NBA Rumors: Bulls Could Acquire Blake Griffin And Derrick Rose For Thaddeus Young And Otto Porter Jr.
After failing to secure an invitation to compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, the Chicago Bulls are set to have more time to think about their plans in the 2020 NBA offseason. Though most people think it’s best for the Bulls to be patient with the rebuilding process, there is still a possibility for Chicago to make moves that could boost their chances of returning to the Eastern Conference Playoffs in the 2020-21 NBA season. In his recent article, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report created a list of offseason trade ideas for every NBA team that was not invited to Orlando.
For the Bulls, Bailey suggested that they could engage in a trade deal with the Detroit Pistons involving Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin. In the proposed trade deal, the Bulls would be sending a trade package that includes Thaddeus Young and Otto Porter Jr. to the Pistons in exchange for Rose and Griffin. Before pushing through with the trade, the Bulls would first need to convince Porter Jr. to opt into his $28.4 million player option for the 2020-21 NBA season.
With Griffin’s current health status and massive contract, trading for him would undeniably be a huge gamble for the Bulls. However, it’s the type of risk that the Bulls should be willing to take if they are determined to become a competitive team in the Eastern Conference next season. Bailey believes that if Griffin managed to show a glimpse of his old self and stay away from any major injury, he could raise the Bulls’ ceiling and build an intriguing trio with Rose and Zach Lavine in Chicago.
“But if he can be close to the floor-spacing, playmaking 4 he was in 2018-19, he would raise Chicago’s ceiling quite a bit. An attack built around him and Zach LaVine would be tough to stop. And the shooting ability of both would open up slashing lanes for Rose, whose offensive production in 2019-20 wasn’t far off what he did as the 2010-11 MVP. This deal, of course, has the added sentimental bonus of sending Rose back to his hometown, where he first entered the league as the No. 1 pick of the 2008 draft.”
The potential arrival of Griffin and Rose in Chicago wouldn’t make the Bulls in instant title contender in the Eastern Conference, but it would undeniably make them a team to watch out for in the 2020-21 NBA season. If Griffin, Rose, and Lavine build good chemistry, a surprising “Big Three” could rise in Chicago next year.
