Chicago Bulls mistakes to avoid at the deadline: Moving draft assets
As stated previously, draft capital will be crucial in getting the Bulls organization back where they should be, among the NBA’s elites. That’s why number three was focused on making sure the Bulls get something, and number two is making sure they lose nothing in future picks.
Even if the team finds a potential deal involving a young player they really like, they must be overly cautious in spending future pick capital. They’re likely anticipating multiple years of draft and development before climbing toward the better teams in the east. When the plan is long-term, more picks are always going to be more valuable than fewer picks.
Additionally, they’re flexible to easily use in deals and oftentimes can be the sweetener that gets your trade partner over the last hurdle to reach a deal. With where the team stands right now and what is expected to go into the rebuild, there’s simply no deal that they’ll be getting offered that should entice them to be throwing in draft pick sweeteners.
Now, the one exception to this rule is pick swaps or moving a second-rounder in a future year but also adding one in a different year. This isn’t strictly about not giving up any of their picks in the coming drafts. It’s about not lessening the number of picks they have for the coming years.
How those picks will eventually be used, to select a player or in a future trade, we do not know. Still, we know for certain they carry value and will always be valued by organizations. This is the big picture thinking the front office needs to be implementing.