The Chicago Bulls are in a difficult place this season, with a roster built as if it were a contender but the results of a back-end lottery team this season. The Bulls have plenty of firepower, but the sum total of its parts this year has been disappointing.
Tanking is absolutely an option, but so is trying to retool, be the best they can be this season, and then reassess things in the offseason. If the Bulls are going to improve the current rotation around their offensive stars, is there a trade out there that would really move the needle?
The Chicago Bulls need to find a trade that moves the needle this season.
Perhaps there is. The Bulls could do something more drastic, such as moving Zach LaVine for depth or flipping DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic for a new look core. Yet there might just be a smaller deal that adds the Bulls a starter at the 4 to help this roster deploy a more deadly lineup.
The Phoenix Suns have a proven two-way stretch-4 just sitting at home, as despite a myriad of injuries Jae Crowder has continued to stay away from the team. The problem has been that the Suns need a power forward back for Crowder, which makes two-team deals hard. They have been linked to Jalen McDaniels on the Charlotte Hornets, but Charlotte doesn’t need Crowder.
That’s where a three-team construction comes in to make this viable. Let’s break down what it looks like for the Suns, Hornets and Bulls to pass players and assets around and help Chicago right the ship.