The Chicago Bulls just made a trade, and in the process they did something that fans have been begging them to do for years — they acquired Dario Saric. Wait no, that's not right, although they did acquire Saric in the deal. No, the Bulls added two future second-round picks by taking on the 31 year-old's expiring contract. Adding assets by taking on salary and not giving up anything in return? That's a win, Bulls Nation!
Maybe it seems silly to celebrate adding two future second-round picks (one from the Kings, one from the Cavs, for the record). But the Bulls should be trying to add assets whenever they can, and swooping in as the third team to help two other teams complete a deal is perhaps the best way to do that. In this case, they were the facilitators of a deal that is sending De'Andre Hunter to the Kings and Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cavaliers.
If we're going to slander the front office when they make bad moves (and trust me, I have done just that) then we also must give them credit when they do something smart. This is smart!
Chicago Bulls start trade season with a win
What a sentence, huh? This is what good teams do, though, so let's hope it's setting a precedent for the rest of the trade deadline. To this point, the Bulls have been in rumors as both buyers (most notably for Kings forward Domantas Sabonis) and sellers (Coby White, Ayo Dosumnu, and Nikola Vucevic are all popular names in rumors).
I think a poll of fans would show that "selling" is the preferred path by a longshot, and even though the Bulls added a player in this deal, it's a future-oriented deal for sure. More moves are presumed to come for a Bulls team that, against all odds, looks like it's careening toward another play-in appearance. Maybe that's not against all odds. But a few odds, at least.
In the meantime, though, the Bulls should try to be the third team in as many trades as they possibly can. In today's apron-minded NBA, three-team deals are the norm as contracts and cap space is more complicated than ever. Anyone need to give up an expiring deal to complete a blockbuster? If they're giving up a pick or two for the services, the Bulls should always volunteer.
If nothing else, it's encouraging to know that this front office is aware they're allowed to acquire future draft picks.