The Chicago Bulls are entering a new era, and as such, many players from the previous regime might now be expendable. That's obviously the case with veterans and guys who haven't turned out as expected.
The Bulls are now in the business of stacking up young talent and trying to find their next franchise star. Of course, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson will be at the forefront of that search, with everyone else next in the pecking order.
Notably, that may leave no room for Isaac Okoro. The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward never panned out before arriving in the Windy City, and the change of scenery didn't do much to help his case. With the new faces on the team, he's the most obvious trade candidate.
The Bulls must find a trade suitor for Isaac Okoro
As a former lottery pick, Okoro entered the league out of Auburn as a potential defensive specialist. Some even compared him to Kawhi Leonard because of his cerebral game and ability to get stops in the wing.
That was six years ago, and with all due respect, he's come nowhere close the worst version of Kawhi Leonard. Yes, he can get stops like the best of them, but this is a make-or-miss league, and he can't score a bucket to save his life.
That said, he's still on a pretty team-friendly contract. He's due just $11.8 million for next season, according to Spotrac, so he might be an intriguing trade piece for contending teams looking for help on the wings.
Okoro was supposed to be a prototypical 3-and-D player, perhaps the most coveted role players and glue guys in the league. So far, the "3" part of that label has gone missing, with him knocking down just 33.0 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc last season.
The Bulls also took Daylin Swain and signed Norman Powell this offseason. They already had Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, Rob Dillingham, and Mac McClung, and while not all of them might make the roster, there's clearly a bit of a logjam there.
As mentioned before, Buzelis and Wilson will get as many minutes and touches as they can handle, so there might not be a lot of playing time for the Auburn product. With an expiring deal and a redundant skill set on a non-contending team, the Bulls can probably let him go for a couple of second-round picks -- maybe even one.
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