With the Chicago Bulls reportedly interested in shopping shooting guard Denzel Valentine on the trade block ahead of the deadline, where could they look?
It appears that there could be a trade featuring the Chicago Bulls and former Michigan State Spartans 6-foot-6 shooting guard Denzel Valentine in the very near future. The momentum that Valentine had returning this season after missing all of last year was quickly demolished by his lack of playing time during the month of January.
According to a report from Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times on Jan. 11, the Bulls could be looking to shop Valentine around before the 2020 trade deadline since they don’t see him in their future plans. This could be one of the more underrated sharpshooters available on the trade market that comes with a low price tag for the 2020 deadline.
Once the Bulls get healthier on the wing, it’s hard to see too much playing time going the way of Valentine down the stretch this season. Former Boise State Broncos small forward Chandler Hutchison and fellow wing Otto Porter Jr. are both either back from injury, or set to return within the next month or so.
Valentine’s playing time was already dwindling prior to the return of players like Hutch to the rotation. Head coach Jim Boylen didn’t seem intent on capitalizing on the improved play of Valentine of late, even when the Bulls needed a lot of help on the wing.
Here’s what Valentine had to say about his limited role and dwindling minutes on the floor of late as a part of the trade rumor piece from Cowley.
"I’m a competitor. I want to play, I want to be productive, I want to help the team win. But that’s out of my control, so I’m not about to let it make [me] not happy every day."
Here’s a look into three possible trade packages featuring the Chicago Bulls and shooting guard Denzel Valentine if they decide to move him ahead of the 2020 trade deadline.