The Chicago Bulls are going nowhere fast. After missing the playoffs entirely last season and suffering a gentleman's sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, things are looking even worse this season. They're 5-9 to start this season and have a -3.3 point differential that ranks 22nd in the NBA. Their -3.5 net rating ranks 23rd in the NBA as things stand too. But it doesn't stop there. When the Bulls' triumvirate of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic share the floor, the Bulls have a net rating of -15.9 according to Cleaning the Glass. That's putrid.

The Bulls' stagnation as a team has led to trade rumors pouring onto their team. A week ago, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that there is ‘an increased openness‘ from both the Bulls and Zach LaVine's camp to pursue a trade. The Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs were mentioned as possible destinations in a report via Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports. But that wasn't all that Fischer divulged. He also reported that of any player on the Bulls' roster, Alex Caruso could fetch the biggest return of any player on the Bulls' roster.

That would make sense. Caruso is the ultimate definition of a winning player he can attest with the ring he won with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. His defensive acumen earned him a well-deserved First-Team All-Defensive spot last season and he's performing at that level again this season. The Bulls' net rating fluctuates by +9.8 points per 100 possessions when Caruso is on the floor vs when he is off of it according to NBA.com. And because he is making less than $10 million this season, just about every team in the NBA can package enough salary to make a trade feasible financially.

If Caruso enters the trade market, his market will be vast. The Lakers should be more than eager to reacquire their homegrown star defender. The Phoenix Suns are reportedly the betting favorites to land Caruso; their new head coach Frank Vogel was the coach of the Lakers when Caruso won a championship with them. Every team in the NBA should be interested in acquiring Caruso. The question is: what should the Bulls ask for in return?

First-Round pick

Bulls' Alex Caruso looking serious

The Bulls have to land a first-round pick for Alex Caruso. It's the utmost priority and he's deserving of that price tag for how good of a defender he is. If Marcus Smart can be traded for Kristaps Porzingis and two first-round picks, Caruso, who is just as good of a defender as Smart but maybe not the shooter Smart is, can fetch at least one first-round pick. If that's the price for Caruso, that would make it tough for the Suns or the Bucks to get in on the Caruso sweepstakes when neither have a first-round pick they can trade.

Because of the nature of the last first-round pick the Lakers owe the New Orleans Pelicans for the Anthony Davis trade, the Lakers only have one first-round pick they can trade, which is all the way out in 2030. But, they do have five second-round picks they could trade as well. If there's a reunion with Alex Caruso and the Lakers, that 2030 first-round pick has to be on the table and likely some seconds. With how far away that pick is, odds are a team with more picks to spare closer to the present can come up with a better offer.

An intriguing young player

If the Bulls are going to flip the script to a rebuild, it would be wise for them to add to their collection of young players that is almost nonexistent at the moment. Ayo Dosunmu is a nice starting point for the Bulls, but he doesn't project to be a star. Patrick Williams was supposed to be that guy, but there hasn't been much progress on that front. Dalen Terry doesn't even play.

Acquiring and developing more young players would be paramount for the Bulls. Someone like Max Christie from the Lakers would be the exact type of dart throw in addition to a first that the Bulls should take. If the Sixers poke their head in the Caruso sweepstakes, the Bulls should want Jaden Springer from them.

First-round picks and young players: if the Bulls put Alex Caruso on the trade market, that's what they should be asking for. That's what he's worth, and what a contending should and would pay for him.