Chicago Bulls: 3 pre-deadline trades with the Trail Blazers

3) Chicago Bulls trades with the Blazers ahead of the deadline

One of the name that circulated around various trade discussions at different points over the course of the last year is the standout Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum. Although it’s pretty hard to believe at this point of his career, McCollum has yet to get a first-career All-Star nod. He was off to a pace well beyond good enough to do so at the outset of this season.

But injuries got in the way of McCollum cementing his status as a first-time All-Star selection this year. That might be one of the signs that McCollum could use a change of scenery in the near future. He and superstar point guard Damian Lillard just have not been able to get over the hump together in the Western Conference.

The Bulls do have the trade chips necessary to at least get the Blazers to the table to discuss a McCollum trade. They would have to offer up at least one major piece of their young core, and that’s where fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen could come into play. With the way that Markkanen has played when healthy this season, offering him up would surely get various suitors picking up the phones.

The other pieces included in this trade deal to make it happen in a hypothetical world are combo guard/wing Tomas Satoransky and OPJ going to the Blazers. And then the Blazers also send veteran shooting guard/wing Rodney Hood to the Bulls to match salaries and get the rosters to where they need to be on each side.