The Sacramento Kings have made it clear that they will be parting ways with big man Harry Giles, and the Chicago Bulls should take advantage of this.
Harry Giles was the number two prospect in the high school graduating class of 2016. After committing to play college ball at Duke, Giles battled nagging knee injuries that caused him to appear in a mere 6 contests with the Blue Devils.
Nonetheless, Giles decided to forego three more years of NCAA eligibility and declare for the 2017 NBA Draft. He was selected with the 20th pick in the draft and was traded to Sacramento on draft night.
The Kings were hoping that Giles could battle through these injuries and develop into the stud he was projected to be. Unfortunately for Sacramento, the Giles experiment has not worked out. Injuries have still been prevalent, but the Kings have also been reluctant to play the former top prospect. The franchise finally decided to throw in the towel when it declined to exercise the fourth year option on his rookie contract.
To be frank, it is a bit surprising that Sacramento gave up on him so early, as they vested a decent amount of draft capital into him. His price tag was not going to be anything outrageous for 2020-2021, but nonetheless the team decided to move in a different direction.
Because Sacramento has made it so clear that they do not wish to have Giles on the roster past this season, his trade value is as close to zero as it could possibly get. If the Bulls offered a heavily protected second round pick for Giles, one would think that the Kings would pounce all over it. Shaquille Harrison is included in the deal for financial reasons, but Sacramento could actually use him as a much-needed backup point guard for the remainder of the season.
This deal would be super low-risk and high reward for Chicago, as the second round pick would only convey if the Bulls made the playoffs in the 2023-2024 season. Chicago could try Giles out for the remainder of the season, and if they like what they see, the front office can work on getting him a deal for next season. Worst-case-scenario, the Bulls lose a late second round pick and Giles walks this summer. The ‘risk’ is certainly worth the reward in this scenario.