The Chicago Bulls haven’t traded for a player since August before the 2021-22 season.
While they fight for a spot in the Play-In Tournament, their future beyond this season remains unclear.
“The 34-38 Bulls have shown no interest in rebuilding,” Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote on March 29. “If the Bulls continue on that path in the offseason, they’ll need to make some notable additions to get back into the playoffs.”
Swartz offers this hypothetical trade to land a pair of veterans from the Portland Trail Blazers:
Bulls get:
– Jerami Grant
– Malcolm Brogdon
Blazers get:
– Lonzo Ball
– Jevon Carter
– Patrick Williams
– 2024 first-round pick
“Grant would be a nice addition as the Bulls’ new starting power forward,” Swartz argued. “Brogdon (15.7 points, 5.5 assists) could be a starter or sixth man.”
Bulls Could Add Proven Production in Proposed Trade With Blazers
The Bulls had interest in Grant when he was with the Detroit Pistons. But they were staunchly against including Williams in a potential deal. Grant, 30, is averaging 21 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.2% from deep for the Blazers this season.
Acquiring him would be a long-term investment.
Just Jerami things ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The Blazers re-signed Grant to a five-year, $160 million contract this past offseason. They believed they would still have Damian Lillard and be competing for the postseason at the time.
Brogdon, 31, is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. He is in his first season with the Blazers after the Boston Celtics traded him for Jrue Holiday, essentially completing a three-team trade for the point guards.
Brogdon is averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds.
He is shooting 41.2% from deep and will be on an expiring contract when this deal could potentially be completed, going into the final year of a two-year, $45 million pact.
The two Blazers’ contracts total $215 million in value. But they would cost the Bulls $52.3 million next season.
Malcolm on the moneyyy
Ball is set to make $21.4 million next season in the final year of a four-year, $80 million contract. Carter will make $6.5 million in Year 2 of a three-year, $19.5 million pact. Williams’ final price tag remains unknown.
He is heading for restricted free agency. His qualifying offer would be $12.9 million.
The Bulls have shown no signs of moving on from the first first-round pick of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas’ tenure.
Bulls’ Aversion to Luxury Tax Looms Large
It stands to reason they would be against doing so in a deal that adds up to $12 million in salary. The Bulls have infamously only dipped into the luxury tax – which they will approach this offseason without this deal if they re-sign DeMar DeRozan – once in their 57-year history.
Carter’s tenure hasn’t worked out as planned.
Part of that is the emergence of Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White. And the organization has supported Ball through his entire ordeal.
They might also be hard-pressed to include Ball in the aforementioned hypothetical scenario just as he is beginning to show signs of meaningful progress. At the same time, Dosunmu and White also lessen the need to keep Ball, who is still far from returning to the floor.
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Proposed Offseason Bulls Sign-&-Trade Lands $215 Million Veteran Duo