Chicago Bulls blockbuster trade proposed by Phoenix Suns insider

In the blockbuster proposal, Gerald Bourguet came up with Patrick Williams, Zach Collins, and Jevon Carter for Bradley Beal. The insider added that the Suns would have to get creative to make roster space for the three incoming players, but that it could be done. It involved flipping Carter and Collins, expiring contracts, for more assets, thereby leaving Williams with the Suns.

“Williams is the one you’d be stuck with. He has four years and $72 million left on his deal. That is bad,” Bourguet said. “He’s a four, so there’s that, but… he probably wouldn’t play very much because he’s not very good. That is kind of the cost of getting off of Beal’s contract.”

Bourguet said the good news is that the Suns, who don’t have any tradeable first-round picks right now, wouldn’t have to attach a first-rounder to this deal, which may or may not be true. While Williams is on a bad contract, it’s not as bad as the Beal deal. And Chicago would be depleting valuable depth, especially in the frontcourt, to take on Beal, so there’s hardly any incentive for the Bulls.

Beal does have two years left on a bad deal, whereas Williams has four, but Williams is much cheaper overall, and Chicago doesn’t get better in this trade. It might be worth trying to get off of Williams’ contract, but not at the cost of $50.2 million Beal.

Bourguet said this is a rare situation where a team won’t ask the Suns what they get in return for taking on Bradley Beal, but that doesn’t feel accurate, either. The Bulls may have a history of ineptitude, with Williams’ contract maybe being a good example of that, but they’re not stupid.

This is a team with a better future than Phoenix and one with a play-in game appearance and some possible building blocks. To tank all the growth and potential play-in or even playoff appearances next year with a wide-open East would be silly, especially without even getting draft compensation in return.

“The Bulls are notorious for taking bad deals where they do not get draft picks back for whatever reason,” Bourguet said. That may have been true, but this is a little more egregious than most deals, and the Bulls would probably not want to do it.