Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons to trade Thaddeus Young this offseason

1. There is still value left in his contract

Last offseason, the Bulls signed Thad to a contract for three-years, worth around $43 million. Around half of the last year of his contact is only partially guaranteed. But his average annual salary will rise over the life of the contract. He’s due just north of $13 million next year. And he’ll get around $14 million in the final season of his contract (if he’s fully paid out).

Given the two-way value that Young still brings to the table, and his actually improving three-point shooting percentage in the modern day NBA, he should still have ample suitors on the trade market. There are also less pieces available in free agency this offseason than there were last. Hence contenders that need veteran upgrades in the frontcourt rotation will have to turn to trades with teams like the Bulls for help.

Moreover, the contract at face value for Young isn’t all that bad either. Having just one and a half years of guaranteed money left to pay him out is a pretty good deal if he is shipped out of the Windy City before the start of next season. He’s also got a good base salary for matching purposes on the trade market.

Young will once again hit free agency the year after that coveted 2021 class comes about. He could be a valuable trade chip during the 2020-21 seasons, when so many teams looking to pursue the likes of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, etc. want to free up a lot of cap space.