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Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
As a rebuilding team, the Chicago Bulls will find their names linked with every star that could potentially hit the trade market. Part of rebuilding is having multiple young talents and draft assets, both of which are great for taking big swings on a trade.
Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s name has been the most prominent in trade rumors. The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs in the opening round, marking the second straight year that has happened. As such, Giannis’ future has become a talking point. Chicago, then, has naturally been discussed as a potential dark horse trade candidate.
However, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls would need to seriously shred their roster to acquire the two-time MVP.
“Trading for Antetokounmpo would mean sacrificing the bulk of the Bulls’ young core,” Poe wrote. “That starts with Coby White and Josh Giddey, their two most promising players…The Bucks likely wouldn’t stop there, perhaps looking to plunder young players such as Ayo Dosunmu and Matas Buzelis to flesh out a restart without Antetokounmpo…At the end of the day, this likely won’t be an issue.”
Poe continued.
“While the Bulls don’t have the worst package to offer for Antetokounmpo, they aren’t necessarily a top suitor.”
Giannis is an elite talent. He is still playing at a borderline MVP level. However, considering what it would take to bring him to Chicago, the Bulls are better suited to stand pat and build through the draft and player development.
Bulls Insider Has Similar Take to Poe
Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson appears to be of a similar belief to that of Poe. During a recent episode of “The Fastbreak,” the Bulls insider shared his thoughts on a potential deal to acquire Giannis and why it wouldn’t make sense for Billy Donovan’s team.
“You’d probably have to throw in a signed-and-traded Josh Giddey. Coby White would probably be asked for in that package,” Johnson said. “You absolutely have to think the Bucks would ask for Matas Buzelis. And then look, every first-round pick that the Bulls own, and every pick swap available to the Bulls would be headed Milwaukee’s way…That would leave you with Giannis and [Nikola] Vučević as your core moving forward. Is this something you’d want to do as a Bulls fan?”
Adding Giannis would likely be a mistake for Chicago. Yes he’s an elite talent, but the cost of doing business is too high, especially for where the Bulls are in terms of roster depth.
Bulls Must Embrace Difficult Years
While it’s not glamorous, rebuilds are essential for teams that want to generate a sustained period of contention. Chicago is planting the seeds for what it hopes will be a strong roster in four or five years time.
According to Kenny Beecham, who was speaking on an April 18 episode of Fan Duel TV’s “Run It Back,” the Bulls rebuild means they’re multiple years away from being back on track as an upper-tier roster in the Eastern Conference. As such, Bulls fans should embrace things getting worse before they get better.
“I don’t think there’s saving this team,” Beechman said. “A lot of us wanted this team to take a step back, which they did. They traded Zach LaVine. Traded DeMar DeRozan before the season started. And, even then, we still look at the roster squinting our eyes, like ‘there’s not a lot going on here.’ I think we’ve still got two to three more years before we can be excited about Bulls’ basketball again.”
With the Bulls firmly set on rebuilding, it will be interesting to see what route they take on draft night. They have multiple areas of need. But, most of all, the front office must make sure whoever is selected is a smart long-term fit next to Giddey and White. After all, those two are projected to be the guard pairing of Chicago’s future.
Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor
