11:17 AM, Trade Deadline Day

The trade deadline is here! The Pulse is your source for in-depth analysis on each trade, so keep checking back for updates!

First off, let’s talk about the most recent trade: John Salmons and Brad Miller to Chicago for Andres Nocioni and Drew Gooden.

Chicago

The first thing we see in Chicago is another logjam at the center/power forward position, and this time, the center is legit. Brad Miller comes to town and will immediately (when healthy) start for the Bulls. This downgrades Joakim Noah considerably, but probably hurts Tyrus Thomas a bit less. Thomas will still play an athletic “4” spot for Chicago, and being that Miller isn’t a prolific rebounder or shot-blocker, things should be fine. And the fact that Andres Nocioni was shipped out definitely thins the frontcourt depth behind Thomas.

The two players that are likely to see the biggest decrease are John Salmons and Luol Deng, as they both play the small forward position. Salmons will see big minutes off the bench, and we could see coach Vinny Del Negro letting the two battle it out for the starting role. Both players will be fringe starters in 12-team leagues for the time being.

Derrick Rose now has a couple more nice options, so his assists could certainly increase, and because Chicago isn’t completely out of the playoff race, they could be a scary no. 6 seed in the postseason.

Sacramento

I love Sacramento’s side of this trade, if only because it gives some younger players a chance to shine. Immediately, you have to notice Spencer Hawes will hop into the starting lineup full-time now that Miller is gone. Al Horford-like numbers could be on the way… think double-double with two blocks. He’s a huge winner here.

Drew Gooden’s current injury situation will probably allow Jason Thompson some good minutes for the time being, but he’ll share with Andres Nocioni anyway. That, and if Gooden has some sort of miraculous recovery from what’s been called a “sports hernia”, he could slice into Hawes’ minutes, too.

Francisco Garcia wins too – John Salmons was blocking his playing time, and now he’ll get upwards of 30 minutes a night for the rest of the year.

I’m excited for how this baby’ll play out – good things ahead!