Now that the NBA Draft and free agency period are behind us now, the primary method teams will have to shake their roster up is via the trade market. While I believe the Chicago Bulls seem intent on entering the 2023-24 season with the roster as currently constructed, there are still a few holes that will need to be addressed if this team wants to return to playoff contention.
So when Bleacher Report outlined their top three trade targets for each team in the NBA, I was all ears. I may have not been quite so keen on their suggestions for Philadelphia to target LaVine and Toronto to pursue Dosunmu, but hopefully, the Bulls’ platter of options would feel more palatable.
Bleacher Report has proposed 3 ideal trade targets for the Chicago Bulls, but do these deals make sense?
1. Mike Conley
Mike Conley is an interesting player to start things off here, as he’s someone we’ve had pop up on the Bulls’ radar as a player that would make sense for what feels like several years in a row now. For a team that has lacked an above-average and consistently healthy point guard since the days of Kirk Hinrich, I can’t say I’m surprised to have seen Conley’s name on the rumor mill so many times.
Although a trade never materialized in the past, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s too late to act now. Most players would have accepted their inevitable decline after hitting 30 years old, but Conley has only continued to reinvent his game and age like a fine wine. That’s why he received his first All-Star selection in 2021 at the age of 33 and has still managed to average 13.7 points and 6 rebounds while shooting above 40% from deep over the past three seasons.
The primary obstacle preventing the Bulls from trading for Conley has not been his on-court impact, however, it’s his contract. Now in the final year of a $68 million deal he signed with the Jazz back in 2021, Conley is due to be paid more than $24 million this season before hitting free agency this summer.
Not only would it be hard to match that large of a contract in trade negotiations, but it’s also difficult to justify expending assets now when he’ll be available to sign outright in free agency next year. Jevon Carter should be able to hold down the fort until then, so I’m not too keen on the Bulls dealing for Conley at this point in time.
Verdict: Pass