Chicago Bulls Receive: G Terry Rozier
Charlotte Hornets Receive: F Lauri Markkanen, G Denzel Valentine, C Cristiano Felicio, CHI 2022 1st Round Pick
With the Charlotte Hornets putting together a terrific season and with Terry Rozier being a big part of their success, it seems illogical for them to trade him, but the Bulls could offer an interesting trade package for him. With plenty of backcourt talent to replace him, the Hornets could look to capitalize on Terry Rozier’s value being at an all-time high.
With Charlotte needing some more help in their frontcourt, going out and getting a young, highly talented big man like Lauri Markkanen could make a lot of sense and Denzel Valentine could help provide some much needed depth on the wing in Charlotte.
Lauri Markkanen missed a handful of games during the first-half of this season, but all together, he has been having a great fourth season in the league. In 18 games this year, Markkanen has averaged 19.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and has shot 41.2% from three-point range.
Having a 7-footer that can stretch the floor and be a threat to score from virtually anywhere on the court is extremely valuable and something the Hornets desperately need. P.J. Washington is starting to come into his own as a solid power-forward, but with Cody Zeller being in the final year of his contract, the Hornets really need a big man they can build with for the future.
Markkanen could easily be this kind of player for them and would fit in perfectly in Charlotte since he is just 23-years old. The Hornets are a very young team with lots of high-level talents and adding Lauri Markkanen to their core would be a huge upgrade for their frontcourt.
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If Terry Rozier is available in trade talks, which there are no indications at the moment if Charlotte is even looking to make a move at the trade deadline, then the Chicago Bulls should absolutely look to add him. They do have a bunch of backcourt players in Tomas Satoransky, Coby White and Zach LaVine, but Rozier has proven that he can be a high-level scorer and is shooting upwards of 43% from deep this season.
He is exactly the kind of explosive guard the Bulls should want to pair with Zach LaVine and as a result, they could look to target him before the trade deadline. With that said, let’s look at each team individually and why this trade could make sense for them.
