The Bulls already made a huge trade to go ahead and get the team another all-star at the trade deadline. Even after trading for Nikola Vucevic, they were still unable to make the playoffs. That trade indicated that the team is likely beginning win-now mode. The Bulls are still a very young team and have a lot of pieces on the roster that can be moved for established stars. A multitude of stars around the league seem like they will be on the trade market this offseason. A few point guards around the league will be on the market this offseason and the Bulls should be making phone calls on what their availability is like.
Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons’s trade value is at an all-time low. His performance in these last playoffs has had many people doubting his future role in this league. He shot 32% from the free-throw line in this last playoff stretch. He was unplayable late in the fourth quarter. A lot of what Simmons is going through seems to be mental at this point. There was a play late in the fourth quarter where he passed up an open dunk to dump it off to Matisse Thybulle. This one play highlighted how passive he has become as a player.
Despite all of this, Simmons is still a one-of-a-kind player. He is arguably the most versatile defender in the league, having the ability to guard positions 1-5. He is a 6-foot-10, 240-pound point guard with excellent passing ability and solid handles for his size. If put on the right team, he could thrive.
The Bulls bigs are floor stretchers which will allow Simmons to operate with more space and get to the paint. The Bulls also have a dire need for more defense. Simmons will provide them with great versatility on that end of the floor. Simmons could be a solid fit for the Bulls and it is possible they become aggressive in pursuing him when his value is at an all-time low.
Kemba Walker
Walker was recently traded from the Boston Celtics to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It is very obvious that the Thunder did not make this trade with the intention to have Walker be on the roster for the long haul. They wanted to continue acquiring draft picks and then go from there. It would not take much for a team to acquire him in a trade with the Thunder due to the over $70 million he will be owed over the next two years.
Walker had a very bad year to his standards. This does not mean he is incapable of being a high-quality starting point guard in the NBA. His All-Star days are likely behind him, but to a team like the Chicago Bulls, he could play a large role. He would not help improve their perimeter defense, but he would bring more veteran leadership and scoring to the team. A backcourt of him and Zach LaVine would be one of the better scoring duos in the league.
The issue here is money. Nikola Vucevic is on a max contract and LaVine is soon to be on one as well. Having three max contracts without one of them even being a superstar is never a good idea. Pulling the trigger on a trade for Walker would restrict the Bulls a lot, making this something the team should probably pass on.
Damian Lillard
This one would obviously be a reach for the Bulls. Lillard is one of the best players in the league and would require a huge package in return for him. Some news of him being upset with how the coaching search was handled may prompt a trade request in the future though. If a request like this was made, the Bulls could put together a not-too-bad package.
A package consisting of Coby White, Patrick Williams, Tomas Satoransky, Thaddeus Young and however many picks the Blazers want for Lillard and Kanter could work. Kanter is just the salary fill-in to make all of this work. This package is not amazing, but it is a lot better than what a lot of other teams could throw together. This would give the Bulls a big three of Lillard, LaVine, and Vucevic which would immediately make them a contender. If the Bulls were able in any way to pull off a trade like this while keeping LaVine and Vucevic, they should pull the trigger.
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