If the Chicago Bulls want to reshape the course of their franchise, they should plan for the future this summer instead of choosing to remain competitive. Aaron Kellerstrass of Pippen Ain’t Easy proposed a mock trade that would flip Alex Caruso and the 11th pick to the Houston Rockets for the third pick and the 44th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“Should the Bulls really be trying to move up in what is mostly seen as a weak draft?’ Kellerstrass wrote. “Probably not, but if they are enamored with a particular prospect, they may be able to use Caruso’s expiring contract to get the 3rd pick from Houston, who is dying to make some win-now moves, not add more young players. If the Bulls get the sense that Caruso is not going to sign an extension, then they should trade him, as they risk losing him for nothing, which has been a common theme in Chicago.
“This would give them a chance to grab a table-setting point guard like Nikola Topic or possibly a two-way wing like Zaccharie Risacher. Losing Caruso wouldn’t help in the short term, but if there is a risk he is going to leave anyway, this would allow the Bulls to get a future piece without giving up too much to get it. They also get an additional pick in the second round to add a project.”
Adding a top-three pick in this year’s draft would help the Bulls reload their pool of young talent.
