4. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are entering the offseason with some higher expectations for the 2021-22 season. After acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline, the team now has two All-Star cornerstones with him and Zach LaVine to build around.
The Bulls organization will look to upgrade the roster around them. But, without much wiggle room when it comes to signing free agents, they will have to go the trade route.
The Bulls have been heavily linked to New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, who is a restricted free agent. New Orleans can match any offer sheet that he signs, but will reportedly not match a lucrative deal that he offers. A four-year deal worth more than $80 million is reportedly what the Bulls will work out with Ball, meaning a sign-and-trade would occur.
The Bulls could also look to trade Tomas Satoransky and Thaddeus Young this offseason to open up the cap space to fit Ball’s contract on their ledger. Their restricted free agent, Lauri Markkanen, could also be moved in a sign-and-trade.
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The Bulls wouldn’t want the No. 7 overall pick from 2017 to leave without any compensation, but he makes for a poor frontcourt pairing with Vucevic and paying a premium for a bench big man is not good business.
