Former Chicago Bulls players to go after at the deadline: Thaddeus Young
Among the most underutilized players around the NBA this season is the veteran 33-year-old forward and former Bulls standout Thaddeus Young. In the midst of a real youth movement in San Antonio, legendary head coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs aren’t giving much of a relevant role at all to Young after he had a stellar campaign with the Bulls last season.
Young landed with the Spurs as part of the sign-and-trade deal last offseason that brought now-five-time All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan to Chicago. That was an important trade for the Bulls, but it was still sad to see Young go.
As one of the more efficient and all-around likable players on the Bulls team last season, fans probably would’ve liked to see Young back this season. But letting him go was a necessary part of getting DeRozan and elevating this top unit entirely.
Nonetheless, if the salary matching works out, the Bulls could actually find a way to get Young back in the mix without much trouble. That is if he wants to come back to Chicago in the first place.
Young would not be the answer at the four that the Bulls are looking for in their starting unit. He would be someone that could help bring a veteran voice back to the locker room and help add more depth and punch to the bench unit come postseason time. Young is also one of the better defenders that can actually match up with stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant.
That would be really helpful for the Bulls down the stretch this season and come playoff time.