The Phoenix Suns are going to be aggressively searching through the NBA trade deadline to land major acquisitions that can change the fortunes of the struggling franchise. They’re 23-21 this season with a disgruntled Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic being held out of the starting five due to performance issues. Nurkic has been away from the franchise for weeks and is bound to get moved before the deadline.
The Chicago Bulls might be looking to maximize assets from the players on their roster after a few seasons of quasi-contention. They need to tank to protect their pick from going to the San Antonio Spurs and they can do it by moving off winning players for a big package.
With teams undervaluing Zach LaVine and unwilling to send a first-round pick for Nikola Vucevic, the Suns could target the duo to dramatically alter their winning hopes.
Trade Details
Phoenix Suns Receive: Zach LaVine ($43.0 million), Nikola Vucevic ($20.0 million), Torrey Craig ($2.8 million)
Chicago Bulls Receive: Bradley Beal ($50.2 million), Jusuf Nurkic ($18.1 million), Oso Ighodaro ($1.1 million), 2025 First-Round Pick (UTA/CLE/MIN), 2027 First-Round Pick (UTA/CLE/MIN), 2029 First-Round Pick (UTA/CLE/MIN)
The Bulls are struggling to get even one first-round pick for either Vucevic or LaVine, with this deal bringing them three of them. In addition, it brings promising center Oso Ighodaro to the franchise while finally causing a major shakeup. While Beal and Nurkic aren’t players who’ll be integral to the team’s future, the Bulls can find value in this subtle adjustment.
The Suns Become Fierce
The Suns are looking for a difference-making player who can have an instant positive impact on the franchise this season. They can achieve this by making these major additions, even though it loads them up offensively even more. However, it also fills in some major gaps that the team hasn’t been able to address with players like Beal and Nurkic.
Zach LaVine is averaging 24.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists this season. He’s shown strong on-ball passing instincts along with being an all-weather scorer, finding ways to impact the game offensively. Nikola Vucevic is averaging 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds, shooting 40.6% from three. He’ll space the floor and hunt rebounds to address this major Suns weakness.
LaVine is a better off-ball player than Beal while also being a slightly better defender and scorer at this point. While Jimmy Butler might have been a better-fitting star, LaVine is more productive and could create a complementary and unstoppable scoring trio in Phoenix. Vucevic gives Phoenix a balance of offense and defense with Nick Richards alongside him.
Torrey Craig is averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds as a role-player for the Bulls but could rediscover his value by playing winning minutes in Phoenix, a franchise he’s played three seasons for.
The Bulls Take On Money For Assets
The Bulls are creating a weird situation in their locker room by continuing to push for competitiveness when the team is long overdue for a rebuild. They don’t need players of LaVine and Vucevic’s caliber at the moment and need to start using their value to acquire future assets.
LaVine and Vucevic have struggled to even raise one first-round pick in their trade negotiations, so accepting three for additional salary might be their best move forward.
Bradley Beal is averaging 17.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists this season. He’d be a solid mentor to Coby White but the Bulls can just take their time and try to find a new destination for Beal in the summer if possible. If not, he can serve as a valuable veteran for them with a contract that would expire the same year as LaVine’s.
Jusuf Nurkic is averaging 8.6 points and 9.2 rebounds while completely falling out with the coaching staff on the Suns. He’d be on an expiring contract next season, so the Bulls can let him rediscover his trade value and move him for assets next season as an expiring contract. If not, they can just let it expire and open up almost $20 million in space next summer.
While the picks are the main thing the Bulls will be after here, acquiring Oso Ighodaro is a great get as well. He’s averaging 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds this season, potentially being a young center the Bulls can develop. He could end up being a long-term prospect for them or be moved for more assets soon given his skill set and age.
A Tricky Deal Which Works Out For Both
This deal might be the best way for both franchises to come out of their current situations. Beal and Nurkic will eat up the Bulls’ short-term salary space while not improving their wins as much as LaVine and Nurkic are. They also land future assets they likely won’t get from others for these players in an increasingly stingy market.
The Suns’ swap one bad contract for another, but LaVine has a higher chance of being worth the money if he can continue being a 20-point scorer playing off Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Vucevic finally gives the Suns a competent center rotation as well.
This gives Phoenix a chance to thrive as a contender in the NBA, although it isn’t as smooth-fitting as a potential Jimmy Butler acquisition. Nonetheless, it makes the best of a bad situation given the team needs to offload Beal and Nurkic for locker room chemistry sooner rather than later.
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