In this hypothetical trade deal, the Bulls essentially mortgage their future to get their hands on the New Orleans Pelicans standout combo of point guard Jrue Holiday and small forward Brandon Ingram. In this scenario, the Bulls ship off OPJ, LaVine, WCJ, and Markkanen along with the first overall pick to land Ingram and Holiday from the building Pelicans.
Ingram is due to hit the restricted free agent market this offseason, but the first time All-Star selection is likely to be well within the grip of the Pelicans. If the Bulls could entice the Pelicans into a sign-and-trade deal to get Ingram to the Windy City, along with Holiday, it could be a great move for both sides.
The Pelicans do have a need to add depth at the four and the five, and they would get younger in the process in this trade package. The Bulls would also be able to get point guard Coby White a mentor and potential backcourt partner with Holiday. Ingram could be the future on the wing that the Bulls do desperately need too.
The salary matching is a difficult feat in this regard, depending on what type of price tag Ingram commands this offseason. But Holiday is set just above $25 million, and the value he brings to the table is greater than that of OPJ for his base salary of close to $30 million. If the Bulls could find a way to work the mechanics of this trade deal, it would be good for each side.