NBA Trades: 10 Players Who Make the Chicago Bulls a Surefire Title Contender
The Chicago Bulls made a ton of moves over the NBA offseason, essentially gutting Utah's roster to improve their own squad.
The Bulls wound up adding three nice pieces from the Jazz: Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer and Carlos Boozer.
And even though Boozer hasn't played yet this season, the Bulls have gotten out to a nice start.
Chicago (9-6) sits in first place in the Central Division and fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Still, it remains to be seen whether the Bulls can enter the class of elite teams in the East—alongside the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic—with their current roster.
So, why not try to make a big swap to upgrade their starting unit or even their bench?
Here are 10 players who could realistically be acquired and make the Bulls a surefire NBA title contender.
10. Marcus Thornton
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Since Monty Williams took over in New Orleans, Marcus Thornton seems to have fallen out of favor with the Hornets.
He's been incredibly limited this season, and there's no indication that he'll see much of an increase in playing time as the season progresses.
Thornton's far from a superstar, but he proved during his rookie season (14.5 points in just 25 minutes per game) that he has the potential to provide a team with a nice scoring punch off the bench.
He can be a poor man's Jason Terry if used right, and better yet, he comes with a cheap price tag.
This move wouldn't look like much, especially on a team that already has some quality shooting guards, but it would provide a nice boost to Chicago's bench.
9. Marcin Gortat
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The Bulls already have a perfect fit at center with the NBA's favorite pest, Joakim Noah.
But behind Noah on the depth chart is Omer Asik, who leaves a lot to be desired with his play, even in limited action.
Noah's going to see the majority of the minutes at center, but Asik has seen a decent chunk of playing time at about 13 minutes per game this season.
If Chicago brings in Orlando's Marcin Gortat, there wouldn't be as much of a falloff from Noah's production when Gortat's on the court.
He's a little expensive for a guy who won't play much, but he's also a starting-caliber player.
Gortat could be a nice addition to Chicago if the Bulls are willing to part with someone like Brewer or Korver.
8. Carl Landry
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Carl Landry isn't a name that's going to jump out at you, but he is a very solid player, nonetheless.
He played remarkably well last season with the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings, and was recently demoted from Sacramento's starting lineup.
With just a $3 million salary and in the final year of his contract, he'll be a free agent next summer, so the Kings could be looking to get something for him if they don't have plans to re-sign him.
Although the Bulls already have a lot of talented forwards, Landry could provide a nice lift on Chicago's bench if the team were able to acquire him.
7. Jeff Green
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Jeff Green plays a big role with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he's got a bright future in the NBA.
But Oklahoma City still needs to re-sign Russell Westbrook, and they just re-signed Kevin Durant, which means Green probably isn't in the team's long-term plans.
Green will probably command a hefty salary during the offseason, so the Thunder might be willing to trade him to get a cheaper long-term option in return.
Enter Taj Gibson.
He's proven to be a very effective player, but he probably won't get as much money on the open market as Green.
If we're looking at the immediate future for Chicago, a Gibson-Green trade does make some sense, although Green isn't a great defensive player (just like Boozer).
6. Rudy Fernandez
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The Bulls have long been linked to the Trail Blazers' Rudy Fernandez, but the two teams never worked out a deal and Fernandez is still stuck in misery in Portland.
He wants out of Portland, and he'll probably be out by the trading deadline.
Chicago did sign Brewer and Korver during the offseason, but Fernandez probably has the brightest future ahead of him.
I'm not sure what kind of swap we'd see for Fernandez, but the Bulls would have to give up one or two young pieces to make it happen.
Still, Fernandez would be a nice scoring option at shooting guard or sixth-man for Chicago.
5. Gerald Wallace
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Gerald Wallace isn't a sexy name among NBA small forwards, but the guy has produced very solid numbers since joining the Charlotte Bobcats.
He averaged 18.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season and is putting up a very respectable 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists so far this season.
Wallace has also improved his long-range shooting in recent years, hitting 37.1 percent of his three-pointers last season and 33.3 percent during the 2010-11 campaign.
If the Bobcats are willing to take on Luol Deng's ridiculous contract for some reason, a swap like this could work because the two produce roughly the same numbers.
The advantage with Wallace is that he's been less injury-prone than Deng in recent years.
4. Andre Iguodala
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A breakup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Andre Iguodala seems to be on the horizon.
He's been mentioned in too many trade rumors to stay in Philadelphia for the remainder of his contract.
Iguodala, a shooting guard, has an odd flaw: his shooting.
But he has all the tools to succeed in this league, and it's just a matter of him finding his spot on the right team.
I think a Deng (and maybe one more piece) for Iguodala trade makes sense on a couple of levels.
It allows Evan Turner to take a bigger role in Philadelphia, it gives Iggy a fresh start in Chicago and it's almost an exact swap money-wise.
3. Tayshaun Prince
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Tayshaun Prince played a huge role in the Pistons' success in the early 2000s, but his days in Detroit appear to be numbered.
He's been at the forefront of trade rumors for God knows how long, and he could be shipped out of town because of his expiring contract.
If he were to land in Chicago (which could be difficult), he'd provide the Bulls with something they really need: another defensive presence.
When you've got someone who's defensively challenged like Boozer at power forward, you need a lot of defensive help around him.
With Prince and Noah alongside Derrick Rose and Boozer, you'd have two defensive studs paired up with two offensive-minded players.
2. Danilo Gallinari
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The Bulls already have a couple athletic young forwards in Gibson and James Johnson, but Danilo Gallinari has shown some incredible upside with the New York Knicks.
Gallinari is a relatively inexperienced player, but as his playing time has increased, so has his production.
He's scored at least 15 points in 11 games this month (15.7 per game on the season), and is also averaging 4.8 rebounds during the 2010-11 campaign.
Gallinari is versatile enough to play small forward or stretch the floor at the 4 position.
At just 22 years old, he'd give the Bulls a ridiculous young trio of players, joining Rose and Noah.
1. Carmelo Anthony
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It's pretty clear that the Bulls are willing to part ways with Deng and his terrible contract.
It's also pretty clear that the Denver Nuggets and Carmelo Anthony are headed for a split at some point in the future.
Rumors are that Denver wants Noah in any Anthony swap, but that's not happening.
So, if you're the Nuggets, why not send Anthony to the Bulls for Deng and Gibson or Johnson?
Chicago would get a top-10 player while the Nuggets would actually get something, rather than just letting Anthony walk.
Anthony would take some of the scoring pressure off Rose and really open up that offense for Boozer when he returns.
