March 3, 2009
Bulls trade for Miller, Salmons
Gooden, Nocioni and two others go to Sacramento; proposed Hinrich deal falls through
MILWAUKEE - On the one hand, Wednesday's six-player trade sending Drew Gooden, Andres Nocioni, Cedric Simmons and Michael Ruffin to Sacramento for center Brad Miller and swingman John Salmons feels like unfinished business.
After all, the Bulls' roster stands at just 12 players and Larry Hughes basically has been de-activated and didn't attend Wednesday's game against the Bucks.
On the other, a source close to Kirk Hinrich said the Bulls rejected a salary-dump proposal from Minnesota that would have netted them the expiring contract of Jason Collins and one more season of Brian Cardinal.
And two league sources said a nearly completed deal sending Hughes to the Knicks for Malik Rose and Jerome James fell apart Wednesday.
The trade deadline comes at 2 p.m. Thursday, so prepare for more twists and turns. This is for sure: The team bus just lost a language and many decibels with the trade of the Argentine-born Nocioni and the free-spirited Gooden.
"He has been one of my favorites ever to wear a Bulls uniform," general manager John Paxson said of Nocioni in a team release. "He brought a toughness to our team. He has been a warrior and a professional since the day he arrived."
But Nocioni, who was averaging 10.4 points off the bench, became expendable because his de-escalating salary carried three years and $21 million on it after this season.
Miller, who turns 33 in April, is a two-time All-Star who is averaging 11.9 points and eight rebounds in 43 games after opening the season on the suspended list for marijuana use.
The 7-foot Miller played 105 games with the Bulls from 2000-02 before moving to Indiana in the Jalen Rose trade. His $12.25 million salary comes off the books for the coveted free-agent class of 2010.
Salmons, 29, is averaging a career-high 18.3 points on 47.2 percent shooting, including 41.8 percent from three-point land. The 6-6 Salmons is in his seventh season and will serve as insurance if the Bulls don't re-sign Ben Gordon or trade Hinrich this summer.
Salmons can opt out after making $5.45 million next season or exercise a player option to make a modest $5.8 million in 2010-11. His arrival does trigger a trade kicker of $1.9 million, according to sources. Either way, his deal ends a season before Nocioni's, and the Bulls won out a competitive battle that also featured Dallas and San Antonio to land him.
"Brad is a veteran guy who knows how to play," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He can shoot from the elbow, rebounds, has experience. John is an athletic swingman who can put it on the floor and gives us length at guard."
Players learned of the trade when Gooden, Nocioni and Simmons didn't board the team bus to ride here.
"If anything, we'll be better offensively," guard Ben Gordon said. "The way Brad moves the ball can get guys easy shots. And John is a really good scorer."
Luol Deng, an very close friend of Nocioni's, stammered through a curt interview about the deal. Hinrich, who was pulled aside recently by Paxson to be apprised of talks about him with Minnesota and Portland, endorsed the move.
"They're definitely going to help us," Hinrich said. "John is very versatile. Brad has been in the league forever. Everybody knows what he can do. He's one of the best passing bigs in the game."
And so a new era begins, albeit one that will be a lot quieter.
"I always gave my all to the Chicago Bulls," Nocioni said. "I enjoyed all my time there."
Gooden, whose $7.1 million contact expires after this season, is a veteran at this, having been traded four times now in seven seasons.
"The way I look at it is it means somebody wants you," Gooden said when reached by phone. "Sacramento has been interested in me for a couple of years, so maybe something can work out long term there. If not, I'm an unrestricted free agent this summer, so I'm auditioning for other teams.
"I enjoyed my time in Chicago. It's a good bunch of guys and great management. They treat players with respect. I just wish we had won more and I had been healthier."
kcjohnson@tribune.com
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