Indianapolis ? Indiana Pacers president Donnie Walsh insisted he wasn’t shopping Jalen Rose, but would listen to offers.

He heard one he liked Tuesday.

The Pacers traded Rose, Travis Best, rookie Norman Richardson and a conditional second-round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls for Brad Miller, Ron Mercer, Ron Artest and Kevin Ollie, two days before the NBA trading deadline.

“We’re better along,” Walsh said about the seven-player trade. “We have some parts we didn’t have and are hard to get. That’s why it calls for a Jalen Rose.”

Walsh said Bulls general manager Jerry Krause called him right before he left for the All-Star break and made an offer for Rose. Walsh discussed a potential trade with Chicago later in the week and the deal was tentatively made Sunday.

“We feel Jalen is an outstanding all-around player who can play three positions offensively and defensively,” Krause said.

Some hang-ups developed the Bulls substituted Mercer for forward Charles Oakley before Walsh agreed to the deal Tuesday morning. Walsh said he wanted Oakley in the deal but the Bulls pulled him off the table.

“He would have been a good player to have here,” Walsh said. “They felt they needed his mentoring for their two young big guys.”

Rose said after Indiana’s victory over Philadelphia that Walsh promised him he wouldn’t be traded. Walsh said he never made that promise, and added that speculation that Rose and coach Isiah Thomas could not coexist was not a factor in the deal.