After a quiet offseason thus far, the Chicago Bulls have recently been attached to multiple trade rumors around the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Bulls have the 11th pick but could look to move up if the right opportunity presents itself. Arturas Karnivsovas promised change this offseason and trading up to get a higher profile player (and possibly get off a contract) would be one way to do it.
The Bulls have some connections to Matas Buzelis, who was recently named by ESPN as a guy Chicago could trade up to get.
But Buzelis wasn’t the only possibility.
Chicago Bulls draft: Trading up for Donovan Clingan
ESPN (subscription) also said Donovan Clingan is a player the Bulls could target in a draft trade:
"He is being discussed among teams as a possible target for the likes of Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City or Utah, who all might explore trading up for a player in his mold."
Clingan is a player who has steadily risen up draft boards as a 7-foot-2 center who is a paint smotherer and rim protector who is a good connective playmaker and has shown some ability to shoot.
He profiles as a player who should not only slot immediately into the modern game but who has considerable upside.
The problem is that there is no way he’s going to be available at 11, so if Chicago wants their big man of the future, it’s going to take some wheeling and dealing.
It will also have ramifications on the big men currently on the Bulls roster.
Chicago Bulls would have to trade up to get Donovan Clingan
It’s unlikely that Clingan fall out of the top seven, so the Bulls would have to trade up in the 2024 NBA Draft if they are indeed interested in his services.
All of the teams in the top five have expressed interest in Clingan (possibly to drive up the price to trade down) so it depends on how real this interest is.
The Rockets and Pistons are both in search of win-now help and would be candidates to trade down. The 11th pick and Caruso would get the conversation started in Houston and the Bulls may even be able to get off LaVine’s contract in the right deal with Detroit.
The Wizards are a possibility with the 2nd pick, though the Bulls may not have the trade assets to move up that much. The Hornets would also be a possibility if Clingan were to fall out of the top five.
If the Bulls want Clingan, they are going to have to give up an asset or two to get him depending on how far he falls.
Landing him in a draft trade would have a ripple effect on the rest of the roster.
Would the Bulls trade Nikola Vucevic?
The Bulls are reportedly open to trading Nikola Vucevic and trading up in the draft would be a sign that time has come.
It’s possible Chicago would just keep the veteran center and use Clingan in a smaller role initially while they wait out the final two years of Vucevic's contract. Clingan does compensate defensively for some of Vucevic’s weaknesses, so you could argue for keeping them as a duo splitting minutes.
But you don’t normally trade up for a player to put him on the bench, so it would be more likely for Chicago to ramp up their attempts at trading Vucevic, which could be easier after the dust has settled from the draft and free agency when there are teams still looking for help.
What about Andre Drummond?
If the Bulls were to land Clingan and trade Vucevic (we are getting into unlikely territory here) then bringing back Drummond on a fair deal to be the primary backup makes sense.
He’s durable and reliable off the bench and has shown he can impact games in limited minutes, which would make Clingan the primary man down low.
Given the Bulls reluctance to make major change, it’s doubtful any of these things happen, but there is a world in which the Bulls land their big man of the future, which would add some much-needed young talent without completely blowing up the roster.