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Chicago Bulls finally rebuild with this audacious trade idea
No matter how the Chicago Bulls front office spins it, they cannot escape the reality that this team isn’t cutting it. Chicago may be good enough to get into the NBA Play-In Tournament and perhaps even the first round of the Playoffs.
However, that will be as good as it gets for this Bulls team. It's time for a major rebuild, and here's one audacious trade idea created by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey that could set them on the right track.
Extract as many draft picks as possible
The Bulls have plenty of All-Stars and veterans who, on paper, have enough talent to raise Chicago’s profile. However, the numbers paint a different picture, as chemistry has often been an issue regarding the “Big 3” of DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine.
“In the two-plus seasons DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine have all been together, the team is a dreadful minus-2.8 points per 100 possessions when all three are on the floor,” Bailey wrote.
It’s high time that the Bulls’ decision-makers acknowledge the writing on the wall and pull the trigger on a deal that changes the franchise’s fortunes in the future.
In this trade idea involving the Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and the New York Knicks, Chicago would lose Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, and Torrey Craig and receive guard D'Angelo Russell, a lottery-protected 2026 first-round pick from New York, a 2029 first-round pick from Los Angeles and a top 10-protected 2029 first-round pick from Atlanta.
Long overdue reset
Fans and experts have long clamored for the Bulls to change course and veer away from their strategy of acquiring aging veterans in hopes of a playoff run. However, that plan has never panned out and has only led to mediocrity and disappointment.
With the team currently sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, it's clear that changes must be made. And this proposed trade could be the catalyst for a much-needed reset.
“If they can get any kind of draft capital for splitting up that trio, they need to do it. The thing is, the most likely source of any draft capital is probably Caruso. Since L.A. may not have enough tradable picks to work a simpler deal, the Knicks are roped in, too,” Bailey explained.
“Ultimately, walking away with three firsts and the ability to still trade Vucevic, LaVine and Russell (who'll be on an expiring contract in 2024-25) over the next couple years would make for a solid start to a rebuild.”
