Bulls Look to Keep Deng, Gordon

The Chicago Bulls seem likely to retain the services of guard Ben Gordon and forward Luol Deng after neither received an offer sheet from another team on the first day of free agency.  The players will likely command two of the bigger contracts in free agent market and the few teams that could afford an offer are not likely to make one.  The 76ers are focused on Josh Smith and Elton Brand, while the Clippers just made a big offer to Baron David.  The Grizzlies aren’t going to spend any money and the rest of the league just can’t afford sizeable contract offers.

The Bulls are definitely trying to keep Luol Deng and probably see him as one of the centerpieces of their team, along with Derrick Rose, for years to come.  Gordon is much more expendable.  While many are predicting that the acquisition of Derrick Rose will force Kirk Hinrich out of town, there is a possibility that the Bulls could let Gordon move on.  But GM John Paxson has declared that signing the two four-year veterans is the team’s number one priority.  Paxson also mentioned that, after securing the two players to deals, the Bulls could be in search of a moderately-priced big man who could provide some scoring in the low post.

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Bulls Surrounding Del Negro With Experience

The Bulls have begun to round out their coaching staff, hiring Bernie Bickerstaff and Bob Ociepka as assistants to head coach Vinnie Del Negro.  Del Harris, Bob Hill and Paul Westphal are names that are circulating as candidates for the staff as well.  The Bulls are playing it smart here by hiring experienced guys to help Vinnie Del Negro in his first season as a coach on the pro level.  Bickerstaff has been a head coach four times and Ociepka bring 18 years of assistant coaching experience to the table.

Guys who have been there before and know the ropes should greatly aid Del Negro in his transition to the sidelines, but Del Negro also has to establish himself as someone the players respect.  He’s got to come in on day one and preach accountability and hard work to a team that basically quit on Scott Skiles last season.  He’s got one of the brightest young stars in the league in Derrick Rose and, if they re-sign Luol Deng, should have two really nice pieces to build around.  They’ve got the talent to be a playoff team this year in the East, but, as last year showed, talent needs leadership.

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