Freed from the reign of Jim Boylen and with a credible coach in place (Billy Donovan), the Chicago Bulls are in the thick of the Eastern Conference. They’re 15-18 entering Tuesday, but playoff contention is playoff contention.
In the big picture, the Bulls seem more likely to trade someone notable (like Thaddeus Young) than add someone notable in the name of a run at a bottom seed in the East playoffs. Garrett Temple, on an expiring contract, might also draw attention from other teams as the Mar. 25 trade deadline gets closer.
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report has unearthed one trade possibility for every NBA team. Here’s what he has for the Bulls.
Chicago Bulls Receive: Carsen Edwards, Javonte Green
Boston Celtics Receive: Garrett Temple
Temple would help the Celtics with his defensive versatility. As Otto Porter and Lauri Markkanen hopefully near returns to action before the deadline, he likely becomes an extra, increasingly little-used piece for the Bulls.
Edwards and Green have been little-used in Boston to this point in the season. More narrowly, Edwards has played just 14 games (one start) while averaging 10.5 minutes per game. Since Valentine’s Day, he has played one game. But in that game, he scored 11 points in 12 minutes on 5-for-8 shooting against Atlanta. Edwards is averaging 18.6 points per-36 minutes this season.
A second-round pick in 2019, Edwards played 37 games and averaged 9.5 minutes per game (3.3 points per contest) as a rookie for Boston. So his NBA career if off to a slow start, to say the least. But if his name rings a bell, there’s a reason.
In three seasons at Purdue, Edwards developed into a prolific shooter and scorer. He topped 40 percent from beyond the arc as a sophomore in 2017-18, as he averaged 18.5 points per game. Then as a junior in 2018-19, he averaged a Big Ten-leading 24.3 points per game.
In the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Edwards scored more than 25 points (more than 40 points twice) in all four games as the Boilermakers reached the Elite Eight. He also made a single tournament record 28 3-pointers in those four games.
Edwards fell to early in the second round of the draft due to concerns about his size (5-foot-11) and overall athletic profile. But shooters and scorers of his ilk have a place. It’s probably just a matter of finding a better opportunity. Maybe Chicago is a place Edwards would find that chance.
