The Chicago Bulls could end this offseason's Bennedict Mathurin saga with one simple trade proposed by a league insider — and it would be a home run for Chicago.
The Bulls could potentially bring the 24-year-old to the Windy City for the small price of Isaac Okoro and a few second-round draft picks, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Mathurin is in restricted free agency limbo at the moment, with the Clippers unwilling to match his salary demands on a new long-term contract. The young swingman has his flaws, and LA's refusal to pay him north of $20 million per season is understandable.
But at some point, taking a flier on a player with Mathurin's pedigree is worth the risk. Plus, the odds of him landing a deal north of $15-18 million annually have shrunk to about zero.
If it costs just Okoro and some mediocre draft capital, the Bulls should shoot their shot.
This Bulls-Clippers Bennedict Mathurin trade would be a win for Chicago
Okoro is a veteran wing who's maxed out as a solid, multi-positional defender and doesn't bring much to the table offensively. He's also on an expiring contract worth $11.8 million.
The Bulls are stocked with 14 second-round selections between now and 2032. There's little risk in dealing away these surplus assets.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported the Bulls' interest in Mathurin, along with the Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
Siegel, meanwhile, describes his proposal as "definitely one of the smoothest and easiest paths to a deal for Los Angeles."
It sounds like a win-win for both sides, then. The Clippers get off Mathurin and don't have to stress about paying him — or risk losing him for nothing next summer if he accepts his qualifying offer and becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The Bulls, meanwhile, have a chance to add a young, already proven NBA scorer with room to grow. With Chicago mired in the early stages of a rebuild, it has time and space to see if Mathurin can develop into more than a rotational swingman.
If he doesn't, the Bulls would have given up nothing more than a player who was on his way out the door anyway and some draft capital they have to spare.
Mathurin, the sixth-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, owns career averages of 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists on shooting splits of 44.2/33.6/83.8 across 263 games (110 starts). He's a high-level athlete who can become a legitimate two-way contributor if he can learn to be more efficient and lock in defensively.
This would be the kind of low-risk, high-reward move Chicago should be making right now. The organization needs an infusion of talent, and Mathurin certainly has it.
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