The Chicago Bulls chose to remain dormant at the trade deadline. Was that the right move or should they have been more active?
The 2020 NBA trade deadline was full of things we’ve seen in the past. Some teams were aggressive and made moves, others were quiet and content. Despite having one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the Chicago Bulls decided it was best to be one of the quiet, content teams. They didn’t make a single move before the deadline.
Should they have made some moves, though?
That’s a loaded question. It’s easy to say yes, but what moves were out there for them to make?
One guy mixed up in some rumors was Denzel Valentine. It would’ve been a mistake to trade him. He’s still relatively young, he can score from all three levels of the court, and he’s the best passer on the team. Jim Boylen doesn’t play him nearly enough, but that doesn’t mean he should be traded. Chicago did the right thing by hanging onto him.
Another guy involved in a lot of rumors was Thaddeus Young. He’s had a disappointing season in Chicago thus far. He’s been inefficient (51.4 true shooting percentage), and he makes some questionable decisions with the ball in his hands. I rarely feel comfortable when he’s trying to make a play on offense. He’s just one of those guys.
I understand why a contender would be interested in him, though. He’s versatile on defense, he has playoff experience and he’s a good guy to have in the locker room. This is the one the Bulls messed up on. They should’ve found a way to make a Thad deal happen.
It’s unclear what Chicago could’ve gotten in return for Young, but any picks or young players would be more beneficial to the direction of this team than an aging Thaddeus Young.
I’m jealous of Minnesota, who had the assets needed to make a D’Angelo Russell trade happen. Russell would’ve looked fantastic in Bulls red. But the pieces just wouldn’t have matched up to make a trade work. That’s how it was with virtually every guy that could’ve helped the Bulls this year. Getting someone of Russell’s caliber means giving up a guy like Lauri Markkanen or Wendell Carter Jr. (and more), and that’s a tough pill to swallow.
I wish the Bulls would’ve moved Thad Young, but they didn’t, and it’s not a huge deal. That’s not the kind of thing that’s going to make or break this franchise.
It would’ve been cool for the Bulls to make some big, splashy move at the deadline, but the reality of the situation is they simply weren’t able to be major players this year. Next year might be a different story.