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 Zach LaVine and get the draft compensation that they would be getting in this trade with the Jazz. Both Tony Snell and Cam Reddish can have an impact moving forward, and the fact that Snell is on an expiring contract definitely helps the Bulls.
Tony Snell is owed $12.1M this season and is set to be an unrestricted free agent that the Bulls would likely not re-sign. As a result, they would have a little bit of cap room to use in order to re-sign some of their younger talents like Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. who are up for new contracts/contract-extensions.
Even with LaVine still on the roster, the Bulls are over the salary cap and limited to what they can do both in free agency and retaining their current talent, which is why acquiring Snell for a year and letting him hit the open market could be very beneficial to them.
Cam Reddish is not a player the Bulls would want to see go elsewhere and he could definitely be a young talent they would utilize for the foreseeable future. The 6’8” wing is now in his second season in the NBA and while he would like to see his shooting numbers increase, Reddish has really come into his own as a reliable all-around player for Atlanta.
This season, he has started in all but one game he has played in for the Hawks and has really helped make a difference on both ends of the court. He is a dangerous three-point threat who cannot be left open on the offensive end of the court, and then on the defensive end of the court, his length gives him an advantage over smaller guards and wings.
Both players the Bulls would be receiving could really help make a difference for this franchise, but so could the three draft picks they get in return for LaVine. Getting two first-round picks in 2021 and 2023 would definitely finish off the rebuild process in Chicago and supply the Bulls with two really good young prospects.
Already having a young core in place, the Bulls could continue to add youthful talent to their roster and not only have a young ,athletic group, but a well-balanced team in terms of experience and youth. Trading LaVine and getting cap room, a young player like Cam Reddish and plenty of draft capital could be very useful for the Bulls as they look to turn themselves back into a legit threat in the Eastern Conference.
