Getty Images Myles Turner
The Chicago Bulls have had a resurgence this season. The team is currently 44-32 and is sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are set to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.
A large part of the Bulls’ success this season can be attributed to their front office being aggressive in free agency last Summer. Chicago was able to land DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso before this season, which has been huge for the team’s success.
With the success that the Bulls had with being aggressive last Summer, the team is expected to have a similar approach after the season to improve the roster even more.
Possible Trade Target
The biggest weakness on the Bulls’ current roster is their lack of size and strength on the interior. Chicago needs someone that can protect the rim and be a steady force on the glass. An Eastern Conference Executive recently told Heavy’s Sean Deveney he thinks the Bulls might pursue Pacers big man Myles Turner.
“He is obviously a risk now, I think any time you get a big man who has a foot problem, a stress fracture kind of thing, those can be recurring. You can come back but they take you down a notch. You think of Yao Ming or Zydrunas Ilgauskas, worst-case scenarios. So they can put him back on the market for a trade but you’re talking about a reduced price. If you can get the salaries to match, then you add a first-round pick, it can be late first, it can be protected. But if you’re willing to give up a pick, the Pacers would have to take that.
Looking Ahead
With the rumors that the Bulls could be looking for a new center this Summer, it seems like Vucevic’s days in Chicago are probably numbered. In the meantime, the Bulls have the playoffs to prepare for.
With six games left in the regular season, the Bulls still have work to do if they want secure the best possible seed. Chicago is currently tied with the Raptors record-wise and has a two-game lead over the Cavaliers. The Bulls are also just two and a half games behind the Celtics and Sixers.
In a perfect world, the Bulls would probably prefer to draw the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The teams have played twice so far this season, splitting the first two meetings.
The Celtics are expected to be without center Robert Williams for the first round of the playoffs, which could be an opportunity for a Bulls team that struggles defending bigs. The two teams will play one more time before the end of the regular season on April 6.