Damian Lillard of the Blazers knows the Chicago Bulls are heading in a new direction after trading for All-Star center Nikola Vucevic at the deadline. They have gone from a rebuilding franchise to a team that wants to compete. While they didn't make it to the playoffs, the Bulls showed some potential.
Star guard Zach LaVine is the best player on the team but has yet to lead the Bulls to the playoffs.
LaVine is entering the final year of his contract, and the Bulls will need to add a piece around him to convince him to resign.
Luckily for the Bulls, they have a ton of assets to make a move for a superstar. They have great young talent with a lot of potential, which is enticing to teams looking to trade away their superstar. The Portland Trail Blazers are in a tough spot and may look to move on from Damian Lillard.
While it will be a difficult choice to make, an offer from the Bulls would be one of the best. Here is the perfect trade the Bulls must offer the Blazers for Damian Lillard.
Bulls trade Coby White, Lauri Markkanen, 2021 2nd-round pick, 2025 1st-round pick, and 2027 1st-round pick
This trade may not seem like enough to land Lillard, but if he wants out the Blazers won't have the leverage. The Blazers would still be getting a great haul in return. Coby White and Lauri Markkanen could be great building blocks for the future.
This trade would require the Bulls to make a sign and trade with Markkanen. That would be great for the Bulls as he still has potential but hasn't worked out for the team.
It would also give both teams more cap flexibility as the Blazers would be getting a cheaper contract while the Bulls could sign him to a deal that gives them enough space to acquire Lillard.
The draft picks would add to the deal even though they are in the future. The Bulls traded away multiple draft picks in there deal for Vucevic, which is why they would have to trade future picks.
This would actually be better for the Blazers as the Bulls would likely be competitive in the years following the Lillard trade.
By 2025 and 2027 the Bulls could be in a rebuild again where the Blazers could get a top pick.
What would the Blazers look like after trading Lillard?
The Blazers would be hitting the rebuild button with a trade like this, in marked contrast to the Bulls. Lillard has been the team's building block for years, but he was never surrounded with enough talent. After making this move, the Blazers could also trade away C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic to enter a complete rebuild.
They would become a very young team with up and coming players along with draft capital. White and Markkanen fit well together and could be the start of a great young core for the Blazers.
What would the Bulls look like with Lillard?
The Bulls would transform into a potential contender after a trade for Lillard. They would have a big three of LaVine, Lillard, and Vucevic that would be difficult for any defense to defend. The Bulls would have a good enough roster to compete with other contenders in the Eastern Conference like the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls must offer this trade to the Blazers in hopes to acquire Damian Lillard.
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