HUGHES HEADS TO NEW YORK
The New York Knicks acquired guard Larry Hughes from the Chicago Bulls for forward Tim Thomas, center Jerome James and guard Anthony Roberson.
What does it give the New York Knicks
All this season new Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni has been searching for athletic scorers who can also play defense, and he may have one of those in Hughes. A star only a few seasons back, Hughes has seen his career derailed somewhat by injuries (and more recently, by finding himself in Chicago head coach Vinny Del Negro's doghouse). He still has another year after this one left on his big contract, so for now New York seems to want him for his two-way excellence in their up-tempo system. The fact his large salary comes off the ledger before the much-hyped 2010 free agent class is an added bonus.
What does it give the Chicago Bulls
The combined salaries of Thomas, James and Roberson roughly equal that of Hughes for the rest of this season, and James' $6.2 Million won't be part of the Bulls' cap next season (as his contract is expiring). This is clearly a financial move for the Bulls, who took on some non-expiring deals in their Brad Miller-and-John Salmons deal (so losing James' cap number will give them some flexibility for next season). Thomas should help out right away, providing the veteran scoring off the bench that was expected from Hughes (before he was effectively exiled by bench boss Vinny Del Negro).
Fantasy impact
