Quoted: In the five-player deal two years ago that sent center Eddy Curry to the New York Knicks, Mr. Mandel suggested the Bulls demand the option of switching first-round draft picks with the Knicks. It was a gamble since the draft order is based on a team's performance the previous season, with worse teams getting better picks.

If the Knicks had finished with a better record than the Bulls, the deal would have been worthless. But they didn't. The Bulls finished fifth and the Knicks 12th in their conference, giving the Bulls the opportunity to draft the highly coveted, 6-foot-11 forward Joakim Noah.