By Cory Elfrink
June 11, 2009 1:28pm CDT

The Bulls nearly made it out of the first round of the playoffs as they dueled the Celtics in an epic seven-game series. In the regular season, they proved tough down the stretch after a disappointing first half. They were 28-13 at home but finished 41-41 on the season. Coach Vinny Del Negro seemed to get better as the year went on and he successfully handled some temperamental egos. However, his rotations were still inconsistent even into the playoffs, and they seemed to rarely run much of an offense. Still, another season with this team should only be a good thing for Bulls fans.

Cap situation: $63 million committed to nine players. League salary cap estimated at $58 million for 2009-2010 season.

Returning players: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, John Salmons, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, Brad Miller, Joakim Noah, Tim Thomas, and Jerome James ($6.6 million player option).

Key free agents: Ben Gordon, Aaron Gray

Five Burning Questions

1) Should they re-sign Ben Gordon?
Last summer, Gordon and the Bulls were involved in a drawn out and bitter contract dispute. The guard turned down a six-year, $59 million extension, and the Bulls ultimately settled with the minimum qualifying offer to retain his restricted free-agent rights. Gordon tried to get other teams to put a bid in on him, but nobody bit. The undersized shooting guard had to "settle" for $6.4 million, and he responded with perhaps the best season of his career. His 75 starts were a career-high, and he averaged 20.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on .455/.410/.864 shooting. Although most of his numbers fell off in the playoffs, Gordon scored 24.3 points per game (despite 38.8 percent shooting) in a seven-game battle with the Celtics (overtimes allowed him to play 43.4 minutes per game). Although he hit a number of critical shots, he missed more and made a number of bad decisions while dominating the ball in the final moments of many of those games. If the Bulls are going to re-sign him, they will certainly go over the luxury tax threshold. Furthermore, the wing positions are as crowded as ever with John Salmons in the mix. Unless they can get Gordon at a discount, which is highly unlikely, they should let the 6-foot-3 shooting guard play elsewhere.

2) Can John Salmons and Luol Deng both start?
Six games after Salmons arrived via trade last season, Deng injured his tibia, and after visiting with a number of doctors, a small stress fracture was discovered. The forward went on to miss the final 22 games of the regular season and all seven of the Bulls' playoff games. Meanwhile, Salmons went on to further establish himself as one of the best players on the team and had a number of big playoff performances despite playing through a groin injury. Both players are traditionally viewed as small forwards. So, is there room for both of them in the starting lineup? Salmons should almost certainly be able to start at shooting guard for the Bulls next season (if Gordon leaves), while Deng holds down the three-spot. In 13 games in place of Kevin Martin last season, Salmons averaged 21 points as the Kings starting shooting guard. He started 25 games as the shooting guard in the season prior, and his ball-handling skills are certainly strong enough to be an asset in the Bulls backcourt. His availability to play at off-guard further makes Gordon expendable this summer.

3) Who should they target with the 16th pick in the draft?
In 2002, the Bulls took Final Four star Jay Williams. In 2003, they took Final Four star Kirk Hinrich. In 2004, they drafted Final Four star Ben Gordon. They did not have a pick in 2005, but in 2006, they traded LaMarcus Aldridge for Final Four star Tyrus Thomas. In 2007, they selected Final Four star Joakim Noah. And in 2008 they drafted Final Four star Derrick Rose. You see where I'm going with this? I think the Bulls stick with that trend this summer and target Tyler Hansbrough with the 16th pick. Hansbrough dominated his four seasons in the ACC and then measured nearly identical to Blake Griffin at the Draft Combine. He actually had a slightly longer wingspan and ran a faster sprint than Griffin. His vertical was less than two inches below that of the consensus No. 1 pick. Hanbrough's presence on the Bulls would pressure Tyrus Thomas to work harder and be more consistent. The UNC star would also provide the Bulls with some additional inside scoring, as his post moves, shooting touch, and free-throw shooting are all excellent. He works extremely hard, is aggressive in all aspects of the game, and he's a proven winner. Other players they may look at in this draft slot include James Johnson (PF, Wake Forest), Terrence Williams (SG, Louisville), B.J. Mullens (C, Ohio State), Earl Clark (F, Louisville), and Gerald Henderon (SG, Duke). Personally, I think they'd be foolish to pass on Hansbrough.

4) Should they pursue the always rumored blockbuster trade?
Perhaps as much as any other team in the league, rumors always swirl around the Bulls in regards to blockbuster trades. It probably will be no different this offseason, and they have already been linked to deals involving both Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire. However, I like their current make up as it is, especially considering that they have $25 million in expiring contracts. The Bulls would prefer to remain under the luxury tax and adding another star would probably not help them attain that.

5) Is any team in better shape for next summer?
The Bulls currently have six players signed for the season following next, and they happen to be their best six players. To make things even better, they only have $40 million committed to those players, meaning they could afford a max contract player such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudemire, or Chris Bosh. Given the talent already in place in Chicago, it may be the most highly sought-after free-agent destination for the star-studded free agent class of 2010.

Ideal Situation: Re-sign Aaron Gray and let Ben Gordon walk. Fill out the depth chart with cheap free agents such as Kareem Rush and Brian Cook. Draft Tyler Hansbrough (PF, North Carolina) at No. 16 and Wayne Ellington (SG, North Carolina) at No. 26.

Resulting Depth Chart
PG Derrick Rose/Kirk Hinrich
SG John Salmons/Wayne Ellington/Kareem Rush
SF Luol Deng/Tim Thomas
PF Tyrus Thomas/Tyler Hansbrough/Brian Cook
C Brad Miller/Joakim Noah/Aaron Gray/Jerome James

Strengths: Balance, transition play, three-point shooting off the bench, size, expiring contracts, loads of potential
Weaknesses: Inconsistency, no all-stars?