The Chicago Bulls are reportedly preparing to ramp up their pursuit of a franchise center, with New Orleans Pelicans big man Yves Missi emerging as a prime target, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
With the NBA trade deadline a little more than two weeks away, the Bulls may finally be ready to reshape their frontcourt.
The fact that Nikola Vucevic is still Chicago's starting center is wild. At age 35 and a poor scheme fit with an expiring contract, he should be exiting the Windy City any day now.
Zach Collins was a valuable addition at last year’s trade deadline. When healthy, he’s a top-shelf backup. But he’s played in only 10 games this season and is out indefinitely with a foot injury.
Missi would be a massive upgrade in both the short and long terms.
Bulls should acquire Yves Missi from the New Orleans Pelicans
Missi was seen as a raw but enticing prospect entering the 2024 Draft after a one-year stint at Baylor. At 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds with explosive athleticism and a 7-foot-2 wingspan, he had the measureables of a potential superstar.
But he was more immediately impactful than surely even the Pelicans thought.
Missi started 67 games in year one, posting averages of 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in nearly 27 minutes per contest. His role has been scaled back this season, however, as rookie Derik Queen emerged as one of the organization’s building blocks and Zion Williamson has been semi-healthy.
In 36 games this year, Missi has just seven starts and has seen a drop in statistics across the board. But the same elite physical traits that made him so enticing remain.
Missi would solve Chicago’s big man woes
Vucevic's exit from the organization is imminent, whether he’s moved before the Feb. 5 trade deadline or leaves as a free agent this offseason. Likewise, Collins’ contract expires at the conclusion of this year. The 28-year-old could be worth keeping around as a reserve at a lower price, but he’s not a long-term answer.
At age 21, Missi has plenty of room to grow. His potential as a rebounder, rim-runner and shot-blocker -- he's averaging 11.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per-36 minutes and shooting 70.4 percent at the basket this season -- is the exact archetype Bulls Executive VP of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas should be looking to acquire. He would mesh perfectly with a facilitator like Josh Giddey on offense while providing cover as a paint deterrent.
Add a budding jumbo wing in Matas Buzelis to that pair, and the Bulls would have a foundation worth building around.