Tanking isn’t in Derrick Rose’s vocabulary. Hell, rebuilding isn’t either.
But it may have to be.
According to the New York Daily News‘ Mitch Lawrence, Rose wants no part of a rebuild in Chicago:
Rose has told several confidantes that he is worried that the Bulls will start to let the team hit the skids by allowing key players to leave via free agency, forcing him to go through a rebuilding program that he wants no part of.
“Derrick is worried that the Bulls are going to lose what they have,” said a league source. “He doesn’t want to go through rebuilding.”
His concern is legitimate. The Bulls haven’t exactly done a good job retaining solid complementary talent. Where’s Nate Robinson? Or Kyle Korver? With Luol Deng set to hit free agency, there’s a very real possibility he could leave, despite what we hear. Deng could price himself out of Chicago’s range. That could happen.
But while rebuilding is something the Bulls could do, it’s not something Rose should fear. Sure it would be difficult. It will probably even suck. Competitors like Rose exist to win. Rebuilding teams don’t win—unless the process is expedited.
Enter, the potential tank job.
Rose has put the Bulls in an impossible situation. And I mean impossible. He’s afraid of rebuilding while the Bulls are likely fearing they cannot construct a roster around him anymore. If you think that’s not possible, think again. Rose will have appeared in just 50 games in three seasons if he sits out the rest of the year. How can the Bulls, in good conscience, assemble their roster around a No. 1 option who cannot stay healthy? They can’t.
Chicago is better off reeling in a 1A and allowing Rose to be a 1B. You don’t have to put that way if it pains you hear. But that’s what the Bulls need to do.
Problem is, they’re capped out eight different ways to hell. They have nearly $65 million in guaranteed contracts on next season’s ledger, and that’s before they attempt to re-sign Deng. Handcuffed financially, they won’t land another star. They don’t have the money to make an offer—unless they get the money.
Allowing Deng to walk isn’t just a possibility, it’s likely. Understand that. Deng himself has battled injuries and the Bulls must also pay Jimmy Butler, who will be due an extension after this season. They’re not going to pay both. If they do, it’ll be a disaster.
So you let Deng walk, or preferably, trade him for an expiring contract and pick(s) this season. That’s not an unreasonable request for a two-time All-Star who can still lock it down defensively. Then, you trade Boozer for an expiring deal, assuming he can be moved. If he can’t, you amnesty him this summer. End of story. And you deal Taj Gibson. Seriously. Get picks in return for him and an expiring deal if you can.
In doing so, the Bulls put themselves under the cap, and in position to offer a sizable contract this summer to the free agents of their choosing. The Bulls, by holding an essential firesale, will have also gotten worse, which is something they should be very interested in.
There’s nothing to be gained by clinching a playoff berth in the lowly Eastern Conference. All you’re doing is prolonging the inevitable. No championships will be won in Chicago this season. This year, with Rose out, needs to be about next season. About the future. About tanking.
Making these moves is easier said than done, but they’re nowhere near unrealistic. Tanking increases the value of Chicago’s first-rounder, giving them an opportunity to land a star in this year’s draft. Clearing the books of Boozer’s and Gibson’s deals also give them spending power they don’t currently have, thereby limiting a rebuild to basically this season, before they re-tool in time for 2014-15.
Let’s not call it rebuilding, then. Or tanking. Don’t tell Rose that’s what it is. Just do it.
Sacrifice the present for sake of a better future.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
