Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns are parting ways this offseason, putting one of the most decorated point guards in NBA history up for grabs. As the team figures out how to move on from the 38-year-old guard, many teams will be looking to sign or trade for the former All-Star. The Chicago Bulls, a team in dire need of an answer at the point guard spot, would be wise to look into it.
The Bulls are one of many teams that would be benefited by the addition of Paul. With stellar scorers like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan highlighting the roster, a playmaker like Paul is a natural fit. Chicago wants to win with this current core and Paul would be a good addition.
Last season, in 59 games, Paul averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from deep and 83.1 percent from the free-throw line. Playmaking is a need for the Bulls, as evidenced by their fall-off since Lonzo Ball went down with a knee injury. Their offense was one of the best in the league at the time Ball went down with his knee injury. Since then, it hasn't been very pretty, as their offense ranked 24th last season. The Point God could change that.
Paul isn't adept to get out and run the fast break like Ball used to but otherwise, he is well-equipped to take on Ball's role, which tasks him with getting the ball where it needs to and spotting up from deep to space the floor. Defending was also part of it and while Paul isn't what he used to be, he's savvy and smart enough to survive on that end as he continues to approach 40 years of age.
Paul has plenty of juice left in the tank to be a good starter. As noted, his playmaking abilities are still among the best in the league, as he ranked fourth in assists per game in the 2022-23 season. His shooting abilities haven't gone anywhere, as he shot a whopping 52.3 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. Now, he only took 1.5 such attempts per game. But the point remains that Paul would be a seamless fit in the Bulls' offense.
DeRozan and LaVine are not bad passers but also benefit more from being set up than doing the setting up. Paul's playmaking bag is still as deep as they come. Having a shooting/potential lob threat in LaVine and another savvy vet in DeRozan gives CP3 plenty to work with. If Nikola Vucevic stays, that's another solid pick-and-pop option at his disposal.
So, how would the Bulls acquire him? They won't have any cap space and only have a $12 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Paul to on the open market. He may very likely demand more than that. The alternative route, which would take cooperation with Phoenix, is to use Ball's contract to trade for him.
Unless the Bulls are hopeful that Ball will return soon — and they don't seem to be — his contract is going to sit and do nothing on their books. Using him as a trade chip makes sense for them, especially to add Paul or someone else on a big contract. To make the math work on a swap involving Paul and Ball, the teams would have to wait until June 28, when Paul's $30 million contract is guaranteed.
If the Suns are okay with taking on Ball's contract and/or believe he can play any time soon, this should be a no-brainer for them. They would not only get something in return for him but it wouldn't totally mess up their salary cap situation. Since everyone knows that they're going to move on from Paul, any slight benefit they get should be enough of an incentive to make this trade instead of cutting him for nothing.
One trade that would work is Paul for Ball and either Patrick Williams or Alex Caruso, whose contracts would make the money even. The Bulls should want some sort of asset(s) in return for one of their better defenders but, unless a third team gets involved, would have to settle for some second-round picks.
The Suns avoiding a buyout that would cut into their future salary and adding a rotation player on a cheap deal makes this trade totally worth it. The Bulls would have to ask the question of if an aging Paul would be an upgrade over either player. For the aforementioned reasons, the answer would likely be yes.
Caruso is one of the best defenders the NBA has to offer, no doubt, but defensive-minded wings can be acquired from various avenues. That's not the case for playmaking wizards like Paul. Offense is the name of the game nowadays, meaning that the Bulls will find it extremely tough to become a good team by being primarily a good defensive team and a bad offensive team. That's what they were last season and look where it got them.
Paul and Bulls head coach Billy Donovan surprised everyone by making the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder a playoff team. The Eastern Conference is stacked but who's to say they can't help the Bulls bounce back, especially with two stars on the roster? It's far from a guarantee but it's the best bet the Bulls have right now.
The Bulls' current roster may be stuck in NBA purgatory but the front office wants to win. Chris Paul, even as he continues to move away from his prime years, helps them with that goal.
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