No. 1 Trade Kris Dunn and/or Denzel Valentine
Instead of gambling on Valentine and Dunn, the Bulls management bet on Ryan Arcidiacono and Luke Kornet who both have guaranteed deals for next season. Kornet hardly plays despite his size and shot blocking ability. Once Porter returns at small forward, Arcidiacono won’t even break the regular ten man rotation.
The Bulls cannot expect many teams to be interested in taking Kornet or Arcidiacono off their hands. It would not be a surprise though if they are approached about Dunn or Valentine before the trade deadline.
Teams in playoff contention, searching to strengthen their bench unit, would benefit from Dunn’s lock down defense which could prove to be a major asset in a series against players like Jimmy Butler or Kawhi Leonard. Valentine’s offensive efficiency and potential to grow into a starting role is also very attractive. Clearly he has recovered well from an ankle injury that many questioned may end his career.
Unfortunately, the Bulls are not strategically positioned to keep either player at a price that works for them after the season. Both players could be lost without receiving anything in return. All they can do is extend qualifying offers of $7.1 and $4.7 million respectively and hope a better offer does not come along that they can’t match.
The mistake was not expecting that they would become leaders of a second unit that has become one of the few bright spots this year. To allow both players to walk without getting anything in return after the season would be a major blunder.