The biggest part of this trade deal is the swap between two forwards with former Boise State Broncos wing Chandler Hutchison going to the Pacers and former Phoenix Suns wing T.J. Warren coming back to the Chicago Bulls. Warren does command a pretty large $10.3 million price tag. But he could be worth it given the way he looked so far in the preseason.
It would also be nice for the Bulls to nab additional wing depth beyond former Washington Wizards small forward Otto Porter Jr. Hutchison is currently dealing with a lingering hamstring injury that’s kept him out since the start of the preseason and Training Camp. But he does still hold trade value given his two-way potential.
The Bulls do have to part with their safety net on the wing in this trade deal with the Pacers to land Sabonis. That other safety net would be the former Michigan State Spartans fourth-year shooting guard Denzel Valentine. But Valentine didn’t look good at all while trying to shake off the rust during the preseason.
What the Bulls also get from the Pacers in this trade deal is the 23-year-old former UCLA Bruins point guard Aaron Holiday. In return, the Pacers get a point guard that could fill a very different role from Holiday in the former Minnesota Timberwolves top five draft pick Kris Dunn. The Pacers also land a future second round draft pick from the Bulls for their troubles here.