Chicago Bulls: 3 ‘too good to be true’ Giannis Antetokounmpo trades

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
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Thaddeus Young, Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
Thaddeus Young, Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

3) Trades to get Giannis to the Chicago Bulls:

This trade essentially mortgages both the future for the Bulls rebuild, and the current contender status of the Bucks in the same deal. The Bulls have to send off nearly every important part of their young core to start over with whatever roster is left at hand, and what they can find from the 2020 NBA Draft and this cycle of free agency.

What the Bucks are sending the Bulls in this particular hypothetical trade package is the veteran point guard Eric Bledsoe and Giannis. In return the Bulls send the Bucks 25-year-old 6-foot-6 shooting guard Zach LaVine, rookie point guard Coby White, power forward Lauri Markkanen, and center Wendell Carter Jr.

In this particular trade deal, the Bulls are also sending a lottery protected 2021 first round draft pick to the Bulls to put the final seal on the exchange.

At least in this scenario the Bulls get to keep their 2020 fourth overall draft pick, and they get a decent enough supporting cast around Giannis and Bledsoe if they do a good job in free agency. Making this type of a trade would assume that the Bulls are going to get Giannis back beyond the 2021 offseason. If not, this is definitely not worth it for them.

Sending off LaVine, White, and WCJ especially would be a big price tag to pay for the Bulls. If it can get them in contention almost immediately and get the opportunity to build around Giannis over the long haul, while keeping their fourth overall 2020 draft pick, then a deal like this might still be worth it for both sides.