Acquiring Bennedict Mathurin would certainly come with risks, but if the Chicago Bulls could unload Isaac Okoro on the Los Angeles Clippers in a sign-and-trade, taking a flier on the talented but inconsistent wing could be a gamble worth taking.
The Bulls, along with the New Orleans Pelicans, are reportedly interested in the 24-year-old restricted free agent. Whether adding him to a roster already loaded with non-shooters is a good move is debatable, but Mathurin is a young, proven NBA rotation player and fits the archetype executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham likes.
If Graham is going to roll the dice on Mathurin, he should be pushing hard to send Okoro the other way and rid his team of a player who has no future — or present — in the Windy City.
Bulls should include Isaac Okoro in a sign-and-trade for Ben Mathurin
Chicago's previous regime acquired Okoro last offseason in a deal that sent Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unlike many of the moves made under Arturas Karnisovas, the logic was sound: The Bulls had a glut of point guards and no one who could play defense. Adding a strong, versatile defender like Okoro made sense on paper.
But at 25 years old with almost 400 NBA games now under his belt, it's safe to say he's maxed out as a player. The offensive upside that made him the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft simply isn't coming.
With other tweener forwards ahead of him on the depth chart, Okoro is a six-year veteran surplus to requirements for a team locked into building around Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue.
An Okoro-for-Mathurin swap could make sense for Bulls and Clippers
Mathurin is a restricted free agent reportedly hoping for a long-term contract worth at least $15 million annually. If that's the ultimate price point, Okoro and his $11.8 million expiring salary would work financially for both sides, and it would give the Clippers cap relief heading into next offseason.
If the Bulls were willing to part with two or perhaps three second-round picks, that package should pique LA's interest, especially if it doesn't feel comfortable paying that much to keep Mathurin anyway.
Yes, he would be a questionable fit with Chicago's current roster, but acquiring a swingman heading toward the prime of his career in Mathurin while simultaneously dumping a player with no role in the organization would be worth a gamble.
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