So long Aaron Gray, we hardly knew you (Queue the Sarah McLachlan). In case you hadn’t heard or just flat-out don’t care about the Bulls, there was a major…major trade in the NBA yesterday. The Bulls sent their mop up center to the New Orleans Hornets for 6-5 swing man Devin Brown.
Now I understand that most NBA teams are either hemorrhaging money or trying to clear cap space for the upcoming free agent bonanza of 2010 but this seems like a total win for the Bulls.
First, they are able to add a quality perimeter player in Brown who is averaging 9.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.5 apg in 24.8 mpg. More importantly for the Bulls they are able to bring in a guy who can solidify their defensive rotation. I haven’t seen Brown play much during his career but from the little I’ve seen and what is written about him is that he is an above average defender. With any luck Brown will be able to come off the bench and have a Randy Brown-like presence for the 09-10 Bulls.
Just as we welcome Devin Brown to Chicago we must hold back the tears when saying goodbye to everyone’s favorite back-up center, Aaron Gray. The loss of Gray brings a few things; first it leaves a huge hole in the mop up duty category off the Bulls bench. Who is going to step up and fill the role at the end of a blow out game? This could potentially put more mileage on some of the other regulars until a new end of the bench guy is found.
Someone is going to have to step it up in mop up time
Finally, this trade for the Bulls may indeed open the door for a blockbuster trading deadline move that is being rumored to happen. According to hoopsworld.com the Bulls are said to be trying to package Kirk Hinrich or Luol Deng with Tyrus Thomas for Amar’e Stoudemire. If this is the case and the Gray trade is all leading up to this, then by all means thank you Aaron for your two years of service and we wish you best of luck.
