With Lonzo Ball reportedly out for the upcoming season, the Chicago Bulls are unlikely to find themselves challenging for an NBA championship. Both Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan need a playmaker around them to bring out their best form and began to show slight signs of decline last season.
Earlier this summer, Chicago re-signed Vucevic to a three-year $60 million deal. There have also been rumors of the Bulls wanting to keep DeRozan around long-term. However, it’s clear that Chicago’s primary duo isn’t enough to position the team as a contending force in the Eastern Conference.
According to Sam Veceine on the ‘Game Theory’ podcast, the Bulls should consider making a trade for disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden.
While the 2018 MVP has developed a reputation for being a disruptive force in recent years, there’s no denying Harden’s on-court ability, which could bring out the best in Vucevic as a pick-and-pop big man.
Proposed trade would send James Harden to the Bulls: The Trade
Vecenine’s trade idea looks like this:
Bulls get:
– James Harden
– 2029 First-round pick
76ers get:
– DeMar DeRozan
Proposed trade would send James Harden to the Bulls: Vecenie's reasoning
Shortly after postulating a trade that would swap Harden and DeRozan, Veceine gave his reasoning.
“Honestly, I would do James Harden and a first, probably for DeMar DeRozan. That seems kind of wild on its face, but I feel like that allows you to contend now. It allows you to have potential flexibility in the offseason to go out and try and get a Kawhi Leonard or
Paul George. And if they don’t resign, you can still pay DeMar more than anybody else can, and you might have a chance at retaining him. That’s the kind of deal I’d be trying to do if I was Daryl Mori. I don’t know if Chicago has any interest in that. They probably don’t. Right. But that’s what I’d be trying to do. Something in that ballpark.”
Proposed trade would send James Harden to the Bulls: Should the Bulls do the deal?
Both Harden and DeRozan are entering the final year of their contract. Neither player is in their prime and is looking to win their first championship. Harden is at his best when used as the primary offensive weapon within a rotation — something which hasn’t been the case at his stops with the Brooklyn Nets or the Sixers.
On the other hand, DeRozan can thrive as the number two option off a dominant scoring threat such as Joel Embiid. In terms of what both teams need, the deal makes perfect sense.
However, the Bulls are unlikely to see Harden as the answer to their problems. Yes, Harden is an elite passer and is capable of making those around him better, yet he’s also at risk of becoming disruptive if he’s unhappy in his surroundings.
Nevertheless, the Bulls want a championship, and Harden gives them a better chance of achieving that goal. As such, they may opt to do the proposed trade.
