When in the throes of a game the Chicago Bulls often look lost. They look like a team in need of floor general and, luckily, there might be one available.
It’s been a rough season for the Chicago Bulls. How rough depends on your expectations before the year. But there is no unit of measure where this can be deemed successful. There is still time as the Bulls sit a handful of games out of the eight-seed. They are unlikely to get there as currently constructed, though.
Their inability to maintain an offensive flow stands out among the reasons for this team’s struggles (from a personnel standpoint; coaching issues are another topic). Their system utilizing multiple ball-handlers has exposed an overall lack of playmaking IQ.
That deficiency contributes to the long stretches of one-and-done trips and passes to guys out of scoring position.
Point in the Right Direction
Enter Jrue Holiday.
The New Orleans Pelicans guard is the steadying force the Bulls need to get the most out of this core. Zach LaVine is a walking bucket and rookie Coby White hasn’t seen a look he didn’t like yet.
Then there is the mysterious case of Lauri Markkanen. The Finnish seven-footer flashed unicorn-level abilities last year including as a ball handler. But he has regressed at creating offense for himself and would benefit from a lead guard who understands getting guys the ball in their spots.
This isn’t a knock on LaVine or commentary on White’s overall ceiling. Instead, it’s an acknowledgment that the framework is there for a playoff team. They just need an actuator.
Perhaps a point guard averaging 6.5 assists would be of service?
The Bulls current assist leader, Tomas Satoransky, is averaging 5.4 per contest. Since coming over from the Washington Wizards this past offseason, Satoransky has brought a level of stability that the team lacks when he is off the floor when their assist percentage drops three points.
Now, Holiday hasn’t positively affected his team’s assist percentage since the 2016-17 season, mostly due to playing more of an off-guard role. And the new pieces and injuries have made this season a tougher one than usual. But just last year, Holiday’s presence raised the Pelicans offensive rating nearly nine points from 106.4 to 115.2.
Ifs and Buts
Holiday can be that actuator for the Bulls. If New Orleans is still open to moving him that is. Fresh off a seven-game absence due to injury, Holiday hung 36 points on the Memphis Grizzlies, including a career-high seven made threes.
It was a performance so good that it hurts the possibility of the Bulls prying him loose.
The rumor mill was churning out scenarios where the Bulls would acquire Holiday. That was before White fell to them in the NBA Draft.
It has also been reported that, if moved, Holiday would prefer to be moved to a contender. That is understandable and expected. But who knows if any of the teams mentioned, most notably the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, will pull the trigger. Miami, in particular, has been choosy about what deals to pull in the wake of their trade for Jimmy Butler. And will Denver sacrifice depth?
What anybody else wants or will do remains known only to them and that includes Holiday. But, just as in the plan to bring Aaron Gordon to Chicago, those aren’t our concerns.
We’re strictly looking for realistic ways to improve the Bulls. Though the Eastern Conference does provide a clearer path to making the playoffs even if the Bulls make it seem like pulling teeth. If that is truly a deciding factor for Holiday perhaps the thought of being the piece to get them into the playoffs and helping attract a superstar makes it more palatable.
The Bulls are averse to the outright tanking necessary to bring in a top-tier talent in the draft. They should, then, stick with their logic that brought in Otto Porter. He is far from a superstar player but had a positive effect once he joined the Bulls, at least he did last year.
Making Assumptions
So let’s take the massive (see: chasm) leap that the Pelicans are open and willing to pull the trigger on a deal, what might that package look like?
How about something like this?
Throw in a protected future first-round pick to sweeten the deal.
Some fine intricacies do bear mentioning. First, this deal gets an unhappy player out of the locker room. Not to suggest that Thaddeus Young has been a distraction or detrimental to the chemistry, but his grumblings were made public. A move could be best, though he wouldn’t necessarily be heading towards more minutes.
The deal also allows the Bulls to move on from two players who have struggled to stay out of the organizational doghouse. Denzel Valentine should be providing additional outside shooting and a tertiary ball-handler on the wing. Instead, his biggest contribution has been the club video.
Kris Dunn’s situation is unique. He is a highly-touted prospect who was never going to reach the heights his draft slot suggested. But he’s turned himself into one of the NBA’s better defenders.
In this scenario, the Bulls get to rid themselves of a pair of players they don’t see as part of their long-term future and a player who clearly had a different vision for how this season would go. There are no drawbacks outside of that draft pick that would only be top-10 (maybe even top-five) protected.
Mutually Beneficial
For the Pelicans, they get some needed frontcourt help with a defensive twist in Young and more shooting and another ball-handler off the bench in Valentine. They also get a stout defender in Dunn (though Frank Jackson’s presence certainly complicates things).
This is certainly a peak #TradeSZN proposal but the Bulls have voiced a willingness to move two of the three they’d be giving up and the third is supposedly open to a move.
Alas, it takes two to tango. And after Monday New Orleans appears to be all in as-is.