Chicago Bulls: Bold trade deadline predictions
Spoiler alert: the Jabari Parker signing was a bad one.
But if you’ve kept up with the Bulls this season, you already knew that. Instead of handing him a free $20 million contract for this season (not even thinking about next year’s option), the front office should have been looking to take on a bad salary and accumulate draft capital.
But, no. Life isn’t fair. Clearly they thought they were going to be good this year, and frankly, I can’t see the reasoning why or how.
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One thing that I think about every so often: if Jabari Parker wasn’t a Chicago native, how much money would he have gotten from the Bulls? Was there anyone out there willing to give him that much money? The front office clearly doped themselves into “competing” against themselves for his services.
Anyway, his banishment and then un-banishment from the rotation have been well documented and publicized. The trade rumors make it clear he’s not finishing this season with Chicago. It’s just a matter of whether or not he gets bought out or traded.
The one team that had a real interest in him was the Knicks, but unfortunately, the Porzingis deal probably all but killed any chances of that happening. New York just opened up two max salary slots on their books. Why would they deal for Parker, and then clog the books with next year’s $20 million option? They have virtually no more money to move (Wes Matthews and DeAndre Jordan are likely buyout candidates) outside of Enes Kanter, who is equally unmovable.
The Bulls shot themselves in the foot with this signing. No contending team would want to pay Parker at such a salary. There’s no need to fork over any draft capital for him when there’s a good chance he’ll be available; just wait out the deadline and pick him up when he’s bought out.
What a total screw up by GarPax.
Prediction: Buyout; the front office rips the Band-Aid off and Parker signs with the Utah Jazz