Bulls Rumors: Damian Lillard trade talks take a turn for the worse

Up to this point, Chicago Bulls fans everywhere have had their eyes and ears on the situation surrounding Damian Lillard. Although it seemed a trade to the Heat was a foregone conclusion for the superstar, the Bulls have somehow managed to creep up and become legitimate threats to steal one of the best point guards in the entire league from their Eastern Conference rival in Miami.

For a franchise that has long been plagued with a lack of talent at the point, Dame would immediately become one of the greatest floor generals Chicago has ever rostered if they managed to land him via trade. While that’s all well and good, I wouldn’t get too excited about the possibility just yet, as the latest updates surrounding Dame’s status on the trade block have taken a turn for the worst.

That’s because recent reports make it seem as though Chicago may actually only be involved in this deal to facilitate the trade as a third team. In this scenario, the Heat would still land Lillard, the Bulls would still send out valuable pieces (potentially even Zach LaVine?), and in exchange, they’d receive… Tyler Herro.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports on the latest whispers he’s heard regarding developments on Lillard trade talks, including budding interest for Herro from Chicago (as well as many other suitors) as part of a package deal.

"“If Portland ultimately does business with Miami, the Jazz — as well as the Bulls, Hornets and Nets — are considered a team interested in landing Tyler Herro from the Heat, sources said,” Fischer wrote. “And there are plenty of executives who’d rather take Miami’s best package, if the Heat are so willing, that could include Herro and Nikola Jović to go with Jaquez, Caleb Martin and more.”"

The Bulls’ trade talks for Damian Lillard have gotten seriously derailed if the rumors surrounding Tyler Herro are true.

To put things lightly, downgrading the haul from a player like Lillard to Herro would likely leave Bulls fans… unsettled, to say the least. Herro is probably a better asset than most are willing to give him credit for, but he’s still a big step down from our incumbent shooting guard Zach LaVine, let alone Lillard.

The hesitancy to get involved in a deal for Herro is only amplified by the enormous four-year, $130 million contract extension he signed just one year ago. For a player who has yet to prove he can consistently deliver high-quality production like he did in the NBA’s bubble, this feels like a gamble far too risky to stomach.

Herro himself only continued to add fuel to the fire by posting a cryptic update on his personal Instagram account.

If the Bulls are trying to keep LaVine and acquire Herro, I’m not exactly sure how that rotation would work without having glaring holes in the team’s ability to pass the ball, crash the glass, and play defense. It’s just too redundant. If the Bulls are looking to swap LaVine for Herro and assets, I also don’t understand how they’ll justify the move and continue trying to compete instead of rebuild this season. This is a messy situation I hope Chicago’s front office knows better than to get tangled up in.