1) Chicago Bulls early 2021 trade deadline targets
The most interesting potential trade target on this list for Karnisovas and the Bulls nearing the deadline this year is the Boston Celtics veteran star point guard Kemba Walker. The 30-year-old 6-foot and 180 pound former Charlotte Hornet and UConn Husky sat in the midst of trade speculation for a good while since last season concluded.
While Walker does carry a very sizable price tag in terms of his remaining contract, worth more than $34 million annually in each of the three years left, the Bulls do have the resources to salary match. It might take parting ways with players like veteran forward Thaddeus Young, big man Cristiano Felicio, and/or small forward Otto Porter Jr. to get this done.
But outside of parting ways with Thad, trading either of those aforementioned Bulls players likely wouldn’t upset the fan base all that much.
Moreover, Walker could both be a great mentor for second-year point guard Coby White and help increase the effectiveness of this starting five as a whole. The thought of what star shooting guard Zach LaVine and Kemba could do in the same starting backcourt on the offensive end of the floor is nothing short of mind boggling.
Walker has played in 11 games for the Celtics so far this season (starting in all of them), while averaging just south of 28 minutes on the floor per game. And he’s averaged 15.5 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks. Walker shot 34.8 percent from the field, 33.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.
It looks as if Walker is still taking some time to shake off the rust early this season after missing the first dozen games or so recovering from injury.