3 ways the Chicago Bulls can mirror the Celtics’ recent success

3. The Chicago Bulls need to move Nikola Vucevic

The Chicago Bulls need to trade Nikola Vucevic while he is still worth something. 

Don’t get me wrong, Nikola Vucevic is a former All-Star. He has an array of post moves and can also hit outside shots when you need him to. Being able to do those things at the level he does is very valuable.

However, it’s not what the Bulls need. Nikola needs to get shots up to be productive which ultimately takes shots away from DeRozan and LaVine. However, the most important thing that the Bulls need is a rim protector and rebounding presence. Vucevic doesn’t bring that to the table.

The Celtics have two very good rim protectors in longtime veteran Al Horford and athletic big Robert Williams. A big who can play defense and is a reliable rebounder makes everything much easier for the rest of the team.

For example, Marcus Smart can focus on locking down the perimeter and getting into passing lanes because if a shot goes up, he has Al Horford or Robert Willams down on the block ready to swallow up a rebound.

The Bulls desperately need a player who can do this because out of the 16 playoff teams this season, the Bulls ranked 14th in total defense.

Who should the Bulls target? There have been a few players around the league who seem to be on the way out of their organization that the Bulls should make a move for. The first player that comes to mind is Rudy Gobert.

Gobert and Mitchell seem to have been having a falling out in Utah. Gobert is a 3x DPOY and would be a great fit for Chicago. Rudy averaged 14.7 rebounds this year and also contributed over 2 blocks a game.

On top of that defensive production, he also isn’t a shot creator so he won’t be demanding the ball or taking any shots away from the other lethal Bulls scorers. It seems like a perfect fit.

The other clear option is Deandre Ayton. It seems that Ayton and the Suns don’t seem to be on the same page as of late. This offseason would be the perfect time for the Bulls to make a move on him while tensions are still high.

Ayton is also a great rebounder and defender but he also can hit open jumpers if needed. That can spread out the floor on the offensive end and create driving lanes for the Bulls slashers. Ayton is also very effective in the pick and roll game as he is a great lob catcher.

There are many different guys that would fit the mold of an Al Horford or a Robert Williams and those players are exactly who the Bulls should target.