The Chicago Bulls were the talk of the NBA after a 5-0 start to the season, but the chatter has died down as they've won just once since Halloween. There are still reasons to believe a playoff berth for the first time since 2021-22 is on the horizon, but the team still needs players who can guard to shore up a leaky defense -- someone like New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III.
Many of their usual bugaboos have plagued the Pels again this season: Zion Williamson has struggled to stay healthy, head coach Willie Green has made several questionable decisions and is on the hot seat, and Jordan Poole has been an inefficient shot-chucker (and is currently injured).
All of this has led to a 2-10 start and more questions about the franchise's future, namely, "Will they finally blow this up and reset?"
If the answer becomes yes, the Bulls should be ready to pounce.
Trey Murphy III could be the missing piece for the Chicago Bulls
Chicago had one of the league's statistically best defenses through the first few weeks of this season, but it was always fair to believe that was fool's gold. The Bulls don't have any on-ball stoppers outside of Isaac Okoro, and there are no shot blockers ready to save the day at the rim.
Billy Donovan's squad had the NBA's sixth-best defensive rating (110.3) during that five-game stretch. Opponents shot just 30.1 percent from three -- worst in the league -- and scored only 114.1 points per game. The Bulls outscored teams by 8.8 points per game.
Since then, that defensive rating has plummeted to 119.2, teams are hitting 36.7 percent of their triples, they're scoring 123.0 points per game and Chicago is now being outscored by 5.3 points per contest, a difference of 14.1.
Meanwhile, Murphy has started all 12 games in New Orleans and leads the Pelicans in minutes per game (36.1), points per game (19.8), rebounds per game (6.8), assists per game (3.4) and averages 1.2 steals. Those numbers would be good for first, second, third, fourth and second on the Bulls, respectively.
Murphy III would make the Bulls dangerous in multiple ways
Murphy is 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, which would immediately make him Chicago's most physically intimidating on-ball defender should he land in the Windy City. He can capably guard four positions and is a career 38.2 percent 3-point shooter. He would be Donovan's most versatile player, deftly able to play as a small-ball four (or even five at times) in lineups that might feature Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White, or as a two or three in big lineups that could include Matas Buzelis, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith.
The 25-year-old is also on a team-friendly deal that will see him make $25 million this season, then $27 million, $29 million and $31 million over the next three.
Acquiring Murphy wouldn't be cheap, but the Bulls own all their first-round draft picks and have an extra one coming from the Portland Trail Blazers. If New Orleans continues to struggle this season, Murphy could very well hit the trade block, and it would be a smart move in both the short and long term for Chicago to acquire him.