Chicago Bulls: 4 players GarPax whiffed on at the trade deadline

A move that would be more under-the-radar for the Chicago Bulls than trading for D-Lo would’ve been trying to snag small forward Maurice Harkless from the Clippers. The Clippers went from trading Harkless from one slipping team in the East to another.

Instead of sending him to the Bulls for that often discussed return of Young, the Clippers sent Harkless to the rapidly slipping New York Knicks for a return of standout power forward Marcus Morris. As one of the better floor spacing and tougher big men that was on the trade block in the NBA this season, Morris could be a good fit with the Clippers.

Landing Harkless from the Clippers would be a nice deal for both sides. Harkless could be a better fit with the Bulls right now than Young, despite all the thinning depth in the frontcourt. But the Bulls are also thin on the wing. Hutch is about all that head coach Jim Boylen has left as a true small forward in the rotation.

However, Harkless would provide that heavily-desired two-way wing presence in the Bulls starting five. He’s having a down year, but a change of scenery might be exactly what he needed. Landing with the Knicks was just not the ideal move for Harkless’ NBA career.

So far this season, Harkless is averaging 5.5 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from beyond the arc. His shooting percentages are at least holding together this season.