The Chicago Bulls mediocracy evokes the need to sell ahead of the trade deadline. There's no reason the Bulls should be buyers with their sights set on acquiring talent to make a playoff push. Chicago has made the postseason only once in four seasons under Billy Donovan. While there's a chance the Bulls will squeak in this season, it's rather unlikely.
Therefore, focus should be shifted to the future instead of prioritizing the present. The plan has already been put in motion, but the pedal has yet to be floored. Chicago traded away Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan in the offseason, thus beginning a prolonged rebuild. However, the Bulls have continued to hold onto numerous veterans, such as Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.
Nevertheless, the trade rumblings have been audible concerning both veterans. Vucevic is one of the NBA's more likely trade candidates, while LaVine's departure will likely occur beyond this season. Aside from Chicago's oldest and third-oldest players, Torrey Craig, Lonzo Ball, and Patrick Williams have recently been mentioned as trade chips. Certain nonnegotiables must be made known if the Bulls decide to trade one of the previously mentioned players. Below, we've identified three of Chicago's biggest midseason needs.
The Bulls' 3 biggest needs if a trade were to be made
3. 3-and-D wings
Is Williams a 3-and-D wing? There's no surefire answer to that question, but the idea of Williams as a 3-and-D wing is ostensibly true. Unfortunately for the Bulls and Williams, despite his intriguing measurables, he's never matured into a quality defender. Chicago has been worse off defensively with Williams on the floor in all five of his professional seasons.
Besides the pseudo-3-and-D wing, Williams, the Bulls are lacking firepower at both forward spots. Chicago has begun to remedy the lacking position by drafting 6-foot-10 combo forward Matas Buzelis in last year's draft. Nonetheless, the Bulls are devoid of one of the league's most valuable archetypes.
If Chicago does send one of its veterans away in a trade, a 3-and-D wing would surely be coveted. The Bulls are, no doubt, in need of more defensive-minded players. Chicago is bottom third in the NBA in points allowed, defensive rating, blocks, and steals. Thus, if the Bulls were to make a trade with, say, the Denver Nuggets, Peyton Watson should be demanded in return.
2. Interior defenders, athletic bigs
Williams and rookie Buzelis are close enough to 3-and-D wings, but Vucevic and Jalen Smith are nowhere near identifiable as rim protectors. The Bulls' center duo averages a measly 1.4 blocks per game. For what's worth, Chicago hasn't rostered a player who's averaged more than a swat per game since Daniel Gafford.
Opponents are gashing the Bulls in the paint—scoring a league-high 55.7 paint points per game against Chicago. The Bulls' opponents average the most field goals and attempts within six feet in the NBA. The Billy Donovan-led squad is missing a rim-deterring presence. Opponents get to the rim and convert at will against a vanilla Bulls defense.
Sure, solid perimeter defenders deter opponents from getting looks at the rim, but the Bulls are too far behind in rostering defensive aces on the perimeter. Adding a hulking, athletic interior presence is the most simplistic way to *somewhat* fix a shoddy defense.
1. Draft compensation
This feels too easy. What should rebuilding teams demand in any given trade? Draft capital. The Brooklyn Nets have been a prime example this season. The Nets have already added six second-round picks in two separate trades this season. Another lowly squad, the Charlotte Hornets, recently acquired three second-round picks in exchange for Nick Richards and a future second-rounder.
The Bulls aren't quite on the Nets or Hornets level…yet. But now is as good a time as any to initiate the rebuild. Chicago lacks an excessive amount of second-rounders. The Bulls only own six second-round picks through 2031. The need to acquire more draft capital is pressing.
In any midseason trade, the Bulls must make draft picks a nonnegotiable in return. It appears Chicago is unwilling to budge on a Vucevic trade unless a first-round pick is involved. Smart. There's no reason for the Bulls to trade away a player averaging a double-double and shooting above 40 percent from beyond the arc. That ideology must continue to be followed if draft compensation is on the line.