Chicago Bulls: Re-evaluating 5 players likely to be traded first in offseason
1. Thaddeus Young, Forward
Another case of a 2019 free agent signing for the Bulls that seemed great at the time but just didn’t work out with the last front office regime and Boylen is the former Indiana Pacers veteran forward Thaddeus Young. And the poor fit between Young and Markkanen so far this season would lead most to believe that the new front office regime will only decide to keep one of them around heading into next season.
While Sato’s contract will just be on the books for about another year and a half of guaranteed money (and just around $20 million guaranteed in total), Young’s contract is a bit more expensive. Young signed a three-year contract worth north of $43 million in the first actual day of free agency last summer. The last year has $6 million just partially guaranteed for Young, though.
Similar to why Sato made this list, though, Young could be dished out by Karnisovas and the Bulls before his trade value is sapped and he doesn’t get to use up some of his prime years with an actual contender. There were whispers prior to the 2020 trade deadline that Young could be sent elsewhere, but nothing ever materialized from that discussion.
Next. 3 trades with the Wizards to get Bradley Beal. dark
Young played in all but one game for the Bulls this season. In those 64 games played, he averaged 10.3 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks, while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. His value over replacement player rating, win shares per 48 minutes, and box plus/minus rating are second from the worst of his career (worst since his second year in the NBA with the Sixers).