Chicago Bulls: Now that the tide has turned is a change on the horizon?

As we approach the trade deadline, I am getting a feeling that the Chicago Bulls just might be on the verge of a very significant trade. Maybe not a superstar like we would all love to see but maybe just another piece of this puzzle.

Another solid piece to fit right in this puzzle already being assembled by the front office and head coach Billy Donovan. Maybe not a center piece move is on the horizon but a solid piece to help frame out the rest of this roster.

Not that I am a fan of moving young core players like fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen, but one can ask themselves these few simple questions. Are the Bulls any worse with the power forward out as of late? Does an often-unavailable player hold more value than an available player?

First, Markkanen clearly has upside and will be a solid player. His future is bright regardless of were he ends up in his promising career. It took Zach LaVine almost seven seasons, two teams and plenty of coaches before he took his final All-Star leap. He is a young player still; I am speaking from only wanting to make my team better in the long run.

Change can be a good thing for both player and organization alike. With the genius scouting and number four pick in this past draft in the “PAW” Patrick Williams, Markkanen’s value to the Bulls as an organization has plummeted.

His value to the Bulls needing him to win games is in question now being the Bulls have been playing their best basketball without him. We look to have found chemistry on top of that. Thaddeus Young and Patrick Williams are a perfect pair on the floor together.

They are way more physical down low and are both better rebounders. Young has been the most impactful player on this team since Markkanen went out. The Bulls have a power forward problem that another team might find interesting.

To another organization in the league, Markkanen becomes a commodity and a missing piece to their puzzle. A new scenery and system can benefit young players who have had the injury concerns and or question marks labels. Julius Randle is my prime example. Brandon Ingram comes to mind as well.

Secondly, Markkanen is averaging. 19 points per game on 51 percent shooting and six rebounds per game. It’s an okay stat line for the Fin, it’s just an unserviceable stat line for the Bulls and we could use him to trade for a few solid yet available pieces, whether offensive or defensive needs. Even with the Bulls playing good basketball of late they still need a point guard and center. Preferably ones that can play defense.

Where else the Chicago Bulls could make moves

Finally, there is Otto Porter Jr., the most expensive bench player in the league. That is being kind, we have not seen him play long enough stretches in his tenure to even know what could have been.

That midseason trade by GarPax may very well go down as the worst trade in possibly the Bulls history. A waste of salary and time, OPJ has done nothing in Chicago and has not earned that huge $28 million a year salary hit that the Bulls decided was a good idea to inherit at the time.

We need to get something in return for the mistake of trading for him in the first place. The issue only is what team will take his contract on. For the Bulls anything is better than an overpaid injury prone player who has not hardly played during his tenure with Chicago.

A second-round pick would work or even to a team who is trying to take bad contracts on for future assets. I would also be happy with a few cheap role players. Our bench is solid but imagine a little deeper bench going into the second half of the season.

Defense can always get better with a few more veterans who know how to play and that can continue to teach this young team how to win. The tide had changed for the Bulls next is a nice needed change of scenery during this journey.