No. 5 Jaylen Brown:
When the Chicago Bulls traded for Otto Porter Jr., the intent was that he would be their small forward for years to come. Going into his seventh year, Porter has a career average of only 11 points a game. The Bulls felt that a new scenario would boost his game and invested heavily in him.
Until he was traded to the Bulls, Porter Jr. spent most of his time on the Washington Wizards watching Bradley Beal and John Wall take the large majority of shots. In 41 games he averaged 12.6 points. In the fifteen games he played for the Bulls, his per game averages shot up to 17.5 points and he shot .488 from beyond the arc.
He has a player option for 2020/21. Unless he has a killer year and decides to test free agency, he is most likely on the Bulls roster that year. Still, his price tag of $28,489,239 would seem rather heavy for a player that is not an all-star.
The Bulls may consider a trade at that point, with a year left on his contract, to cut their losses and invest money elsewhere. If that happens, a promising young player like Jaylen Brown, coming off his rookie deal, would make sense.
Last season, Brown played on a disoriented Boston Celtics team surrounded by Kyrie Irving rumors and the return of highly paid Gordon Hayward from serious injury. After a promising 2018/19 season, Brown’s game took an unexpected slight step back.
Still, he is young, extremely talented, plays hard-nosed defense and is versatile to play both the two and the three. If he blossoms this season into the player everyone thought he would become, chances are he will explore the open market. Depending on how Otto Porter Jr. or even LaVine mesh with Jim Boylen’s philosophies, the Bulls may pursue signing Brown to a long-term contract.