Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
As the NBA Trade Deadline approaches, the Bulls may have to consider selling off assets and pivoting toward a rebuild. These three huge trades could get them started.
Things have not gone according to plan for the Chicago Bulls this season, who at 11-15 sit in 11th in the Eastern Conference. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have both regressed, the bench is struggling, the roster looks overmatched as constructed and there’s no indication of when, if ever, Lonzo Ball might be able to play again.
Just struggling to make the playoffs isn’t good enough for a roster so invested in veteran talent and without any obvious mechanism for improvement, besides a miraculous return to form for Lonzo. There’s no clear indication the Bulls are considering a complete tear-down but it has to at least be on the table.
If the Chicago Bulls wanted to push all their cards in on a rebuild, here’s how they could start …
3. Alex Caruso and Javonte Green to the Warriors
Bulls Get
James Wiseman
Donte DiVincenzo
Warriors Get
Alex Caruso
Javonte Green
This one may be harder for the Warriors to swallow than the Bulls, giving up the former No. 2 pick James Wiseman without getting a first-round pick in return. However, Caruso and Green would be huge two-way additions who could solve a lot of their problems this season and potentially open their championship window for another year or two.
For the Bulls, they’re sending out two beloved, fan-favorites who compete hard at both ends but Wiseman, with all his warts, is still a pretty big net positive in terms of future value. Even if they could find another team willing to take Caruso for a mid- or late-first-round pick the chances of getting someone with more upside than Wiseman are pretty slim.