1) Chicago Bulls pieces to trade for Lonzo
Wendell Carter Jr., Center
Obviously parting ways with the likes of the former Duke Blue Devils third-year center Wendell Carter Jr. would be more of a consequential move (undetermined now whether it would be positive or negative in that sense) than trading someone like Kornet or even Sato. The former seventh overall pick of the Bulls in the 2018 NBA Draft is having a lot of the same issues as he did in his first two years in the league, though.
This sizable 6-foot-10 and 270 pound 21-year-old big man is solid for Donovan and the Bulls when healthy and firmly in the rotation. But that hasn’t happened on a consistent basis. This is now three out of three years that WCJ has been able to remain healthy on a consistent basis for the Bulls too.
WCJ is roughly on pace to play in the same amount of regular season games this time around that he did in each of his first two in the NBA (around 40-45).
So far this season, WCJ has started in all 16 games he’s played for the Bulls, averaging around 27 minutes on the floor per game. And he’s averaged 13.0 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks. WCJ shot 55.1 percent from the field, 26.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 72.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Parting ways with WCJ for a return that could include someone like Ball from the Pelicans would likely split the opinion of the Bulls fan base. But it is a move that could at least provide a more stable hand to the Bulls backcourt rotation and to the young core as a whole in terms of the injury history of WCJ compared to Ball.