Why The Chicago Bulls Do The Deal

We recognize that we’re creating an awkward locker room dynamic here. We just don’t care.

Nikola Vucevic and Jakob Poeltl are both starting-caliber big men in the NBA. The former is a stretch big who struggles on defense, while the latter is a non-shooting big who excels in point prevention. As we see it, the Chicago Bulls have two viable options following this trade.

The first would be to use Poeltl as the best backup big man in the NBA. They could lean on him more than Vooch in situations that call for it, and treat the two talented-but-flawed players as a platoon.

The second is to replace Vucevic altogether. Poeltl could be this team’s new starter if they feel that, with LaVine and DeRozan in tow, they need a defensive big more than a shooting one.

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In that event, they could surely find a trade for Vucevic either now or later: functionally, some team will need his floor-spacing in time.

It just happens that the Bulls may need Poeltl’s rim protection a little more.