Bulls' Most Realistic Trade Targets in 2023 Offseason

The Chicago Bulls made a mess of the 2022-23 NBA season.

They need a strong offseason to not only recover from the disappointment, but to safeguard themselves against it happening again.

Some will advocate for the Bulls to blow it up. They did, after all, get at least 74 games each out of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević and still couldn't post a winning record or get out of the play-in tournament. Skeptics can reasonably question how much better it can get.

Chicago, though, could have torn it down at the trade deadline and didn't. For better or worse, the franchise seems committed to this core.

If the Bulls want to win with this nucleus, they should target the following three players to help make that happen.

Kyle Anderson, Minnesota Timberwolves

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 23: Kyle Anderson #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives with the ball during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Target Center on April 23, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Chicago hasn't been the same since Lonzo Ball first went down with knee problems in Jan. 2022. Kyle Anderson wouldn't be a direct replacement, but he could fill some of the playmaking gaps on both ends.

The 6'9", 230-pounder routinely makes good decisions with the basketball. He is more programmed to pass than to attack, but he'll take whatever the defense allows. This past season, that approach allowed him to convert 50.9 percent of his field goals while dishing a career-high 4.9 assists against only 1.5 turnovers.

On defense, he leans on his length and intelligence to grant him a good deal of versatility. He can slide up or down a spot without losing much of anything.

Most good teams could find a decent role for him, but his defense and distribution would be particularly beneficial to the Bulls.

Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 22: Dorian Finney-Smith #28 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Barclays Center on April 22, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Bulls need a two-way wing in the worst kind of way. They could hope that Patrick Williams suddenly morphs into their missing piece, or they could swing a deal for Dorian Finney-Smith and be done with it.

He cracks the short list of the league's stingiest stoppers. He is long, strong and active both on and off the ball. There are some exceptions, but he'll be able to check the opponents' top scorer more often than not.

On offense, he's mostly limited to spot-up shooting duties, but he usually handles those with ease. He lost his touch this past season (33.7 percent from three), but teams might chalk that up as a fluke since he was so reliable the previous three campaigns (38.9).

If the Brooklyn Nets make him available, he could spawn a furious bidding war. Still, he'd be such a clean fit in Chicago that the Bulls would be more incentivized than anyone to cough up the necessary trade chips.

Tyus Jones, Memphis Grizzlies

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 22: Tyus Jones #21 of the Memphis Grizzlies moves the ball during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on APRIL 22, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Bulls can't feel great about Lonzo Ball's chances to fill their void as a floor general—definitely not for next season and maybe not beyond it.

Rather than waiting and hoping Ball suddenly recovers, Chicago could go find a playmaker who's a good enough decision-maker to figure out this roster.

Tyus Jones could be that type of player. He is a capable scorer and feisty defender, but he lives to move the basketball. And he's allergic to turnovers. For his career, he has more than five times as many assists (2,108) as turnovers (400).

The Bulls follow the lead of three score-first players in DeRozan, LaVine and Vučević. They need someone who can find enough touches to engage those three and keep the supporting cast involved. Jones is that caliber of quarterback, and his numbers could really pop if he ever made it out from behind Ja Morant's shadow in Memphis.