A gutsy trade move could be the answer to Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls’ rut.
After a flawless 5-0 start to the new season, the Bulls find themselves amidst a torrid patch, losers of eight of their past 12 games to slide from first to ninth in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago’s blistering start to the campaign, led by Giddey’s All-Star-calibre ascent, had been seen as a potential playoffs bolter in the East — but issues on both sides of the ball have seen it stagnate.
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Doncic, James & Reeves combine for 99 | 00:55
THE ISSUES AT HAND
First and foremost, the Bulls have struggled mightily from a defensive perspective.
Chicago conceded 143 points to both Miami and New Orleans over its past three games, and only once this season has the team not given up a score of 110 or more.
In Chicago’s past 10 outings — going 3-7 in that period — it surrendered a pungent 130.3 points per game.
It has been able to offset some of its leaky defence by ranking fifth in the NBA for scoring, but in terms of points allowed, the Bulls sit 28th with an average of 124.2 points conceded — better than only Washington and Utah. They’re also allowing a second-worst 96 field goal attempts per game.
Nikola Vučević is lighting it up from an offensive point of view this season, shooting over 40 per cent from three-point distance — five percentage points above his career average. But he remains a defensive liability, ranking among Chicago’s worst three players for defensive plus-minus.
Vučević has never been considered a rim deterrer, nor does he offer much resistance as a point-of-attack defender.
But at least the 35-year-old has consistently pulled his weight on offence. The same cannot be said for guard Coby White.
White, who made his season debut earlier in November after overcoming a calf strain, has been notoriously streaky across his six NBA seasons despite showing immense promise as a big-time scorer.
The Bulls forged their hot start to the season in White’s absence, and upon his return, the University of North Carolina product has been inconsistent as a scorer and overlaps with the way Giddey likes to play.
White, a capable ball-handler who has the tendency to keep possession for too long, is a noted three-point threat but is also a willing slasher to the basket — whether it’s to drive and kick or finish through contact at the rim.
It’s an all-too-similar mindset to that of Aussie floor general Giddey, who continues to build a reputation for being a daunting downhill driver with the ability to then facilitate for others or finish craftily from close range.
In short, the argument is mounting that Chicago simply doesn’t need another slightly-better-scoring version of Giddey.
Respected NBA commentator and former columnist Bill Simmons said in early November the Bulls had “struck oil” with Giddey, causing White to become surplus to requirements in the Windy City.
“They (the Bulls) have been really fun to watch … Giddey’s been basically a triple-double this season, they’re shooting the lights out … and the guy that hasn’t played yet is Coby White, who is in the final year of a US$12 million deal,” said Simmons prior to White’s season debut.
“Chicago has a big trade exception that can make some funkiness with their trades in a good way. They’re one of the few teams that, with these modern rules, they can get pretty creative.”
He added: “I don’t want Coby White — I’m not paying him next year, I’d rather put my chips into the Giddey basket, and I would try to trade him (White).”
Orlando lock horns with Sixers | 01:24
ENTER ANTHONY DAVIS
Things couldn’t have gone less according to plan for the 10-time All-Star following his high-profile move from the Los Angeles Lakers to Dallas Mavericks.
The oft-injured Davis has played just 14 of a possible 52 games since joining the Mavs, and he’s been sidelined for the past 14 games with a calf injury.
Dallas was bundled out of the play-in last season after finishing 10th in the Western Conference, and it currently sits second-last with a 5-14 record in Cooper Flagg’s rookie season.
Further, then-Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who orchestrated the Luka Doncic-Davis trade, was in early November — just nine months after the blockbuster swap went down.
At 32 years of age and with a body that’s starting to break down, Davis’ trade value seemingly minimises by the week. It shapes as the perfect opportunity for the Bulls to pounce.
Bleacher Report NBA insider Jake Fischer reports that Bulls links to Davis, along with Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis, are “circulating” ahead of the February 7 (AEDT) trade deadline.
“Nikola Vučević continues to be an offensive force at age 35. He’s making better than 40% of his 3-pointers for the second consecutive campaign and is seemingly certain to generate external interest on an expiring contract worth a comparatively modest US$21.4 million,” Fischer recently wrote for The Stein Line.
“I’ve heard from more than a few rival executives who have noted Vučević’s trade-friendly contract, plus the other expiring deals on Chicago’s books, which has led them to wonder aloud about the Bulls’ Lithuanian GM Artūras Karnišovas pursuing Sabonis.
“Similar curiosity about the Bulls as a potential suitor to try to bring Davis back to his native Windy City is also circulating.”
Anthony Davis could be the answer to the Bulls’ recent problems.Source: FOX SPORTS
Davis, a five-time All-Defensive team member and three-time NBA blocks leader, personifies ‘rim protector’ — effectively the antipode of Vučević.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Zach Lowe Show, renowned insider and commentator Lowe floated Davis’ hometown of Chicago as a potential landing spot for the 2020 NBA champion.
A hypothetical deal could see Davis in Bulls colours in exchange for Vučević, White, fledgling forward Patrick Williams and two first-round picks — one tied to Portland and the other to the Bulls.
“You could easily build a deal that you could sell Vučević plus Coby White plus Patrick Williams plus the Portland pick plus a Bulls pick. Like, pile on,” Lowe said on his podcast before remarking about the impact such a move could have on Giddey.
“Then I’ve got an interesting (Bulls) team. What I lose is … Vučević’s shooting goes up and down, but the way he plays clears the paint for Giddey — and Anthony Davis doesn’t play like that.
“And so, this Josh Giddey freight train to the rim that’s happening … is going to be trickier in that sense.
“But the Bulls have good cap flexibility going forward, almost no matter what. This would almost be a free agency signing for them in a way.”
And while Chicago theoretically loses Vučević’s career-best spot-up shooting in dealing him away, the Bulls get not only Davis’ premium defensive ability, but they also get his offensive talents.
In his final season as a Laker last year, ‘The Brow’ was still averaging 25.7 points per game on 51.6 per cent shooting from the field.
Davis mightn’t be as potent a three-point shooter as Vučević, but his mid-range game is unstoppable on his day, which crucially spaces the floor for his teammates.
A Davis homecoming is suddenly a potential reality after the concept was considered a pipe dream during his New Orleans days. And if a move eventuates, it could supercharge the Bulls back into true playoff contention after years of play-in mediocrity.