BoGo-es to Detroit

"I could see myself in those colors..."

Well that was quick.

Ben Gordon is headed to Detroit for a 5 year, $55 Million deal.

Gorden and Chuck Villanueva are the first movers this offseason, both headed to Detroit for a lot of money (another ~40 Million for Chuckie V).

I had convinced myself over the past few months that the Bulls should do whatever it takes to re-sign BoGo - he's a consummate professional, and I don't know too many other top 10 draft picks who average 20+ and spend their best years as a 6th man without complaining. He's a career 20 point scorer, loves the big shots and plays hard (and hurt). He gets better down the stretch in games and over the course of the season (see: playoffs). Oh, and he is still only 26 years old.

Obviously the Bulls are better off with him on the roster.

All that being said, this is more of a financial move than anything else. The Bulls offered Gordon 50M for 5 years in 2007 and 54M for 6 years in 2008 - both rejected (although Gordon apparently tried to get that last offer back and the Bulls gave him the finger). It's not that we didn't want to keep him, it's more that we'd rather have the cash on hand to make a move in next years class (Amare, Bosh, Wade Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, King James) and put together a true contender. With Gordon, we're a really good team but not a great one.

So next year might be tough (nobody strikes fear into the hearts of defenders like BoGo with seconds left on the clock) and we don't really have a go-to scorer (sorry Derrick). We will definitely miss his offense.

This is a long-term move that creates some short-term pain. If we can use the cash to bring over Amare, then we're better in year 2 that if we had re-signed Gordon. If not, then this is going to be a tough loss for the team.

So, farewell BoGo. Congratulations on the fat contract, you definitely earned it. Thank you for providing one of the most entertaining playoff performances since MJ. You will be missed. See you in the motown showdown.

-KEG