As a Part of a Rebuild

Posted on February 24, 2011

I have always believed in trades that get as a return picks and prospects and players as well. Volume is good for "optionality" and for building a portfolio of players for our present and future. Last night's trade was right on strategy and shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise. We traded a really good player - Kirk Hinrich - a player who we received in trade last summer along with a first round pick and some cash because another team needed cap space to go after a free agent. We used that pick to claim Kevin Seraphin in the draft. Kevin will be developed and will get more and more minutes. I believe he will play in the league and for our team for a long time. He is big and tough and has upside. We then traded Kirk to Atlanta and received back Mike Bibby, another veteran point guard, as well as Jordan Crawford, a player we liked in the draft and Atlanta's former first round pick from last season and their first round pick for next season. Hence we received a player who is a vet and a winner for now and next season and 3 first rounders to replenish our team for the future. Seraphin, Crawford and a player we will pick next in the next draft. We also added John Wall and Trevor Booker in last year's draft. Two winners and players we are happy to build around with John Wall, I believe, as a bedrock foundational player. And we will no doubt have one more high draft pick in next year's draft as well for our own pick. In one year we were able to replenish our team with young players and additional high draft picks. We were so in need of a change in this manner, I believe. We also built into the trades now and during the season a bunch of financial flexibility as our young players will develop and we can use trades and then free agency to recraft the team in the future, a team that was in need of a total makeover. We also traded Hilton Armstrong for Maurice Evans. Maurice is a tough and savvy player. He is also one of the most respected players in the NBA as he is a leader for the players union. I have always respected him as a player and as a great locker room presence. I want to thank Kirk Hinrich and his family. Kirk is a great player and a great person. I will miss him. We will miss him. He will now get to start at point guard for a playoff caliber team. This is a good move for Kirk. He was a very dedicated and steady presence for us. And his value was so great that he essentially played for us for 5 months and in return we received Mike Bibby, Kevin Seraphin, Jordan Crawford, a first round pick and a bunch of money. That is great productivity from a set of trades. The rebuild is messy. It is painful. It is going as I expected. Lots of bumps; lots of emotion; and lots of frustration. I have been down this road before. That is the reason I remain calm and steadfast. There is no other option for us. But I am happy that we have loaded up on picks and prospects. That part of the rebuild after we pick twice in the next draft is over. We have enough young assets now. We will soon have more financial flexibility. We are rebuilding just as I said we would. Transparency is good. I apologize for the short term pain. I believe we will see mid and long term gain.