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On Thursday, the Chicago Bulls struck a deal to send veteran guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for 21-year-old playmaker Josh Giddey.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported the deal, wrote: “The Bulls have been determined to find a playmaker to replace Lonzo Ball, and Giddey, 21, comes with an All-Star potential that would unlikely be realized with the Thunder because of the playmaking starpower who surrounded him.”
That suggests this move may not be signaling a rebuild, but there’s certainly a world in which it does.
Caruso is nine years older than Giddey and certainly more of a win-now player. The swap could (and probably should) be the start of a domino chain that sends DeMar DeRozan (as a sign-and-trade candidate) Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević elsewhere, too.
Below, you’ll find some deals Chicago should consider to do just that.
The Bulls front office has already been plenty active this offseason.
Of course, that doesn’t mean any of those potential suitors are interested, but you can see why the Kings might be.
And two of their starters, Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, didn’t provide a ton of offensive volume. They averaged 12.2 and 10.2 points, respectively.
Of course, there are only so many shots to go around, and finding the right balance with LaVine might take some time. But adding a consistent (if sometimes unhealthy) 20-point-per-game scorer alongside Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray would help the Kings contend for offensive dominance again.
For the Bulls, this is almost entirely about flexibility. Injuries and a hefty contract have hurt LaVine’s trade value, so it may be hard for Chicago to get much back for him.
This deal gives them two role players whose contracts expire a year earlier. Both have deals that would be easier to move than LaVine’s, so the value of this package could grow over time.
