Chicago Bulls: A rather complex trade primer

There still is plenty to discuss with the possible moves the Bulls could make before the deadline so let’s assess the remaining avenues.

Denzel Valentine must have done something wrong to only be averaging 12.2 minutes a game per Basketball-Reference. It’s possible he’s played poorly in practice and hasn’t earned the trust of Boylen. Heck, maybe he called out Boylen for being a bad coach (he’s not wrong!). Who knows. He’s getting fewer minutes than Ryan Arcidiacono and I think that’s all you really need to know about why he wants to be traded. So who wants an injury-prone swingman who can’t defend and shoots 35.6% from downtown? This feels like a player-for-player swap or maybe the Bulls recouping a second-rounder or something of that nature. Don’t expect him on the roster come 2:00 P.M. central time.

I can’t say that I’d be interested in moving Zach LaVine because he’s playing well and is on such a value of a contract. It would require the right price, but if the front office does decide to end the LaVine era in Chicago, they will finally admit they butchered, bobbled, and botched the Jimmy Butler trade so poorly. Also, they’d be kissing all playoff hopes good-bye. So, in other words, Zach isn’t going anywhere.

One name that the Bulls could trade for is D’Angelo Russell. At least that’s a name that’s been floated around. I don’t really know if they’d be interested, but the thought of giving the Golden State Warriors draft capital doesn’t jive with me. As fun of a player Russell is to watch, we really have no idea how he and LaVine are going to co-exist and if such a thing is even possible. The Warriors would probably want Carter (hard pass) or a first-rounder or maybe continue their tankfest with absorbing Otto Porter Jr.‘s cap hit for this season (and possibly next year’s if he picks up a nearly $30 million player option!) with hopes he can be their small forward next to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. That player-for-player swap feels like a massive reach.

(I know I’m getting ahead of myself and probably lost you there, but whatever. Let’s just get to the deadline and reflect on it all then.)

Let’s just hope something good happens.