Bulls Trade Targets with 2024 Trade Deadline 2 Months Away
The unofficial dawn of NBA trade season could move the Chicago Bulls under the basketball world's spotlight.
They should be plenty active on the trade market. Or, they will be if they want to ditch this dismal present for a more exciting future, at least.
With win-now talent on the roster but not enough of it to make it count, Chicago seems to be the likeliest seller to emerge so far. The question is whether the Bulls will take this roster restructuring as far as they should, though. But if they ever actually accept that it's tear-down time, here's what they should be focused on finding.
Draft Picks
1 of 3
Because the Bulls have tried to compete with this core, their collection of young talent is entirely underwhelming. The crown jewel of their prospect group is either Patrick Williams, who's playing the least productive campaign of his career, or Coby White, a point guard who rarely moves the needle as a ball-mover.
It's bleak, but it doesn't have to be. If Chicago unloads its veteran talent, but the Bulls have a chance to bring back an impressive draft haul.
"I think Zach LaVine can get a first back, maybe another first-round pick if it's in this draft since it's so weak," one NBA executive told HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. "DeMar DeRozan is worth a first in this draft in the 20s since it's a weak draft, and he's unrestricted at the end of the season. He can be a third scorer on a winning team. I think he's got some gas left in the tank. Nikola Vučević has aged, but he can still shoot and score. If they can get two first-round picks for Alex Caruso, I'd do it."
If Chicago is active enough, there's a chance this club walks away from trade season with a handful of first-round picks.
Financial Relief
2 of 3
For reasons known only to them, Chicago's front office fully believed in this core's championship potential. It wouldn't have lavished this group with cash if it didn't.
DeRozan's $28.6 million salary is at least expiring, per Spotrac, but that only provides so much relief on its own. Remember, the Bulls are still paying Lonzo Ball $20.5 million this season, plus he holds a $21.4 million player option for 2024-25. That's a huge chunk of change for someone who hasn't suited up in nearly two years at this point.
They can't do anything about that deal, but they could unload some other pricey pacts. Assuming LaVine picks up his 2026-27 player option, he'll collect a whopping $178.1 million between now and then. Vučević, meanwhile, is merely months into the three-year, $60 million pact he inked this offseason.
Chicago should be aggressively looking to shed salaries this trade season. Even if the Bulls wouldn't be in position to sign impact free agents in the near future, they'd at least be flexible enough to bring back other teams' bloated contracts while collecting draft considerations.
Jonathan Kuminga
3 of 3
For the record, the Bulls' decision-makers won't agree with this assessment. Not yet, anyway.
According to Scotto, they "are currently valuing players who can help them win and a potential draft pick, depending on the incoming player(s), over tearing down the roster completely and rebuilding by taking expiring contracts and more draft picks."
That would be a mistake. Chicago is heading nowhere fast with this nucleus and should be laser-locked on building up its next one.
That's why throwing a dart at someone like Jonathan Kuminga could make plenty of sense.
The No. 7 pick of the 2021 draft has yet to handle anything close to the workload of players typically drafted in that range, as he's a raw 21-year-old on a vet-heavy team with championship aspirations. Despite the limited floor time, he has still flashed a sky-high upside and possesses a wealth of physical tools. A more patient team—which the post-deadline Bulls should be—could prioritize his development and potentially position him for stardom down the line.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Report: Lawrence Wants Out of NY")
.jpg?w=600 "Browns GM Speaks on Trade Buzz")
