NEWSLETTER
The NBA has yet to see it’s first real trade of the regular-season, but it’s only a matter of time before that stove fires up.
Starting this past Sunday, teams are allowed to trade any free agent signed over the summer, which means those discussions and rumors are just about to become that much more real. And for a team like the Bulls – who may well need to part with whatever talent they have now for something more in the future (sigh) – this stuff is all the more relevant.
To that end, The Athletic’s Stephen Noh kicked off the conversation for the Bulls right here, and I’m sure you’ll want to check it out.
In the meantime, let’s set one thing straight: Merely talking about the possibility of a trade doesn’t mean this Bulls organization has the willingness or ability to pull one (or many) off. We’re not dealing with a front office known for their transactionally savvy, after all.
With that said, this team finally has the type of win-now pieces other organizations could covet in exchange for something more in the future. And while you might hate that we’re here and having this conversation (again) 3+ years into the rebuild … well, life’s tough. Sometimes, you just have to take a sober and realistic assessment of where the team is and go from there. So here we go …
Adding veterans like Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky this offseason was an uncharacteristically good move for this management group. Indeed, both players had legitimate contenders looking their way before they signed with the Bulls, and that means a market for each of them is likely to still exist. The question now, however, is will the Bulls be able to exploit it? In any number of ways (including potential return), Young and Satoransky could be the easiest Bulls to move this season – they’re both talented and the furthest from “the core” – so you hope the Bulls consider every avenue when it comes to those phone calls.
But while they may be two of the most reasonable players on the move this winter, Noh identifies a few other pieces that he believes the Bulls should considering moving, as well: Otto Porter, Denzel Valentine, and Kris Dunn. Indeed, Noh believes the Bulls should shop those five players “aggressively” this season, and it’s hard to disagree.
In fact, I think Noh probably stopped a little short of where the Bulls should ultimately end up. Perhaps, they can’t literally shop everyone aggressively during the regular season, but they should be open to moving basically any player on the team not named Wendell Carter Jr., Coby White, and Lauri Markkanen.
Keeping the first two should be self-evident, but in case it isn’t clear: (1) White is a 19-year-old rookie, who’s flashed brilliance and upside, even as he’s battled inconsistency, and (2) Carter Jr. is a 20-year-old big man who looks like one of the best young frontcourt pieces in the league. These are the sort of pieces you want to continue (re-)building your team around and the sort of pieces you’d likely target in a trade anyway.
Markkanen might be less obvious, but holding onto him has less to do with a willingness to move him than it does extracting a fair value. Sure, The Finnisher has delivered frustratingly replaceable production throughout the season – but that’s precisely why his value on the market isn’t going to match whatever promise he may still hold in the future (near and long-term).
But as for every other player, the Bulls can – AT LEAST – do us the favor of being receptive. In fact, they should probably start sending out feelers. Can you get a first-rounder for LaVine? What about Young? Is there a low-end wing out there for Dunn? Would anyone be interested in Valentine’s resurgence?
Of course, before you start tallying up draft picks and dreaming of ways to spend the newly created cap space, there are some things to keep in mind. For one, the 2020 free-agent class pretty much stinks … and it’s not like the Bulls have been much of a free agent destination in … a while. And the 2020 draft isn’t looking all that exciting, either (though that can always change).
If the Bulls were going to make the sort of aggressive moves that could turn a franchise on its edge, they might have to do so with their sights set a couple of seasons down the line (believe me, I’m groaning as much as you are). Noh specifically mentioned the 2022 draft class, which should allow for high school players to be drafted.
But that basically means the Bulls could be staring yet another version of a rebuild in the face, and I’m not certain that’s what anyone wants.
With every Bulls player besides Valentine, Dunn, and Shaq Harrison under contract next season, keeping most guys around might ultimately be the best way to stay competitive in a crappy Eastern Conference, depending on the potential returns. After all, we know coaching appears to be a horrendous problem for Chicago, so maybe this team clicks if the Bulls decide to get new leadership over the offseason (you gonna hold your breath?).
Unfortunately, there are not many more options on the table than what’s laid out above, and that puts the team in an appreciably tough spot. So keeping an extremely open mind – whether that’s hitting the trade market hard, keeping an eye on 2022, or re-tooling for next year – must be on the table.
And, of course, a change in leadership should probably come first.
Michael Cerami contributed to this post.
