Herein lies the third way that the Chicago Bulls could mortgage what the front office likely thinks are the franchise cornerstones in the third year of the rebuild. Tossing former North Carolina Tar Heels rookie point guard Coby White into the conversation is a dicey move, but an interesting one if he was to flourish alongside star 6-foot-10 Sixers point guard Ben Simmons.
What the Bulls also throw into this trade package in particular is Carter Jr. and Porter Jr. The Sixers get that highly sought after wing help along with a solid center with a bright future with Carter Jr. With almost any trade partner that the Bulls could work with, Carter Jr. would be a valuable piece and Porter Jr. helps with salary matching purposes.
OPJ really is a great fit with the Sixers. They needed wing help very bad entering this year’s trade deadline, and they didn’t do too much to address that void. They had a few trade chips to work with, including Horford and shooting guard Josh Richardson. But the Sixers stood pat, just like the Bulls did.
If White starts to see his game come along before the end of his rookie campaign, then he could be another valuable trade chip if the Bulls had the opportunity to nab a superstar like Embiid. They would obviously fill that center need immediately, so letting go of Carter Jr. doesn’t hurt too much. And the Bulls would still keep their 2020 first round draft pick, so they could retool the roster a bit with that.