As first-year head coach Billy Donovan and his young but talented Chicago Bulls team get ready to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on the road on the night of Feb. 19, they get a shot in the national spotlight to make a statement. Donovan and the Bulls have a chance to extend their winning streak to three games. And they’ll have a shot to show the improvement this team has made of late in front of a huge audience as the Bulls road meeting with the Sixers heading into the weekend is nationally televised on ESPN.
This will be the first game during the 2020-21 campaign that the Bulls got to play in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPN. Given the lack of in-person attendance this NBA season due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, playing in front of a national television audience is about as big as the spotlight will get for Donovan and the Bulls.
Moreover, another national spotlight that will fall on the Bulls in the near future is the looming trade deadline. Come March 25, the Bulls will have their last chance during this regular season slate to make a big splash on the trade market.
Since the Bulls are starting to trend firmly in the right direction of late, would it be a wise move for first-year executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley to take on the role of buyers or sellers at the deadline?
Maybe it would be good for the Bulls new front office regime to find more of a middle ground at the deadline next month. Here’s a look into three rather forgotten players around the NBA landscape that could be solid trade targets for the Bulls at the deadline.