NEWSLETTER
As the March 25th deadline creeps up, so will the rumors.
On Monday, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported two important nuggets about the Chicago Bulls trade season approach. The first big piece of news centered around Thaddeus Young’s availability. O’Connor wrote that the front office has taken the veteran forward off the table due to his recent stellar play. As for another bench vet, Otto Porter, O’Connor reported that several teams were interested and that a buyout could potentially be on the table
In our discussions, we touched on how Young has likely played himself into another full season in Chicago, but how it would still be surprising to learn that the Bulls have removed him entirely from trade conversations. Likewise, interest in the 27-year-old, Porter, who is on an expiring contract, is believable, but the idea of him preferring a buyout seems a bit bizarre. If anything, we wrote that this feels far more like “wishful thinking from rival executives.”
In any case, we got a bit of an update today from The Action Network’s Matt Moore, which provides some additional context on both fronts:
Sources now believe Young is no longer gettable without an offer that Chicago can’t refuse.
There’s talk of a potential buyout for often-injured Porter, but that seems more speculative wishes from interested parties than rooted in team strategy.
The Bulls will take calls but are no longer itching to make moves.
Let’s start with Young.
Removing Young from all trade discussions was always a silly proposition (*everyone* should be available … for the right price), especially when we consider that the market looks rather thin this season. Thanks to a handful of extensions this offseason, many of the most intriguing talents and contracts have disappeared. Thus, a player like Young – who is a true veteran having a career season and on a partially-guaranteed deal next season – has become all the more valuable. If the Bulls were not even interested in picking up the phone, they could miss out on a can’t-miss offer from a desperate contender. I still think it’s more likely than not that Young is with this team for the remainder of the season, but I’ve always felt like this organization is one we can expect to consider all their options. They’d be foolish not to.
Bottom line here? You can say he’s entirely “unavailable” (of course he’s not) or that it would take an offer the Bulls “can’t refuse,” but either way one thing is clear: The Bulls are more likely to hold onto Thaddeus Young at the deadline than they were a couple months ago.
As for the Porter piece of this, it makes plenty of sense and tracks exactly with our expectations yesterday. I can’t imagine he would want to leave a bunch of money on the table, and I’m sure the Bulls are prepared to ride out the rest of this season if that is what it takes. A trade is a bit hard to come by with his $28.5 million contract in the mix, but I think that is the only way we see him wearing a different jersey this season.
Now with all of that said, Moore’s final comment does make leave the door open for a change-of-heart. Six of the Bulls ten games before the deadline will be against current playoff teams, which means we could see them start to tumble down the standings sooner than later. If that does happen, the front office’s willingness to negotiate for assets could trend up. The same can almost be said about a situation where the Bulls win more games than expected before the deadline. If the team starts the second half great, maybe the front office is more open to buying a piece or upgrading a position.
I think the most likely outcome as of today – March 9th, 2021 – is that the Bulls pretty much stand pat. Karnisovas didn’t tip his hand toward doing anything more than that in his pre-All-Star break press conference, and there seems to be a legitimate hope that this young core can further develop through a true playoff push. Of course, I wouldn’t be shocked if things change dramatically over the next two weeks. That’s the fun of trade season!
