Getty Patrick Williams
The Chicago Bulls arguably have two holes on their team. They need a power forward and a wing defender off the bench who can shoot from deep. If they can acquire those two things–without giving up too many valuable pieces of the future, Chicago might be an more serious championship contender.
This trade proposal I cooked up could fill both voids, but it would be a costly deal.
Take a gander:
Bulls get:
- Harrison Barnes
- Maurice Harkless
Kings get:
- Coby White
- Patrick Williams
- Derrick Jones Jr.
In this trade, Barnes would come to Chicago as the new starting power forward, who can also knock down the three. Harkless can play the 4 and even some 5 in small lineups. He’s also a scrappy defender and rebounder. He doesn’t offer much shooting or scoring, but he’d fit in on the Bulls’ bench nicely.
How Harrison Barnes Would Fit With the Bulls
You have to love Barnes as perhaps the most practical and versatile power forward option the Bulls could trade for at the deadline. The 29-year-old is a 10-year veteran who has won an NBA championship and played both forward positions during his career.
At 6’8″ 225 pounds, he has enough size to man the 4, but he’s not so lumbering that he is a defender incapable of switching against pick-and-rolls. Barnes has an underrated post-up game, but the best part of his offensive package is his ability to knock down three-point shots.
For his career, he shoots just under 38% from three (.377). He’s been making long-range attempts right around that mark this season (.382). Barnes is having a strong season overall averaging 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He’s also an 85% free-throw shooter.
From a chemistry standpoint, Barnes would give the Bulls another veteran for leadership as they prepare for a postseason run.
How Maurice Harkless Would Fit With the Bulls
In this trade proposal, Harkless would be a throw-in of sorts, but don’t underestimate his potential impact on the roster–especially on the defensive end.
Like Barnes, he can defend two positions, but he’s a little more bouncy and defensive focused. Harkless isn’t much of a scorer–as evidenced by his 6.9 career scoring average, but he does give his team’s solid minutes on defense.
Per 36 minutes, he averages 1.5 steals and 1 block. This contribution could be huge if the Bulls have to include Jones Jr. in a trade. DJJ has made a great impact as a long and versatile defender. While Harkless–and few players–offer the pure run-and-jump athleticism DJJ brings to the table, Harkless is a little more sturdy, and better suited to defend against post-up attempts.
It’s easy to imagine him eating up some valuable reserve minutes at either forward position, and perhaps even at center if Billy Donovan chose to go small.
In any case, a starting lineup of Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Barnes and Nikola Vucevic looks like a contending group. Off the bench, you’d be hard-pressed to find a much better bench than one anchored by Alex Caruso, Javonte Green, Harkless, Ayo Dosunmu, Alphonso McKinnie and Tony Bradley.
There might still be some questions about a pure scorer for the second unit, but this is a more than respectable group.
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