1. The Bulls hand the reigns over to the ‘Point God’
When I suggested earlier that the Bulls should consider either pushing their chips all in or just giving up while they’re ahead, this was the exact type of bold make-or-break move I was referring to. Clearly nearing the end of his best days of basketball, bringing Chris Paul to Chicago could be the move that finally tips the scales in the Bulls’ favor.
Now I know, I’m hardly the first person to propose a deal that brings CP3 to the Bulls. This has been a common idea tossed around the last few years, and even I sided with the many people opposed to dealing a haul of assets for him. This time, however, I believe things are different.
For starters, his asking price has never been lower. NBA Insider Marc Stein shared in his substack (subscription required) that the Suns are looking to move Paul for a younger point guard in hopes of aligning the core of Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and Deandre Ayton into the same window of contention.
Marc Stein in his newsletter said that the Suns have been "assessing their post Chris Paul future" and have identified Fred VanVleet, Immanuel Quickley, and Terry Rozier as potential trade targets.
— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) January 24, 2023
Chris Paul is one of a select few players that could actually elevate the Chicago Bulls into a true contender.
As things currently stand, I can’t imagine the Raptors or Hornets are interested in acquiring an aging veteran considering the season they’re having. The same could obviously be said for the Bulls, but this front office seems stubborn in their philosophy that this team has the pieces to win now.
And I’m not entirely sure they’re too far off. The blow of losing Lonzo has proven to be a crushing one because this team has been forced to compensate for not only having their primary playmaker but also for having $20 million in essentially dead cap weighing the team down. Flipping Lonzo, Coby White, and Dalen Terry to Phoenix would give them the players they desire to align with their young core and equip Chicago with arguably the NBA’s best playmaker to help LaVine and DeRozan shine.
Similar to how Rajon Rondo nearly propelled the ‘Three Alphas’ Bulls to a shocking playoff upset over the No. 1 seeded Celtics in 2017, I think CP3 could also help this team play the role of underdogs all over again. Whether it be Rondo, Lonzo, or even Derrick Rose, it’s time for the Bulls to put their long history of point guard injuries ruining their postseason aspirations in the past.