NBA Rumors: Bulls Could Acquire Russell Westbrook For Otto Porter Jr., Thaddeus Young & Chandler Hutchison
While most recent rumors surrounding the Washington Wizards are focused on the future of shooting guard Bradley Beal, his backcourt partner, Russell Westbrook, has also been the subject of many a hypothetical trade scenario. According to the latest such idea, the Chicago Bulls could acquire the former NBA MVP for a package featuring three forwards — veterans Otto Porter Jr. and Thaddeus Young and third-year man Chandler Hutchison.
As explained on Monday by NBA Analysis Network, the Wizards are among the teams the Bulls might want to negotiate with ahead of the March 25 deadline. The outlet noted how Washington’s high-powered guard duo of Beal and Westbrook has “not worked just yet,” with the team currently languishing at the cellar of the Eastern Conference with a 4-12 record. However, both teams could potentially benefit from the aforementioned hypothetical deal, with Chicago ending up with a Westbrook/Zach LaVine backcourt and Washington getting three players who could help the organization in its rebuilding process.
“This is a chance for the Bulls to create a dynamic duo, which is something that many teams around the league have done in attempts to win. This move might not make them a championship team but it certainly puts them in the right direction will be towards the playoffs.”
In addition, Westbrook’s potential arrival could be especially beneficial to the Bulls’ young players — particularly recent lottery picks Patrick Williams and Coby White — as they go through their own rebuild. Currently, the nine-time All-Star is producing close to a triple-double for the Wizards, with averages of 20.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.5 assists, per Basketball-Reference. He is, however, only shooting 40.7 percent from the field over the first few weeks of the 2020-21 campaign.
As for the Wizards, NBA Analysis Network wrote that the franchise has “completely fallen apart” despite the fact Beal is still playing at a very high level, as the team is only a few years removed from being among the Eastern Conference’s top contenders but already among its worst clubs. The outlet stressed that the hypothetical transaction is mainly intended to free up salary-cap space, though the three players included in the package could also help Washington “retool quickly” in the seasons to follow.
As shown on the Bulls’ Basketball-Reference page, Porter is averaging 11.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and two assists, while Young (10.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists) remains productive off the bench in what is now his 13th season in the league. Hutchison, meanwhile, has only played six games in the 2020-21 campaign but is a former first-round selection who, at 24 years old, fits the timeline of most rebuilding clubs.
