The Fine Line Between Realistic and Crazy Trade Proposals, Ball’s Type, Donovan’s Court, and Other Bulls Bullets

My mind is racing. I have so many thoughts as we looked ahead to this wicked-fast NBA offseason. I’m super excited, but I’m also already feeling a tad overwhelmed. Bear with me as I try to make it through these next couple of weeks.

•   The offseason can often shine a spotlight on some crazy trade ideas, especially when that offseason is stuffed with organizational change. So I commend Bulls fans for the creative proposals that have come across my timeline. I’ve found several of them to be rather well-thought-out, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we should perceive them to be likely. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry dove into a pile of hypothetical trades in his most recent post at The Athletic. For a better idea of what kind of trades Bulls fans want to see and how realistic they are, I strongly recommend giving it a read.

•   Mayberry has the Bulls saying no to most trades, and that’s a concept on which I want to briefly hone in. While every single player on this Bulls roster is probably on the table, we shouldn’t mistake that for eagerness to get a deal done. The most likely scenario is that Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley keep the roster the same for most of the 2020-21 season. The front office wants to evaluate the current talent on this roster, and they’ve made bolstering the player development staff an immediate priority for that reason. Of course, if a young and big-name player like Ben Simmons becomes available, I expect the Bulls to sniff around. However, if we’re talking about the possibility of landing a player like Chris Paul, I expect the Bulls to sit back.

•   The organization probably does not want to jeopardize the spending power they have in 2021. With that said, I do believe this team wants to win a handful of more games this season and push for the playoffs, but I also believe they think this roster can pull that off. Moving too many pieces around right now could just end up making a bigger mess. Right now, it’s time to figure out what the Bulls have and how to proceed. The real roster tweaking should start at the trade deadline and speed up during the 2021 free agency.

•   Whether your like it or not, LaMelo Ball is rumored to be a Bulls target. Several high-profile NBA analysts have said it, including NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson. Now, Johnson does not go as far as to say that the Bulls will trade up to land Ball like some others, but he seems confident that Karnisovas would select him if he fell to No. 4. When push comes to shove, I don’t think Ball is wearing a Bulls jersey next season, but I can’t ignore the increasing conversations connecting the two sides. I wrote more about Ball Tuesday morning, and why I’m concerned about his ability to take the NBA leap.

•   People love to compare prospects to current or former NBA talent. For Ball, that’s ready hard to do. He is a player with a unique skillset and a unique resume. No one in NBA history has taken the kind of path he has over the past several seasons. Still, there are a couple of comparisons I think work well, and the first two come from The Ringer’s video scouting report. The site compares him to a bigger Ricky Rubio without the defense or a bigger Trae Young without the shooting. In other words, a very confusing player. Meanwhile, and I thought of this one on my own only to see it pop up in a couple of other areas, Ball can also draw some comparisons to pre-injury Shaun Livingston. Considering Livingston looks like a multi-time All-Star in his early days, this could sound great, but Ball does not quite have the athletic burst or quickness Livingston had at the time, in my opinion.

•   Hey, it never hurts to familiarize yourself with some unknown, second-round talent.

•   If the Bulls trade up (which, again, I don’t find likely), it would likely cost a member of the “young core.” According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the Bulls know which players they’d prefer to deal.

•   I’d say it’s a pretty good sign when your head coach already has a court named after him.

written by

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

more bulls news

Best Defense of the Season, Playing Big, Javonte Green’s Instant Impact, and Other Bulls Bullets

Lose to the 14-win Wizards one game and hold the Pacers' elite offense to their worst performance of the season the next. Your 2023-24 Chicago Bulls, everyone! As I said in last night's Enhanced Box Score, I'm now even more...

WOW: Minnesota Timberwolves Sale to Alex Rodriguez Falls Through

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a bomb on Thursday morning. According to a statement released by the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership group, the franchise is no longer for sale. A transition of power was thought to be in place over the...

Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 125, Pacers 99 – March 27, 2024

I got to be honest, I'm even more upset about the Washington Wizards' loss. If the Chicago Bulls played like they did tonight, they would have beaten that depleted Wizards team by 40. This was a locked-in group from the...

Javonte Green Makes Bulls Return… Immediately Does Awesome Stuff

Javonte Green has officially made his Chicago Bulls debut ... again. The 30-year-old signed with the organization via a 10-day hardship deal on March 22. Injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Julian Phillips paved the way for...

WATCH: Alex Caruso Snatches Rookie Ben Sheppard’s Ankles

Alex Caruso will always be known for his defense capabilities, but he's showing a lot more than that this season. The veteran guard is averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career. A big part of that has...

Draymond Green Ejected Less Than 4 Minutes Into Game Against Orlando

Draymond Green was at it again on Wednesday night. Out East to take on the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors watched Paolo Banchero bulldoze Andrew Wiggins to the rim early in the first quarter. As Banchero high-fived his teammates...

Pre-Gamin’: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT), Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

Everything was awful on Tuesday. Be Better. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1772971933161705610?s=20 Game Info Indiana Pacers (41-32) at Chicago Bulls (34-38) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Projected Starting Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Alex Caruso Ayo Dosunmu...

Around the Association: Caitlin Clark Gets Big(3) Offer, Knicks Getting Help, Lakers OT Thriller, More

It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks remaining in the NBA's regular season, and we should be in for some real drama down the stretch. The Knicks have plenty to play for in their remaining 11 games...

WHOA: NCAA Looking to Ban Prop Betting on All College Athletes

As the NCAA men's basketball tournament gears up for the Sweet Sixteen, the college sports world received some big news. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to officially ban prop betting on college...

NBA Playoffs Update: Several Races Are Still Undecided

The NBA season is winding down. We have some awesome races for the NBA Playoffs to keep an eye on in the final 2+ weeks of the season. The top seed in the West is still up for grabs in...

Latest News

Rome Odunze Has a Visit With the Bears Coming Soon

If you aren't already familiar with Rome Odunze's name or game, your time will come. The University of Washington wide receiver is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point of the year, I've officially...

Matt Eberflus Opens a Window to the Chicago Bears Draft Plans

NFL coaches are notoriously tight-lipped. And in his first two seasons as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has been no different. But every once in a while you'll catch Eberflus peel back the curtain and provide some insight regarding the...

How to Watch Braves vs. Phillies: Live Stream or on TV

The Atlanta Braves, with Spencer Strider on the mound, take on the Philadelphia Phillies (who will counter with Zack Wheeler) in their opening game of the season, at 3:05 PM ET on Friday.Keep reading to find out all the details...

Jonas Valančiūnas Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

On Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, the New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jonas Valančiūnas' 3-pointer prop for this clash requires just one trey.Jonas Valančiūnas' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksJonas Valanciunas' over/under for three-pointers in this game:...

Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Arizona Diamondbacks begin their season as -226 favorites in a home tilt against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Seattle Mariners start their season as home favorites (-155) in a matchup with the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN from T-Mobile Park.Seattle's Luis Castillo and Boston's Brayan Bello have been named the...

Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Cleveland Guardians look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-145) in a season-opening matchup with the Oakland Athletics. First pitch is on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET on NBCS-CA, live from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane...

Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

Will Damian Lillard make four 3-pointers when the Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for...

more bulls news