It may sound ugly, but a trade for Julius Randle could be the best path forward for the Chicago Bulls. With the new lottery odds going into effect next season, there’s no point in the Bulls trying to be the worst team in the league. That would actually hurt them. Instead, they should want to be in the middle of the pack in the East. So, taking on a reclamation project like Randle could actually be useful.
As the Minnesota Timberwolves look to reshape their roster around Anthony Edwards, trading Randle could be toward the top of their list of objectives. That said, there probably aren’t that many teams around the league who will be eager to take on Randle’s contract. But maybe the Bulls would.
They’re in a rough enough spot as it is, so they might as well try to get some value out of a guy like Randle, who is talented but flawed.
Julius Randle trade could be a perfect Bulls reclamation proejct
For as rough a reputation as Randle built for himself (especially during this year’s playoffs), he’s still a talented player. He was an All-Star, he can score the ball, and he’s a better playmaker than people give him credit for.
And again, since there’s no point in the Bulls being the absolute worst – in fact, they should do everything in their power not to be – adding a guy like Randle could actually be useful.
Just look at what the Brooklyn Nets did with Michael Porter Jr. last year. They took him in at a negative value, and now, teams may be willing to give up draft capital to add him.
There’s no guarantee that the Bulls could do the same with Randle, but it’s certainly not impossible. Randle will be making $33.3 million next year, and if he picks up his player option the year after, then he’ll make $35.8 million.
That’s a lot of money, but not an impossible contract for a team to take on, and also not an impossible deal for the Bulls to trade for right now.
Chicago could, in theory, offer up a package of Jalen Smith, Tre Jones, and Isaac Okoro for Randle, should the Wolves get desperate enough to move on from him.
It could benefit Minnesota to break up Randle’s deal into smaller ones to help facilitate trades, anyway. That’s where the Bulls could stick their head into the picture.
Nothing about a trade for Randle would be perfect. But the Bulls aren’t exactly in a position to be waiting for perfect opportunities. They need to scrap, claw, and work their way up from the bottom.
And taking on a reclamation project like Randle could help them do that, especially if they can flip him for picks a year from now.
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