Stay Free, Sam

I am sooo not looking forward to a chaotic offseason without Sam Smith making up trades involving 2 Bulls for every 1 Shareef Abdur-Rahim. If you expect to be as starving for rumors as me in the thin non-basketball months, bookmark this link, but do not read it (or scroll down) until then.

The Chicago Reader's Michael Miner points to 1997 for some of Sam's greatest hits.

What Smith has done in the Tribune is dedicate years of his life to trying to run my favorite Chicago Bull out of town. The Bulls-Jazz series barely got going before Smith was back on the case.

Smith, June 3: "Scottie Pippen was brilliant Sunday in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, if typically overshadowed by some Michael Jordan heroics.... So it's time to trade him."

Smith, May 8: "That's the remedy the Bulls are looking at now: Trade Pippen while he still has value."

Smith, July 15, 1996: "So this would be the scenario. Jordan finishes his career after one more season.... The Bulls then trade Scottie Pippen."

Smith, November 3, 1995: "The acquisition of Dennis Rodman...figures to make the Bulls at least the co-favorites to get to the NBA Finals this season. Which is why it's time to trade Scottie Pippen."

Smith, May 21, 1995: "Believe Jordan is sincere when he says the Bulls should retain Pippen. But believe just as strongly that Pippen will not be a Bull next season. Which is what's best for the Bulls and the path the Bulls should take."

Smith, November 23, 1994: "Trade Scottie! It's still the smart thing to do."

Smith, June 30, 1994: "Now the trouble really begins for the Bulls. That's if they don't trade Scottie Pippen soon."

Smith, December 7, 1993: "Trade Horace Grant? Forget it. It's a stupid idea. What the Bulls ought to do is trade Scottie Pippen."

"I like Pippen," says Smith. "I've never written trade Steve Kerr or Jud Buechler. The reason you trade someone is he has exceptional value."