Bulls trade rumors: 3 realistic point guard upgrades at the deadline

Just days removed from the NBA’s February 9 trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls front office will be forced to trek down one of two distinct paths: either face the reality of the situation and peddle off assets now while it’s still a seller’s market, or commit to the original vision and continue trying to build a winner around the Big 3. For better or worse, it seems Arturas Karnisovas is willing to put his reputation on the line in an effort to keep the Bulls in a winning position.

If we are to take Shams Charania’s word for it ⁠— and at this point, you’d be a fool to dispute his credibility ⁠— it appears the Bulls are preparing to make moves to improve ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline.

The most obvious of said moves would be working to improve at the point guard position. Despite having a litany of guards on the roster, none come even close to the impact Lonzo Ball would have on this team if healthy. Since Ball’s return to the court seems increasingly unlikely by the day, now may be the best time to spring for a point guard with so many interesting players on the trade block.

The Chicago Bulls need to move for a point guard at the trade deadline if they want to continue competing for the playoffs.

When compiling this list, perhaps the most important criteria for me here when deciding which players should be at the top of the front office’s wishlist was their affordability and contract length. The Bulls aren’t looking to find a long-term answer at the deadline, all they need is a quality stopgap that can hold down the fort and buy the franchise time until Lonzo can ideally make his return to the court next season.

Fit with the team will also be heavily factored in here, which means you won’t find any score-first guards on this list (sorry for those of you advocating to bring Kyrie to Chicago). I wanted to focus in on the type of players that make those around them better and can address the Bulls’ weaknesses at the margins without the ball always in their hands.

There are many players I expect to be on Chicago’s radar, but I believe these three are ultimately the most realistic options worth targeting due to their expected fit with the roster.

3. The Bulls get a gem at a bargain bin price

Trading for a player like T.J. McConnell is exactly the type of low-risk move I’ve come to expect from the Bulls these days. With glaring holes all over the roster, a move like this feels about the same as using band-aids to stop the leaks in a sinking ship.

I firmly believe if the Bulls wish to be taken seriously, they must commit hard in either direction — push the chips all in for a true difference-maker (Brooklyn has made at least two available in trade talks this year alone), or blow it all up and commit to a rebuild.

… All that being said, the Bulls could sure do a lot worse than acquiring McConnell at the deadline.

T.J. McConnell continues to be one of the NBA’s most underappreciated players and deserves the spotlight only the Chicago Bulls can offer.

T.J. proved just what he’s capable of late last month when he received the starting nod following Tyrese Haliburton’s injury. In the four games he started and logged over 30 minutes, McConnell averaged a ridiculous 18.5 points, 9.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 68.8% from the field. Obviously, if he were to come to Chicago he wouldn’t have as much usage, but he could still be enough to tilt games in the Bulls’ favor with his two-way play.

As good as McConnell has been good for the Pacers, there’s no ignoring the fact that he’s a few months removed from turning 31 years old. With Tyrese Haliburton leading the youth movement in Indiana, it would be better to swap him for a player that better fits their timeline. Especially with Andrew Nembhard looking much better than expected, this would shore up the loss of McConnell’s presence and form a very solid three-guard rotation.

Due to earn just $8.7 million next season with his contract non-guaranteed in 2024-25, McConnell could prove to be an extremely high-value player while only occupying a small fraction of the payroll, very similar to Chicago’s own Alex Caruso.

2. The NBA’s best backup point guard gets a promotion

If the Bulls are looking to acquire a true playmaking point guard that is good enough to be worth trading for but not too good to be deemed untouchable, Memphis’ Tyus Jones feels like he’s in the perfect sweet spot for what the Bulls are aiming to accomplish.

Unfortunately, if the Grizzlies stick to their guns at the trade deadline, the Bulls’ odds of acquiring Tyus would drastically diminish. That means the Bulls will have to sweeten the pot and incentivize the Grizzlies to make a drastic move by getting another team involved that could fulfill their needs.

This move would be almost entirely predicated on Memphis deciding to commit to competing for a championship this season and acquiring an impact small forward such as OG Anunoby, or even possibly Kevin Durant.

Tyus Jones is simply too good not to be a starter and would thrive on the Chicago Bulls.

Despite coming off the bench and averaging less than 24 minutes per game behind Ja Morant, Tyus averages 10.4 points and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 38.2% from deep. His playmaking has been absolutely vital for Memphis at times, and he has the ability to create separation from defenders and initiate his own offense on drives with his exceptional floater game ⁠— a skill Chicago’s current cast of point guards severely lacks.

As rotations tighten up in the playoffs, one of Morant or Desmond Bane would always be on the court at all times. One of Danny Green or John Konchar would bump up whenever one rests, and in case of emergencies, Kennedy Chandler has been surprisingly effective for a rookie and would suffice as a third ball handler. The point here, as good as Tyus has been, he’s not absolutely essential to the Grizzlies’ success.

If the front office manages to pry away a player of Jones’ caliber, I must say I’d be extremely impressed. He’s on a very team-friendly contract and with his deal set to expire at the end of 2024 it would be the perfect safety net to keep the Bulls afloat until Lonzo gets back up and operating at 100%.

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.

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.