The Chicago Bulls are in first place in the Eastern Conference, but if they want to hold onto that spot, they will need some reinforcements. The fact that they are that high in the NBA standings given the adversity they have faced this season is a testament to how good of a job the front office did building the roster and how Billy Donovan is doing as a head coach.
The Bulls are 32-18 on the season and should be active ahead of the NBA trade deadline. They have a chance to separate themselves from the rest of the pack if they can land an impact player such as Jerami Grant.
But, do they have the assets to do so? If they are willing to include Patrick Williams or Coby White in trade negotiations, they could have the pieces to build a competitive offer for anyone available ahead of the deadline.
But, can the Bulls afford to part with them, especially White? Chicago has been hit hard by injuries, as Williams injured his wrist and will likely miss the remainder of the regular season. Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball are both going to be sidelined 6-8 weeks as Caruso needed surgery on his wrist following a dirty play by Grayson Allen and Ball is repairing his MCL.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Will Chicago Bulls Make Another Major NBA Trade Deadline Push?
With so many injuries, Chicago might have to go a different route at the trade deadline and aim a little lower to not dig deeper into their already shaky depth. One player that they could have some interest in, according to Bleacher Report, is Dennis Schroder of the Boston Celtics.
In other Celtics discussions, Boston continues searching for landing spots for point guard Dennis Schroder and wing Josh Richardson. A framework of Schroder to Chicago for Troy Brown Jr. and a second-round pick has circulated around the league, while the Jazz have been consistently mentioned as a possible destination for Richardson.
The Celtics would be looking to get anything of value they can for Schroder, who has likely priced himself out of Boston. While it was great value signing him to a one-year, $5.9 million deal for the 2021-22 season, it will become much more expensive to retain him. Doing their best to remain under the luxury tax, Schroder will likely be a casualty of that.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Will Chicago Bulls Make Another Major NBA Trade Deadline Push?
Given the injuries to Ball and Caruso, adding Schroder to the mix would make a lot of sense. They are short-handed in the backcourt right now, as Ayo Dosunmu and White are soaking up a majority of the minutes in the backcourt.
Bringing Schroder in makes sense right now with how many injuries they have and it could open up other deals, such as including White for a bigger upgrade in the frontcourt. However, when healthy, Donovan would have some tough decisions to make. There are only so many minutes to distribute on the backcourt, as Zach LaVine also receives minutes at shooting guard.
