The Chicago Bulls have a fascinating penchant for beating really good teams. They have two wins against the Boston Celtics, two against the Brooklyn Nets, two against the Milwaukee Bucks, and just Friday night, they beat the 76ers in Philadelphia by 14 points.
It’s important not to miss the forest for the trees, however. The Bulls have also been blown out by the Houston Rockets and have lost to the San Antonio Spurs, the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Washington Wizards. That might be five of the six worst teams in the league.
Even with recent success, the Bulls are below .500 on the season with a -0.6 net rating, which would rank 9th-worst in the league. None of the eight teams above them in the East standings look like they will be falling back anytime soon. Once a losing streak comes back around, the Bulls’ front office might decide it’s ready to make a change.
The Chicago Bulls need to make a change, and a big trade could be the solution.
In the Western Conference, another team with two perimeter creators, a high-dollar center, and an elite perimeter defender is slipping down the standings. The Phoenix Suns have lost five straight games, are 2-8 in their last 10, and need to find a way to right the ship and tread water until Devin Booker and Cameron Johnson are back.
Both teams could decide to shake things up in order to change their fate. One option is for the Bulls to trade Zach LaVine, but that’s not the only path to shake things up. Would a surprisingly big trade between the two accomplish that goal? Let’s see what happens when we dial one up.