NBA Trade Scenarios: Chicago Bulls Should Move Carlos Boozer for Tyson Chandler

Carlos Boozer has been a murky topic around Chicago as of late.

HOOPSWORLD's Alex Kennedy said on June 18 that he talked to some people who believed that the Bulls will try to move Boozer. If that ends up being the case, he believes the Magic will express their interest in the former Duke big man.

Last season, his first in Chicago, Boozer averaged 17.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, which are solid numbers. He aided the Bulls’ resurgence alongside MVP Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. 

Come playoff time though, Boozer seemed to disappear. His rebounding remained solid at 9.7 per game, but his scoring averaged dropped to 12.6, not to mention his defense got worse. 

At nearly 30, and with a history of injuries, some believe that Boozer may become a liability from here on out for the Bulls, which has led to the recent trade talk. 

However, despite his subpar playoff performance, Chicago has to be careful that it gets adequate value out of any trade for Boozer. After all, he was an integral part of the Bulls’ success.

Additionally, even though Chicago made it to the Eastern Conference finals, it is in no position to be dumping key players, no matter how risky they are.

So how should the Bulls proceed?

Chicago should inquire about a sign-and-trade for center Tyson Chandler.

Chandler had a breakout year for the Mavericks, averaging 10.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and over one block per game. His defensive efforts were a big reason why Dallas was able to overtake Miami in the NBA Finals.

Why would Chicago consider such a deal?

Chandler is only about a year younger than Boozer, but he is a better defender, which would come in handy when the Bulls face the offense-heavy Heat next season. Additionally, they would be giving up a key big man and getting an even bigger one in return.

Boozer puts up better offensive numbers than Chandler, but with Rose, Noah and Deng, the Bulls can afford a slight drop-off in that department, especially considering the type of defender they would be getting.

At 7'1", Chandler would be quite an asset to Chicago and give the Bulls someone who could at least capably attempt and defend Orlando's Dwight Howard.

Howard is the next reason why the Bulls should consider such a trade.  

While he may be a great addition to pair with Rose, Howard would almost certainly cost the Bulls Noah. Howard may be well worth the cost of Noah, but a Boozer-for-Chandler swap allows Chicago to keep Noah and have a premiere frontcourt.

Of course, for this to happen, Dallas has to be willing to accept such a deal, which many may believe is absurd. However, it is anything but.

Chandler may not be as inclined to re-sign with the Mavs as many may think.  As is, Dallas could probably contend for at least another year, but Chandler needs more security than that.

Like it or not, the Mavericks, with Jason Terry and Jason Kidd are an aging team and Chandler may want to move on to a younger organization, especially after reaching the pinnacle of his tenure in Dallas by winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

And if that is the case, the Mavericks need to ensure that they get maximum in return for his departure, and Boozer provides just that.

He may be a health risk, but when at full strength, he is one of the better offensive players in the league and would take some of the scoring burden off of the ever-improving Dirk Nowitzki.

Should Chicago decide it's time to part ways with Boozer, and Dallas finds that Chandler is not as apt to returning as it hoped, this is definitely a scenario each team should explore.

Boozer keeps the Mavericks' house of cards structure in tact for at least another two years.

And Chandler could provide the Bulls with the defensive push needed to defeat the Heat and reach the elusive finals appearance that Chicago so desperately craves.