3 Bulls players who greatly improved their trade value in 2023

A month ago, I wrote about 3 Chicago Bulls players who tanked their trade value this season. Admittedly, I was feeling a little pessimistic following their defeat to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament, and was possibly looking for a finger to point.

While I stick to what I said in that original article, Miami’s postseason run has brought me to see the light. Even after a disappointing season, there are still plenty of silver linings to draw from the Bulls’ efforts this year.

Not everything was doom and gloom, particularly regarding these three players, who did much to bring a lot of hope to us as fans this year. Even if they end up not being a part of the Bulls’ long-term plans, at the very least they did enough to greatly improve their trade value if this team commits to a rebuild.

Although the Chicago Bulls didn’t reach their goals as a team, a few players on the roster still shined as a silver lining to a forgettable season.

3. DeMar DeRozan

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that the Bulls were being heavily criticized by the media and general NBA fans alike for their decision to ink DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $82 million deal. At the time, they claimed this was a massive overpay. Now, DeMar is undoubtedly a great value deal for any team with championship aspirations.

Unfortunately, it would be foolish to place the Bulls in that category for now, so I can’t be faulted for gauging DeMar’s value on the open market here. To put things in perspective, DeRozan will be paid less than players like Gordon Hayward, Kyle Lowry, and Chris Paul next year. The first year of Jordan Poole’s new contract comes in just right behind DeMar.

That’s tremendous value.

Even if DeRozan isn’t quite good enough to be the top option on a championship team, he’s certainly good enough to be the Robin to someone’s Batman. He’s also getting paid substantially less than other second (or third) options like CJ McCollum, Rudy Gobert, Tobias Harris, and Khris Middleton.

Of all the names mentioned above, only one of these players has been selected to both All-Star Games over the last two seasons. Only one of these players has qualified for an All-NBA Team. That player is DeMar DeRozan.

2. Alex Caruso

Not too long ago, Alex Caruso‘s rise to relevancy was treated as little more than a silly meme among Lakers fans. Fast forward to today, and he’s clearly become one of the most prominent defenders in the NBA, the type of player any contender would love to have on their roster.

That’s not pure conjecture either, as Caruso drew much interest from other contenders ahead of February’s trade deadline. Of course, the Bulls stuck to the course under their misguided belief they themselves could be contenders, but that doesn’t mean Caruso’s trade value has dissipated.

If anything, it’s higher than ever after being named to the All-Defensive First Team, joining other elite names Jrue Holiday, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brook Lopez. If you’ve been following closely, you’d have known that Caruso was already at that level, but having the accolades to prove it serves to boost his image around the league a great deal.

Even Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr openly offered his praise to Caruso, personally telling the guard that he’d, “Love to have him”. It’s no coincidence the Warriors were heavily rumored to be in pursuit of the deadline, but Chicago held fast with a response that they’d only accept an offer that “blew us away”.

I don’t know if Caruso would fetch the two first-round picks they were looking for, but he’s certainly worth at least a first-rounder and a developmental piece at this point.

1. Zach LaVine

For all the box score watchers and non-Bulls fans out there, I wouldn’t blame you if you thought this was a relatively unimpressive season for Zach LaVine. Averages of 24.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists are nothing to scoff at, but it’s still a step back from what we saw from Zach in 2020-21. This is only compounded by the fact that he missed out on another All-Star selection after qualifying for the team in the two previous seasons.

Just looking at those numbers is ignoring a whole lot of context here, however, as LaVine entered the season still recovering from a knee injury. As a result, he got off to an understandably slow start this year, and even when he was back at full speed, LaVine’s production still suffered from the Bulls’ poor roster construction.

As Patrick Beverley will be quick to remind you, LaVine became a whole new beast after the All-Star Break now that he had a real point guard to transfer the primary ball-handling duties to. Over the last 22 games of the season, LaVine averaged 27 points and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 53.2% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc.

Zach clearly demonstrated that he still has what it takes to be not only a top offensive option, but perhaps something even more dangerous: an elite second option. For any contenders looking to add a dynamic scorer to their current star, LaVine is perhaps one of the most interesting players that could potentially hit the trade block over the next two seasons.