Chicago Bulls: Is a trade the best way to go with Otto Porter Jr.?

Avenues to explore down the trade route could involve the Chicago Bulls sending out veteran small forward Otto Porter Jr.

With the trade deadline now in the rear view mirror, the Chicago Bulls are left devoid of options to try and bolster their roster if they want to make that true playoff push this year. But John Paxson and Gar Forman seem like they just gave up on the season, and really finding a direction in the third year of the rebuild.

Paxson didn’t have many answers after the trade deadline beyond saying that he hopes the Bulls get healthier and make a run at playoff contention down the stretch this season.

Maybe the Bulls can use injury issues down the stretch as an excuse to attract potential free agent and trade targets this summer and next season. But that can’t be what the front office relies on from here on out. Hopefully the latest rumor mill that the Bulls could be in the early stages of making front office adjustments sticks this offseason and something happens quickly.

Where would the Bulls go if they need to land a star and find more direction in what will be the fourth year of the rebuild under Paxon if the Reinsdorfs allow him to stick around past this season?

A good place to start if they need a trade chip to work with is the former Washington Wizards small forward Otto Porter Jr. The price tag that Porter Jr. carries with him along with his two-way ability as a quality starting wing makes him a still valued trade commodity around the NBA.

The $26 million man isn’t living up to his billing thus far in a Bulls uniform. He caught fire down the stretch last season, but only played in slightly over a dozen games. That wasn’t enough to prove that he can contribute to the Bulls rebuilding efforts over the long haul.

In the less than 10 games that Porter Jr. played in so far this season he’s averaging 11.2 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. His 13.5 player efficiency rating was a far cry from a player worth the contract Porter Jr. is on right now.

Porter Jr. hasn’t contributed to the little success that the Bulls found this season. He’s dealt with a foot fracture that limited him since well before the turn of the calendar year. His usefulness was about equivalent to that of shooting guard Denzel Valentine last season.

If the Bulls are willing to take a “shake it all up” approach to the front office and coaching staff within the next year or two, then the roster is likely to get a significant overhaul too. Porter Jr.’s price tag and lack of vital production in the Windy City thus far makes it so that he would be a likely candidate to see the door in this scenario.

The Bulls hold a record of 19-36 at the All-Star Break. They didn’t even come close to impressing the rest of the NBA when they hosted All-Star Weekend from Feb. 14-16. An overhaul is necessary for the Bulls to find more direction, and trading an expensive player like OPJ could be a good way to accomplish that feat.