There were some people who thought the Bulls would give the Celtics a challenge, but I doubt many people thought it would turn into the best series of the playoffs and go 7 games after overtime after overtime. Derrick Rose showed us flashes of how good he can be, but after playing more games than he ever had and still being a rookie, you knew it was too early. Other players seemed to play better, but what does it all mean?

Letting Ben Gordon walk is a questionable decision. I am indifferent on Gordon. He is a great scorer, one of the 10-20 best in the league for sure. He has a great shot can get to the rim sometimes and makes free throws. But he is small, relies too much on shooting and doesn’t really play defense. It’s clear to me that the only reason the Bulls didn’t want to commit to him long term is that they are still banking on getting a big name free agent next summer. The problem is, the Bulls are now dangerously thin at guard. And if they don’t sign one of the big names next summer, it was all for nothing.

John Salmons played a huge role in the playoff run. The Kings traded him to dump his contract which runs through 2011, so he isn’t going anywhere unless the Bulls take a worse contract back (Chris Kaman?). We saw that the Bulls didn’t look bad going small with Salmons at the 4 and playing uptempo, but that doesn’t work without Gordon. Presumably Salmons becomes the replacement for Gordon. Hinrich is a better defender but he would force Rose to be the guard that goes to the rim. I think we will see the combination of those 3 as much as possible.

The question is, what can the Bulls do? They have 9 guys under contract for ’09-’10. And Rose-Hinrich-Deng-Tyrus-Noah-Miller-Salmons-Tim Thomas-Jerome James isn’t a bad group for the regular season. The biggest hole is at the 2. It’s likely that they will fill out the roster with league minimum guys, so Gordon’s $6.4M is the only new money available. But the Bulls are primed for next summer. The Thomases, James and Miller all come off the books, totaling over $25M, which should be enough to get Bosh and perhaps then some. But is that the right move?

Assuming the Bulls don’t go get a 2 this summer your 2010 starting lineup would likely be Rose-Bosh-Noah-Deng-Salmons/Hinrich. If Rose takes a big step before year 3 that could be a pretty good team. A lot of people thought at one point Deng could be a solid third option.

But what if you went a different way? Dwyane Wade is also a free agent next year. And all signs point to him being back in Miami. With Michael Beasley, it looks like he has running mate, but Chicago is his hometown and Derrick Rose looks infinitely better than Beasley at this point. What if Miami struggles big time out of the gate? Would they consider trading Wade midseason? The Bulls have a bunch of expiring contracts they could move. Plus by trading for Wade I think they could work something out to not take as big of a cap hit. If the Heat struggle and they know Wade is gone, would they trade him for James Johnson and/or Taj Gibson and/or their 2010 No. 1 and/or Hinrich and/or expiring contracts?

There should be opportunities next summer though. Detroit signing Gordon and Villaneuva is helpful. It means they won’t be a big player next summer. If Toronto signs Hedo, it will limit their ability to re-sign Bosh (he is gone anyway I think). The Bulls will be a pretty decent option for most guys. The weather is the main drawback. You have a good history, good nightlife and probably the best young point guard in the NBA. He is also a humble guy who isn’t looking afraid to share the spotlight.

The compettition should be interesting. The Knicks look to be a big time competitor. They are going to have cap room, have a coach guys want to play for and c’mon it’s New York. I think the Nets are a darkhorse as well. You have the Jay-Z connection and the potential of them moving to Brooklyn at some point. They have tons of cap room and a good point guard. Miami has money if Wade leaves. But the Bulls are in good shape. You still hate to see them stand pat this summer but maybe it’s the right move long term?