Bulls seen as a wild card in Damian Lillard sweepstakes |
Well, this is some exciting news if you are a fan of the Chicago Bulls. With less than two weeks to go until NBA training camps open up, the Bulls find themselves in a situation where they will enter camp with practically the same roster they had in 2022. The only exceptions would be Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter, who were added in free agency to help this team with shooting and depth.
Even if this team wants to run it back with the same guys in town, is that a good thing? Everyone saw how good this team was two years ago when they were 39-20 and sitting on top of the Eastern Conference, but since then, this team has been 12 games under .500 and has struggled to find any consistency as a team. You can point to the lack of shooting as one of the reasons why, but there is also a glaring hole that this team has failed to address for nearly three years. That hole is at the Point Guard position where Lonzo Ball is set to miss his second straight season and practically his third season overall as he deals with knee issues. When the Bulls were at their best, Ball was a big reason why, as he was the QB this offense lacked. Not only did he distribute the ball to the Bulls playmakers, but he played terrific defense and emerged as one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Everyone knew his loss would hurt this team, but no one saw it affecting them as much as it has for as long as he has been out. With PG still a need on this team, the Bulls are expected to have Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, Carter, and Coby White, among others to battle for that spot in camp as they look for any answer. Well, that answer may not come from within but from outside the organization, as the Bulls are listed as a Wild Card team for the Damian Lillard sweepstakes. If that doesn't get your juices flowing this morning, I don't know what will, as Lillard being linked to the Bulls is enormous news. This wouldn't be the first time this offseason that the Bulls were linked to PG via a blockbuster move, as Trae Young has been linked to the Bulls the past few months. While Young is a better scorer and is a much younger player, Lillard fits the Bulls organization much better and brings with him the big-game experience that most of this team lacks. While it does still appear that it is the Miami Heat or bust for Lillard, Kyle Neubeck of the Philadelphia Sixers not only listed the Bulls as a Wild Card team, but he had this to say exactly when speaking with the Bulls directly. "The team that I’ve heard – that I’ve made some calls, talked to some people – that is kind of the wildcard get-in-the-mix team is the Chicago Bulls. I know the Chicago Bulls this offseason. Zach Lavine’s name has been thrown into the rumor mill a bit. The Bulls shot that down publicly. The suggestion has been out there that if/maybe when they trade Lavine, they would want a star-level return, young players, picks, things with upside as they try to retool and reimagine their roster." "What I have heard in the last few days is it looks like they might be trying to move LaVine as part of a multi-team deal just to see if they can get into the Dame Lillard sweepstakes.” Take what you will from those quotes, but this is the second time that Lavine has had his name linked with Lillard in trade conversations and the second consecutive offseason where the rumors are swirling. They always say where there is smoke, there is fire, and there is a lot of smoke in Chicago. Eventually, the Bulls need to pull the trigger on Lavine or DeMar DeRozan, but for whatever reason, DeRozan is the favorite to stick around. Losing a player like LaVine would hurt, as he has become one of the better scorers in the game and a fan favorite. You only move a player like him if you are going nowhere as a team and potentially have a massive return in place. Those things could both be true for Chicago this season, as Lillard would be the enormous return the Bulls would want should they deal Lavine. Lillard may be 33 years old compared to the 28 of LaVine, but no one denies the talent that he brings to the table. Even if he is owed more than 200 million for the next four seasons, which is a considerable commitment, Lillard is the PG the team has been lacking and one who can change the game on offense. Not only that, he gets other players involved and is someone the Bulls could build around should they see fit. Looking at the money Lavine is owed and comparing it to Lillard, you will see that Lillard will make more than Lavine in the next four seasons, but not by much. A trade like this essentially moves one elite player for another, which is all you can ask for in a trade like this, should these rumors be true.
