Getty Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and head coach Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls just finished paying off their debt to the Orlando Magic this past draft, forfeiting the No. 11 overall pick to complete the trade for Nikola Vucevic from 2021. But could there be an opportunity for a bit of a do-over?
Orlando is 22-20, sitting one spot ahead of the 20-23 Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings entering play on January 20. They are currently jockeying for postseason positioning.
But, in a new hypothetical trade from Bleacher Report, the two franchises work together again.
“Both Zach LaVine and the Bulls seem open to a split, but it’s still tough to tell whether one will come to fruition,” Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote on January 20. “The Magic have sputtered of late (6-12 over their last 18 outings), and their 23rd-ranked offense (27th in this stretch) is a big reason why.”
Bulls get:
– Markelle Fultz
– Gary Harris
– Chuka Okeke
– Jett Howard
– 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected, via DEN)
Magic get:
– Zach LaVine
“This might be the best they could hope to get out of a LaVine trade,” Buckley continued. “Fultz might fill the two-way playmaking void left by the injured Lonzo Ball, Harris could be a three-and-D option at guard, and Okeke could serve as an all-purpose stopper.”
What Magic Players Would Bring to Bulls
Fultz, 25, is averaging 7.9 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 11 appearances since returning from left knee tendinitis that sidelined him after four games.
A career 27.5% shooter from beyond the arc, he is 0-for-3 from deep this season.
He was the No. 1 overall pick in the same 2017 class that produced Ball (No. 2 overall), and he is in the final year of a three-year, $50 million contract. But the 6-foot-4 Fultz is athletic and opportunistic defensively.
so Markelle Fultz of Markelle Fultz
Harris, 29, is in the final year of a two-year, $26 million contract. He is averaging 7.1 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 rebounds this season. The 6-foot-4 swingman shoots 36.8% from downtown for his career. But he is shooting just 33.3% this season.
Orlando selected Okeke, 25, 16th overall in 2016; nine picks after the Bulls selected Coby White. Okeke is averaging 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds, shooting 34.4% from deep this season.
He is in the final year of his four-year, $15.1 million contract.
Howard is in the first year of a four-year, $23.1 million rookie contract. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 1.9 points and shooting 28.6% from three across 10 appearances with the Magic this season.
Hypothetical Trade Would Clean Up Bulls’ Books
Those contracts are worth $114.2 million combined, and this trade would add roughly $230,000 to the Bulls’ books this season. But Howard is the only potential incoming player under contract beyond this season, potentially welcoming a reset.
“In the long term, Chicago would also pocket a first-round pick and a recent lottery selection (Howard, last summer’s No. 11 pick),” Buckley wrote.
The Bulls could try to get big man Wendell Carter Jr. back from Orlando instead of the prospective duo of Okeke and Howard. That would play into the do-over aspect. But that might cost them leverage in terms of what they can ask for in draft capital.
This deal would leave their options open with several other decisions to make.
They would have to waive or otherwise rid themselves of two more players in Buckley’s scenario, which could get tricky.
Reserve forward Terry Taylor might seem like an easy cut. He is undersized, though the team likes his rebounding ability. And there is no clear candidate for the other spot, with draft picks Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips as well as offseason acquisitions Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig making up the backend of the roster.