Bulls swap Nocioni, Gooden, for Brad Miller and John Salmons of Sacramento

[sesh]

Originally Posted by ESPN

The Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings have reached tentative agreement on a trade sending Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Michael Ruffin and Cedric Simmons to the Kings for Brad Miller and John Salmons, front-office sources said on Wednesday.

The Kings would then turn around and ship Ruffin to the Portland Trail Blazers for forward Ike Diogu and cash considerations, sources told ESPN's Chris Broussard.

One source told ESPN.com that the Bulls players were pulled off the team bus Wednesday afternoon and were told they had been traded.

Talks between Sacramento and Chicago moved to an advanced stage this week, as ESPN.com reported earlier Wednesday, after the Kings were unsuccessful packaging Miller and Salmons in a deal with New York.

The Chicago-Sacramento trade is likely to be finalized later Wednesday, but one source close to the process cautioned that the deal could still be expanded to include additional players.

Another source indicated that the Kings had hoped to convince Chicago to accept center Mikki Moore instead of Salmons so Sacramento could trade Salmons in a separate move. The Bulls, though, want Salmons and the Kings did not oppose it because of long-term financial savings they're gaining from the trade.

Miller is averaging 11.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game for the 11-43 Kings. One of the better passing big men in the league, Miller has made two All-Star teams and actually played for the Bulls from 2000-02.

This will be the third team for Salmons in his seven-year career. He is averaging a career high 18.3 points per game, well above his career mark of 8.3.

The gritty Nocioni has played his entire five-year career with the Bulls, averaging 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds over that time bouncing between the starting five and the bench. He signed a five-year extension in 2007.

Gooden was traded to the Bulls last season in the deal that sent Ben Wallace to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was averaging 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in an injury-plagued year. The number that likely interested the Kings the most, however, is the $7.2 million that will come off their books this summer since he has an expiring contract. Simmons also has an expiring contract, so the Kings basically traded the salaries of Miller and Salmons for Nocioni's.

The Sacramento Bee reported on its Web site Wednesday that the Kings also offered Miller and Salmons to New Jersey in a deal that would net Ryan Anderson, Stromile Swift, Trenton Hassell and Eduardo Najera.

Chicago's ability to land Salmons would deeply disappoint two Southwest Division rivals -- Dallas and San Antonio -- which have been chasing the 29-year-old. Portland and Oklahoma City have also been frequently linked with Salmons.

With an offer of Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka, San Antonio viewed Salmons as a far more affordable trade target for its perimeter rotation than Vince Carter. New Jersey's Carter has tempted the small-market Spurs for days but can be absorbed by them only in a hugely expensive and complicated deal.

The Mavericks have been offering Jerry Stackhouse's virtual expiring contract ($7 million this season, only $2 million guaranteed next season) to the Kings since this past summer, when Sacramento was shopping Ron Artest. The biggest obstacle for Dallas on a Salmons deal had been the Kings' insistence that the Mavericks -- lacking draft picks to sweeten the deal -- also take back guard Beno Udrih, who has four years and nearly $27 million remaining on his contract after this season.

There has been another complication for interested parties: Sources revealed Tuesday that Salmons has a 15 percent trade kicker in his contract that requires the team that acquires him to pay him a bonus of nearly $2 million and add that figure to its payroll. Salmons otherwise would rank as one of the league's better bargains, earning just $5.1 million this season while averaging 18.3 points and shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 41.8 percent on 3-pointers.

FYI, Just pulled the trigger on Milwaukee +2.5 -109 at Pinny

[rda21]

There must be another trade in the works. The last thing the Bulls need is to trade front line players for more guards. They have more guards now than Carter has little liver pills. They pay Larry Hughes to stay home.....

[westcoastO]

I'm probably in the minority but I could see a future with Salmons. A shooting guard who isn't under 6'5" for once and averaging over 18 points a game.

Miller obviously peaked but anything is better than Noah and Gray at this point.

Really does nothing for the Bulls long-term but probably pushes them in the playoffs as a #8/#7 (assuming there isn't another deal in the next 18 hours which there could still be) since Redd is done for the year and so is Brand.

I wonder if Gordon will start coming off the bench again in favor in Salmons.

[justdonating]

Originally Posted by westcoastO

I'm probably in the minority but I could see a future with Salmons. A shooting guard who isn't under 6'5" for once and averaging over 18 points a game.

Miller obviously peaked but anything is better than Noah and Gray at this point.

Really does nothing for the Bulls long-term but probably pushes them in the playoffs as a #8/#7 (assuming there isn't another deal in the next 18 hours which there could still be) since Redd is done for the year and so is Brand.

I wonder if Gordon will start coming off the bench again in favor in Salmons.

I like Salmons. By NBA standards he is a bargain. I just hope he isn't 18pts a game b/c he played for a bad team. Good move by the Bulls.

[goldengreek]

Bulls just clearing uo cap space for 2010

[westcoastO]

Originally Posted by justdonating

I like Salmons. By NBA standards he is a bargain. I just hope he isn't 18pts a game b/c he played for a bad team. Good move by the Bulls.

lol luckily for him he comes to a team with a great natural point guard and a 6'2" leading scorer. i'd be happy if he could manage between 15-20 nightly.