Chicago Bulls: Revisiting Otto Porter Jr.-Wizards trade 18 months later
Who won?
It’s hard to say that either the Bulls or the Wizards came out as overwhelming winners in this trade deal. Hopefully for the Bulls side of the discussion, the talks are different come the meat of the 2020-21 regular season. That would mean that the Bulls got a healthy and productive full season out of OPJ, which has yet to happen since February 2019.
To some degree, the Bulls do need a small forward capable of making the impact that OPJ brings to the table. It’s not really feasible to have to-be third-year former Boise State Broncos wing Chandler Hutchison as the starting small forward next season. The Bulls really do need OPJ to stay healthy for at least most of a regular season slate.
On the Wizards side of the discussion, the ability to free up so much cap room, especially for two lucrative free agent classes, was a savvy move. They didn’t land any home run free agent signings, but the likes of center Thomas Bryant and fellow big man Bertans were good moves that made an impact this season.
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The edge here has to go to the Wizards since the most expensive player on the Bulls cap sheet has only played in less than 30 games. This conversation could definitely change a couple dozen games into next season, but for now it sides with the team from the nation’s capital. On the following day after OPJ was traded to the Bulls, the Wizards sent forward Markieff Morris to the New Orleans Pelicans. That was a possible player that the Bulls could’ve tried to nab from the Wizards.