Chicago Bulls Receive: F Cam Reddish, F Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Troy Brown Jr., F Alize Johnson, CHI 2022 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to ATL), DEN 2023 2nd Round Pick (Top-46 Protected)
Off of first glance, this does not seem like a trade the Atlanta Hawks would want to pursue, but Troy Brown Jr. and Alize Johnson could be two key bench additions for them. Neither player is the difference in the Hawks making it back to the Eastern Conference Finals, but Atlanta’s bench has not been nearly as good as they were a season ago.
A large part of these problems in their second unit is because of injuries. Onyeka Okongwu has been out in the Hawks’ frontcourt since the offseason due to shoulder surgery and he is not expected back until closer to the Spring. Then recently, De’Andre Hunter was ruled out indefinitely due to wrist surgery, leaving this team thin on the wing.
Danilo Gallinari and Kevin Huerter will have to step into much bigger roles in the starting unit now, leaving the Hawks second unit thin in terms of versatile players they can bring into games for energy.
Troy Brown Jr. is not a high-level talent, but the former 15th overall pick is an athletic wing with a 6’11” wingspan, making him a possible difference-maker on defense. He has shot 33% from long-range over the course of his career and being able to create offense for others given his explosive first-step, Brown could definitely fit in with this Hawks team.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Hawks-Magic Trade Is Focused On Cam Reddish To Orlando
Alize Johnson is another intriguing option for them in this trade because of his advancements in rebounding the basketball. The 25-year-old big man broke onto the scene in Brooklyn last year after a 20 points, 21 rebound game against the Indiana Pacers, and he has put together some solid performances off the bench this year in Chicago.
In back-to-back games without Nikola Vucevic, Johnson has taken advantage of his number being called, averaging 5.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in about 15.5 minutes of play per night. Having another athletic rebounder in their frontcourt is not a bad idea whatsoever for Atlanta, especially since they do not have much depth behind Clint Capela and John Collins.
Adding Cameron Reddish gives the Chicago Bulls another key scorer that they can depend on next to their All-Star talents. The Bulls are a real threat in the Eastern Conference this year, but for them to be considered a title contender, they are going to have to be “buyers” at the trade deadline and add more offensive talents.
DeRozan, LaVine, Vucevic and Ball cannot carry this team to a title, which is why they are going to need a little bit of extra firepower, preferably on the wing. Patrick Williams could possibly return closer to the playoffs, but with him being out indefinitely on the wing, the Bulls would be smart to target another versatile wing like Reddish.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Hawks-Magic Trade Is Focused On Cam Reddish To Orlando
Being tight on cap space though and not having any major trade assets to offer up, the Chicago Bulls could have a hard time convincing the Atlanta Hawks to trade Reddish, especially since both teams are likely to face one another at some point in the postseason, assuming they both make the playoffs.
