The Chicago Bulls should pivot this summer. Instead of competing for a playoff spot, they should reset and plan for the future, adding young pieces next to Coby White. In a recent mock trade written by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, they would send Alex Caruso to the Indiana Pacers for 20-year-old forward Jarace Walker and big man Isaiah Jackson.
“The Pacers made a bold move to get Pascal Siakam in January, and it resulted in their first Eastern Conference Finals trip in a decade,” Buckley wrote. “Even if some will say injuries assisted in that run, the goal was to make noise in the playoffs, and they’ve generated plenty of it. So, does this fuel them toward more win-now activity in the offseason? Because if Siakam is sticking around—Indy’s willingness to give up three first-round picks for him indicates an obvious desire to keep him—Walker faces quite the obstacle to find meaningful minutes. And despite flashes of athletic interior activity, Jackson still can’t quite lock down a nightly rotation role, either.
“Would the Pacers consider flipping both for Caruso? It’s easy to argue they should. They need a pesky defensive presence like him on the perimeter, and his versatility extends to the offensive end, which means he can mesh with whomever head coach Rick Carlisle trots out. Caruso isn’t a star, but if Indiana is as close to contending as this postseason push has made it seem, he might be the sneaky-smart addition that gets this group over the proverbial hump.”
Bringing in two young players for Caruso could help the Bulls have a brighter tomorrow.
