Should Chicago Bulls Avoid the NBA Trade Market for Now?
Trade season is officially underway, and with that comes a ton of speculation. Fan trades will run amok, and analysts will be offering fake trades besides.
Then there will be the agent-sponsored rumors. Sure as you can say “Daryl Morey,” there will suddenly be sports media citing ubiquitous, invisible “sources”.
Chicago Bulls fans should ignore it all.
Chicago doesn’t seem to be looking to be involved in the trade market, nor should it. And there’s nothing available in the trade market that would help them anyway.
Bulls' Needs
Before even inquiring about trades, the first thing the Bulls have to ask is: Where do they have needs, if anywhere?
With Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks, they’re deep at point guard. Already having Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson, the Bulls have no need to add more bigs.
The one area where they are a bit thin is at the wings, and that’s where they’ve been hit with injuries as well. Mike Dunleavy Jr. (ankle) and Doug McDermott (knee) are both out. To compensate, Hinrich has played about 61 percent of his minutes at the 2, per Basketball-Reference.com. In addition, Jimmy Butler is logging a league-high 39.8 minutes per game.
They do have a pair of guys who have stepped up recently, though. E’Twaun Moore, who plays the 2, has averaged 14.4 points per 36 minutes on 50 percent shooting since the start of January. Tony Snell, at both shooting guard and small forward, has been averaging 11.1 points with a 56.5 effective field-goal percentage since Dec. 30.
Snell’s defense has also improved this season. When he got the starting nod on Jan. 10, he was the primary reason rising star Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to just four points on six shots. That was not just coincidence either. Snell was draped all over the Greek Freak the entire game.
Per NBA.com's player tracking info, opponents are shooting 2 percent below their averages against Snell on the season, and 2.5 percent worse from deep.
Bulls' Assets
The Bulls have assets to move. Teams that are looking to deal quality players at this point in the season are generally looking toward the future, though some might be looking for that last player to put them over the top.
Taj Gibson has an excellent contract, but Chicago would prefer to keep him unless there was a deal it couldn’t say no to.
Mike Dunleavy Jr. is another contract which has a high value, but the problem there is that dealing Dunleavy for another wing is just digging a hole and filling it up again. The idea is to add depth at the wings, and trading Dunleavy does nothing to advance that. Besides that, his recent absence has shown just how important he is to the Bulls and why he's one of the coach's favorites.
Snell is probably the one young player the Bulls have who has enough promise to appeal to teams, but not as a standalone. The Bulls would have to add other pieces to entice a team to offer much.
They own the top-10 protected Sacramento Kings pick this year. They also have the rights to swap places with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 draft. Combining either (or both) of those with Snell could make for an attractive package.
While that’s still dealing a wing for a wing, in Snell’s case it doesn’t hurt as much because he’s not a consistent part of the rotation. And even that doesn’t mean he can’t be—even after Dunleavy and McDermott return.
So, the only reason to consider trading Snell is if you’re certain the player being traded for is going to get significant minutes. Spot time at the wing is something Snell is already providing.
Available Wings
So, who is on the market?
Jeff Green was a name that was tossed about—at least by Bulls fans—but with his pending move to the Memphis Grizzlies, as reported by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, that conversation is moot.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk say Joe Johnson is on the block, but his contract is out of reach. Stein also says Lance Stephenson is being shopped, but the big problem there is that he comes with all the instability that the Bulls don’t need and certainly not at the price of Gibson.
Dion Waiters is gone. J.R. Smith is gone. And it’s not like the Bulls would be really interested in either of those guys anyway because they both come with personality baggage too.
Frankly, there are no true wings actually available who would help the Bulls. So who might become available?
There are a few teams that have players who could be ready if they fall out of the playoff hunt.
Gerald Green of the Phoenix Suns is a pending free agent, and he’s been getting less playing time this year. He’s an elite athlete who is hitting 37.4 percent of his threes. But his defense is notably deficient, posting a defensive real plus-minus of minus-3.37, per ESPN.com, which is 440 out 444 players in the league. That might be why he’s losing minutes, and that’s not likely to endear him to Tom Thibodeau.
Reggie Jackson might be obtainable, especially if the Oklahoma City Thunder fall out of the playoff hunt. He could serve as shooting guard, and Butler could move back to the 3. But would Butler remain so effective there? And Jackson hits on just 27.9 percent of his threes, so the Bulls would have problems stretching the court with Rose (25.5 percent), Butler (33.3 percent) and Jackson.
Not to mention, the cost of Jackson would probably be Snell and both first-round picks, which is a steep price for a pending free agent.
Luol Deng, now with the Miami Heat, might be gettable, and a straight Gibson for Deng trade passes league rules. Deng knows the system intimately, having been a Bull the bulk of his career, and would certainly have Thibodeau’s trust. But with Noah’s injury concerns, dealing a big might not be the greatest idea (though Deng can play power forward in a pinch).
If this becomes a possibility, it’s probably the one trade worth serious consideration. Deng’s three-point range is back (36.2 percent), as his wrist is finally healed. And having two defensive stalwarts to throw on LeBron James (or anyone else for that matter) in a playoff series can’t hurt.
There isn’t a “no-brainer” move for the Bulls to make, and the reality is they don’t have a pressing need to make a trade. After all, this isn’t a team struggling to stay above .500. It's 26-12 in spite of having endured several injuries. In the 15 games the Bulls had their starting lineup, they’re 12-3.
Making a desperation move to solve a short-term problem isn’t smart, and it’s not necessary. The Bulls are better off just letting the wounded heal and giving Snell the minutes to develop. His main need has been playing time, and as he’s getting it, his growth is exponential.
Eventually, Dunleavy and McDermott will be healthy again, and the problem will become how to get everyone playing time. The Bulls are better off holding onto their assets and thinking long-term benefit.
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