NBA Trade Deadline portfolio: Chicago Bulls
Less than a month ago, the Chicago Bulls were in New York Knicks-esque disarray.
After blowing a late-game 10-point lead against the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago’s two star players, Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, put their younger teammates on blast. Rajon Rondo, the Bulls’ once-exiled point guard, returned fire with a scathing Instagram post. At 23-24, the Bulls were clinging to the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot largely because the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons were in the midst of their own respective tailspins.
Though Chicago’s locker room turmoil has since largely remained private, little else has changed for the team heading into the All-Star break. Following three straight blowout losses, two of which came against lottery-bound teams (the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves), the Bulls bounced back with victories over the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics to head into the long layoff on a high note. That said, they’re still a game below .500 at 28-29, just one game ahead of the eighth-seeded Pistons and two ahead of the ninth-seeded Bucks.
Complicating matters, the Bulls have the fifth-toughest rest-of-season schedule among all East teams. While the Cleveland Cavaliers suddenly appear vulnerable in the wake of Kevin Love’s knee surgery, a first-round upset of the defending NBA champions isn’t likely so long as LeBron James is breathing. Even if the Bulls miraculously knocked off James and the Cavs, they’d still have to get through the Celtics, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors in the East bracket before having a chance to get annihilated by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
Read More: Is it time for the Chicago Bulls to trade Jimmy Butler?
That’s the conundrum Chicago general manager Gar Forman and vice president of basketball operations John Paxson must confront heading into the league’s Feb. 23 trade deadline. While the GarPax-led Bulls are masters at spinning their wheels, it doesn’t take Final Destination-esque foresight to know this team is destined for a quick playoff knockout at best. With Wade able to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and Rondo likely to be waived by June 30—his full $13.4 million salary for 2017-18 becomes guaranteed after that date—it’s time for the Bulls to look ahead.
Above all else, Paxson and Forman must determine whether they believe it’s possible to build a contender around Butler.
Rumors of discord between Butler and the front office have emerged like wildfire in recent weeks. ESPN’s Ryen Russillo relayed an incredible tale of how the Bulls reportedly threatened to demote Butler if he didn’t agree to sign an extension rather than test the restricted-free-agent market. (Butler didn’t exactly deny that report, either.) Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported “Butler and other Bulls have had issues with the ‘spying’ that goes on” in Chicago’s locker room. ESPN.com’s Nick Friedell, meanwhile, said on ESPN’s Mike & Mike that the Bulls front office doesn’t believe Butler can be the No. 1 player on a championship-caliber team.
Chicago does have one major advantage heading into the trade deadline. In the wake of Love’s surgery, the East playoff race appears far more wide-open than it did a month ago, which could pressure a potential contender into making a big splash.
A rival general manager told HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy that it would likely take a “Godfather offer” to convince the Bulls to trade Butler, but the Boston Celtics have the requisite ammunition for just that. According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the Celtics have held firm in refusing to include the Brooklyn Nets’ 2017 first-round pick in any presumptive deal, but Boston is armed with plenty more draft capital. Along with Brooklyn’s unprotected 2018 first-rounder, the Celtics are also owed a lottery-protected 2019 first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers and a top-eight-protected 2019 first-rounder from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Would some combination of those picks and Jaylen Brown, the No. 3 overall selection from this past June’s draft, pique Chicago’s interest? Will Boston general manager Danny Ainge stop overvaluing his assets to make an all-in push against the injury-ravaged Cavaliers? As the seconds tick toward 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 23, desperation may force Ainge to finally pull the trigger.
If the Bulls don’t receive a Godfather offer for Butler, they may instead focus on shedding some of their other veterans, particularly those on expiring contracts. According to Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago and Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Raptors were kicking the tires on a deal for Taj Gibson before acquiring Serge Ibaka from the Orlando Magic. The 31-year-old, who’s in the final months of the four-year, $33 million contract he signed prior to the 2013-14 campaign, would be a welcome addition to any contender’s roster, as he provides physicality on defense and helps space the floor offensively with a reliable mid-range jumper.
Gibson isn’t the only one who could be moved in the next few days. According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, Chicago is “exploring the trade market in search of a first-round draft pick” for either Robin Lopez or Doug McDermott. The former is owed an affordable $28.1 million over the next two seasons, while the latter still has a year remaining on his rookie contract before he becomes a restricted free agent in the summer of 2018. The Bulls likely wouldn’t receive an unprotected 2017 first-round pick for either player, but if they’re willing to accept a protected first-rounder or one a few years down the road, that may help grease the wheels on a deal.
Who could Chicago be targeting in return? In large part, that depends on which direction Paxson and Forman choose with Butler. If they opt to pursue a full-scale rebuild, the Bulls would likely go after young prospects and/or draft-picks in exchange for Butler, Lopez, Gibson and whomever else they ship out. Conversely, if Chicago’s front office decides to go full speed ahead on a playoff push, they may prefer established veteran talent over youth.
The Bulls have been linked to Philadelphia 76ers big man Jahlil Okafor in recent days, according to Goodwill and Kennedy, but nothing appears imminent on that front. Philly held Okafor out of two games as trade talks reportedly escalated, but the Chicago native returned to the Sixers’ lineup Wednesday against the Celtics in their final game prior to the All-Star break, suggesting his brief absence was little more than a negotiating ploy. If the Bulls do move Lopez and opt to build around young players, buying low on Okafor could prove brilliant, as there’s a chance he thrives upon being freed from Philly’s frontcourt logjam. That said, his defensive weaknesses undermine his ability to start for a championship-caliber team.
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According to The Vertical’s Bobby Marks, Forman has only made four deadline trades since seizing control of the Bulls in 2009, including a deal last year that netted Justin Holiday and a 2018 second-round pick for Kirk Hinrich. Will the Bulls lay low again? It depends on how realistic Forman and Paxson are about the current limitations of their roster.