Two years ago, the Chicago Bulls made a huge trade for big man Nikola Vucevic, and the following offseason, they signed DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso. However, they only have one playoff appearance to show for it, and it ended in a first-round exit.
Heading into this summer, they have some big-time decisions to make as to whether or not they want to keep their current core intact or blow things up and start over. Well, a recently-proposed trade from Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz would see them commit to the former, as it would land Gordon Hayward in Chicago by way of a deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Hayward has dealt with his fair share of injury issues over the past few years, but his talent is undeniable. Plus, he will be entering the final year of his contract, so it wouldn’t be a long-term commitment.
Here are the full details of Swartz’s proposed trade:
Bulls receive: Gordon Hayward
Hornets receive: Lonzo Ball, Dalen Terry, Derrick Jones Jr.
Obviously, there might be some hesitation from the side of Chicago when it comes to giving up on Ball. But considering he’s been even more injury-prone than Hayward over the past two years, it’s really not that crazy.
Dalen Terry showed a ton of promise in the G League, but if the Bulls want to win now, they shouldn’t hesitate to throw him in a deal that would see them improve their roster. The same goes for Derrick Jones Jr., as he’s become a fringe rotation player.
Hayward appeared in 50 games this past season and played 31.5 minutes per contest. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 47.5% shooting from the field and 32.5% shooting from distance.
All in all, Hayward’s addition to the Bulls’ lineup could create a starting five of Caruso, Zach LaVine, Hayward, DeRozan, and Vucevic. With guys like Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, and others off the bench, it would likely give them a better chance to compete in the Eastern Conference.
