Lonzo Ball talk aside, trade deadline may not hold answer to Bulls' improvement
The NBA trade deadline will arrive on Thursday afternoon. While it seems unlikely the Bulls will make a significant deal, here are a few things Arturas Karnisovas should keep in mind:
First of all, the sky is not falling. Despite their inability to beat good teams or win close games, the Bulls started Tuesday in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 19-23 record. If they could have reversed four of those buzzer-beating losses and late-game collapses, they'd be alone in fourth place.
Any move the Bulls make should be done with the long-term future in mind. There's no reason to add a piece now just to make the playoffs this season.
Next, Karnisovas should imagine this Bulls team as a legitimate Finals contender. Who does he see making heavy contributions on a good team: Lauri Markkanen? Wendell Carter Jr.? Coby White? Patrick Williams?
That's the dilemma facing the Bulls right now. Most of the improvement this season can be credited to Zach LaVine, Thad Young and Garrett Temple. None of the recent first-round draft picks is blowing anyone away and Markkanen is headed into restricted free-agency.
They're not likely to do anything with Williams, who is still just 19. But Karnisovas wouldn't be doing his job if he's not considering all options to improve the long-term outlook. It would rightfully take a large haul to pry Young away from the Bulls right now, though. He's basically co-MVP of the current squad with LaVine.
One of those options is preserving the cap space they'll have this summer when the contracts of Otto Porter and Cristiano Felicio expire. Some of the potential free agents that might be worth pursuing include San Antonio's DeMar DeRozan, Toronto's Norman Powell, Houston's Victor Oladipo and Sacramento's Richaun Holmes.
So adding a big contract now probably won't make sense. Trading for a player on an expiring contract is risky because they won't know whether that player will stick around or how much it would cost to re-sign him.
The most popular rumored target is New Orleans point guard Lonzo Ball, who will also be a restricted free agent this summer. He'd be a nice fit, no doubt, but what would the Pelicans want in return?
The top of New Orleans' wish list is certainly the Bulls' 2021 first-round draft pick, which they should rightfully be reluctant to give up, considering the strength of this draft class.
Markkanen for Ball might make sense for the Bulls, but would New Orleans want to pair a jump-shooting power forward who is expecting a big contract with Zion Williamson? Probably not. What about White for Ball? It would be something for the Bulls to consider since there's been few signs of the high-scoring version of White who finished his rookie season. But the Pelicans would likely want more or ask to unload the hefty contract of center Steven Adams. It's hard to project a perfect match for both sides.
There's no shortage of NBA veterans who have asked for trades, but most of them are hoping to get a buyout to join a championship contender. Orlando's Aaron Gordon is one of those players in the NBA's version of the transfer portal. He's a decent player who will make a reasonable $16.4 million next season. But the Magic is also looking for draft picks in return and the Bulls can't be giving away their draft lottery ticket right now.
Some other veterans looking to move on are San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge, Cleveland's Andre Drummond. New Orleans' J.J. Redick and Houston's Eric Gordon. There is speculation about Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry maybe heading to his hometown of Philadelphia, but his $30-million salary complicates things.
Actually, one addition that could make sense for the Bulls is Drummond, who has an expiring contract. If the Cavaliers would take Porter in return, the Bulls would get a chance to see how a bigger center fits into their lineup without making a long-term commitment. Of course, there's a good chance Drummond would prefer a contract buyout to finishing the year with the Bulls.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls