Thaddeus Young to the Los Angeles Clippers has been one of the hottest Bulls rumors of this season, and here this rumor becomes reality.
For any contending franchise, Thaddeus Young would be a massive addition. The 31-year-old is a pro’s pro, a locker room presence that every championship team needs. Even with the start power evident in the Clippers’ locker room, adding a player with the reputation and tendencies of Thad Young is a great move.
As far as on-court abilities, the Clippers would be interested in Young due to the fact that their frontcourt depth is their biggest weakness. Off of the bench, Young can thrive focusing on playing solid defense and doing the little things right, leaving the volume scoring to Louis Williams and Montrezl Harrell.
Even past this season, the Clippers acquisition of Young would benefit them for the next two seasons, as Young signed a three-year deal with Chicago this Summer.
As it is evident that cap space will be at a premium for the Clippers over the next three years, acquiring a player such as Young will be nearly impossible to do past this year. Thus, jumping on an opportunity such as this is imperative for the Clippers if they wish to address depth.
Kris Dunn is an added bonus for the Clippers, who could be enticing as a rental player for the contending team. Dunn is an absolute lockdown defender who can also play the role of the facilitator when asked. In Los Angeles, Dunn would be asked to do next to nothing offensively and focus on his defensive skillset, while Lou Williams could focus less on the defensive end and focus all efforts on getting buckets.
The Bulls would also send the Grizzlies’ second round pick to the Clippers so that they can add some young talent to build off of.
The price the Clippers would have to pay in order to acquire these players is somewhat steep. Moe Harkless is included for salary reasons, as the Bulls would likely have no interest in him past this season. Jerome Robinson, the former 13th overall pick out of Boston College, would be an enticing piece for the young Chicago Bulls who would bank on him coming to fruition as a former lottery pick in 2018. Robinson showed great offensive abilities in college, especially from range, but has yet to have any significant opportunity in L.A., and probably never will. Robinson would be a great upside play and a legitimate option to back up Zach LaVine at the two going forward.
Giving up 2020 first round pick may be a tough pill to swallow for the Clippers, as the team sent a boatload of first round picks to Oklahoma City in exchange for Paul George last Summer. However, Thaddeus Young and Kris Dunn are players that can help the Clippers win now, and even further they are likely better than whoever the Clippers could snag in the mid-twenties. Chicago would have to be all over acquiring a second first round pick this year, as all rebuilding franchises should.