The Great Trade That Could Have Been

A trade that would have sent Kobe Bryant to the Chicago Bulls in a three team deal fell through earlier today. The Bulls would have only had to give up Ben Gordon, Ben Wallace, and PJ Brown. Gordon would have gone to Sacramento with PJ Brown, while Ben Wallace and Ron Artest would have gone to the Los Angeles Lakers.

That trade would have been an absolute steal for Chicago, considering many thought the Bulls would have to part ways with Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, and/or Joakim Noah. Yes, Ben Gordon has been Mr. Clutch for the Bulls in the 4th quarter, but with Kobe, Gordon's time to shine would have decreased drastically. Ben Wallace has not lived up to expectations, and PJ Brown would have just been re-signed then traded so contracts would match up.

The Bulls will be a contender to win the Eastern Conference, but adding Kobe in that deal would have made them the heavy favorites. It would have also given them a legitimate chance to win the NBA Finals. Other than a lack of an offensive inside game, the Bulls biggest flaw is they do not have a consistently big scoring threat. Kobe would have given them just that. The Bulls go cold from the field quite often, so the addition of Kobe would have fixed that problem. Talks are continuing between the Lakers and Bulls, but the question is what the Bulls will have to give up? Deng? Thomas? I almost drove into a tree when I heard that deal fell through. Would have been highway robbery!

Pat Morgan