The Chicago Bulls made a big splash early Thursday by reportedly acquiring All-Star center Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic.
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley are far from finished.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports the Bulls are sending swingman Chandler Hutchison and reserve center Daniel Gafford to the Washington Wizards in exchange for swingman Troy Brown Jr. and center Moritz Wagner.
This might seem like an inconsequential move on the surface. But it could have ramifications for the Bulls as they continue to make decisions on the future of the franchise.
Chicago has continued to field calls on Lauri Markkanen, whom they had previously discussed as a piece in trade packages for New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball.
Word around the league is that the Bulls aren't necessarily done. Not only are they still engaged on Lonzo Ball, they're fielding calls on Lauri Markkanen.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 25, 2021
Granted, the Bulls shipped off a big in Gafford. But Wagner is a guy who can essentially fill a lesser version of Markkanen's role.
Wagner projects as a guy who can score inside and shoot the 3 a little bit off the bench. He is also versatile in his ability to switch and guard, which would be an improvement over Markkanen.
Brown is a guy with upside. He can be a defensive rebound who can slash and rebound a little bit.
In many ways, this deal offers a change of scenery for all the players involved. But it also would not be a surprise if Karnisovas and the Bulls used this minor move as a launching pad for moving Markkanen and continuing to shake things up.
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