The bulk of the Chicago Bulls' offseason business has come to an end, but that doesn't mean there aren't still moves to be made.
Notably, there will be teams looking for frontcourt talent over the remainder of the offseason— especially given how weak the center market was in free agency. The Los Angeles Lakers, who moved on from Deandre Ayton and added Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney this offseason, will be one of those teams.
It wasn't all that surprising, therefore, when The Athletic's Dan Woike suggested Jalen Smith as a possible trade option for Los Angeles. He has one year and $9.5 million left on his deal, and he has the flexibility to play both the four and five spots while maintaining a modest perimeter shooting profile. Woike reports that Smith, at the very least, has fans within the Lakers organization.
If that interest proves real this offseason, the Bulls need to spring at the opportunity to retrieve value for Smith's contract, granting them flexibility to play Noa Essengue and saving them from any temptation to renew Smith's contract when it expires next offseason.
The Bulls need to move on from Jalen Smith if they're given the opportunity
Smith is by no means an ineffective player, and he's actually taken strides a scorer and shooter since he arrived in Chicago. But in terms of the long-term vision of the organization, he's not truly a fit.
He plays with energy and focus, but his 6'8" frame doesn't give him a true home between the four and the five spots. With Nic Claxton and Caleb Wilson now in place, Smith is at best a solid forward who can help raise the floor of the bench unit. If the Lakers are willing to trade a player with a better fit in Bryson Graham's SLAM philosophy or future draft capital to have Smith fill a need in their frontcourt, that's a no-brainer move.
But the reasons for Chicago to jump at a Smith trade extend even beyond that. With Wilson now cemented as their starting power forward of the future, the Bulls will be hard-pressed to find enough minutes for Essengue to continue developing. This season will be absolutely pivotal for him as he continues to gain strength and feel for the NBA game.
With Smith and Patrick Williams in the fold, those opportunities will be limited for Essengue. But if Smith is moved, it will open the door for some real bench run for the second-year forward. Granted, Essengue still looks awkward on the court based on what we saw in Summer League. There's a real chance those minutes will look rough this season. But on a rebuilding team, the priority needs to be developing the young talent.
In a similar vein, trading Smith would show the Bulls were serious about committing to their young core. With the way the roster is currently constructed, there's no reason to ultimately extend Smith next offseason— unless the front office is focused on floor-raising instead of long-term development.
If Smith is able to stay available this season, there will be a case for him to stick around when his current contract expires. Moving on from him and retrieving value in return right now would save the front office from even needing to make that consideration.
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