NBA Trade Rumors: 5 trades Chicago Bulls need to make
By Tom West
Evan Fournier
A perimeter marksman having the best year of his career could be the ideal addition to play off-ball beside Jimmy Butler. The Bulls lack scoring (23rd in offensive efficiency) and three-point shooting (21st in made threes per game). A talented wing is what they need going forward, so it’s hardly surprising that Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports discussed on his podcast (The Vertical) that the Bulls are hoping to land one if they trade one of their frontcourt pieces:
"“Executives around the league, and people have told me, that the Bulls are very determined to add a talented wing player… and I’ve been told that the Bulls are open to… whether it’s Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson… maybe not both of them, but either of them if there’s a deal out there that they can bring in the best possible wing player available, they’re open to it… They need more shooting.”"
It can’t be ignored that matters have changed since losing Noah, but as we’ve discussed, it may be just the right time for the Bulls to cut their losses and look to 2016-17. If that means trading Gibson or Gasol to help the team’s future, that may be the best option. And if they want to pursue a talented wing player and shooter, Evan Fournier of the Orlando Magic is an ideal target.
This season, he has career-highs in points (13.6), three-point percentage (37.9), assists (2.6), steals (1.4) and PER (13.8). He’s a smart player and can instantly make a difference in Chicago as a new perimeter threat next to Butler’s 22.4 points per game, and can be a valuable off-ball addition thanks to his 40 percent mark on catch-and-shoot threes. On top of that, he’s effective in the limited instances he chooses to put the ball on the court and attack, making 62.5 percent of his shots within three feet and shooting 47.5 percent on drives (per NBA.com).
In this situation, the Bulls could send the Magic Taj Gibson in exchange for Channing Frye and, of course, Fournier. This allows the Magic to get a notable defensive upgrade over Frye to help their interior presence (19th in opponent field goal percentage within five feet), something they wouldn’t be able to manage in a single player deal involving Frye.
As for the Bulls, well they get their much desired perimeter threat and a sound stretch big man in Frye, who’s shooting 40.7 percent from three with 2.4 makes per 36 minutes this season.
This isn’t the only element of the trade to consider, though.
This summer, Fournier becomes a free agent. As the Magic are already committed to wing players like Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris and even rookie Mario Hezonja, they don’t need to give Fournier the big money that he’s earned (especially with the rising salary cap for 2016-17) when free agency hits. That money could be better spent elsewhere this summer, and Gibson would be a valuable piece who’s still under contract for next season.
That being said, Gibson might not entice the Magic enough by himself. So, if the Bulls can find the correct complimentary piece to package with him to add more value to the deal, Fournier becomes the kind of player they need to pursue for the sake of their future.
However, there are better and easier-to-acquire targets out there.
Next: Getting a new small forward