5 Trades the Chicago Bulls Should Consider Next After Alex Caruso Deal

The Chicago Bulls reached a deal on Thursday to send veteran guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder as a replacement for 21-year-old point guard Josh Giddey.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported the agreement, wrote: “The Bulls were determined to find a point guard to replace Lonzo Ball, and Giddey, 21, has All-Star potential that likely wouldn’t be realized with the Thunder due to the power play around him. “

This suggests that this move may not herald a rebuild, but there is certainly a world in which that is the case.

Caruso is nine years older than Giddey and is certainly more of a win-now player. The trade could (and probably should) be the start of a chain of dominoes that also sends DeMar DeRozan (as a sign-and-trade candidate) Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević elsewhere.

Below, you’ll find some deals Chicago should consider to do just that.

Zach LaVine for Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and a 2027 first-round pick swap

The Bulls front office has already been very active this offseason.

According to KC Johnson of NBC Sports, “sources said (Artūras) Karnišovas pitched as many as 15 offers centered on (LaVine) to various teams, including the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean any of these potential suitors are interested, but you can see why the Kings might be.

After leading the league in points per 100 possessions in 2022-23, Sacramento barely ranked in the top half of the league this season. Their offensive numbers declined quite significantly when De’Aaron Fox left the field.

And two of their starters, Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, haven’t provided much offensive volume. They averaged 12.2 and 10.2 points, respectively.

Of course, there are only so many shots to go through, and finding the right balance with LaVine could take some time. But adding a consistent (if sometimes unhealthy) 20-point-per-game scorer alongside Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray would help the Kings contend for offensive dominance once again.

For the Bulls, it’s almost entirely about flexibility. Injuries and a hefty contract have hurt LaVine’s trade value, so it might be difficult for Chicago to recoup much for him.

This deal gives them two players whose contracts expire a year early. Both have deals that would be easier to complete than LaVine’s, so the value of this package could increase over time.

Nikola Vučević for Brandon Clarke Ziaire Williams and pick #39 (via Brooklyn)

Like LaVine, Vučević probably won’t have a ton of trade value. He is 33 years old and not improving on defense.

A $20 million salary means he might be easier to trade, though. It’s easier to find salaries that come close to that total than it is to hit $40 million-plus.

And the Memphis Grizzlies need the 5 and a few players with moveable deals to land this one.

Vučević is not the hitter that Steven Adams was, but he is a more robust rebounder than Jaren Jackson Jr. Plugging him into the lineup would return JJJ to his more natural position. And Vučević’s shooting would keep the driving lanes open for Ja Morant.

For the Bulls, Brandon Clarke’s contract is one year longer than Vučević’s, but it represents four years of over $7 million less per year. It’s a contract that Chicago could later cancel. And although Ziaire Williams has struggled to stay in the Grizzlies’ rotation, he’s still only 22 years old and deserves a steal for the rebuilding Bulls.

That and an early second-round pick would probably be as good as Chicago could get for young talent and/or picks in a Vučević trade.

DeMar DeRozan (on a three-year deal starting at a $19 million salary) for Norman Powell and a swap of 2030 first-round picks

If the Los Angeles Clippers lose Paul George in free agency this summer, they’ll be pretty safe under the new dreaded “second apron,” but they also won’t have many good options to replace him.

A sign-and-trade for unrestricted free agent DeMar DeRozan is a potential avenue.

If he agreed to a deal around Norman Powell’s current salary to return home to Los Angeles, DeRozan could be one half of one of the league’s best mid-range 1-2s with Kawhi Leonard.

And after spending much of the past few seasons with the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs as their primary ball handler and distributor, DeRozan would benefit from plenty of open finishing opportunities created by James Harden (assuming he re-signs). .

For Chicago, it’s better to get any value for DeRozan than lose him for nothing. And if the Bulls are truly moving toward a complete rebuild, Powell is another player who could be moved in a later deal.

Zach LaVine for pick No. 41 (via Chicago) and a 2030 first-round pick

For months, it’s looked like the Philadelphia 76ers could emerge from this offseason with a trio of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.

But on Thursday, Shams Charania of The Athletic put the brakes on that idea.

If the Sixers do indeed miss George, they could use their cap potential to take on LaVine’s $43 million salary.

And the Bulls should be interested enough in a rebuild and future assets to at least consider moving him for nothing but picks.

This deal probably wouldn’t raise Philadelphia’s cap space as much as signing George, but LaVine’s offense — particularly his outside shooting — would scatter opposing defenses thinner than Tobias Harris. And that, of course, would open up the floor a bit for Maxey and Embiid inside.

Nikola Vučević for Kenrich Williams, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick

If the Thunder had any interest in Vučević, they probably could have found a way to fit him into the Caruso-Giddey deal, and that obviously didn’t happen.

Situations and feelings can change over the offseason, however, and OKC still needs size and rebounding.

It was here in February, and the front office took what they hoped would be the versatility of Gordon Hayward instead of going after a big. It didn’t work, as Hayward was barely in the rotation during the playoffs.

Now, OKC can use some of its cap space to absorb the majority of Vučević’s contract and justify his deployment as a high-end sixth man. Given the amount of talent on the roster, bringing him off the bench would likely be the most logical approach.

But Chet Holmgren’s agility and perimeter skills also make it reasonable to play him at the 4. And even if the Thunder didn’t want to start games with him and Vučević sharing the court, it’s a look they could adopt against larger adversaries.

For Chicago, the angle here is the same as for the rest of the transactions. This move improves the flexibility of the team’s cap. And at this point in his career, if anyone is willing to give up capital for Vučević, the Bulls will probably have to think about taking him (OKC has plenty to spare).