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Chicago Bulls: Grades and reactions for the Otto Porter trade

By Luke Askew

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 20: Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the second half against the LA Clippers at Capital One Arena on November 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 20: Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the second half against the LA Clippers at Capital One Arena on November 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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The Chicago Bulls have reportedly agreed to a trade with the Washington Wizards centered around Otto Porter. Let’s run through this trade and give it a grade.

Per Shams Charania, the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards have agreed to a trade that will send Otto Porter to Chicago in exchange for Bobby Portis, Jabari Parker and a future second-round draft pick.

Parker and Portis both found themselves in multiple trade rumors heading into Thursday’s trade deadline. It seemed like the smart money was on Parker getting dealt, but not Portis. This one comes as a bit of a surprise.

Otto Porter is a 6’8″ wing that can put the ball in the basket. He’s an excellent shooter and fills a position of need for the Bulls. The question isn’t whether or not Otto Porter is a good player. We know he’s a good player. The question is with his massive contract. Is Porter worth it?

To put it simply, Porter is owed a ton of money. Per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Porter is due a little over $55 million over the next two seasons. Normally, that would be the kind of contract the Bulls would want to stay away from, but this situation is a little different.

At 25 years of age, Porter still carries loads of upside. He’s had a relatively rough season, but he’s shown flashes of brilliance. For his career, Porter is averaging 10.7 points per game on 48.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.9 percent shooting from 3-point range. With his size and skill-set, he should be able to provide the Bulls with an immense amount of help immediately on both offense and defense. He still has a long way to go before he can be considered a reliable scoring option, but the potential is definitely there.

If the Bulls were going to be major players in free agency over the next two summers, this would’ve been a bad deal. Porter will eat up a ton of cap space for a couple years. But the reality is the Bulls aren’t a top destination for free agents. It’s sad, but it’s true. Getting a player like Porter via trade is necessary with the current state of the franchise.

Saying goodbye to Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis couldn’t have been easy for the Bulls. Both are young, talented forwards with bright futures. Jabari wasn’t likely to be around after this year, though, and Bobby was stuck in the Bulls frontcourt logjam. The fit just wasn’t right.

Overall, this was a good move for the Bulls. Porter’s contract gives them less freedom in the coming summers, but that’s okay. He has enough untapped potential to keep Bulls fans excited.

Grade: B+

Next. 5 guys to trade for that no one is talking about. dark

What did you think of the trade? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.

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