Some fans want the Chicago Bulls to blow up the roster and start over. Others hope with luck the Bulls can get back in the playoffs next season with some tweaks.
Chicago seems reluctant to do a full-scale rebuild, so something that embraces both philosophies may be the compromise fans are going to have to live with.
If the Bulls bring back DeMar DeRozan and can’t find a home for Zach LaVine, they will be stuck financially with little cap space to make impact additions. So, it would be more of the same without a boost of young talent outside of the 11th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
But if the Bulls were willing to move on from one of their valuable veterans, they might be able to reload on young talent while still competing next season.
Chicago Bulls: Trading Alex Caruso
Trading Caruso would be tough, as what he does is not easy to replace. He’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and shoots over 40 percent from long range, traits that play on any team. But that’s also what makes him a valuable commodity.
Bleacher Report recently named Caruso as a possible trade target for the Atlanta Hawks, who want to break up their current backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray for a better-fitting guard.
You won’t find many better fits for Trae Young than Caruso, who can cover some of Young's weaknesses on defense and help spread the floor on offense without constantly needing the ball in his hands.
Murray doesn’t make much sense for the Bulls, but if they found a third team that wanted him, dealing Caruso could pay off for Chicago in a 3-team trade.
Possible 3-team trade with Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs
The first team that comes to mind that has the cap space, assets and need for Dejounte Murray is the San Antonio Spurs, the team where he was previously an All-Star. Murray has already publicly welcomed a trade back to San Antonio and has a great relationship with Gregg Popovich.
He’d also speed up the timeline for Victor Wembanyama, as they need a point guard who can get him the rock. Murray is a perfect fit.
Here is a 3-team that could work for everyone involved:
The Spurs are essentially giving up Keldon Johnson and two first-round picks (including pick 8 in this draft) for Murray, which seems like a fair deal for them.
The Hawks are giving up Murray and the #1 pick for Keldon Johnson, Alex Caruso, the 8th pick in 2024 and a pick in 2026. They get better fitting players that help them win now, stay in the lottery of this draft and get future draft assets to play with.
But what about the Chicago Bulls? Would they consider such a move?
Pros and cons of trading Alex Caruso
Firstly, this might be a pipe dream, as Alex Caruso on a one-year deal is probably not worth the first pick in the draft, but given this is a 3-team deal, you have to look at the totality of Atlanta’s haul. They are still picking in the top-10 and getting an All-Defensive player who complements Young. But the Bulls may have to kick in another asset of their own.
The cons for the Bulls are obvious. Caruso is a valuable player, and this is a weak draft. There is no chance this would even be a consideration in any of the recent drafts, as you could get a much bigger chest of assets for the #1 pick.
The Bulls could just extend Caruso to a four-year deal, and he helps them more right now, especially if they are going to try and take advantage of the DeMar DeRozan window.
The pros are that the Bulls could nab their big man of the future in Alex Sarr, a dynamic rim protector or one of the two-way wings. It would allow them to use Caruso’s expiring contract to get two shots in this draft instead of one.
Getting Sarr and a player like Ron Holland, Cody Williams, Dalton Knecht etc. with the 11th pick would give the Bulls an injection of young talent that they desperately need.
And they’d be doing it without completely blowing up the roster, so they could theoretically still compete next season with one eye on the future.
This is likely the best-case scenario if the Bulls were to move Caruso, and if they don’t think an extension is coming, it may be their best chance to cash in.