The Chicago Bulls are rebuilding, but they still need a big move to truly renovate the franchise.
Chicago’s trio of Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucević and Lonzo Ball represent a bygone era of underwhelming Bulls teams, and each also carries a hefty contract relative to their basketball value.
LaVine is going to be almost impossible to move, as has been reported.
There is still a chance to trade Vucević and/or Ball, however, and if the Bulls are willing to think outside the box in the trade market, they could even trade both players in a single franchise-altering deal.
Chicago’s executive duo – executive director Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley – are expected to discuss a potential trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for superstar center Karl-Anthony Towns, as they could be surprised by Minnesota’s overture regarding KAT.
The Timberwolves know they can compete without Towns. Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid provide enough depth at center to pair with a core centered around Anthony Edwards. So even if Minnesota isn’t actively pursuing Towns, they’ll certainly listen to any offer that comes their way.
The Wolves have questionable point guard depth after losing Tyus Jones, and the Bulls have too many leaderswhich is the first sign of a good commercial partnership between the two teams.
Chicago is offering Vucević, Ball and rising star Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota for Towns’ games, which is a very interesting deal in terms of money, and before you look at this trade from the Wolves’ perspective, know that ESPN’s John Hollinger believes the deal would result in two more victories expected for Minnesota via ESPN.com’s official trade machine.
Minnesota would become a more balanced team with the trade, inserting Vucević into a key reserve role to replace Gobert and Reid, and adding two true playmakers to the roster in Dosunmu and Ball, the latter of whom is on an expiring contract, which offsets health concerns.
For the Bulls, they would be addressing a huge need at the center position by acquiring Towns, and in the process, they would be getting rid of Vucević and Ball, two players they had a hard time trading.
If Chicago wasn’t happy with Towns’ experience in the coming years, they could surely put him back on the market and get a nice return, barring injury.
It’s a trade that seems unrealistic at first glance, but upon closer inspection becomes not only practical but plausible for both teams.
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