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Just a few, short weeks ago, the Chicago Bulls‘ best trade deadline strategy — at least as pundits saw it — was clear. With the East’s No. 1 seed and a potential title run suddenly a possibility, the Bulls just needed a high-level forward to occupy the spot next to DeMar DeRozan in their frontcourt.
To that end, names like Jerami Grant and Harrison Barnes had been oft mentioned as possible trade deadline targets.
Things are less clear now, though, with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso’s injuries leaving the club with questions to answer in the backcourt as well.
Regardless of whether Chicago does, in fact, look to swing some of its younger talent for a high-level power forward or instead elects to prioritize a backcourt stopgap, there may be other areas of the roster that could benefit from an upgrade. And according to one analyst, the team’s brain trust is exploring those possibilities.
Scotto: Bulls Looking to Add a Backup Center
On the January 26 episode of The HoopsHype Podcast, Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan broke down a number of trade scenarios around the NBA. As they wrapped up their conversation, Scotto dropped the following nugget for the Windy City faithful:
“The other stuff I’ve heard out there — just a couple teams looking for centers,” he said. “The Hornets, the Raptors… Chicago, I heard, would be open to adding a backup big man.”
Although hypothetical Grant deals, Patrick Williams cash-ins and moves to get something out of Derrick Jones Jr.’s expiring contract have dominated the Bulls’ deadline discussion, targeting a backup big man makes a ton of sense as an ancillary move.
As it stands, the Bulls have trotted out Tony Bradley, as well as Tyler Cook and Marko Simonovic at various junctures. And while there are cases to be made for each player holding down the backup five spot, none of them look ready to play a key role for a championship team.
Bulls Not Sold on Their Current Group
Of the aforementioned lot, Simonovic has the most upside. However, even when the Bulls were getting beaten down by a COVID-19 outbreak, Billy Donovan never really went to the 22-year-old. As such, it would seem that he needs more seasoning.
Bradley, meanwhile, has shown flashes of having real game semi-regularly since he got his first crack at consistent playing time with the Sixers last season. However, he has also been traded multiple times during his brief career. And for all his apparent rebounding and pick-and-roll chops, he’s never really managed to cement himself in a rotation.
Like, to date, his biggest moment has been getting bearhugged and carried around by Steven Adams.
As for Cook, while he’s played 71% of his minutes at center this season, per Basketball Reference, he’s small for the position and isn’t a floor-spacer.
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