2) Chicago Bulls likely to be traded
Heading into individual and group workouts in Training Camp, it will be interesting to see how the veteran presence of a two-way forward like Thaddeus Young has an impact on some of the new arrivals from the offseason. The Bulls brought in new players like former Florida State Seminoles forward and the reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year Patrick Williams with the fourth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery.
They also signed the likes of former Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors guard Zach Norvell and a former Bulls big man in Noah Vonleh heading into Training Camp. This could be a real opportunity for Young to find a more ideal fit with this team than he had under GarPax and Boylen last season. He was originally signed out of free agency last offseason to be that veteran two-way presence that the Bulls needed on and off the floor.
Still Young didn’t have his best season in his inaugural run with the Bulls during the 2019-20 campaign. He played in 64 games during the shortened 2019-20 regular season with the Bulls (16 of which he started in). And Young averaged 10.3 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.4 blocks. He shot 44.8 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 58.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The per game stats and overall efficiency that Young registered with the Bulls last season wasn’t necessarily horrible. But his contract is one of the larger on the current cap sheet, and he and the Bulls could save some face if things don’t get better in the near future by trading him. It’s a known rumor for a while that Young could be on the way out before the end of next season.