The Chicago Bulls are entering this year's offseason in a privileged position. They have plenty of cap space to absorb bad contracts and get draft picks, they have two first-round selections, and with a new regime, everything should be on the table.
As such, multiple teams should be calling the Bulls trying to move up in the NBA Draft. And, given the Oklahoma City Thunder's plethora of young talent and draft capital, they might be an obvious trade partner.
The Thunder's latest postseason failure has left the door open for a big move. And, while the Bulls shouldn't be looking to trade down from No. 4, the Thunder might actually have a compelling trade package.
Watching Chet Holmgren get absolutely manhandled by Victor Wembanyama might prompt Sam Presti to pull the plug on the former No. 2 pick. If that's the case, the Bulls should be more than interested.
The Chicago Bulls could land Chet Holmgren in a draft-day blockbuster trade
There have been rumblings about the Thunder's interest in Cameron Boozer, and the Bulls could give them a hand in that pursuit. In this scenario, they could send picks Nos. 4 and 15 plus Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, and Patrick Williams to Oklahoma in return for Holmgren, Isaiah Joe, Nikola Topic, and picks Nos. 12 and 17.
The Thunder would get a chance to land the player they covet, a defensive specialist to replace Lu Dort in Okoro, and maybe a reclamation project in Williams, plus a promising primary ball-handler in Jones.
As for the Bulls, they'd get a DPOY candidate who hasn't reached his prime in Holmgren. Yes, watching him shy away from the challenge in the playoffs was far from encouraging, but the talent is undeniable, and he's a former No. 2 pick.
Moreover, the Bulls could also get a potential star in Nikola Topic, giving them another jumbo guard for their backcourt to pair with Josh Giddey -- or maybe an avenue to trade Giddey for valuable draft return. Isaiah Joe is a solid siller as a floor-spacer, and they'd still have two first-round picks to package and potentially trade up.
Of course, the Bulls should also be all-in on Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson, or anyone who might be available at No. 4, but the good thing is that this team has options. They're not in a rush to compete, and they would rather take a quantity-over-quality approach.
Noa Essengue is essentially a rookie, and so is Topic. They'd get both of them, 24-year-old Chet Holmgren, another first-round pick, and Matas Buzelis, and that's a pretty promising young core to build a project around.
| More Bulls News and Rumors |
Add us as a preferred source on Google