Heat stun Magic in OT, 93-90

There are times when you have to be there and see it to believe it.....well maybe see 4/5's of it.  On a night that saw the Miami Heat play what was essentially a home game in the city of Orlando, a small group of fans grew from elation to disappointment as the young Magic blew a late 6 point lead to fall to the Heat 93-90.  The Heat, showing a fire rarely seen, surged to a 10-2 run in the final  42 seconds.  Despite the Magic being represented by blues and blacks, the Amway Center was cloaked in red, Heat Nation was alive and everywhere and multiple times throughout the game Heat Nation made themselves known by chanting loudly LETS GO HEAT all the while drowning out the few true fans of the Magic.  It was truly a home game for the Heat but that didn't stop the Magic from leading the majority of the game.

There's many stories to be told on this night but the most chilling for the Magic would be their performance from the charity stripe.  The team shot 18-31 and in a close game as this was, free throws missed will always come back to haunt you.  Magic C Nikola Vucevic had another strong effort against the Heat dropping 26 points and hauling in 8 rebounds.  Victor Oladipo had a very ordinary night, scoring only 13 points, but he did manage to haul in a career high 13 rebounds.  

Luol Deng paced the Heat with another steady performance due to contributing 21 points in the winning effort.  Consider Deng a bit of a good luck charm due to Miami being undefeated (9-0) when Deng scores over 20 points.  

After having a slow start, Heat G Dwyane Wade came alive in the 4th quarter and overtime scoring 12 points after only having 6 up until that point.  When it's money time, one can count on Wade to show up as he has time after time.  

The heroics of Henry Walker can't be missed.  After missing great looks throughout the game Walker (3-13) converted 2 huge treys late in the 4th to help send the Heat to overtime.  As any great shooter knows, if the shots aren't falling just keep shooting, the law of averages will always win.  

It was a terrible loss for the young Magic who are still going through growing pains, as for the Heat it was a win that could further propel the franchise higher in the standings.  They've quietly won the last 4 of 6 games.  

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra summed up the Heat's victory with one glaring statement:

"We made winning plays," Spoelstra said.

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Washington Wizards 2013-14 Team Review

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

www.sportslogos.net

The 2013-2014 season was a very successful one for the Washington Wizards, as they found a successful balance and youth and experience. The perfect pairing resulted in a 44-38 season, the most wins by the Wizards since they won 43 games in the 2007-2008 season, coincidentally also the last time they made the postseason prior to this one. The 44 wins are tied for the second most since they were re-named the Wizards prior to the 1997-1998 season. Head coach Randy Wittman received a contract extension because of how well he and the Wizards performed this past season as well.

The road to success was built before any games were even played, as the Wizards traded for Center Marcin Gortat from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the injured Emeka Okafor and a first-round draft pick. Gortat was durable and productive for the Wizards alongside Nene’ giving the Wizards one of the most formidable big-men combination in the NBA. Another savvy addition in the summer was the signing of Al Harrington. The mercurial forward added a scoring punch and veteran leadership when the Wizards were into the postseason.

They continued to make strong moves during the season, finding a gem in Drew Gooden on the free agent wire. Gooden did not have a big role with the team, but he performed when called upon, and like Harrington, gave veteran leadership the Wizards lacked. They added more leadership, and filled a massive hole at backup point guard, when they traded for Andre Miller. In a three-team trade six days before signing Gooden, the Wizards landed Miller for spare parts. It was a great trade, as the Wizards got on a roll they were able to ride the remainder of the season.

The Wizards had a strong finish to their season, going 19-10 after a loss right after the All-Star break. The strong finish to the season enabled the Wizards to move up in the Eastern Conference standings, finishing fifth as they won the tiebreaker with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Wizards manhandled the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, as Gortat and Nene took advantage of a Bulls team that focused on the dynamic duo in the Wizards backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. The two big men combined to score 28.8 points and 16.1 rebounds per game.

They built up momentum heading into the second round, but were defeated by the Indiana Pacers as the playoff-hardened Pacers were able to slow down the Wizards. Even with the loss in the second round this was a great season for the Wizards. They took a major step forward, as their veteran additions worked out well and the backcourt combination of Wall and Beal continued to blossom.

Standout Star: John Wall

Win McNamee/Getty Images

The No. 1 overall pick from the 2010 NBA Draft was beginning to hear whispers that the Wizards used yet another top pick on a player that wasn’t going to pan out. Durability concerns and losing seasons were starting to mount against Wall, as plenty of people were ready to give up on him. The 2013-2014 season was the first time Wall had any real talent around him, and he like the Wizards as a whole, really benefited from it.

Wall took the next step in his career development, putting up career-high numbers across the board. The lightning quick point guard can get into the paint with ease, but struggled at times as defenders just sagged off of him and dared him to take jump shots. It was an effective strategy in past seasons, as Wall is one of the best finishers at the rim for a guard. His combination of strength, speed and athleticism is rivaled by very few players in the NBA.

But unlike past seasons, Wall was a threat from away from the basket this season as well. He shot by far his highest percentage from the three point line, knocking down 35.1 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. He actually made more three pointers this season, 108, than the rest of his career combined, as he made only 49 his first three seasons in the NBA.

The jump in three point percentage helped raise Wall’s scoring to a career-high 19.3 points per game, to go with a career-high 8.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 80.5 percent from the foul line.

Wall is finally starting to come into his own, and will only continue to improve. If he can keep trending upwards from the perimeter, he will be virtually unstoppable. Teams can get away at times letting him take jump shots now, but that looks like something is going to change very soon. As Wall goes, the Wizards go. He is the conductor of this locomotive that is beginning to pick up steam.

Off-Season Needs:

AP Photo

The Wizards main focus during the offseason should be bringing back their own free agents, namely Gortat and Trevor Ariza. It would be a big blow to the team if either player left as a free agent, but Gortat would be the bigger loss.

It is tough to find productive centers, and Gortat is one. He is going to be 30 years old when the season starts, but he does not have the wear and tear of a 30-year old in the NBA, as he was a backup for most of his first five seasons in the NBA, only becoming a starter for the 2011-2012 season with the Suns. He will have plenty of suitors, but a return to the Wizards is likely.

Ariza is not a player they should just let walk, but he will have plenty of suitors as well. He is a great two-play player, as he has finally developed an offensive game that almost rivals his high level of defense. Ariza came into the NBA with the reputation of a defensive stopper, and that has not changed; now he also is a threat offensively.

Like Wall, Ariza had career-highs across the board offensively, posting his best shooting season overall and from the three-point line, resulting in a career best 14.4 points per game. Not otherworldly, but a solid contribution for an offense that has plenty of other options ahead of him.

They also have decisions to make regarding Gooden, Harrington and a couple of players eligible for qualifying offers in Trevor Booker and Kevin Seraphin. Gooden and Harrington can most likely be brought back on minimum deals, while Booker and Seraphin may be allowed to enter free agency as unrestricted free agents.

Most of their cap space will most likely go into retaining their own players, as they look like they will try and go at it with the same core next season. As for luring other players over, they should look at getting some help on the bench. If they retain their players, their starting five will be set with Wall, Beal, Ariza, Nene and Gortat. Filling out the bench with some more explosive players to go with the veterans they already have could help them reach that next level.

The teams that can throw a wrench in these negotiations are the Suns, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers to name a few. They all have either cap space or pedigree to offer if any of the Wizards players are looking to shake it up. Ariza is the more likely of the two to leave, and if he does it would do the Wizards well trying to bring in a veteran such as Luol Deng to replace him.

2014-2015 Season Outlook:

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The future is bright for the Wizards, as they have arguably the best young backcourt in the NBA. There are not many teams that can go toe-to-toe with the combination of Wall and Beal in terms of youth and talent. They will be the best backcourt in the NBA before Beal’s rookie contract expires.

The veterans they had put up career stats in some instances, so it is unsure if they will be able to repeat those performances, but as Wall and Beal continue to grow, they will be able to carry this team more and more.

They also have Otto Porter Jr. waiting in the wings, as the third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft failed to crack the Wizards rotation last season. He originally was thought to be filling a big hole on the Wizards roster, one that Ariza seemed to take offense to as he put up career numbers. Having Porter gain his footing in the NBA would help the Wizards immensely as they do not have much in the former of wings behind their starters.

The Wizards did not have a pick in the draft this season, as it was sent to the Suns for Gortat. While this was a loaded draft, the Wizards have to be happy with their decision to obtain Gortat. He was a big piece of their success this season, and will continue to be if they can lock him up.

The Wizards had an outstanding 2013-2014 and are trending in the right direction. As long as they can bring back Gortat and Ariza, this team should be just as good as last season. What pieces they can bring in to compliment the pieces they already have will be the deciding factor in if they can take yet another step. At the end of the day though, as long as Wall and Beal are in the fold, the outlook for this team will be bright.

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W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers April 16th, 2014

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 16, 2014

W2W4: Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Pre-Game News and Notes

ourbksocial.com

The Brooklyn Nets coming off a loss to the New York Knicks at home will be heading to Cleveland for the final game of the regular season against the Cavaliers. The Nets are now (44-37) on the season and will be either the fifth or sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, which will send them to either Chicago or Toronto.

- Limping In

Brooklyn has been playing great in the calender year of 2014, but heading into the playoffs the Nets don’t seem to be firing on all cylinders in the final games leading into the playoffs. In April the Nets have had four very bad losses, which could have been the difference between them starting a playoff series at home or on the road, as wins may have put pressure on the Raptors or Bulls. They lost four games to teams under .500 including the Knicks twice, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Orlando Magic. Three of those losses have come in the Nets last four games, as Rookie Head Coach Jason Kidd is trying to manage a veteran team for the first time heading into the playoffs.

- Scenarios

Wednesday is the final day of the regular season, and for the Nets it will let them know where they will be traveling to and what seed they will have. A Nets win against the Cavaliers or a Washington Wizards loss to the Boston Celtics will give the Nets the fifth seed, but a Nets loss and Wizards win will put the Nets in the sixth spot, as the Wizards own the tie-breaker. The battle for the third and fourth seed between the Raptors and Bulls can be decided rather easily if the Raptors beat the Knicks they will be the third seed, but a Raptors loss and Bulls win against the Charlotte Bobcats will give the Bulls the third seed. The Nets this season are 1-2 against the Bulls and 2-2 against the Raptors, and it seems like a popular consensus that the Nets much rather play the inexperienced Raptors in the first round than the Bulls, who knocked them out of the playoffs last season, and pose many more problems with their big lineup.

- Bothering the Waiter

If Brooklyn would like to go into the playoffs on a positive note, they would be smart to try and slow down Dion Waiters, who since moving into the starting lineup has been playing very well for the Cavaliers, and has also played very well against the Nets this season. Since moving into the starting lineup, Waiters has averaged 21.4 points per game in his last 14, and playing against the Nets this season he is averaging 19 points per game. Luol Deng will not be playing against the Nets with a sore back, so there should be some extra shots for Waiters to grab on Wednesday.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers; March 23rd, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 23^rd, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks will look to continue their winning streak Sunday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are coming off of a semi-disaster from Friday night, as the bench squandered a 15-point lead in less than four minutes. The Knicks have to come in and handle business tonight against a Cavaliers team that has faded from the playoff race, losing their last four games. Here are some things to keep an eye on for tonight.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Player News and Notes:

The Knicks have no new injury or player news. Andrea Bargnani and Kenyon Martin still seem to be nowhere near returning to the court and are looking less and less likely to make a return to the court with every passing game.

The Cavaliers currently are being hammered by injuries. C.J. Miles was unable to get on the court last night and is a game-time decision at best for tonight. Luol Deng has missed the previous three games and looks to be doubtful at best for the game tonight as well. Kyrie Irving is also out once again, as his biceps injury could possibly keep him out the remainder of the season. There is really no reason for the Cavaliers to rush any of these players back as their playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread, so they have very little to play for.

Match-up of the Game: Tyson Chandler vs. Spencer Hawes

Suffering through so many injuries the Cavaliers are pretty thin everywhere, but one player who can still hurt the Knicks is Hawes. The Cavaliers picked Hawes up at the trade deadline from the Philadelphia 76ers and he has brought an added dimension to the Cavalier team as a big man who can step out and knock down some three pointers. Hawes gave the Knicks some problems the last time these two teams met, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Chandler will have his hands full but should be able contain Hawes. Chandler is playing some really good basketball right now, and should continue to do so tonight.

-Backcourt Battle

Both the Knicks and Cavaliers have moved their prolific sixth men into their respective starting lineups and should make for a good match-up. J.R. Smith against Dion Waiters will be fun to watch throughout the game and easily could have been the match-up of the game.

Both Smith and Waiters are explosive scorers that can take over a game offensively. They both are capable playmakers as well when they want to be. This match-up will be an x-factor in the game tonight as whichever wing gets the better of the other will give their team a nice edge.

-Take Control Early

The Knicks need to continue winning as they currently sit three games behind the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 13 games remaining. Playing on the road, they need to take a stranglehold right from the start and control the game the rest of the way. Getting Carmelo Anthony going early and often will help the Knicks build an early lead to build off of. If the Cavaliers are able to hang around in the game, their confidence will grow and make things much more difficult on the Knicks than they have to be.

-Mike Woodson Coaching Decisions

Woodson had a huge gaffe in the game Saturday night, inserting the bench players into the game before the win was sealed. A loss in that fashion would have been extremely embarrassing and a final blow to the Knicks playoff hopes. Woodson needs to put the team in better positions to succeed and be willing to make changes when necessary. There was no reason those reserves should have been in the game so early, or in the game that long as the lead disappeared. Woodson is lucky he is even the coach of the Knicks anymore and another gaffe like the one Saturday may be the final blow to the Knicks playoff hopes and his standing as the head coach.

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Joakim Noah: The Real NBA MVP

Written By Clevis Murray 

"M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P" the United Center chanted as wild haired and high energy center Joakim Noah made his way to the free throw line against the 2x defending NBA champions, the Miami Heat. The uncensored Bulls center deserved those chants from 22,000 strong as he led his team to a 95-88 win against the Heat with a unexpected stat line from a center which was 20 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks. Nights like that are now becoming common with Noah as he has played like a MVP in the absence of Derrick Rose (Meniscus) and long time teammate Luol Deng being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With those two being gone from Chicago, Noah's game has risen to the point where he is having the best and most surprising season of his career.  In an interesting twist of fate, Joakim doesn't like the MVP chants as he recently stated the following:

“I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t like it. Because our MVP is not playing. We have one MVP, and that’s Derrick Rose. And it’s not about MVPs, it’s about rings, and one day I hope that we can get one here."

When Derrick Rose came back this season most basketball pundits thought the Bulls had legitimate shot to dethrone the Miami Heat as NBA champions but in his return he was struggling which was expected coming back from ACL surgery but the unexpected happened very early in the season. On November 22, 2013 the franchise player nicknamed D-Rose and called Pooh by a few suffered a Torn Meniscus against the Portland Trail Blazers 10 games into the season and was out for the season yet again. 

With Rose out for the season as he would go on to undergo his second major knee surgery in three years all the expectations for the Chicago  Bulls were lowered right away as it would become another wasted season and similar to the 2012-2013 season when they played without their star guard and former MVP. Rose's load was then passed onto All-Star swing man Luol Deng but that didn't last long as he would be traded to the Cavaliers.

With Rose out for the year and Deng in Cleveland some fans believed the Bulls were going to tank as no one was left to carry the load and out from seemingly nowhere came Joakim Noah as he also commented on the possibility of fans wanting the Bulls to lose 

"I don't say nothing to those fans. It's all good. You're allowed to have your opinion. It's just ... that's not a real fan to me. You know what I'm saying? You want your team to lose? What is that? But it's all good."

The MVP is a acronym for the Most Valuable Player to their team and is usually given to the player that leads their team to a very successful season. Kevin Durant most likely will win the illustrious award this season for the first time in his career, but if were looking at the true meaning of the award then it would go to Joakim Noah as he has become a Bull with horns and is going through anybody in his way to prove doubters that the Bulls can still contend and also the seven year veteran is proving people wrong that called him a bust a few years back.  The All-Star center is averaging 5 assists per game this season and 6.5 since the start of 2014 and is clearly picking up the Point Guard responsibilities that Derrick Rose left early in the year.

If you have have followed Noah you'd know that he doesn't care much about his personal accomplishments but only his team winning. This season he is averaging 12.4 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as all are career-highs for him. He has had three triple-doubles this season which is tied for second next to Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. His 34 double-doubles this season have tied him with Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul. Noah is in the conversation of some of the best players in the league and has edged himself as a superstar and one could make the argument that he is the best center in the league. He doesn't care about his stats and the only reason why he puts up gaudy stats is because he is doing everything possible to lead his team to win and it doesn't matter if he's playing the Milwaukee Bucks or Miami Heat he will give you 100% each and every night regardless of his opponent because he isn't like some players that play down to their competition. 

A analytically in depth look at Jokaim Noah's contributions is tremendous as he is first among big man in assists per 48 minutes (AP48M) with a average of 6.9 which is more than most players in the league and is tied with Kevin Durant for the same average. Noah is averaging a 20.28 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) this season which is 8th among centers. Earlier Noah was mentioned as a great passer and he truly is as he is first among big men in assist ratio (AST) with a 26.6 average. Also for a guy that isn't much of a scorer he has had a pretty high usage rate (USG) as it is 18.5 which is good enough for 23rd among centers,me also has a rebound rate of 18.5 (REBR) which is 12th among centers.

      
Watching Noah on the court the first thing you notice is his great attitude and all out hustle which has made him a fan favorite in the Windy City. With that tremendous effort he uses it the most on the defensive end on the court and with that effort comes great reward as his team gives up 97.8 points per 100 possessions (DEF EFF) which is only second to the Indiana Pacers and third among teams in the league in rebounding rate at 52.1 only behind the Thunder and Pacers. Noah has become widely known around the league for his defense and Houston Rockets Head Coach Kevin McHale has noticed him saying

"He should be defensive player of the year. He’s done a great job with these guys. They’ve been winning a lot just on his energy and effort, his kind of determination and toughness. Those are all qualities everybody appreciates"

McHale currently coaches 3x Defensive Player of the Year recipient Dwight Howard. Teammate Jimmy Butler also credits Noah as he doesn't know where the team would be without him 

"He's a hell of a player at both ends of the floor, I don't know what we would do without him. He's a great leader. He puts the team on his back every night." 

San Antonio Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich compared future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan to Noah recently saying

"He is a highly emotional guy, but he brings it every night. It’s something that infuses the whole team. He sets a standard on the court for the team. Each of us is different, our personalities. He’s like the opposite of Timmy [Duncan] in that respect. Tim is the most introspective and non-emotional guy on the court, but the fire’s burning, just in a different way. … As long as it’s directed for the good of the team, which it obviously is 100 percent, I think it’s great."

Every coach in the NBA loves a high energy players because they know that's he's going to bring it every night and not complain like other players and also soothing that he isn't necessarily playing for the money, as Denver Nuggets Head a Coach Brian Shaw is going through with his disappointing team in the Mile High as he ripped his team apart after a 119-87 loss to the Noah led Bulls. Shaw would have one of the best rants of the season as he said 

"I told our team I wish paychecks were predicated on night-to-night performance. So if you play like a star on a given night then you get paid like a star. If you play like an uninspired player, then either you don’t get paid or you get paid like an uninspired player. And you can’t just pick and choose when you want. Last night we played Milwaukee, who is obviously down players, they have injuries, they’ve been struggling all season long and we act like the big bad wolf against Milwaukee. And then we come in tonight … and we tuck our tails and we hide basically."

When going against a player like Noah you want your team to match or have a higher energy level then him but 29 teams have tried and 29 teams have failed. Finding a big man that can score, rebound and most of all distribute is tremendous.

A few years ago Noah said that he dislikes Kevin Garnett but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he secretly admires him as both are known as the most intense players in the league and a reason why he probably didn't sincerely admit that he likes Garnett is probably because a intense player like himself shouldn't let his opponent publicly know that he has great admiration for him.

New York Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony has high praise for Noah calling him the "Quarterback" of the Bulls and said "He's proven himself for what he can do. Hell of a defender, great passer, great leader out there, vocal leader. I think he's the spirit of that team."

Joakim Noah is averaging the most assists by a Center since Brad Miller (4.7) during the 2005-2006 season, but the last center to average 5+ assists in a season was Vlade Divac (5.3) during the 2003-2004 season. 

As the season is coming to a close it'll be interesting to see as to how many MVP votes Noah will receive for what he has done this season through all the adversity his team has been through.

In the month of March he is currently averaging 14.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 2.1 blocks & 1.3 steals as he is trying to get his team up to at least the 3rd seed as the Raptors currently occupy that spot.

Even though Noah won't the actual MVP award it is always good to acknowledge a player of his caliber that has stepped up the plate when his team and city needed him the most. He may never win a individual award, or any other accolades but nobody could've predicted that a 6'11" center with straight hair would have his name mentioned in the same sentence with MVP but Joakim Noah has and with everything mentioned in the article, that is why Joakim Noah is the real NBA MVP

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Bulls Ship Luol Deng to Cavaliers for Andrew Bynum

Early Tuesday morning, in somewhat of a surprise move, the Chicago Bulls shipped  All-Star forward Luol Deng to the Cleveland Cavaliers for suspended Center Andrew Bynum and three draft picks. The picks that will be sent the Bulls way are a top-10 protected first round pick via the Sacramento Kings that the Bulls have the right to swap with in 2015 if they choose so and two second round picks via the Portland Trail Blazers. After engaging the Los Angeles Lakers in trade talks revolving around a Pau Gasol for Bynum swapfor the better part of the last week the Cavaliers moved in a different direction swiftly knowing they had to move Bynum now (more on that to follow).

Bart Young & Mike Lawrie/Getty Images Sport

On the exterior this looks like an asinine trade for the Bulls to make; they are trading quite possibly their most consistent and best player and one their coach adores in Deng for an injury riddled big man who was suspended from his team for conduct detrimental towards them. Based off that you would say this is a steal for the Cavaliers. 

They are getting a player who has made the All-Star team two consecutive seasons and gives the team a legitimate scoring option next to budding star Kyrie Irving that also happens to be an oustanding defender as well. Deng has missed time recently because of a sore Achilles but has played well in the 23 games he has appeared in, averaging 19 points and 6.9 rebounds in 37.4 minutes per game. With the Cavaliers seemingly in win now mode with the roster decisions they made this off season the acquisition of Deng makes perfect sense. Also, it is hard to believe also that the Cavaliers would agree to such a trade without some indication from Deng that he would be willing to re-up with them this off-season, otherwise it will be yet another decision made by Cavaliers management that will make them look like a joke of a franchise towards other teams in the NBA. He makes them a better team right now, which in a weak Eastern Conference could equal a playoff berth; exactly what the Cavaliers were aiming for coming into the season. 

But if you dig a little deeper this is a trade the Bulls come out ahead as the winners and was a steep price for the Cavaliers, who happen to be in the same division as the Bulls, to pay.

USATSI

The Bulls had originally been gun shy to move Deng, after being unable to agree to an extension in the off-season, but with how the season has progressed the package the Cavaliers offered was too much to pass up; the Bulls decided the picks and salary relief were too much to pass up and  made this trade from a money saving perspective point blank. Trading away Deng, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, for Bynum saves the Bulls $15 million alone this season in salary and luxury taxes. That is because if Bynum is cut by 5 P.M. ET Tuesday, which is expected to happen, the remainder of his $12.3 million this season is wiped off the books and the Bulls will owe him nothing. More importantly it gets the Bulls under the luxury tax threshold. 

This trade could also signal the departure of Carlos Boozer from the Bulls as they look to be in fire sale mode and ready to clean house to get a new start. The Bulls still have their amnesty clause in tact and Boozer has been a candidate for it since it was announced with the new collective bargaining agreement in 2011. The clause states that any player who was signed before the lockout can have their salary taken off the books of the team who designates them and be waived. Boozer is a prime candidate as the Bulls will be looking to get out of the last $16.8 million he is owed next season. Such a move would enable the Bulls to become players in what could be a loaded free agency pool with players such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Zach Randolph potentially becoming free agents if they opt out of their current contracts.

Loaded with the potential to have immense cap space and lottery picks the last piece to this puzzle would be health, namely the recovery of Derrick Rose. If Rose came back and played near the MVP level he was at before the knee injuries the Bulls would have quite a core in place already with Rose, Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler before even adding in potential lottery picks and free agents. Even though the remainder of this season looks bleak for Chicago the future is bright in the Windy City. Is one season of potentially finishing above the Bulls worth all of the flexibility and potential they have handed them for the years to come? It is hard to argue for the Cavaliers being winners at all in this trade.

For a fantasy perspective there are a lot of things to take from here. First for the team that is moving Deng in the Bulls. With Deng on the move there will be a lot of minutes that need to be filled. Deng was one of the most heavily used players the last couple of seasons in Chicago so there are plenty of opportunities about to open up for some players. One name to keep an eye on is Tony Snell. Snell figures to see the biggest minutes increase along with Mike Dunleavy Jr. Dunleavy Jr. has produced more throughout the season thus far but Snell should be worth a flier to see what he is capable of with more playing time. As for the player the Bulls picked up in Bynum he can be kept on the waiver wire until he finds a new team. Depending on what team adds him will dictate the value he has on your fantasy team.

As for the Cavaliers, Deng should not see much change in his production scoring wise. He should be the second option at worst no matter the lineup the Cavaliers put on the court. He could even see a little spike in scoring with a point guard like Irving running the show. He may see a slight drop in rebounding numbers with Anderson Varejao expected to get more minutes with Bynum no longer in the picture. With better scorers around him he could see an increase in his assist totals to offset the drop in rebounding. CJ Miles, Earl Clark and possibly Dion Waiters could see a drop in their production. Miles put on an impressive performance Wednesday with a franchise record 10 three-pointers made but the Cavaliers did not trade for Deng to have him sit behind Miles. Those three players' minutes will be drastically changed with the addition of Deng; when he plays he gets heavy minutes and someone will be losing theirs.

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