(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It’s only early November, but it isn’t too early to start thinking about potential trades in the NBA.
There are a number of teams that could elevate themselves to the next level and possibly even become legitimate championship contenders if they swing one trade for a star or a complementary player.
Right now, there is one team in the Eastern Conference that other teams are monitoring for potential trade prospects — the Chicago Bulls, according to Brian Windhorst, per Basketball On X.
“In talking to some people around the league, the scouts are jamming themselves into Bulls games because they realize that at some point, the Bulls may break this team up. And they’re all gathering intelligence like, ‘What’s gonna happen with the Bulls?'”
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— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BasketballOnX) November 10, 2023
Two seasons ago, the Bulls were starting to look like a potential contender after acquiring DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball, but it all fell apart during the second half of the season.
Ball suffered a meniscus injury in January 2022 that he still hasn’t recovered from, and it seemed to trigger a nosedive for the entire organization.
At best, the Bulls are likely a play-in tournament team, and thus, their best bet may be to start over again and get some high draft picks.
DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso have been three names that have come up lately in trade rumors for them, and all three have the ability to improve a number of NBA teams.
LaVine, in particular, has been talked about in trade rumors for the last few years, as his impact doesn’t seem to line up with the kind of numbers he puts up year after year.
DeRozan, meanwhile, is the type of poised veteran All-Star-caliber player who seems to have lots of value, even at age 34, and Caruso is an All-Defensive First Team selection from last season who will sacrifice his body for loose balls.
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