After falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Chicago Bulls should look into trades to further boost their roster. Chicago started this season hot, with DeMar DeRozan looking like an early MVP candidate and the team showing that they aced their offseason. Fast forward after the All-Star Break, and the Bulls began declining and looked quite uninspired during the playoffs. The pieces are there, should the team stay healthy next season, for a legitimate run. It all starts, however, with keeping Zach LaVine this offseason. That seems likely, so the Bulls can look into upgrading the rest of their roster.
Chicago Bulls: Two Trades to Consider
A Straight Swap
The Chicago Bulls receive Isaac Okoro.
The Cleveland Cavaliers receive Coby White.
When Chicago began falling, it became clear that they needed major help on the wing. Patrick Williams was out injured, to be fair, but there were no drastic improvements upon his return. Williams will play a major factor next season once fully recovered, but the Bulls can still use more help. This is where Okoro steps in. This season he averaged close to nine points and three boards per game. Sure, these numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he’s only 21-years-old. Okoro is very athletic and is an almost ideal backup to Williams. Once his shooting improves, and signs were there this season, Okoro can become a solid “three-and-d” player.
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Okoro is valuable to Cleveland, although the Cavaliers really need backcourt help. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Collin Sexton, but Darius Garland is a star. The Cavaliers can falter when Garland isn’t on the court, so they need a reliable bench player. White can fill this role. This season, White averaged about 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists per game for the Bulls. He’s also a very solid shooter. Chicago has Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and Ayo Dosunmu, so perhaps White is expendable.
Changing the Frontcourt
The Chicago Bulls receive Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac, and a second-round pick.
The LA Clippers receive Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic showed somewhat of a decline in Chicago compared to his past years with the Orlando Magic. Perhaps it’s the fit, or perhaps Chicago has plenty of star talent to go around, something that was rare in Orlando. This makes Vucevic expendable to a degree.
Again, Chicago needs wing help. They get a very experienced one here in Morris. He defends well, can score in a variety of ways, and is a high-energy player. Morris seems to fit this Bulls roster quite well.
The Bulls will still need a center, of course, and get Zubac here. Zubac remains underrated as he averaged about 10 points, nine rebounds, and a block per game this season. He’s also just 25-years-old.
The Clippers are in win-now mode, especially with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George being healthy next season. For that reason, they’ll look to add as much talent as possible and will be open to Vucevic’s high salary. Vucevic remains a player who can score close to 20 points and grab double-digit rebounds every game. He’ll be a perfect complementary piece to the Clippers’ star duo alongside Norman Powell and Reggie Jackson.
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