Even in a weak Eastern Conference this season, the Chicago Bulls are not expected to make much noise. After a fairly quiet offseason that saw only one trade, the Bulls will likely finish close to their 39-win total from last season. By swapping Lonzo Ball and Isaac Okoro, the Bulls doubled down on defense, although the job is far from over.
With Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Matas Buzelis all under 25 years old, and 12th overall pick Noa Essengue entering the fold, Chicago has a promising young core, although rim protection has been a glaring flaw.
Nikola Vucevic is one of the better scoring centers in the NBA, although he doesn’t fit the Bulls‘ timeline and is a sieve on defense. Last year, Chicago had the 18th-ranked defense and allowed 54 paint points per game, the most in the league.
In an effort to get younger and improve their interior defense, the Bulls could swing a trade with a bitter rival.
Chicago Bulls Should Target Isaiah Stewart
The Bulls clearly need to shore up their paint presence. They drafted 7-foot-3 center Rocco Zikarsky in the second round before trading him to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and need a fairly immediate solution to get the most out of their promising young core.
While the Bulls and Detroit Pistons are bitter rivals dating back to the 1980s, backup center Isaiah Stewart is exactly what the Bulls need. Last season, Stewart averaged six points, 5.5 rebounds, and an impressive 1.4 blocks. He is also a career 34.5% 3-point shooter, so replacing Vucevic’s floor spacing is possible.
His totals are not that impressive, but there is a case to be made that Stewart is one of the best rim protectors in the game. Last season, within eight feet of the hoop, Stewart held his opponents to 52.3% shooting. Compare that to top defenders like Victor Wembanyama (57.5%) and Rudy Gobert (55.1%), and it’s clear that ‘Beef Stew’ can hold his own.
Of course, the Pistons wouldn’t be eager to trade Stewart to a division rival, although it’s hard to believe that a single addition will make the Bulls an immediate threat. Stewart has been replaced in the Pistons‘ lineups by Jalen Duren and even Paul Reed, so the Bulls might be able to put together a trade package.
GettyDetroit Pistons’ US forward-center Isaiah Stewart (L) fights for the ball with Chicago Bulls‘ Montenegrin center Nikola Vucevic during the 2023 NBA Paris Games basketball match between Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls at the Arena stadium in Paris on January 19, 2023. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP) (Photo by ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
Mock Trade Sends Isaiah Stewart to Chicago
Even after adding Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson this offseason, the Pistons project to be a below-average shooting team. Last season, they were below average in both 3-point attempts and percentage, and the presumed departure of Malik Beasley certainly won’t help.
After first-year head coach JB Bickerstaff played Stewart a career-low 19.9 minutes per game last season, he doesn’t exactly command massive trade value, although the Bulls could send Kevin Huerter and a 2028 second-round pick to Detroit for Stewart.
Huerter is a career 37.5% shooter from deep and can space the floor for both Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, assuming the Pistons keep Ivey this season.
While losing some defense might hurt the Pistons, or at least alter the team culture, Huerter is a proven veteran who could bring a steady hand to a young locker room. The Bulls, meanwhile, fix one of their biggest weaknesses. The only thing this trade requires is setting aside decades of bad blood.
Chicago Bulls Should Target Bitter Rival’s Defensive Star