© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Trade targets the Chicago Bulls must consider to elevate their roster
The Chicago Bulls' moves this offseason have not been enough to move the team up the hierarchy of the Eastern Conference. While other squads like the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks solidified their hold of the top spots in the East, the Bulls, on the other hand, elected to make minor moves like acquiring high-quality reserves Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig.
However, all is not lost, as the team can still move around some pieces to address their most pressing needs, starting with the point guard position. Zach Buckley recently proposed trades every NBA team should make to elevate their rosters, and here's who he thinks the Bulls must target.
Mike Conley or Tyus Jones
The Bulls have several options to fill the hole left by Lonzo Ball's absence. However, none of them are sure things. Carter, who's coming off a superb season with the Bucks, has been a reserve his entire career. Ayo Dosunmu recently struggled to build off the momentum of his solid rookie campaign. Meanwhile, Coby White may be better off leading the bench unit as an instant offense solution. Trading for a proven court general like Mike Conley or Tyus Jones may work out for the Bulls.
"With the clock ticking to make something happen with this core, Chicago could still be in need of an upgrade at the lead guard spot. An on-court orchestrator like Conley (career 5.7 assists to 2.0 turnovers) or Jones (3.9 to 0.7) might be the pass-first piece needed to bring this roster together the way a healthy Ball once did," Buckley wrote.
Doug McDermott
Aside from a lead guard, another pressing need is volume three-point shooting. Carter and Torrey are efficient marksmen but are selective shooters, combining for a little over two triples per game over their careers. McDermott, on the other hand, has no doubts about letting it fly.
"The Bulls also entered the offseason hoping to up their three-point volume, and they maybe didn't do enough on that front. Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig have averaged a combined 2.1 threes per outing for their career. McDermott, a former Bull and career 41 percent three-point shooter, just striped 1.9 triples in 20.5 minutes on his own last season," Buckley explained.
