Trade Partners to Call if the Chicago Bulls Want to Make a Big Splash (Part I)

Continuity is likely in the cards for the Chicago Bulls for another offseason. I know … yay!

But what if the organization opts for the blindside move? There is no denying they have two assets that a handful of competitive teams around the NBA would covet. So I thought we might as well take a closer look at some of those teams.

By the way, the plan is to do this in a couple of parts. If there is info you’d like me to include in the next couple of editions, let me know! For now, here are three teams that could want to do business with Chicago if they made Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan available this summer.

Few teams are currently in a better position to make a big trade than the New York Knicks. Arguably the greatest reason for that is their deep arsenal of first-round draft capital. Between the 2023 NBA Draft and 2029, New York has six of their possible seven first-round picks (note: you can only trade future picks up until seven years out). The upcoming 2023 pick belongs to Portland after acquiring Josh Hart at this year's deadline.

On top of that, the Knicks have FOUR other first-rounders with varying protections that can still convey:

– 2024 top-11 protected pick via DAL– 2024 top-13 protected via WAS– 2024 top-19 protected via DET– 2025 top-5 protected via MIL

h/t RealGM

In any trade that includes Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan, the pick-deprived Bulls are going to be looking for draft capital in return. The Knicks can easily help fill that hole. Likewise, they have some truly intriguing young talent that they can package alongside these draft assets.

RJ Barrett remains just 22 years old and is fresh off a decent playoff run in which he was averaging 19.3 points per game. While he's still struggled to score efficiently at times, he's still a developing player with an encouraging two-way skillset. All in all, he's the type of young guy you happily accept in a return package for a veteran All-Star.

Immanuel Quickley is another name who has taken strides each season of his career. He is fresh off averaging a career-high 14.9 points per game to go along with 3.4 assists and a 37.0 percent shooting effort behind the arc. For much of the year, the 23 years old was legitimately in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation. Throw in other names like Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, and Isaiah Hartenstein, and New York has a stockpile of young players who should be able to turn into at least solid role players.

Any past connections?

Yes. Many.

The Knicks seemingly have an interest in every available All-Star and their mother. They’ve been tied to LaVine for years now, with the most recent talks reportedly happening around this past trade deadline. As for DeRozan, they were heavily thought about pursuing him during the same free agency he ended up signing with the Bulls.

With all of that in mind, I can see a world where they express at least some interest in still acquiring both players. LaVine would probably be their preferred target in any talks, however, when we consider his age and possible fit next to a star point guard in Jalen Brunson.

The Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls connections have been plentiful in recent weeks and months. The most recent speculation has surrounded the Trail Blazers’ willingness to trade their No. 3 overall pick. With the goal remaining to build a championship contender around Damian Lillard, swapping that coveted selection for high-end veteran talent appears to be their preferred path. And it's hard not to wonder whether DeRozan or LaVine check that box for Portland.

DeRozan likely wouldn't be enough at this point in his career to get conversations between the two sides flowing. Perhaps if the Bulls threw in more like Alex Caruso or Patrick Williams, things could progress. LaVine, on the other hand, undoubtedly sounds like the kind of All-Star-level talent entering his prime that would be a worthy return. The main question is whether or not the fit makes any sense.

Portland tried a bucket-getting backcourt before with Lillard and CJ McCollum. And they ultimately decided to move on from that experiment by trading McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans. While a LaVine-Lillard combo might be more intriguing, no one can deny it creates similar concerns, particularly on the defensive end.

With that being the case, it's no surprise that early reports have suggested that Portland prefers to find a defensive-minded wing to pair with Lillard. Does that make a conversation that includes DeRozan with an All-Defensive First Team member like Caruso more interesting? Perhaps. But names like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, or Mikal Bridges might be a better representation of the players they hope to add.

But, fine, let's assume there is some interest in what Chicago has to offer. Maybe the fact that they also owe the Bulls a future first-rounder that is significantly hampering their ability to make future moves would entice them to strike a deal that includes getting that off the books. If they were able to do that, they would also have all of their own picks between 2023 and 2029 to trade, as well as an extra No. 23 pick from the Knicks.

Additionally, Portland has arguably even more enticing young talent to offer than New York. Anfernee Simons is just 23 years old and under contract until 2026. Shadeon Sharpe is the team's ultra-athletic 2022 lottery pick who flashed some really exciting stuff in his rookie year. Either could be considered a solid addition in the event that the Bulls want to take a step back and begin to retool. Likewise, landing any of Portland's unprotected or lightly protected picks wouldn't feel too shabby, as they have yet to prove they can be a consistent top-tier threat in the West.

Any past connections?

We touched on it above, but I’ll also note that Portland was reportedly interested in LaVine when he entered unrestricted free agency last summer. Likewise, LaVine is from Seattle, so this would be close to home.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been thirsty for DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine for years. So is it time to finally get something done?

Out of the three options we discuss today, I’d say this would make the least sense from a Bulls perspective. The main reason for that is simple … the Lakers lack both draft capital and young talent. The team's only tradable future first-rounder right now would be their selection in 2029. While that should be considered somewhat valuable since they could be in rebuild mode by then, it still would be quite the far-away gamble.

This is especially true when we consider they don't have a lavish young player to tie it to. The best name they could throw into the mix for either DeRozan or LaVine would be Austin Reaves. And, don't get me wrong, Reaves showed that he's a valuable player this season. But is adding Reaves via a sign-and-trade (he's a FA this summer) plus a 2029 first-rounder enough in the Bulls’ eyes? It definitely wouldn't be for LaVine. And I don't know if they would do it for DeRozan when we consider he’ll want an extension this offseason.

So, yeah, I definitely think the Lakers would want to get into this sweepstakes if the Bulls entered sell mode. But they just don't have anything all that valuable to offer. I guess some would ask about Anthony Davis. However, I just don't see a situation where they’re trading him right now. And, if they do, they’ll want a bigger haul than what makes sense for the Bulls.

Any past connections?

Uh … duh …

Elias Schuster is the Lead Bulls Writer at Bleacher Nation. You can follow him on Twitter @Schuster_Elias.