Leonard Miller Is Bulls’ Best Trade Deadline Acquisition

Dillingham was the headline of the Dosunmu trade, but Miller has outplayed him. Over the last 15 games, Miller has more total points while having a better field goal and three-point percentage. He has started five games and has a +/- of 60, while Dillingham hasn’t started a single game and has a +/- of -62. Miller has by far been the best player of the trade and the best acquisition of the entire deadline.

Patrick Williams Replacement

When I graded every move the Bulls made at the deadline, I predicted that Miller would step into the Julian Philips role. He ended up taking Patrick Williams’ minutes and demoting Williams to the Philips role. Head Coach Billy Donovan has opted to start Miller in the last five games instead of Williams, showing that he has gained more trust in two months than Williams has earned in six years.

This is even getting some national attention from the Bill Simmons Podcast. In a recent episode, Simmons did an ‘NBA Worst Contracts’ draft, and he said, “Patrick Williams, this is another example of, I don’t want to pay that guy $18 million a year, when I can find someone for [$2 million].”

That is exactly what Miller has been and will be for the future. His cheap contract is bailing out the front office’s horrible decision of giving Williams a $90 million contract. When Isaac Okoro and Noa Essengue are healthy next year, there is a real possibility of Williams being the third forward off the bench.

Miller has been a revelation for Chicago. Once a throw-in, he became the best player in a trade, climbed the depth chart, and practically guaranteed himself a spot on the Bulls next season.