Would the Chicago Bulls walk away?
The Bulls are arguably giving up the two best players in this deal, which is never a good sign for a trade.
But they may lose Caruso in free agency and already missed their chance to cash in. The main benefit is getting off LaVine’s contract and creating some financial flexibility.
Harrison Barnes is still a good player as a 3-and-D wing who rarely misses games, all traits the Bulls could use.
Huerter would improve the Bulls’ 3-point shooting, and both are on relatively cheap deals that only go two more seasons.
This year’s #45 pick probably won’t help much but a 2025 second-round pick via Portland could end up being a borderline first-round pick in a deep draft, as the Trail Blazers are going to stink next season. I'm sure the Bulls would try to move the Kings off a first rounder instead, and who knows, they may be able to squeeze this year's out of them depending on how desperate the Kings are for impact change.
It’s not the greatest return, but it gives the Bulls two solid role players and more future financial flexibility.
It might be the best they can hope for, which then begs the question of whether they should just keep the two players they have and look for other deals.