Unexpected bonus: Players acquired in LaVine trade have given Bulls a surprising boost
Jerry Reinsdorf's other Chicago team made an infamous midseason move that was dubbed the “white flag” trade in the 1990s.
It seemed like that was maybe what the Bulls were going for, when they traded Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Feb. 3, but there's been an unexpected development on the West Side.
None of the three players the Bulls got back in that trade were making significant contributions with their old teams. The key assets were getting their own 2025 draft pick back from the Spurs and crawling out from under LaVine's expensive contract.
It turns out, the new additions have been pretty good. Or at least, much better than anticipated.
With Zach Collins starting at center, Tre Jones starting in place of the injured Ayo Dosunmu and Lonzo Ball, and Kevin Huerter serving as sixth man, the Bulls won their third in a row Monday, beating the Indiana Pacers 121-103 at the United Center. The Bulls have gone 5-5 since the all-star break.
Josh Giddey scored 29 points through three quarters, then turned his right ankle in the fourth, so he fell 2 points short of matching his career high. Giddey was seen leaving the arena in a walking boot. Coby White also finished with 29 points.
Tyrese Haliburton did not play for Indiana, missing his third straight game with a left hip flexor strain, while Nikola Vucevic (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Patrick Williams returned from injury layoffs. Vucevic missed seven games with a calf strain, while Williams was out for nine due to right quad tendon soreness.
The sudden win streak doesn't necessarily mean the new guys are pieces for the future, though it's tough to tell what the latest Bulls rebuild will eventually look like. Huerter and Collins are under contract for another year, so barring a trade, they'll be back next season. Jones will be a free agent when the season ends and has at least given the Bulls something to think about.
“When the team wins, that helps everybody out,” Jones said. “So that's all I care about it trying to win and let the rest take care of itself. Try not to get wrapped up in the whole contract thing, because that's the stressful side of the business. I'm just trying to enjoy the game of basketball, like I always did.”
Donovan thought the fact that the three newcomers weren't playing much with their former teams was noticeable. Maybe it explains why the Bulls had some rough outings after the trade but have been better lately.
“Them maybe not playing as much in their previous stops, I don't think all three of them came in in very good shape, quite honestly,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “Those guys are workers, but there's just something different when you're playing five-on-five, you're in a game, playing every other day.”
Jones has more than doubled his scoring average since moving from the Spurs to Bulls. He's a candidate for the Bulls’ fastest player, though White would be tough to beat in a race. Huerter, who's had some nice years in the NBA, was in the doghouse for whatever reason in Sacramento and not playing much.
Collins averaged less than 12 minutes per game with San Antonio but has the mobility to fit well with the Bulls' style of playing five on the perimeter. He's averaged 12.7 points and 8.5 rebounds since joining the Bulls, which would both be NBA career highs for the former Gonzaga star.
“I looked at it as a fresh opportunity,” Collins said. “I felt like for whatever reason, I just was in a rut in San Antonio, wasn't getting a lot of playing time, and was in and out of the lineup.
“We have really good guards, we have really good scoring threats. When I'm setting screens, they're putting so much pressure on the rim, the bigs have to help, the whole defense has to shift. There's a lot of guys open. I think anybody could play well in that, but I just think the way Billy runs it with the five being up top, it works well.”