Indiana sends Rose to Chicago in seven-player deal Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Pacers and Bulls completed a blockbuster seven-player trade on Tuesday. Indiana sent forward Jalen Rose, guards Travis Best and Norman Richardson along with a conditional second-round draft pick to Chicago for center Brad Miller, forward Ron Artest and guards Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie. Rose, 29, played in 53 games for the Pacers this season and averaged 18.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He was originally drafted out of the University of Michigan by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 1994 NBA draft and was traded by the Nuggets along with Reggie Williams and a 1996 first-round pick to the Pacers for Mark Jackson, Ricky Pierce and a 1996 first-round pick in June of 1996. The winner of the 1999-2000 NBA Most Improved Player Award, Rose was in his sixth season with Indiana. He has averaged 12.7 points per game over his career and put in a career-high 20.5 points per contest in the 2000-01 season. "It is very painful to give up players like Jalen Rose and Travis Best who have been a big part of the success we've had here," said team president Donnie Walsh. "I believe this trade will help us because it gives us strength in areas we need them and it will also be helpful to our team's future." Chicago, which owns a league-worst 12-40 record, also receives Best, who has played in 44 games this season for the Pacers. He is averaging 6.9 points and 4.0 assists. A former standout at Georgia Tech, Best is in his seventh seasonin has averaged 8.1 points over his career. He will be a free agent after the season. Richardson, a rookie out of Hofstra, has played in only three games this season for Indiana and has not scored a point. Indiana, which is 26-27 this season, acquired Miller, who is having his best year as a pro this season. The 25-year old center averaged 12.7 points and 8.4 boards in 48 contests for the Bulls this season. He is in his fourth season, having also spent time in Charlotte. Artest, who was selected out of St. John's by the Bulls in the first round (16th overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft, was averaging 15.6 points 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.78 steals in 27 games for Chicago this season. Mercer, who has also played for Boston, Orlando and Denver, put in 16.8 points per game in 40 contests this season for the Bulls. Ollie, 30, will join his seventh team in eight seasons. He averaged 5.8 points and 3.7 assists in 52 games with the Bulls this year. 02/19 12:49:35 ET
Well, Best and Richardson will be gone after this season, so it looks like the the Bulls are doing what they tried to do in 1999 and clear some cap room for a big name free agent. The only problem is that nobody wants to play for Chicago. This is definitely a "wait and see" type deal...
Best might like being the starting PG for Da Bulls. Or he could help the team in an off-season move. Members in the organization have mentioned that Jamal Crawford is more of a 2 than a 1, so maybe Jamal plays backup 1/2...or gets dealt in the off-season. If Da Bulls have another move up their sleeves, either now or in the off-season, then they might have done well here. Definitely a wait-and-see for them. The Pacers did well. They'll have ??? in the off-season (too many swingmen, although Reggie will be gone after next year).
I actually like this deal for the Bulls, even if nobody else does . No matter how hard I squint, I can't look at Ron Artest and not see a decent player who looks better on a bad team. Brad Miller is serviceable. Mercer is a mediocre player with a bad contract. Rose just seems like the best player in the bunch. Yeah, he's a bit of a head case. But so are many players who contribute nicely.
Actually, I think it's the right thing for the Bulls. It's too bad they still don't have Brand; they traded him because he was gonna leave anyway. Maybe now he wouldn't leave. Too late, though. Still, the Bulls should be able to move forward. They just need to not stand pat with this trade.
Know whats funny? In an LA paper a few weeks ago, he said he wouldn't hesitate to go back to Chicago if LA didn't resign him. Then he said Falk would kill him...which is true. Reports say Falk was working overtime to kill this trade any way he could.
i agree exactly. I think the Bulls did better than the Pacer. Jalen is a lot better than Artest or Miller...and why would they want Miller, when O'Neal is already at C? I guess you will have to start both...
I see in Artest already a player near in overall value of Rose. Sure, Rose can score better, but Artest is not offensively inept and is as good defensively as Rose is offensively. Considering Artest is what around 6 years younger, far cheaper and Rose appears on the decline from two years ago--that right there is a pretty even trade to me. Factor in the Pacers get Miller and Mercer, while the Bulls have to take on the overpaid and limited utility Best, the deal really favors the Pacers. If the Bulls were really just in need of a soon to be expiring contract I would have loved to tempt them with Kenny + Walt or Rice (large expiring contract) + pick + Cato for Artest + Miller + Mercer. At least the Bulls could have got a decent young player and a better future pick from the deal this way. Finally, if Miller (by all means a hard working team focused player) gets in the way in the development of Chandler/Curry, what the heck is a ball demanding SF who thinks he is a scoring PG going to do with the Bulls young guards and swingmen. I have a feeling Miller could far easier take a 6th-7th-8th man type roll down the line than Rose ever will.
Jermaine has Duncan Fever. He's a C that wants to play PF so he can take advantage of the mis-matches.
i think pacers will play o´neil at pf and miller as center......Pacers now have a team with alot of depth
Did he mean it? Or does Brand know he's playing for a cheapskate owner and is using Chicago like every player did last year?
Depth doesn't mean $hit in the playoffs, when you are playing your starters for 40+ mins. The Pacers lack quality, and have too much quantity. Doesn't seem like a good deal for either team. The Bulls don't really "need" Rose, unless they plan on making some kind of playoff run next year. Also, if Rose b****es about being a SF, will he b**** about playing for the Bulls? The Pacers sorely lack players who can create from the perimeter. Miller is just a catch and shoot guy, while Tinsley is too poor of a shooter.
They;'ve got depth alright...won't get them anywhere but they do have depth. But I couldn't agree with you more GB - they need a coach in the worst way. Thomas has got to be one of the worst coaches in the NBA right now. He may have been a good PG in his day, but he's a horrible director of a team from the sidelines and is inept in doing what is right for that team.
I think the Bulls win this trade, if only because I do not think highly of Miller, Artest and Mercer. Meanwhile, Rose is a different coach away from being one of the most dangerous all-around players in the game.
You don't need someone to create from the perimeter to be effective. Sacramento, SA and Minn (though Wally is now doing some) have done just fine without a creative offensive guard. What the Pacer's need is for Oneal to be the next Tim Duncan, Chris Webber or KG. It is not a bad strategy, while Oneal isn't there yet he is the leading candidate for being the dominant low post player in the East for years to come. So the Pacers did the smart thing. Surround Oneal with guys that can 1) play defense or 2) hit the open shot. If they are lucky they found a player to do both (Artest), and Miller can at a minumum be the enforcer and defensive player to take pressure off Oneal. Rose is merely adequate in these departments (shooting, defense), and his offensive creativeness is of better use to a team without a prospect like Oneal in the low post. Take out Rose's offensive creative abilities and get the ball out of his hands like the Pacer's would anyway--and he is not much different than Mercer. Also, don't forget Bender and Harrington are athletic, young and have potential in these departments as well. They have solid veterans who can shoot--Reggie, Croshere, Mercer, a decent all-around center (Miller) and now 3 talented young swing players (if 2 of Artest, Bender and Harrington continue to develop that is great for them). I do think they should get a more pure shooting 1 as insurance for Tinsley--but he is only a rookie as well. IN sum, the Pacers have a well-focused plan built around Oneal IMO.
Something nobody's brought up: I think that the Pacer's style is about the best fit in the league for Mr. Mercer. Unlike Rose, who's more of a multidimensional type, Mercer is best shooting midrange jumpers comming off of screens. Midrange jumpers off of screens just about entirely describes the Pacers offense. I really think he's going to fit in well. I know that Reggie Miller is a free agent this offseason and that there's been quite a bit of talk about him signing for one final year with another team, perhaps the Lakers. If that is the case, Mercer could slide in as the 2 guard with a minimal amount of tweeking for the offennse, more so than anybody else on the team or anyone that I can think of that'll be a free agent this offseason. Also, I think that the Pacers did a really good job of getting guys to fit with what they're doing, whereas the Bulls had the luxury, because of their current state, of being able to get guys on talent alone, irrespective of fit.
