The Chicago Bulls sit ninth in the Eastern Conference. Billy Donovan’s team has won six of its opening 11 games, but finds itself on a four-game losing streak. As a rebuilding team, the Bulls came into the season with minimal expectations on their shoulders.
Nevertheless, Chicago still has some decisions to make, most notably regarding the future of Nikola Vucevic. The veteran big man is in the final year of his contract, and at 35 years old, doesn’t fit the team’s current timeline.
A recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley could help solve that issue for Chicago. The trade idea looks like this:
Bulls Get: Daniel Gafford, Jaden Hardy, a 2030 second-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick.
Mavericks Get: Nikola Vucevic
“His market value won’t measure up to his numbers, since he’s 35 with defined limitations on defense, but maybe Dallas comes calling due to its glaring deficiencies on offense,” Buckley wrote of Vucevic. “If that happens, Chicago could finally land the kind of rim-running center who’d better fit its young talent (Gafford, who actually spent his first season-plus in the Windy City) while also adding a couple of future seconds and an ignitable 23-year-old scorer in Hardy.”
Gafford appears to be the Dallas Mavericks‘ best trade chip. His explosiveness and high motor make him an ideal fit for a young Bulls team, especially given the vertical spacing he can provide as a lob threat.
Jaden Hardy Would Be A Good Flyer For The Bulls
Vucevic isn’t the only member of the Bulls’ roster on the last year of his contract. Coby White‘s future is also open for debate, as his deal is set to expire in the summer. Unlike Vucevic, White is expected to receive a pay rise in the offseason, after breaking out into a reliable 20-points-per-game scorer in recent years.
Perhaps adding a young scorer like Hardy would ease the risk of losing White, either at the trade deadline or during the offseason. After all, the Bulls may be reluctant to commit such a significant amount of cap space to a backcourt pairing of Josh Giddey and White.
Hardy, 23, is averaging 7.9 points per game over his first three seasons in the NBA, with roughly 14 minutes of playing time per night. His production could explode if given a larger role within an offense, and that’s something the Bulls could offer, should he be moved via a trade for Vucevic.
Vucevic Is Open To Re-Signing With Bulls
Vucevic remains open to extending his stay in Chicago. He made his willingness to remain in the Windy City clear when speaking with Basketnews during the offseason.
“Yes, of course (He would consider re-signing),” Vucevic told Basketnews. “I mean, it has been good for me there. We will see—I have one more year left with them, so we will see what happens if I stay or if something changes. But yeah, obviously, I would love to win in Chicago.”
Vucevic, 34, enjoyed one of his best years in a Bulls uniform last season. And, while he’s clearly nearing the end of his career, his veteran leadership and offensive production are still key to Chicago’s continued development. Therefore, if the Bulls can’t locate a suitable trade partner, extending Vucevic’s time in Chicago is a viable option.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Proposed Trade Lands Bulls Their Big Man Of The Future appeared first on Heavy Sports.