Chicago Bulls should embrace full tank mode, trade Robin Lopez
The Chicago Bulls need to be all in on the tank for a high 2018 NBA Draft pick. Trading away big man Robin Lopez only helps that.
We all know that the Chicago Bulls are at the beginning of a massive rebuild. Trading away Jimmy Butler this offseason kicked the rebuild off, and now the Bulls are in a position where they need to do anything possible to acquire young impact talent.
To be honest, there isn’t a lot to like about the current Bulls’ roster. Guys like Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Bobby Portis have some upside, but the Bulls do not have a player with anything close to superstar potential.
If this rebuild is going to work, they need to find a player who can lead this franchise into the future. Those players will be available in the 2018 NBA Draft.
2018 draft prospects are worth tanking for
Unless something extremely unforeseen happens, there are three obvious top prospects in the 2018 NBA draft class. Marvin Bagley III recently reclassified and will play as a freshman at Duke this season. Bagley and Missouri freshman Michael Porter Jr. are extremely talented players who are obvious one and done candidates. 18-year-old Real Madrid guard Luka Doncic also expects to make the jump to the NBA draft next year.
Bagley, Porter and Doncic are currently the clear top three players in the class. A lot can change from now and the draft, but it seems likely that there will be at least three potentially franchise-changing players available at the top of the draft. If the Bulls can get in a position to land one of these guys, their rebuild would instantly be much more promising. So, in order to get in that position, the tank should be on.
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It seems odd to say but winning too many games in 2017-18 is only going to hurt the Chicago Bulls, but that is where we are. They need to work hard to grow their young talent on the roster, but players who are not a part of the future are useless to this team. Dwyane Wade should be bought out before the season and the Bulls should also try their hardest to trade Robin Lopez.
Why trade Lopez?
Lopez is a traditional big man who is not as valuable as he once was. He does not shoot from the outside and his defensive versatility is limited. Lopez is not exactly made for today’s NBA, but he is still a big and physical player who can make an impact on the inside. He is a legitimate rim protector, strong rebounder and has some offensive value as well.
Lopez’s contract is not ideal ($28.1 million over the next two seasons), but it is not an awful deal that cannot be moved. I expect that there are a few contending teams out there who could see Lopez as a valuable piece.
I am not saying that he will bring back a huge return, but honestly, anything would work. If the Chicago Bulls can get a second round pick in exchange for Lopez, make the deal. Having him on the team only takes away minutes from young players who need work and adds more unnecessary wins to the total.
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It seems odd to say, but Lopez making the Bulls better in the short-term means that he must be traded. Tanking for a top three pick in the 2018 NBA Draft is absolutely necessary and trading Lopez only helps that plan.