Amongst the bevy of trades coming out one after another, the Chicago Bulls decided to add to their haul. The Bulls were able to add small forward Troy Brown Jr. and big man Mo Wagner to the roster, dealing center Daniel Gafford and small forward Chandler Hutchinson in the process.
At face value, this move feels a little anti-climactic, considering most fans are awaiting a potential Lonzo Ball deal. But Troy Brown Jr has shown flashes of brilliance, despite only playing in 21 of the Wizards game this year.
The former 15th pick in the 2018 draft out of Oregon is a versatile guard/wing, who has shown both in college and in spurts in the NBA that he can do a little bit of everything. With the Bulls struggling to find some consistent wing depth around rookie Patrick Williams and star shooting guard Zach LaVine, Brown can come in and develop into a serviceable rotation piece. Brown’s abilities are highlighted more in this article published by hoopshabit.com.
Washington is trading Troy Brown and Mo Wagner to Chicago for Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchinson, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021
Bubble Breakout for Chicago Bulls new SF Troy Brown Jr.
Despite the Wizards missing out on the playoffs last season, Brown was one of their bright spots, averaging 15.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Though he only shot 37.9 percent from the field through eight games, this was on a team that was without Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans, so undoubtedly there were more shots to go around. But on a Bulls roster with both Zach Lavine and (now) Nikola Vucevic, Brown will surely be taking fewer (and better) shots, and by proxy, hitting them at a better clip.
And while this is only a small sample size of eight games, there is no expectation on Brown to average anywhere near those amazing numbers. If he can come in and play around 15-20 minutes a night, while giving the Bulls a little production across the board (ala Thad Young), then Chicago has 100 percent gotten their money’s worth in this deal.
Where does Troy Brown Jr. fit?
As previously mentioned, the Bulls lack young and consistent depth at the wing spots. Having to rely on veterans like Garett Temple, and the ever-present inconsistent play of Denzel Valentine, Brown has the potential to come in and take those minutes, and develop into a great bench option for the Bulls. With the change of including Thad Young and Tomas Satoransky into the starting lineup, Chicago also finds themselves with a lack of playmaking in the second unit, leaving most of the playmaking to Ryan Arcidiacono.
And while Arch is by no means a poor point guard, there is 100 percent some room for improvement. If Brown can provide some of the passing ability he flashed in his lone season at Oregon, he could find himself with a permanent rotation spot for many years to come.