Chicago Bulls: Grading the Trade for Payne, Morrow, and Lauvergne

Well, just when most people thought the Chicago Bulls were not going to make a move on deadline day, they shocked everyone by making an interesting move with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder made a deal on Thursday, right before the NBA Trade Deadline hit. On the surface, most people think the Thunder stole the show with this deal. They got a legit sharp shooter in Doug McDermott and a solid rebounder/defender/post scorer in Taj Gibson. The Bulls grabbed expiring contracts in Lauvergne and Morrow, but may have found themselves a player for the future in Payne.

Related Story: A Lot to Like About Bulls' Trade With Thunder

Of course, it is too soon to tell, as Payne is only 22-years-old. His stats are not that great either. He is among the worst players in the league with a 6.1 PER. He is also only shooting around 39% from the field. At the very least this kid has some potential, but he joins a team with four point guards who already have limited shooting ability.

Payne seems like a weird fit at the moment, but when the Bulls bow out of the playoffs and make their offseason moves, maybe it will make more sense (knowing GarPax, probably not).

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Beyond contracts, the Bulls grabbed a serviceable three-point shooter in Anthony Morrow. His numbers are pretty horrific this season, but maybe he can get back to form with the Bulls.

Lauvergne is a former 2nd round pick with limited potential, but it will be interesting to see if he passes up Mirotic or Felicio in the rotation.

The Thunder won this deal for the time being. There is really no debate about that, but depending on how well Payne does in Chicago, the Bulls just may end up winning this deal in the future. It also appears that Payne is excited about the trade as well based on his twitter.

Probably the best-case scenario for the Bulls the rest of the season is to tank and see what you have in guys like Valetine, Portis, Zipser, Grant, Payne, Felicio, Carter-Williams and Mirotic. Give those guys as many minutes as possible, and maybe grab a good draft pick in the lottery.

Final Grades:

Bulls – C

Thunder – B+