The Chicago Bulls need to take advantage of the New York Knicks' self-inflicted roster crisis and trade for 2024 first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet.
Bulls' executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas continues to repeat the "building while competing" mantra. (Which sounds similar to a "make the Play-In Tournament and cross your fingers" or "keep straddling the mediocrity line" chant.)
There are some pieces in place for Chicago to accomplish both, though. Matas Buzelis is loaded with star qualities and is only 20 years old. Josh Giddey played at an All-Star level to close last season and is 22. Coby White averaged 26.0 points and 2.8 3-pointers made over his final 21 games and is entering his seventh year at age 25. Tre Jones, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, Isaac Okoro and Dalen Terry are all 25 or younger and expected to be in the 2025-26 rotation.
But the franchise must continue to add prospects with superstar-caliber upside, and Dadiet can be next.
Bulls should steal Pacôme Dadiet from the New York Knicks
In their quest to build out a veteran roster and push for an NBA title, the Knicks have put themselves in a conundrum: Trade Dadiet to free up a roster spot and keep veteran guards Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, or hold onto Dadiet and say goodbye to one of Brogdon or Shamet.
New York seems to have made up its mind, as the organization has "already called several teams to gauge interest" in Dadiet, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer via The Stein Line substack.
Karnisovas needs to answer that call with an eager ear. Or if he hasn't gotten one, get his thumbs moving.
Dadiet saw limited playing time as a rookie last season. He averaged 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds in 18 games and 111 total minutes. But Chicago would be acquiring him for what he could be, not what he is now.
The young Frenchman, who coincidentally played for the same European club as Essengue, just turned 20 in July. He has an NBA-ready body at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds. He's smart, versatile and capable of playing multiple positions on both ends. He has a clean shooting stroke and the potential to become a prototypical, modern 3-and-D wing.
If Karnisovas is shrewd enough, he could even extract a second-round pick or two from New York for helping them clear a roster spot.
Dadiet has as high an upside as any player from the 2024 draft class; he's just extremely raw and will require time and patience from his organization to develop. That's not something the Knicks have, but certainly something the Bulls should.
Nabbing a prospect like Dadiet -- essentially for free -- is the kind of move Chicago needs to make to keep "building" while it figures out how "competing" is supposed to work.