Chicago Bulls: 3 pre-deadline trades involving Otto Porter Jr.

3) Chicago Bulls pre-deadline trades involving OPJ

If the Bulls wanted to get a deal that would help to bolster their frontcourt rotation with immediate impact pieces while getting a different look to the starting five in general, then a potential trade deal that Karnisovas could turn to would involve the Memphis Grizzlies. In this hypothetical trade deal, the Bulls ship off the likes of OPJ and second-year former Arkansas Razorbacks center Daniel Gafford.

There’s not a whole lot that sounds great that the Bulls get in return here. But there’s some valuable pieces coming back to the Windy City when you take a peak under the hood. The Bulls do manage to bring in the reliable veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas and the underrated, but overpaid, power forward/center Gorgui Dieng.

The Grizzlies do have to send an unprotected 2022 first round draft pick to the Bulls to get this deal done. That has some risk to it for the Bulls since it’s hard to know now where the Grizzlies project out for next season. They have a lot of promising pieces in their rising young core right now, between the likes of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, etc.

Moreover, even through this difficult and injury filled start to the season for the Grizzlies, Valanciunas remained a reliable key in the cog of the frontcourt rotation. He’s averaged 15.0 points per game, 11.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Valanciunas shot 51.2 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.7 percent from the free-throw line.

If the 2022 first round draft pick is enough to get this deal done for Karnisovas and the Bulls new front office regime, then it could make sense for both sides.