Why The Chicago Bulls Do The Deal 

Astute readers will be ready to accuse of hypocrisy. If Russell struggled to co-exist with Towns and Edwards, how is he going to play with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan? 

A fair question. Here’s the thing: this deal works a lot better for the Bulls if Lonzo Ball recovers. In that event, Russell will be playing for the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2022-23. 

It’s not hard to imagine. Ball would play with the starters, and the offense would run through Russell while they sat. Still, functionally, Russell can play with Ball. After all, Ball has developed into an elite off-ball player. The Bulls will survive stints where they’re both on the floor. 

On the other hand, Russell is, again, an insurance policy if Ball gets hurt. At least the Bulls will still have a starting-caliber point guard in that event. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves & Chicago Bulls Updates

Granted, it comes at the expense of Nikola Vucevic, but he looked out of place alongside DeRozan and LaVine himself last year. Will he fit in on the Brooklyn Nets?