Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Chicago Bulls

As things stand right now, the Chicago Bulls are 6-8 and have definitely out-performed expectations early on in the year, but at the end of the day, they are not a legit playoff team. Even if they somehow sneak into the playoffs as the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference, they will get dismantled by either the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, or Philadelphia 76ers. 

They have no shot to be a legit playoff team at the moment, which is why they should trade away LaVine and get the draft compensation that they would be getting in this trade with the Jazz. Not to mention, Bogdanovic can be an excellent veteran leader for this team, especially with Otto Porter Jr. in the final year of his contract. 

In this trade, the Bulls would be receiving two first-round picks in 2022 and 2026, which would likely be unprotected. As a result, the Bulls would have the opportunity to continue adding to their stockpile of young talent, or they could go out and trade a couple of these draft picks and one of their young players for an established, superstar player. 

Entering next offseason, the Bulls will have about $26M in projected cap space and will have plenty of opportunities to bring in a big name free agent. With the young talent they have, the ability to make a trade for a big-name talent, and the ability to sign a max-contract player, Chicago could be a team that is just a season or two away from being a legit threat in the Eastern Conference. 

Whether it is next year or the season after, the Bulls are going to be a very good basketball team, the only question that remains is who is going to lead this team? Will they keep LaVine long-term or will they go out and try to acquire a different All-Star level player? 

By making this trade, the Bulls make it clear that they are looking to not just bring in a new big-name player, but that they believe in their youthful talent. Coby White, Wendell Carter Jr, Lauri Markkanen, and rookie Patrick Williams all have a lot of potential to be very solid players in the NBA for a long-time, they just need a superstar talent to lean on. 

Getting a veteran role player like Bogdanovic and two first-round draft picks gives the Bulls the ability to execute the moves they want to make next offseason, setting them up for major success moving forward.