Bulls would send Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in tonight's NBA Draft to the Wizards.
Chicago's Kirk Hinrich, right, shown in a game against the Cavaliers, may be on his way to Washington, ESPN reports.The Chicago Bulls are close to completing a deal to send guard Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick in tonight's NBA Draft to the Washington Wizards, freeing up enough cap space to pursue two maximum-salary players this summer, ESPN's Ric Bucher is reporting. Bucher says the deal could not be done until July 8 because of salary-cap considerations.
From Bucher's story:
Since it's a good-faith deal for the time being, there remains a chance it could fall apart. But according to one source, the Sacramento Kings are prepared to make a similar deal with the Bulls in the Wizards' stead if that were to happen.
Either way, moving Hinrich and the pick would push Chicago's space under the cap from $20 million to more than $30 million. That puts the Bulls on equal footing with the Miami Heat in pursuing not just one but two members of a free-agent class that is expected to include LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson.