Chicago Bulls Trade Deadline: 3 intriguing players on the block
By Ryan Heckman
The Chicago Bulls are beat up at the moment, but not far off from a playoff spot.
It seems hilarious to be talking about the Chicago Bulls as a playoff team, especially when they are currently sitting 14 games under .500. But, here we are. The Bulls are currently slotted at the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, just behind the Orlando Magic.
At the moment, Orlando is 22-28 while the Bulls are 19-33. At first glance, it looks like a huge separation. But, really, it’s just 4.0 games separating the Bulls from the eighth seed.
The fact the Bulls are even this close to a playoff spot is a miracle, considering how many players they have who are banged up. Right now, the Bulls are without Otto Porter Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Daniel Gafford.
Hopefully, with the timetables laid out, the Bulls will be able to be near full strength following the All Star break. If they can get Porter, Carter and Markkanen back shortly after the break, Chicago might have enough juice to make a run.
The question is, will John Paxson and Gar Forman give any effort at the trade deadline? The better question, to clarify, is whether or not that effort will be in buying or selling.
This next year’s draft class is one of the weaker ones in recent memory, and if the Bulls stay where they’re at, they’ll most likely be picking outside the top seven or eight picks. If that’s the case, why not throw at least this year’s first-round pick out there and see what they can get with it?
Checking in one a bunch of the latest NBA trade rumors from our friends at Bleacher Report, I’ve taken three notable names and decided to check in on them. Some may be tough to land, but at this point, why not try if you’re the Bulls? Chicago has nothing else to lose, except more games.