The Chicago Bulls must make a decision on the current direction of the franchise. Despite trading away multiple veterans over the past 18 months, Billy Donovan’s team is flirting with the play-in tournament this season.
If the Bulls decide they would prefer to re-tool, rather than rebuild, they will need to locate some high-end talent to put them back in the hunt for a playoff spot moving forward. In a March 15 article for Bleacher Report, veteran cap expert Eric Pincus highlighted Julius Randle as a potential trade target for Chicago.
“The Bulls’ most significant decision will be to find the right price for Giddey. Chicago can match any other team’s offer without paying luxury taxes. The challenge is identifying the Bulls’ direction as a middling play-in team that has moved on from several veterans (DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, etc.),” Pincus explained. “..The team has an extensive list of short contracts, including Lonzo Ball, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, Carter, White and Vučević.”
In the article, Pincus cited Randle, RJ Barrett and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the potential trade targets for Chicago. Out of those three names, Randle is likely the most realistic. The former New York Knicks All-Star hasn’t reached his usual heights during his debut season for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Furthermore, both Giannis and Barrett are seen as long-term pieces for their respective team, thus making Randle the most logical target.
Bulls Tre Jones is Impressing Billy Donovan
Tre Jones joined the Bulls as part of the Zach LaVine trade ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Since joining the franchise, he has been impressing head coach Billy Donovan with his versatility and offensive skillset.
“He’s got something, he’s got the IT factor to me,” Donovan said in a March 8 news conference. “He really does. He’s just a winner. You can look at size and length for position and he probably doesn’t have any of those things. But he has really good speed, he’s really tough, he’s got a high IQ, he understands competition. He can really stay in the moment and compete. The last two games on the road he’s been great. He’s got a lot of substance, a lot of competitive character to him.”
Jones is heading into unrestricted free agency. If he continues to impress Donovan, and make the most of his minutes, it’s fair to assume he will re-sign with the franchise and become part of the re-tooling process.
Josh Giddey Is Creating a Dilemma For The Bulls
According to The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry, Josh Giddey‘s inconsistent production this season is creating a dilemma for the front office. On the one hand, Giddey has had multiple outings where he looked like a future All-Star. On the other, he’s been a target on defense and has shown inconsistent decision-making.
“The question for the Bulls is, who is the real Josh Giddey? Is he the pre-All-Star Break player who would best be described as serviceable, or is he the post-All-Star performer who continues getting better each game?” The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry wrote on March 11. An accompanying dilemma for the Bulls will be determining what price Giddey deserves on a contract extension.”
Mayberry continued.
“The strategic play would be allowing the market to determine Giddey’s value — the opposite of what the Bulls did last summer with Patrick Williams. However, a deal gets done, the Bulls anticipate having Giddey back. The determination was made when he was traded from Oklahoma City to the Bulls for Alex Caruso last summer.”
Giddey should be viewed as a core part of Chicago’s future. He’s more than worth a $25-$30 million a year deal, especially given his age and room for improvement. The Bulls need a centerpiece, either for their rebuild or their re-tooling. Giddey can, and should be, that guy.
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