Chicago Bulls Receive: F John Collins, G Kevin Huerter
Atlanta Hawks Receive: G Zach LaVine
With this deal, the Chicago Bulls fill a position of need with the acquisition of John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks. It’s just unfortunate that they’re doing so at the expense of Zach LaVine.
Of course, Patrick Williams remains on the Bulls’ roster. Still, he’s been injury-prone throughout his career. Even if he does get healthy, he and Collins can co-exist in this positionless league. The Bulls instantly get more talented and more versatile in the frontcourt with this deal.
Meanwhile, the Hawks assemble the best offensive backcourt in the NBA by pairing Young and LaVine. The two would score many, many baskets together.
Granted, the Hawks’ perimeter defense would suffer. Deandre Hunter is great on that end, but he’s only one man. Still, the offensive boost should be worth the trade-off.
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Huerter isn’t a mere throw-in from the Hawks either. He’s got great positional size as a 6’7 off-guard. He’s able to create his own shot and he’s a solid defender as well. At 23, he’s young enough for a rebuild.
After all, if the Chicago Bulls are losing Zach LaVine, there’s a good chance they’ll be forced to trigger one. They may stay the course with DeMar DeRozan as the focal point, but if they’re losing by the trade deadline, they’d likely move him in a separate transaction.