not underachiving, but you can't let all that potential just walk away. Gut some big man coaches to teach this guy. Hell, hire Pippen as his mentor! Look at what LA did with Bynum.
I agree, I TT goes, so should Paxton and crew. They are the worst in the NBA at trading for talent. I thought the fat man was bad, but Pax is a close second.
R you serious, Al Harrington!!, Paxson and his inept scouting staff are really getting on my nerves, 1st you draft Allridge, then trade him for Thomas. Forget the fact that we needed a big man in the 6'11 range, who coincidently has become a Beast with Portland, we get Thomas who 1st looked lost, then barely got more than 5 minutes on the court, then when he got on the court, showed flashes, but no consistency, now his arm is broke. Now you want trade for a guy who thinks he's a 2 and lives on the perimeter jaking 3's all over. Sigh!, how much more torture can we (Bulls Fans) be put through?
Trade the malcontent. Only things he can do is dunk and block a shot here or there. Really weary watching these "great athletes" who have low basket ball IQ. All the talent in the world doesn't make up for stupid decision making on the court......
flo
Thomas is a athletic beast and even he can't seem to control himself.
I would love to know what Paxson saw in Thomas that made him trade the big man we'd been needing and still need.
If Thomas goes Pax should go with him. All he's done is screw up trade after trade.
This ain't '93 Pax that love is gone, you and Gar need to get to work and trading with NY ain't the way, idiots.
Paxson is the worst GM in the league. Why would you make this trade? If it was for Kirk maybe if you wanted to dump his contract cause he is a really expensive backup. But dumping a young guy with a high ceiling cause you MAY have to pay him???
You make this trade you better come away with something big at the end of the season.
Harrington sucks and is getting old. He is only a good fit on teams that love to jack 3's and not play D. If you want a questionable PF get Boozer.
Tyrus started to come on last season now isn't the best time to give him away. Although giving away young talent is what Paxson has done best over the years so my bet is this gets done.
One of the worst draft day trades ever was made by the Bulls when we acquired Thomas. Most were talking about his up side which I did not see in his LSU days. He is a roll player that was picked high in the first round. Another F for the Bulls scouts.
I don't think this is an easy trade to make as it seems some comments imply. While I think Tyrus is easily the biggest distraction on this team since they dealt Larry Hughes, he is a defensive presence, above average rebounder and can thrive when this team plays a full court game. On the other hand, I can never see him as a starter on a legit playoff contender. He's simply a second rotation guy with spot minutes who can come into the game to block some shots, grab some boards and catch a few alley-oops.
Harrington was a worthwhile trade 4-5 years ago when they coveted him. I don't believe at this stage he offers that much over Thomas. Besides, I think he fell in love with the 3-ball those few years in Golden State and I cringe thinking about him and Salmons planting themselves behind the arc jacking 3's most of the game.
bulls mgmt,like bears mgmnt.SUCK!!!no development!
This would be a great trade. The Tyrus project is over and it would be too expensive to extend that project, time to move on. Bulls would get a rental for the rest of the year to still at least try and compete this season while still keeping themselves in the hunt for a big FA after the season. It is still important to be a competitive and winning team for players to have interest in signing with the Bulls. The top FA's want the money AND want to win. Need to get into the playoffs again this season and the only way for this team is to add another scorer.
Only casual Bulls fans like Tyrus Thomas. Dude dunks and blocks shots. Only skills you need in the NBA.
Real Bulls fans realize Tyrus is an average basketball player with a very limited basketball IQ. He probably won't be back next season anyways so why not trade him and get something for him instead of letting him walk like Ben Gordon.
the bulls arent going to get anything great for tyrus. let's get that straight. this is just yet another salary dump for next year, and harrington should bring some excitement and some 3pt range.
definitely not a horrible trade... but again, this is all dependent on what the bulls do with all this cap space over the summer. if they dont get lebron or wade or bosh... are they going to overpay for some lesser tier FA?
Very bad move. I would keep Thomas and find a better player to trde with. Why are we always trying get NY Knick's garbage? They have nobody on their roster worth trading for. KEEP TYRUS THOMAS!!!