Draft night should be calm for Bulls, but anything is possible

No picks in Thursday's NBA draft doesn't necessarily mean no action for the Bulls.

They could buy a pick from another team, and there are enough franchises waist-deep into the luxury tax to consider such a move.

There's been a little trade buzz involving the Bulls, but that's probably all it is, a mosquito-sized buzz.

Vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas wouldn't be doing his job if he didn't ask every team in the league what they would give up for Zach LaVine and every other player on the Bulls roster. That doesn't mean the Bulls are angling to make a splashy move or tear down the current roster.

Washington was able to move fast on a former all-star with a terrible contract. Shooting guard Bradley Beal will be sent to Phoenix in a deal that is not yet official, but reportedly includes Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and a bunch of draft picks. It's possible a third team could get involved to take Paul, or the Wizards could make the two-team trade and cut the veteran point guard loose.

There was talk Wednesday of another possible Wizards move, sending Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. In this three-team deal, Malcolm Brogdon would go to the Clippers, with Marcus Morris, draft picks and other pieces to Washington.

One Bulls-related news item dropped Wednesday. NBA insider Shams Charania said Derrick Jones Jr. would opt out of the second year of his two-year deal and become a free agent. That's a mild surprise, but the Bulls need to get Dalen Terry on the court next season.

Center Andre Drummond has said he will opt-in to a second season with the Bulls, but that may be subject to change.

If Beal can be moved, then so can LaVine. But finding a move that makes sense for the Bulls takes some imagination. Keep in mind, by the middle of last season when he was fully recovered from last summer's knee surgery, LaVine delivered some of the best numbers of his career. There's plenty of room to improve, but at 28, LaVine should be heading into his peak years.

Does a deal with Miami for Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson move the needle? New York for some combination of R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin or Immanuel Quickley? Portland for Anfernee Simons and the No. 3 pick might get the Bulls' attention, but there's no reason to think the Blazers would go for such a trade.

There's been chatter the Blazers could turn their attention to Paul George, so maybe it's possible they could eventually have interest in LaVine if other goals don't pan out.

Realistically, the Bulls are still in the same spot they were when the season ended. Trade LaVine and they'd be giving up on what was supposed to be their franchise player. Trade DeMar DeRozan and they'd have a young team in desperate need of veteran leadership. Let Nikola Vucevic walk as a free agent and they're missing a center.

The only reason to trade LaVine is if Bulls ownership got cold feet on that maximum deal it gave him and the threat of paying the luxury tax. Talk of the Bulls setting parameters for what they'd want in return feels a little misleading. Trading LaVine would be about saving money.

A better way for the Bulls to change the current mix would be to move on from Vucevic. Detroit has an abundance of centers, so maybe try to land Isaiah Stewart, or Minnesota's Naz Reid as a free agent. Either player might work better in the fast-paced style the Bulls are trying to play.

Multiple reports suggest the Bulls are working on a contract extension with Vucevic's representatives. Hoopshype.com suggested a three-year, $65 million deal, but if the Bulls are terrified of paying the luxury tax, they should start much lower. Vucevic won't be a hot commodity in free-agency and only Houston has enough cap space to make a significant offer to any player.

At the same time, the current Bulls group has shown it has 50-win potential with an experienced floor-leader, whether that's Lonzo Ball or Patrick Beverley. So the first step should be figuring out how they make that happen.

The Bulls keep including Beverley in their social media posts, so maybe the plan is to re-sign the Chicago native. They can try to land Paul one way or another. And don't forget, Russell Westbrook, with his past relationship with coach Billy Donovan, could come into play this summer.

Don't expect the Bulls to resolve their issues on a draft night when they have no picks, but the start of free agency is around the corner on July 1.

Twitter: @McGrawDHSports

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