3 trades Chicago Bulls can make without giving up Williams or White: Paul Millsap
Paul Millsap is a name that should ring a bell for many Bulls fans, largely because he was one of Chicago’s primary free agency targets last summer after the team missed out on LaMarcus Aldridge. Instead, the Bulls acquired Alize Johnson after Millsap joined Aldridge in his decision to sign with Brooklyn.
However, after a disappointing 24-game stint with the Nets, both parties have reportedly decided to move on from one another. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Millsap has been unhappy with his role with the Nets and would like to play for a team that can offer more in that department.
Forward Paul Millsap and the Brooklyn Nets have agreed to find the four-time All-Star a new team where he can have a greater contribution, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 21, 2022
Millsap is averaging a career-low 11.3 minutes per game, so it’s understandable why he’d desire more playing time. That being said, the Nets’ decision to leave Millsap on the bench has not been completely unfounded. Despite shooting 37.8 percent from deep in his three previous seasons, Millsap is only hitting 22.2 percent of his three-point attempts this year.
Granted, that has been on an extremely small sample size of just 27 attempts, so there’s hope yet his shooting could bounce back to the norm. One particularly promising sign is that Millsap’s rebounding percentages are at the highest point of his career. When Millsap is on the floor for the Nets, he’s pulling in 17.7 percent of all rebounds and 22.8 percent of all defensive rebounds.
However, that could simply be an indication of how small and thin Brooklyn has been at the center position this year. It’s hard to believe that a veteran nearing his 37th birthday would spontaneously experience a massive boost in rebounding ability this late in his career.
It appears the Nets are willing to let Millsap walk for next-to-nothing and allow Millsap to choose his next team, so offering a highly-protected second-round pick and some cash to help Brooklyn with their luxury tax problem is likely to get a deal done. Even if Millsap performs poorly, it’s hard to see Chicago losing anything of significance in this deal. The only thing that remains to be seen is if the Nets are willing to trade to a fellow Eastern Conference rival.