If the Chicago Bulls were to jump into trade discussions with the Indiana Pacers to nab power forward Domantas Sabonis, what would it all entail?
The Central Division could be hot on the trail of trade rumors throughout the 2019-20 regular season. Among those teams that could be active on the trade market just out of the Central Division, the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks could all be looking for ways to upgrade their roster as the season moves closer and closer to the playoffs.
However, one team that stayed in the thick of the trade rumors is the Pacers with one of their potent young forwards. Fourth-year former Gonzaga Bulldogs power forward Domantas Sabonis was reportedly (Sam Amick of The Athletic) shopped by the Pacers last week. Could this mean the end of the young frontcourt duo for the Pacers that includes Sabonis and former Texas Longhorns center Myles Turner?
It does appear that Sabonis feels differently about this trade situation than the Pacers do. According to Pacers Forbes reporter Tony East on Twitter, Sabonis does know that there’s tension between him and his team right now.
Domantas Sabonis: “Theres not really much to talk about. I know exactly how the Pacers feel about me now. They know how I feel about that. There’s not much more to say. I’ll let my agents do the rest of it, we’ll see what happens”
— Tony East (@TonyREast) October 19, 2019
If the Pacers are serious about getting down to business in talks to trade Sabonis, where would be the best landing spot for him? Most teams that need a young and potent power forward that could be an immediate Sixth Man of the Year Award candidate, or at least a quality starter at the four comes to mind right away.
Although the Bulls wouldn’t fit that bill at first glance, they could be talked into it if the right deal comes along. Any upgrade the Bulls could get to the starting five, and the backups behind their best players in the frontcourt rotation would be welcome for the right price tag.
Here’s a look into three potential trade deals that could come about between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers involving power forward Domantas Sabonis.
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.
If the Chicago Bulls were able to find a way to offload the overpaid Brazilian big man Cristiano Felicio via the trade market this year, it would be a great move by John Paxson and Gar Forman. Felicio didn’t do much to prove that the FIBA World Cup showing for him with the Brazilians actually will improve his game off the bench in the NBA.
However, the Bulls are going to have to give something valuable up to the Pacers if it means getting rid of Felicio’s $8 million contract. The Pacers are still sending Sabonis and Warren to the Bulls, and now add in the former first round draft pick and 22-year-old power forward T.J. Leaf.
What the Bulls send to the Pacers for their troubles here is the 2018 seventh overall draft pick and former Duke Blue Devils big man Wendell Carter Jr. The second-year center looked good in the preseason finale win for the Bulls over the Atlanta Hawks at home late last week. They also still have Hutchison included in the mix to get more reliable wing help with Warren.
The Bulls get to renew the youth in their frontcourt and also get rid of two of the players that would be deeper down the bench for head coach Jim Boylen this season. Getting Felicio’s nearly immovable contract off the books would allow them to make more moves on the trade market down the line. It also gives the potential to work two good young big men like Sabonis and power forward Lauri Markkanen together this season.
In this final trade proposal, the Chicago Bulls have to give up a lot of future draft assets and three key young players. The Bulls send the two players that are often mentioned in these possible trade packages with Dunn going to the New York Knicks and Hutchison and Valentine landing with the Pacers.
The difference here for the Bulls is the fact that the former Arkansas Razorbacks big man (and the team’s 2019 second round draft pick) Daniel Gafford is also landing with the Knicks. Gafford looked solid throughout the Las Vegas Summer League and the preseason. He and fellow Bulls 2019 draft pick, point guard Coby White, give this team a bright future.
But the Bulls could vastly accelerate the rebuild by landing Sabonis from the Pacers and nabbing small forward Kevin Knox and French point guard Frank Ntilikina from the Knicks. Knox and Ntilikina had their various flashes of promise during the offseason which should give the Bulls hope. And sending Dunn to the Knicks isn’t too big of a risk for this nice return.
Ntilikina looked great for the French team during the FIBA World Cup on the way to winning Bronze in China earlier in the year. And Knox looked good throughout both the Vegas Summer League and the preseason. Sabonis helps to give the Bulls added depth in the frontcourt, which is why they have to give up their 2020 first round pick and a future second round pick.