Jonathan Daniels/Getty Images Billy Donovan
The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away and the rumors are swirling about several teams possibly making moves to bolster their rosters. The Chicago Bulls though have been surprisingly quiet when it comes to trade rumors.
The Bulls have been decimated by injuries this season. The extended losses of Patrick Williams, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso would be a lot for any team to bear. The Bulls have still managed to keep themselves at the top of the East standings, but how long will that last without some reinforcements?
It’s hard to know the team’s plans because the Bulls have become a tight operation. As the Sun-Times reported, “the Bulls remain one of the toughest organizations to get a read on.”
Things Are Quiet, Donovan Says
With the Bulls as shorthanded as they are, it’s interesting that things have been so quiet around the trade deadline. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was recently asked about how quiet things have been.
“I think it’s probably the way Arturas [Karnisovas, executive vice president of basketball operations] conducts his business,” Donovan said, per the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s such a tight-knit league, and there’s only 30 teams. Everyone knows each other, so I would assume from a front-office perspective that they are probably having conversations that they want to stay between the walls. I don’t think that’s necessarily any different from any other organization. But I think it speaks to the fact that at least the guys that I dealt with in the front office, from [general manager] Marc Eversley, [VP of player personnel] Pat Connelly to [assistant GM] J.J. Polk, I mean, there’s great guys, but they’re taking care of business and doing their job, and they have a certain way I’m sure they want to go about doing it.’’
Even with the Bulls being a buttoned up organization, it’s still surprising that not much of anything has come out this close to the deadline. Silence doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t make a move though.
Possible Moves
Teams like the Blazers and Pacers are both expected to be sellers at the trade deadline. In Portland Robert Covington, Jusuf Nurkic, and Larry Nance Jr. could be traded, while in Indiana Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris LaVert have all been popular names in trade discussions.
All of those names are interesting and could entice several teams, but which one might the Bulls be interested in? According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Portland would be a logical trade partner.
Nance would be an ideal addition, simply because he doesn’t demand a lot on the offensive end and brings an edge to the defense. If guard CJ McCollum is moved, that could open the door for Portland being interested in a package for Coby White, but the dominos would have to fall perfectly for that to happen.
The dilemma the Bulls might face in that situation is that they are also short-handed in the backcourt at the moment. Caruso and Ball are both expected to be out for about six more weeks. The Chicago Sun-Times also reported last week that it was possible Williams could be back before the end of the regular season.
With the Bulls dealing with injuries in the backcourt and frontcourt, a couple of recent trade proposals have suggested they reach out to the Pistons and Celtics to address the needs.
The Celtics trade would get the Bulls Dennis Schroder in exchange for Troy Brown Jr. and a second-round pick. The move would help the Bulls bolster their backcourt until Ball and Caruso can return.
The suggested trade with the Pistons would land the Bulls Jerami Grant and Saddiq Bey in exchange for Patrick Williams, Derrick Jones Jr., and Troy Brown Jr. This trade could be a home run for the Bulls, but it’s fair to wonder if the Pistons would really do it.
All of these trades are just speculation for now, but all would be moves that could help the Bulls. The time is ticking and only time will tell what Chicago will do at the deadline.