Chicago Bulls: Trade packages with the Northwest Division
Mike Conley has not looked good to this point in Utah, and with depth being an issue for the Jazz, he could be on the move come the deadline.
The Jazz adding Conley this Summer was thought to have been a phenomenal move for Utah, but things have not panned out so far for them. Conley is currently averaging 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 37 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent from deep. Only appearing in 25 games this season due to injury, Conley is playing under 30 minutes per game for this first time since his rookie season back in 2007-2008.
With a hefty player option that he is likely to opt-in to this Summer, Utah could be looking for a way to cut their losses on the former Memphis star and add some depth for a playoff run this year and cap space for the Summer. Losing Tony Bradley should be of little to no issue to the Jazz, as the former late-first round pick has found very little playing time in Utah.
Thaddeus Young is an obvious trade target for the Jazz who could use a power forward and a tenured veteran for a run at an NBA title. Young could work for Utah either off of the bench or as a key role player, but is likely better suited as a starter. Acquiring Young would allow Bojan Bogdanovic to play his natural small forward position and focus more attention towards being the number two scorer.
In adding Kris Dunn, the Jazz could add a lockdown defender to their starting five and allow Donovan Mitchell to focus on scoring rather than facilitating the offense. Dunn is a phenomenal player to slide into the starting lineup for the remainder of this season in Utah, as his defensive-minded play would be a great fit in the Jazz system. Denzel Valentine also gives the Jazz the floor spacing and bench jolt that they need, while they do not have to worry about a long-term commitment to him with him set to hit restricted free agency this summer.
Both the second round pick included in this deal and Chandler Hutchison would provide Utah with some assets for the future in exchange for Conley. Hutchison was a first round pick in the 2018 Draft and has played solid basketball for the Bulls when healthy. He has the tools and talent to be a very solid role player in this league, and at only 23 years of age with 3 years to go on his rookie deal, acquiring Hutchison is a nice touch to this deal.
This swap seems a bit too good to be true for the Jazz, but there is one catch. The Jazz would have to take on Cristiano Felicio’s contract for the final year and a half in order for it to be worth while for the Chicago Bulls. His $8 million cap hit for next season is far from ideal, but his deal will expire after next season.
As for the Bulls, this is an extremely risky trade, but if it panned out the Bulls would get an All-Star-level player for a massive discount. Conley has been a great two-way player for the majority of his career, but he is having trouble clicking in Utah. Perhaps a change of scenery is all that Conley needs. Being able to plug a healthy and productive Mike Conley into the Bulls core without losing a major piece or a first round pick would be massive.
The risk here lies in Conley’s contract and the amount of depth the Bulls would have to forfeit for him. If Conley were to continue his downward spiral, Chicago would be in serious cap trouble for next season, meaning no new free agents would be coming to Chicago. Additionally, losing Chalder Hutchison for a washed-up Conley could hurt the team’s depth. Although Dunn and Valentine are both on expiring deals, the lack of depth this season would certainly hurt and would rule out having them back for 2020-2021.