The Chicago Bulls are expected to at least gauge and place a bid during the wild trade market in the offseason. Stars like Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson, and Nikola Jokic could be on the trade market this summer.
Milwaukee Bucks center Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the names who has popped up recently as a trade target for the Bulls. Giannis might be impatient with the Bucks after suffering three straight first-round exits in the playoffs.
Given Damian Lillard’s return timeline after tearing his Achilles in April, Giannis has another reason to bolt from Milwaukee.
Chicago Bulls insider on Giannis Antetokounmpo “chatter”
During an appearance on the 670 The Score’s “Mully & Hugh Show” on Thursday, Bulls insider KC Johnson of CHSN said he doesn’t think there’s much of a chance Giannis ends up in Chicago. He’s not even convinced Giannis wants to leave Milwaukee.
“I mean, a lot of things need to happen,” Johnson said of Giannis potentially joining the Bulls. “I mean, first of all, let’s analyze the relationship between Giannis and that franchise and that community, right? I mean, that’s a pretty unique situation in the league.
“Giannis has always professed loyalty to that place. Obviously, they can, you know, supersede that loyalty and trade him without his desire or his buy-in. I would be surprised if that would happen.”
Even if Giannis wanted out, the Bulls probably don’t have enough in their war chest to trade for the two-time NBA MVP.
“If it were to happen, I mean, it’s going to be a bidding war,” Johnson said. “I assume it’s not going to be conducted like the Luka Doncic trade. And yeah, I mean, I’d like to hear the package you guys came up with for the Bulls because I’m struggling to find a suitable one.”
The Bulls might not have enough to pull off a trade
Johnson doesn’t think an offer of three first-round picks, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White would be enough to land the “Greek Freak”, even at the age of 30.
“No. I have not spent a lot of time on this. But what I would say is, obviously, I’ve heard some of the chatter. Look, it’s going to be a dominant theme to this NBA offseason, undeniably… But, even like yesterday, I got, you guys get those emails from like the oddsmakers sites, different sites. So, I got one from yesterday. I just for fun opened it.
“The Bulls were like 50-to-1 shots. I mean, it’s like, if Vegas says that, I don’t see a pathway for a trade for the Bulls. It’s fun to talk about. It’s fun to fantasize about. I assume that the Bulls would get involved in that bidding, but I don’t see a pathway.”
The Bulls showed their hand by making the Play-In Tournament. They were one of the hottest teams in March before losing to the Miami Heat at home in the postseason.
The Bulls’ efforts after the trade deadline hurt their chances of being able to draft Cooper Flagg or another top prospect this summer. While Chicago’s draft options are likely bust, using White and/or Matas Buzelis to trade for one of the NBA’s premier players would make the front office’s decision not to tank a little more worth it.
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2 Chicago Bulls draft targets identified by insider
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