It’s no secret that the Chicago Bulls are in the midst of a rebuild after a failed era with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball.
Several players from that early-2020s roster remain, including Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams and Coby White. However, all four have been mentioned in trade speculation to some extent as the club navigates its reset.
MORE: Bulls trade pitch sends $90 million forward to Raptors for RJ Barrett
Alan Goldsher of SI.com recently proposed a mock trade designed to accelerate the Bulls’ rebuild, with one of those four players heading to an Eastern Conference foe.
Here’s Goldsher’s proposed trade:
Bulls receive: Scottie Barnes
Heat receive: Coby White, Zach Collins, 2027 lottery protected first-round pick (via CHI)
Raptors receive: Tyler Herro, 2028 lottery protected first-round pick (via MIA)
In this mock trade, the Bulls would receive an All-Star-caliber player in Barnes, who has averaged 19.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals across 33.8 minutes per game in the past two seasons.
While it appears unlikely the Raptors would part with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft — especially after signing him to a five-year, $224.2 million extension last July — Herro would significantly strengthen the club’s backcourt. With Immanuel Quickley coming off an injury-ridden campaign, acquiring a proven guard to pair with RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram could make sense as they push for the playoffs in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
For the Heat, White’s expiring contract offers financial flexibility next offseason, along with a potential first-round pick. While that return might not be enough to justify moving Herro following his first All-Star nod, the framework could appeal to the Heat if they want to shed salary.
Chicago has backcourt options but could use more assistance on the wing, and Barnes’ versatility and ability to stuff the stat sheet would be extremely beneficial for the Bulls in fast-tracking their rebuild.
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