There has not been much to write home about regarding the 2023-24 Chicago Bulls. They are 21-24 on the season with a -1.5 point differential. Chicago also has a -1.7 net rating on the season, which ranks 21st in the league. The Bulls are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference and four games behind the sixth-seeded Miami Heat, meaning it is highly likely they will be back in the play-in tournament for the second consecutive season, if they reach the postseason at all. With that being the case, it could be time to consider trading players like Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond before the NBA trade deadline on February 8th.
Chicago has not seen a ton of success since their acquisitions of Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan to form the Bulls' version of a Big 3 next to Zach LaVine. Outside of a hot start to the 2021-22 campaign, the Bulls have been largely mediocre with those three. They have only one playoff win to their name in this stretch as well. It doesn't seem like abundant playoff success is in the cards this season either. But at least they can bring in some draft capital to help build a future winner. They can do so if they make players like Caruso and Drummond available to trade.
Alex Caruso, Guard
If the Bulls were to make Alex Caruso available, they could get a hefty bounty in return. Everyone should want Caruso. He is one of the best defenders in the NBA, evidenced by his well-deserved appearance on the NBA's All-Defensive First Team last season. Caruso constantly makes things happen on that end of the floor that helps his team wins games.
ALEX CARUSO CAN STEAL & JUMP
🍪🍪🍪🦘🦘🦘 pic.twitter.com/645rGfNgT0— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) January 21, 2024
Caruso's hustle and penchant for making winning plays extends over to the offensive end of the floor.
Watching Suns-Bulls for Suns game preview but all I see is Alex Caruso… pic.twitter.com/kzoTOPonhq
— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) January 24, 2024
Every time needs players like this to buy them extra possessions and help them win games, especially when they shoot 42 percent from three. That is by far a career-high for Caruso, who is doing that on a career-high 4.3 3-point attempts as well. His 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 9.9 points per game are also career-highs.
With the Bulls wandering in mediocrity, it would make sense to sell high on Caruso now while his market is robust and he still has another year left on his contract. The Bulls are reportedly asking for multiple first-round picks to even consider trading Caruso. It is unlikely a contending team can or will meet that asking price, but even if the Bulls can get a good first-round pick for Caruso, they should absolutely consider it.
Caruso can single-handedly shapeshift the title race. He is that good and that valuable. If the Bulls get an offer they can't refuse for him, they should gladly take it and focus on an impending rebuild.
Andre Drummond, Center
It should be much easier to stomach trading Andre Drummond. Drummond is the backup to Nikola Vucevic, but he is quietly balling this season. Per-36 minutes, he is averaging 17.2 points and 19 rebounds while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. Those are roughly the same per-36 numbers Drummond put up in his two All-Star seasons in 2016 and 2018.
A trade involving Drummond should be fairly easy to construct. He is on an expiring contract and is making only $3.36 million this season. Just about any team in the NBA can attach a minimum contract and a second-round pick or two and make a deal happen. With the Bulls not near title contention, it doesn't make much sense for them to hold onto Drummond when they can get draft capital for him. With that being the case, it makes much more sense to put him on the market and see what they can get back for him in a trade.
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