On March 3, the Chicago Bulls got a much needed win right before the All-Star Break as they downed star forward Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans on the road at the Smoothie King Center. The Bulls got the win over the Pelicans by a four-point margin on the night of March 3, handing them their 16th of the season so far.
Thanks to the pandemic a very condensed second half schedule is not going to make things any easier for this young Bulls team. We are about to be fully challenged. The next two opponents for the Bulls, the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat, both have dominant big men in Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo.
I could sit here all day and write about how good those superstars are, but I am a Bulls fan, so I am going to stick to trying to find solution to help us against these teams who are blessed with these gifted bigs.
The Bulls most glaring weakness is their lack of interior defense. They lack a true center and most importantly a physical body who can battle these big men or making things difficult for them offensively. Every team with a good center or forward has put up monster numbers against us!
Realistic center trade options for the Chicago Bulls
Hassan Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside is an undervalued center playing for the Sacramento Kings he is averaging 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds on 58 percent shooting in just over 14 minutes per game. He is a seven-footer and a decent rim protector and shot blocker.
He is long and when given the opportunity he has been very productive both offensively and defensively. Even with his lack of minutes he is blocking almost two shot attempts per game.
Whiteside has been a starter in his career in the past, so he is experienced and could be very productive coming off the bench in limited minutes.
For his career Whiteside is a walking double double. He averages 13.4 points per games, with a very efficient 58 field goal percentage. And he boasts a very respectable 11.4 rebounds per game . But most impressive is his 2.4 blocks per game.
He may be the exact piece we need in that center position. He is not the most physical big man in the league, but number never lie. He even sports a player efficiency rating over 20 so he is effective when he is on the court.
This season has not been his best so maybe we can pry him away from the kings. He is under utilized and may fit right in with this young core. He is another veteran presence with proven effectiveness with height and length we need in the interior.
His only downside is his massive contract it carries a cap hit of $27 million, but it matches Otto Porter Jr.’s so trading him is not impossible. Debating the pros and cons will have to wait for another time.
JaVale McGee
Javale McGee is another option for the Bulls front office. Now he is not that eye-popping super-efficient center, but he is a very physical player who has a very high motor. His energy is contagious and could bring life to our often pushed around big men.
He does play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he comes from championship teams and a championship pedigree from his time as a Golden State Warrior and Los Angeles Laker. Most importantly McGee does not back down, and his presence is felt in the interior.
He is physical and is not afraid to get in the trenches and do battle with other big men in the league. Like Whiteside he is underutilized in Cleveland and plays only fifteen minutes per game.
He is averaging 7.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 47.9 percent from the field. He has offensive deficiency but makes up for it on the defensive end. He is not afraid to throw down a monster dunk every now and again either.
McGee carries a very inexpensive contract at only $4 million annually. The Bulls will not be breaking the bank and could get him for very little without the sacrifice of any young core players.
Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley already know we need a big man to help with the lack of physicality currently on this roster. We can still allow Wendell Carter Jr. to be the starter, but these two trades could allow him, to play more of his natural power forward position.
It would also allow WCJ to be involved in more late game situations. Him sitting on the bench watching the last two minutes is not the long-term solution.