2. The Bulls decide to rebuild around Trae Young
This second all-in trade package for Trae Young is what I like to call the “rebuilding” offer. In this package, the Bulls would send off both Zach LaVine (to the Hawks) and DeMar DeRozan (to the Knicks) in exchange for Young, an expiring contract, a young player, and a future pick.
Again, the Bulls could take another step forward by finding a way to move Ball but that is an entirely different hurdle that Chicago has to figure out. But by trading both DeRozan and LaVine, the Bulls would be essentially rebuilding with Young. They’d get another nice piece to add to their puzzle in Mitchell Robinson and would have a nice young core to start over with.
They’d also get an additional first-round pick in 2025 to help them set a new foundation for the future. Considering that general manager Arturas Karnisovas has already been on record saying the team isn’t looking to blow up the roster after their Play-In Tournament loss, I find it hard to believe that the team will trade both LaVine and DeRozan. However, maybe they believe that this “rebuild” would be worth it in the long run.
They’d still be somewhat competitive with this move and that’s without adding another player or two via free agency.