The Chicago Bulls are nearing the NBA’s trade deadline with a decision to make. They can justify going in any direction, whether it be selling, buying, or standing pat. While buying isn’t to the same extent as championship contenders, the Bulls can certainly justify adding talent with a playoff push being one of their goals.
Arturas Karnisovas will have tough decisions to make in his first trade deadline leading the Bulls. Not only do they find themselves in the thick of the playoff race, but they also will be fielding a number of calls from contenders seeking veterans on the roster.
Whichever direction is chosen will impact the Bulls for years to come, which is what makes it so important. Karnisovas must weigh the veteran presence of guys like Thaddeus Young or Garrett Temple against the future assets those players could get them.
Regardless of the direction the front office chooses, these three players should be considered untouchable entering any trade discussions. Factors being considered are quality of return for players, long-term upside, and current trade value.
Chicago Bulls 2020 NBA Draft Pick Marko Simonovic is Worth Retaining the Rights to Moving Forward
This may be a bit of a surprise for readers, but that’s only because the 44th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft hasn’t been discussed much since the pick was made. That’s not uncommon for draft and stash players, but Simonovic doesn’t appear to be the typical draft and stash player.
In case you haven’t seen, the 21-year-old big man has taken a big step forward this year while playing for Mega Basket in the ABA Adiatric league. He leads the league in rebounds per game at 8.8 while also coming in at fourth in the league in scoring with his 16 points per contest.
At just under 7 feet tall, Simonovic has the potential to be a lethal pick and pop player with his combination of size and shooting stroke. He has hit 34.3 percent of his three-pointers this season and his stroke makes one believe that number could trend up in the coming years. Evidence of that would be his 83.1 percent success rate from the charity strike.
While some will want to jump all the way to him being a Nikola Jokicesque player down the road, it’s not fair or reasonable to go nearly that far. Yes, Arturas Karnisovas played a big role in drafting Jokic in Denver and took Simonovic in his first draft with the Bulls. Let’s take that as nothing more than Karnisovas having an eye for talent in overseas prospects.
Simonovic doesn’t need to become a star for him to be a player off the table right now. He simply needs to develop into an impact player a few years down the road for this to make sense. That’s for a few reasons.
First, his value is only ascending and the Bulls should feel that trend will continue moving forward. Second, he isn’t going to be valued enough to push the needle on a really good NBA player in a trade today.
Patience is key. That’s especially true regarding stashed prospects that are on the rise.
The Chicago Bulls Selected Promising Wing Patrick Williams Fourth Overall in the 2020 NBA Draft
The Bulls’ selection of Williams was met with mixed reactions. Some were concerned over the forwards late rise up draft boards while others didn’t understand how a player that was a sixth man in college could be the fourth-best prospect in the draft.
Since then, Williams has made believers out of those who have watched him consistently during his rookie campaign. He isn’t producing eye-popping numbers or being featured in the offense, but he still reminds you every game how much potential he has.
One of the most exciting things about him is his understanding and feel for the game, which goes hand in hand with his solid, yet not eye-dropping stats on the season. Everything is coming naturally to the 19-year-old wing because he understands where he is at and what he brings to the table at this point in his career.
That understanding has led to the rookie earning high praise from superstars around the league.
Williams understanding of where his game is at right now gives fans reason to be extremely excited about the future. If any young player is going to develop their game where needed it’s someone with such high awareness at a young age.
All the physical tools are there with Williams as well. It’s only a matter of time before he begins smoothing out his game and becomes a true game-changer in the league. For that reason, the Bulls shouldn’t even bother listening to trades involving him.
Zach LaVine has emerged as an All-Star and the Face of the Chicago Bulls
Last but certainly not least, the driving force behind the Bulls solid first half of the season. LaVine didn’t just take it to another level this season, he also skipped a level or two before settling in where he is today.
His play has wound up putting the Bulls in the middle of the playoff picture and it’s becoming increasingly likely the team focuses their attention on a playoff push instead of a firesale. At this point in the season, given the contenders across the league, the Bulls aren’t going to find fair compensation for LaVine even if they were trying to move him.
Anything is possible in the off-season, but through this year’s trade deadline LaVine should be among the Bulls untouchables. Not only is it about the compensation that would be needed to move a player performing at his level, but it’s also about reestablishing the Chicago Bulls as a free agent destination in coming years.
Players around the league respect and see what LaVine has done with his game this year, and trading him away for unworthy assets would leave a bad taste in the mouth of whatever free agents the Bulls chase in the coming seasons. The time isn’t right to even entertain offers on the breakout guard, and for that reason alone he should be the Bulls number one untouchable player.
No need to hear out callers and have that leak through the media. Build the culture one step at a time and remember what Zach LaVine has done to help establish this team’s identity. He is this team’s identity.