The Chicago Bulls will be one of the teams heavily featured in trade rumors next season, something they should be used to after enduring them all last year.
We recently looked at some of the teams that might want to trade for Chicago Bulls next season and one name that repeatedly came up was Torrey Craig.
It makes sense, as the 33-year-old Craig can still knock down 3-point shots at just under 40 percent and give you hustle and defense at several positions. Maybe even more importantly, Craig is on a cheap one-year deal that pays him just $2.8 million, a number that would be easy to move.
A useful veteran on an expiring value deal? If this sounds familiar, it’s because the Bulls were in the exact same position last season with Andre Drummond.
Chicago Bulls trade rumors: Torrey Craig
Just as the Bulls are set up to make the Alex Caruso mistake again with impact players outperforming their contracts in Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago is primed to repeat their mistake with Andre Drummond.
Like Craig, Drummond was a useful veteran suited for a backup role on a good team. Because of that (and his cheap contract) teams reportedly offered the Bulls multiple second-round picks for his services at last year’s trade deadline.
The Bulls held onto him in an ill-fated attempt to make the playoffs and lost draft assets that they desperately need. Second-round picks are more valuable in the apron era, as teams in the back end of the first round may want to trade back and stay away from the guaranteed money.
Second-round picks may not be sexy, but they can be useful.
Torrey Craig is not as good as Drummond, but he can help a contender, so the Bulls should be trying to create a bidding war at the trade deadline to net as many second-round picks as possible. The return for Craig isn’t going to alter the foundations of the franchise, but second-round picks can be useful in several ways.
It’s better than losing him for nothing, which is what happened with Andre Drummond. The Bulls have badly mismanaged their trade assets in recent years, and while Craig may not be one of their best, he’s still a guy who can get them something in a trade.