Just like last summer, the Bulls are going nowhere in their negotiations with Luol Deng and Ben Gordon. In theory, each player has a bit more leverage than they did a year ago considering they're only 12 months removed from unrestricted free agency, but they're both coming off sub-par seasons, and with the Grizzlies being the only team left with more than the mid-level exception left to spend, there aren't any would-be suitors capable of forcing Chicago's hand with an offer sheet.

That said, it's not yet set in stone they return to Chicago. If the Bulls become convinced there's no hope in signing them to an extension, they might consider a sign-and-trade. And should that happen, HOOPSWORLD's Bill Ingram thinks a division rival will come calling:

The Chicago Bulls would ideally love to keep Luol Deng, but with negotiations going the way they're going it's likely the Pistons get serious in talks with Chicago. Tayshaun Prince would come back in trade and he's a veteran who could make life easier for new head coach Vinny Del Negro. Prince isn't exactly a vocal leader, but he knows how to win and he's all business.

Such a move could work out for both teams. Prince may not be a vocal leader in terms of screaming on the court or providing interesting soundbytes to the media, but he's one of the most analytical players in the game who can frequently be seen during games telling players where they need to be on the court, whether he's in the game or not.

I was credentialed for Pistons games all of this past season, and it was commonplace to see Prince still in uniform breaking down a play with a teammate while everybody else was already in the shower. In other words, adding Prince instantly improves a team's basketball IQ.

So why would the Pistons be willing to part with Prince? For one, it'd prop their window of opportunity open for a few more years, as Deng, 23, is five years younger than Prince. Plus, Deng is used to being his team's first or second option on defense, whereas Prince tends to defer to his teammates almost to a fault.

When Joe Dumars announced that he'd be looking to make big changes to his core earlier this summer, I'm sure Prince wasn't the player first on his list to be moved, but given Deng's upside and youth, it'd be at least slightly better than a lateral move.