Peace, Ben. It's been real.

Is there another Chicago athlete in recent memory that elicited more passionate opinions both for and against him than Ben Gordon? To prove my point, look no further than...the Internet! (Why go anywhere else?) Hit up the Bulls blogs today and you'll see lots of anger and sadness.

For example, Andrew from DaBullz wrote:

Well, looks like the Bulls are going back to the lottery next season. The Bulls lost their best player and will suck next year.

Tell us how you really feel, man! But, last I checked, the Bulls compete in the sport of basketball, not competitive bicep curls. And Derrick Rose exists.

Then I logged onto Twitter and saw this message:

Now the Bulls will have to find a new undersized guard that will give up 35 points a game.

You see what I mean? It's kind of funny because, as Bulls fans, we all watch the same games and root for the guys on our team, yet Gordon is the one player that it seems no one can agree on.

Also worth noting: you can make the argument that both Gordon and the Bulls were losers in the negotiations. The Bulls lose because one of their best players is going to their biggest rival in the prime of his career for zero compensation. In Interweb speak, we like to refer to that as FAIL. Gordon doesn't get off clean either, though. The contract he took from Detroit is pretty similar to the one he rejected two years ago from the Bulls. Now he's 26, back then he was 24. Had he taken the Bulls' first offer way back when, he'd still be young enough to cash in on another phat contract. By the time his deal with the Pistons expires, he'll be 31 and out of his prime. Also, Gordon is leaving Chicago (which is a great city) for Detroit (which is a miserable city).

In basketball terms, Gordon's departure means John Salmons and Luol Deng need to step up. Last we saw them, Salmons was awesome, and Deng was bad and hurt. Is that what we can expect again?

Salmons will be Gordon's replacement at shooting guard, and the Bulls better hope that last year wasn't an aberration. Make no mistake, Salmons had a career year last season. He set careers highs across the board at age 29, a point when most players begin to decline, not take off. His biggest jump was in three-point percentage. Without Gordon, the Bulls are going to need more shooters. Last year, Salmons was good enough to fill that roll, making 49 treys in 26 games as a Bull. He was efficient from long range too, connecting at a Gordon-like 41 percent. Again, was it a fluke, or is John Salmons for real? The Bulls better hope it's the latter.

The spotlight will shine even brighter on Deng, Gordon's classmate in the '04 draft. He got the money that Gordon didn't, now the Bulls need him to earn his contract. Deng has been pathetic the last two seasons, and the fans and media have been quick to make excuses for him. Two years ago it was all that damn Kobe trade talk that got in his head. Poor guy! Last year, it was a stress fracture in his leg that cost him the final 22 games plus the playoffs. That's when people started to question his toughness. If the Bulls are going to be good next year, Deng needs to put those questions aside. Simply put, he has to be their second best player. I think there is a good chance that happens. Deng just turned 24, and, you know, most basketball players don't peak at 22. The future is still bright for Deng, or at least the Bulls better hope it is.

Finally, one last note: pretty much everyone the Bulls have paid recently has been a huge disappointment. Hinrich, Deng, Noce, Ben Wallace, and Tyson Chandler all signed for big money and then seemed to take a step backwards. Now that the Bulls let Gordon walk, will it happen again or will he take off? Discuss.