The Chicago Bulls are no strangers to sign-and-trades. In recent years, the Bulls have made three splashy sign-and-trade transactions. In the summer of 2021, Chicago traded Thaddeus Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a protected first-round draft pick, and two second-round draft picks to San Antonio in exchange for DeMar DeRozan. The Bulls subsequently signed DeRozan to a three-year, $85 million pact.

A month later, in August 2021, Chicago added Lonzo Ball via sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Bulls sent Garrett Temple, Tomas Satoransky, a 2024 second-round draft pick, and cash considerations to New Orleans in exchange for Ball.

Since the summer of 2021, Chicago has made only one sign-and-trade, which so happened to include DeRozan. Last offseason, the Bulls sent the 6-foot-7 wing to Sacramento for Chris Duarte, two second-round draft picks, and cash considerations. With dwindling salary cap situations league-wide, expect sign-and-trades to be commonplace over the next few months.

One of the hottest sign-and-trade candidates will undoubtedly be Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. The talented, soon-to-be restricted free agent saw his role diminish following the Warriors’ acquisition of Jimmy Butler.

After averaging 15.3 points per game during the regular season, Kuminga was inactive for four of Golden State’s seven first-round contests against the Houston Rockets. However, his usage increased dramatically in the second round. In the wake of Steph Curry’s hamstring injury, Kuminga averaged 27.4 minutes per game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. As a result of increased playing time, he totaled 20.8 points per game on 54.3 percent shooting from the floor.

Thus, coming off an uneven season, combined with Golden State’s dire salary cap situation, Kuminga will certainly be in search of a new home in the coming months. As for potential suitors, look no further than the Bulls, who almost agreed to a trade with the Warriors prior to the trade deadline.

Bulls acquire underutilized forward in Bleacher Report’s sign-and-trade idea

When assessing four new landing spots for Kuminga, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey curated a mock sign-and-trade involving Chicago. The hypothesized trade sent the 22-year-old wing to the Bulls in exchange for Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and a future, protected first-round pick.

Bailey highlighted Golden State’s need for a center as the primary reasoning behind the trade. Furthermore, the NBA pundit emphasized that Kuminga’s timeline aligns more closely with that of the rebuilding Bulls than with the veteran-laden Warriors, who make sense as a destination for Vucevic, a 34-year-old big man who has made his future intentions known.

Grading the trade for the Golden State Warriors

Aside from Vucevic, the Warriors add Ball and a future first-rounder in this mock trade. Although he’ll turn 35 years old before the start of next season, Vooch’s game has aged gracefully. He averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists a season ago while splashing 53.0 percent of his field goals and 40.2 percent of his triples. Four of the five aforementioned statistics were career-highs as a Bull.

The main downside to Vucevic is his defense. Although amplified in Chicago, the Warriors are littered with more-than-capable perimeter defenders who would hide Vucevic’s flaws on the less glamorous end. Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler on the wing more than make up for the 6-foot-10 big man’s shoddy rim protection.

It’s unlikely Vucevic would be tasked with defending the fifth-most paint field goal attempts in his 15th professional season if he were to suit up for Golden State. Only one Warrior defended more than 300 paint field goal attempts this past campaign—Green, who defended over 200 fewer such attempts than Vucevic.

Offensively, Vucevic’s fit in Golden State is picturesque. A floor-spacing, high-post passing hub is an ideal fit next to Steph Curry and the Warriors’ various spot-up shotmakers and combo forwards. Furthermore, Ball, another selfless passer, would have a seamless transition to Golden State’s offense.

Bailey went so far as to compare Ball to Shaun Livingston, who signed with the Warriors in 2014. The 6-foot-7 combo guard saw a career resurgence after signing with Golden State. He appeared in 64 or more contests in all five seasons in the Bay Area and played a crucial role during the Warriors’ late-2010s dynasty.

All in all, Vucevic and Ball are a sufficient return for a player whose career in Golden State is likely over anyway. Adding a future first-round pick, regardless of protections, is a cherry on top for the Warriors. Perhaps the most underrated aspect of this trade is the contracts Golden State will acquire. Both Vucevic and Ball only have one season left on their contracts, combining for just over $30 million.

Grading the trade for the Chicago Bulls

Kuminga’s fit in Chicago is much cleaner than it is in Golden State. First and foremost, at 22 years old, Kuminga’s timeline is in sync with Chicago’s. The Bulls’ core consists of 20-year-old Matas Buzelis, 22-year-old Josh Giddey, and 25-year-old Coby White. While the Warriors have seen an infusion of youth in recent seasons, they still roster the second-oldest team in the NBA and have seemingly prioritized a win-now roster.

Aside from age, Kuminga, a 6-foot-8 forward with an impressive athletic profile, fits the Bulls’ run-and-gun offense. Chicago finished second in the NBA in transition possessions and points per game. On the other hand, the Warriors placed 16th in transition possessions and 15th in points.

It’s easy to envision Kuminga running the floor alongside Giddey, catching oops from the Aussie floor general. Unlike in Golden State, an offense built around Curry, Chicago’s offense is far more free-flowing and in need of a secondary scorer to complement White.

Kuminga would surely be granted a longer leash suiting up for the Bulls. The most field goals he’s averaged in his career is only 12.1 per game. While an uptick in usage may lead to decreased inefficiency, it’s not a foregone conclusion. Kuminga shot 46.4 percent and averaged 21.0 points per game in January in a larger role. The same goes for the Western Conference Semifinals, where Kuminga shot 54.3 percent from the floor on 14.0 field goals per game.

While Kuminga’s lack of a respectable three-point shot has been a detriment in Golden State, it wouldn’t have the same effect in Chicago. Numerous confident three-point marksmen would flank Kuminga. Although losing Vucevic would hurt the Bulls’ spacing, Zach Collins is a capable replacement who can stretch the floor in a pinch.

Acquiring Kuminga makes sense for the Bulls. However, sending a lightly protected future first-rounder does not. The Warriors don’t have much leverage, Kuminga is as good as gone, thus any return is better than none. Sending Vucevic, Ball, and a future second-rounder is the better play.

Looking back on recent sign-and-trades, the Bulls only received a replacement-level player and a pair of second-round picks for a six-time All-Star, DeRozan. While Kuminga has arguably more value as a 22-year-old, his looming contract situation is worrisome. Whoever trades for Kuminga will likely be absorbing a $150 million pact—a risky investment for a player who saw four DNP-CDs in the first round of the playoffs.