Should the Bulls Trade for Deandre Ayton?

On May 14, 2023, Austin Carroll, of pippenainteasy.com, mentioned the possibility of the Bulls trading for Deandre Ayton.

As shown by the last season, the Bulls need to improve somehow, and they do need better center play. Specifically, Vucevic has been decent but he’s the only effective Bulls center they have.

So, should the Bulls trade for Deandre Ayton? If so, what would that trade look like?

Possible Trade Overview + Expectations

If the trade went through, it would likely look somewhat like this:

Bulls receive Deandre Ayton and Terrence Ross

Suns receive Nikola Vucevic, CHI 2024 1^st round pick and 2026 2^nd round pick

With this trade, the Bulls are likely looking to improve center play and defense.

That means that it would be Ayton’s job to make sure he not only scores but plays defense accordingly. With a developing young defender in Patrick Williams and a veteran defender in Alex Caruso, it’s not likely it would be extremely difficult.

Additionally, if they are trading for Ayton, they are likely trying to make the team younger. If they trade Vucevic for Ayton, they are likely trying to get rid of a slightly older player for a younger one.

That likely makes restructuring the Bulls easier.

They could mold/develop Ayton into what they need instead of depending on Vucevic’s established game benefits for the Bulls. Therefore, this trade heavily depends on Ayton’s development.

Stat Comparison

However, when comparing the players statistically, it can be difficult to determine who is better.

Basketball Reference shows that Vucevic averaged 18.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists in his 3 years for the bulls. Also, he shot 49.2% from the field, 34.2% from three, and 81.2% from the line.

Additionally, he was also an effective defender for the Bulls. Over the course of the 2022-23 season, StatMuse shows that Vucevic’s defensive rating was 109.7 and NBA.com shows that he is a top 10 rim protector in the league.

In essence, Vucevic is highly consistent on both the offensive and defensive end. The same can be said about Ayton.

Moving on to Ayton, Basketball Reference shows he averaged 16.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in his career with the Suns. Also, he shot 59.7% from the field and 75.5% from the line.

Additionally, StatMuse shows that his defensive rating was 111.0 over the course of the 2022-23 season.

When comparing the two, each player has their own edges.

For instance, the stats show that Ayton has a 10% edge in field goal percentage but doesn’t provide the same 3-point shooting that Vucevic does. Vucevic has a slight edge of 1.3 in defensive rating while Ayton has a slight edge of 0.8 in assists.

All in all, these statistical factors need to be considered before the trade decision.

The Final Decision

Back to the core question, should the Bulls trade for Deandre Ayton?

Honestly, if that is the only move they make during the offseason, they shouldn’t.

Of course, Ayton and Vucevic have around the same production, but the 3-point shooter for this team are very important.

Although Vucevic isn’t a great 3-point shooter, having a stretch big is important for a team that struggles from three. If they got Deandre Ayton and no other significant players, he’d clog the paint quite a bit.

For example, he’d be trying to get open in the paint while DeMar would be trying to isolate in the mid-range or drive. Same case with LaVine.

He’d also clog LaVine’s space needed to isolate against his defenders. LaVine can shoot the three but not an effective enough clip every game.

If the Bulls trade for Ayton, they’d also need to plan to get shooters as well.

Overall, this trade isn’t a bad one but, again, other moves would need to be made for significant progress.

Stay tuned for more NBA content, including midseason moves, contract updates, and more pieces about every team.

You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers!

“From our Haus to Yours”