The Chicago Bulls aren’t going to be in the title race this season, barring a miraculous rookie season from Caleb Wilson. So, their goal should be to plan for the future as best as possible. And that means scouring the trade market for any possible options. Nicolas Claxton should be one name for them to keep an eye on, but they have to help him revive his value first.
This summer, the Bulls basically landed Claxton for free. The Brooklyn Nets dumped him onto the Bulls in the Julius Randle trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played okay last year, but he wasn’t the defensive menace he was once made out to be while playing alongside Kevin Durant and company.
If he can revive his value in Chicago, the Bulls could have a great chance at trading him by the deadline.
Nicolas Claxton reviving his value would give Bulls perfect trade chip
Chicago needs to be looking at every possible way it can get more draft capital moving forward. With the new lottery odds, there’s no guarantee the Bulls get a top pick, so they need as many swings as possible.
And the best way to add more chances at a top pick is to trade for more picks in general. At that point, the Bulls could trade up or just take multiple rookies from an upcoming class.
Claxton is a prime trade candidate. He’ll slot in nicely as the starting center for the Bulls next year, but he’s probably not a huge factor in the team’s long-term plans with Wilson and Matas Buzelis.
He’s also on a great contract. Claxton will make $23.1 million this upcoming season, and then the following year, he’s slated to make $20.9 million. His money goes down. That’s a rarity in today’s NBA.
With how many teams are wary of the CBA, adding a quality center on that type of money would be a steal. But again, it’s up to Claxton and the Bulls to revive his value by the deadline.
Claxton just got dumped. The Nets – the Nets – basically just gave him away. He’ll need to dominate on the defensive end and show real flashes as a lob threat next season.
At that point, there could be plenty of teams around the league that might want him. The Denver Nuggets, to be a Nikola Jokic backup. The Boston Celtics, if their center rotation proves to be too injury-prone. The Charlotte Hornets, if they want to roll out double bigs more consistently.
Chicago’s trade plans this upcoming season largely hinge on guys showing their value to the rest of the league, and Claxton is most certainly one of those guys.
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