1. Chicago joins blockbuster trade and upgrades bench in a big way
The Golden State Warriors’ interest in Myles Turner has been no secret for some time now. A shot-blocking floor stretching big is exactly what the Warriors need next to Draymond Green in the frontcourt. Stephen Curry’s $215 million extension and the return of Klay Thompson signal that this team is ready to compete for championships again, and they don’t have time to wait for James Wiseman to develop.
Trading him off for Myles Turner would immediately make Golden State even better.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers have been trying to find a way to slide Domantas Sabonis back into his natural position of center for what seems about as long as the Chicago Bulls have been trying to get back into the playoffs. Replacing the shooting lost with Doug McDermott with Lauri Markkanen and adding the No. 2 overall pick in 2020 is about as good of a return package the Pacers will ever get for Turner.
Of all the potential sign-and-trade options available to the Bulls, this is by far my favorite since it’s probably the most realistic due to the fact the Wiseman for Turner framework already exists and is beneficial for both teams. I believe a three-team swap involving Markkanen is much more likely at this point because it’s difficult to correctly gauge Lauri’s value on the open market for a one-for-one swap of players.
Markkanen should happily accept being sent to Indiana if it meant he’d be given a starting role once again — an issue which proved to strain relations with the Finnish big man while in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Bulls would address their current biggest weaknesses in the form of depth at the center and forward positions.
While not being a prolific scorer, Kevon Looney would make for an exceptional defensive backup big behind Vucevic. Looney is a force on the glass as well, averaging 3.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes last season. Jeremy Lamb would provide a solid 3-and-D option at the wing. He scored 10.1 points and shot 40.6 percent from beyond the arc primarily off the bench for the Pacers, and would have no issues integrating with this Chicago Bulls team.
While Chicago’s new starting five might be capturing all the headlines right now, a bench unit of Caruso, Coby White, Troy Brown Jr., Jeremy Lamb, Kevon Looney, Marko Simonovic, and Ayo Dosunmu would be equally dangerous. The Bulls have a perfect opportunity to swing a trade for Lauri that turns them from playoff contender to darkhorse championship contender.