Chicago Bulls: Daniel Theis compliments Lauri Markkanen very well

On the day of the trade deadline, first-year Chicago Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley were very busy. The Bulls, Miami Heat, and Orlando Magic were three of the busiest teams at the March 25 trade deadline. And with good reason.

One of the big moves that Karnisovas and the Bulls made at the March 25 trade deadline that fell under the radar for most of the day was landing big man Daniel Theis from the Boston Celtics. The 28-year-old German 6-foot-8 and 245 pound big man made a name for himself with the Celtics frontcourt rotation over the course of the last few years.

Theis became an integral part of the Celtics frontcourt rotation of late alongside the likes of former Texas A&M Aggies big man Robert Williams and former Boston veteran center Al Horford. He’s a good stretch forward that can also protect the rim. But he should be able to do it at a higher level than current Bulls center Luke Kornet can.

How the Bulls landed Theis in the first place was actually to get Kornet and the former Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers big man Mo Wagner to the Celtics. The Bulls snagged Wagner in a trade originally that sent second-year center Daniel Gafford and third-year small forward Chandler Hutchison to the Wizards for a return fo him and small forward Troy Brown Jr.

Then the Bulls packaged off Kornet and Wagner to the Celtics as part of a multi-team trade deal that got them back Theis in return.

What Daniel Theis does for Lauri Markkanen and the Chicago Bulls?

Post-deadline, first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls have a rejuvenated rotation from top-to-bottom. Theis along with former Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic and forward Al-Farouq Aminu will be the new faces in this Bulls frontcourt rotation heading down the stretch of the regular season.

There are a few ways that Donovan could configure the rotation from here on out. He could ideally play veteran forward Thaddeus Young and the four and Vucevic at the five. And then Theis could slot alongside fourth-year power forward Lauri Markkanen in the second unit frontcourt off the bench.

With the front office and coaching staff not looking too thrilled about the long-term pairing of Vucevic and Markkanen in the same unit on the floor, it might be the most proficient to put the seven-footer and former Arizona Wildcat in the second unit. Markkanen could have his skill set maximized by having more floor spacing and less defensive responsibility at the rim with Theis on the court with him instead of Vucevic.

Theis is a capable rim protector and rebounder (averages around 9.5 rebounds and two blocks per 36 minutes in his career) that could slot nicely alongside Markkanen. And Theis is a capable enough three-point shooter to space the floor out more for Markkanen. Theis shoots around 35 percent from beyond the arc for his career.

While it does not look like Karnisovas and the Bulls will be bringing back Markkanen once his rookie contract runs up next offseason, a short-term proficient pairing in the second unit between he and Theis makes a lot of sense. A struggling frontcourt for Donovan so far this season could be much more shored up after the deadline.

Theis, Markkanen, and the Bulls will carry a record of 19-24 into their next game which comes against the San Antonio Spurs on the road on March 29. The Bulls have a new-look roster after a very busy trade deadline that can make some noise down the stretch.