The Chicago Bulls are set to make a move. Whether it’s trading Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, or any other assets, the team’s front office has to do something to blow away the dark cloud that has been hanging over the franchise since Lonzo Ball injured his knee in January 2022.
It remains to be seen when Chicago will make a move, but according to a new report from Bleacher Report, Jonathan Kuminga and Nikola Jovic are worthy trade targets.
Turn veterans into viable assets
If the Bulls do decide to make a deal, it would most likely involve any member of their vaunted “Big 3.” Though Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic boast substantial talent and experience, the trio has been unable to take the team to the next level.
The Bulls looked promising at the start of the 2021-2022 season when they competed for the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, it all changed when Ball went down with a knee injury and hasn’t returned to the court since. The Bulls missed the NBA Playoffs last season, and judging from their 5-14 start this season, their chances of making the playoffs again are slim.
In light of this, the Bulls should be looking to acquire young talent that can help turn things around in the Windy City.
“It's beyond time for Chicago to start over. Converting veterans into draft picks should be an obvious focus. If the Bulls simply left this deadline with draft assets and salary-fillers, they'd finally have a successful trade season,” Zach Buckley wrote.
Players oozing with potential
The Bulls’ front office can target two players: the Miami Heat’s young big man Nikola Jovic and the Golden State Warriors’ explosive forward Jonathan Kuminga.
A 6-foot-10 big man, the 20-year-old Jovic has shown glimpses of what he can do but hasn’t gotten enough time on the floor to come into his own. Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Kuminga is a 6-foot-8 forward who possesses nuclear athleticism. Although he’s already won an NBA title in 2022, the Warriors’ mission of milking Stephen Curry’s prime to its last drop has left Kuminga on the outside looking in, as his average of 18 minutes per game indicates.
Buckley, though, preaches patience.
“They should have more than enough patience to give young players like Kuminga and Jovi the developmental minutes they've so far been denied.”
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