It is the time of the year where ideas are constantly pitched as to any blockbuster trades the Chicago Bulls could try and pull off to land a star.
The NBA Analysis Network got to work on putting together some potential blockbuster trade deals for this offseason, at least for once the trade market opens. And one of those trade proposals involved the Chicago Bulls and a very large portion of their young core.
A trade that was pitched by Greg Patuto of the NBA Analysis Network this week saw a very large deal going down with the Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers. It involved the likes of rising star shooting guard Zach LaVine going to the Clippers namely for a return of the star forward Paul George.
Here’s a look at what the complete deal saw exchanged between the Bulls and Clippers in this hypothetical trade proposal.
That’s a whole lot for the Bulls to part ways with to the Clippers just to get a star that hasn’t made it to the NBA Finals yet. It sounds great for the Bulls and recently hired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to get their hands on PG and a proven big man like Ivica Zubac.
But giving up third-year center Wendell Carter Jr., LaVine, veteran forward Thaddeus Young, and three first round draft picks is a ludicrous amount of assets to give up for a star that is going to be a free agent before too long. What would be the deal breaker in this regard is giving up the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and two more future first round potential lottery picks in the near future.
Here’s a look into the explanation for this trade package from the NBA Analysis Network.
"The Chicago Bulls have been stuck in a state of mediocrity for years now. They need to make a move to shake things up and add a superstar who could lead their team. Paul George has proven to be able to do that in the Eastern Conference during his time with the Indiana Pacers.George is a score-first player. He is best with the ball in his hands on the offensive end while being capable of thriving in off-ball actions. He also contributes a lot to the defensive side of the ball. The Bulls flat out lack a talent that can get it done like him."
The questioning of this hypothetical trade deal has nothing to do with the skill set that George would bring to the table for the Bulls. Surely a star veteran forward like PG would be a tremendous upgrade for the Bulls starting five, but the problem with this trade lies outside of that discussion.
The Bulls can ill afford to mortgage that much of their future to land a star in PG that is likely about to enter the back end of his prime years of his career and could not even want to be in Chicago for very long. WCJ and LaVine still hold a lot of promise, and could get a better return in conjunction with this many first round picks, than just PG and Zubac.
It’s still unknown when the Bulls are going to get their shot in the next cycle of free agency, or when the trade market will officially open. But the 2020 NBA Draft is set to take place on the night of Nov. 18.