5 Trades Chicago Bulls Should Consider Next After Alex Caruso Deal

5 Trades Chicago Bulls Should Consider Next After Alex Caruso Deal0 of 5

Alex CarusoNathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

On Thursday, the Chicago Bulls struck a deal to send veteran guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder for 21-year-old playmaker Josh Giddey.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported the deal, wrote: “The Bulls have been determined to find a playmaker to replace Lonzo Ball, and Giddey, 21, comes with an All-Star potential that would unlikely be realized with the Thunder because of the playmaking starpower who surrounded him.”

That suggests this move may not be signaling a rebuild, but there’s certainly a world in which it does.

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

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

Zach LaVine to the Kings1 of 5

Zach LaVineMelissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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

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

According to NBC Sports’ K.C. Johnson, “sources said [Artūras] Karnišovas has floated as many as 15 proposals 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 those 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 tailed off pretty significantly when De’Aaron Fox left the floor.

And two of their starters, Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, didn’t provide a ton of offensive volume. They averaged 12.2 and 10.2 points, respectively.

Of course, there are only so many shots to go around, and finding the right balance with LaVine might 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 again.

For the Bulls, this is almost entirely about flexibility. Injuries and a hefty contract have hurt LaVine’s trade value, so it may be hard for Chicago to get much back for him.

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

Nikola Vučević to the Grizzlies2 of 5

Nikola VučevićMelissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Nikola Vučević for Brandon Clarke Ziaire Williams and the No. 39 pick (via Brooklyn)

Like LaVine, Vučević isn’t likely to have a ton of trade value. He’s 33 years old and not getting any better on defense.

A $20 million salary means he could be easier to trade, though. Finding salaries that add up to near that total is easier than getting to $40 million-plus.

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

Vučević isn’t the banger Steven Adams was, but he’s a more rugged rebounder than Jaren Jackson Jr. Plugging him into the lineup would move JJJ back to his more natural position. And Vučević’s shooting would keep driving lanes open for Ja Morant.

For the Bulls, Brandon Clarke’s deal lasts a year longer than Vučević’s, but it’s four more than $7 million less annually. That’s a contract Chicago could flip later. And though Ziaire Williams has struggled to stay in the Grizzlies’ rotation, he’s still just 22 years old and worth a flier for the rebuilding Bulls.

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

DeMar DeRozan Sign-and-Trade to the Clippers3 of 5

DeMar DeRozanJeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images

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

If the Los Angeles Clippers lose Paul George in free agency this summer, they’ll be pretty safely below the new dreaded “second apron,” but they’ll also be without many great options to replace him.

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

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

And after spending much of the last several seasons with the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs operating as a primary ball-handler and distributor, DeRozan would get plenty of open finishing opportunities created by James Harden (assuming he re-signs).

For Chicago, getting any value for DeRozan is better than losing him for nothing. And if the Bulls are truly leaning into a full rebuild, Powell is another player who could be moved in a subsequent deal.

Zach LaVine to the 76ers4 of 5

Joel Embiid and Zach LaVineTim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

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

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

But on Thursday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania pumped the brakes on that idea.

Shams Charania @ShamsCharaniaThe Philadelphia 76ers’ interest in pursuing Paul George has significantly waned in recent days, and the franchise is expected to be aggressive elsewhere with its salary cap flexibility and draft capital leading into next week’s NBA Draft, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

If the Sixers do indeed miss out on George, they could use their potential cap space 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 ceiling quite as much as signing George, but LaVine’s offense—particularly his outside shooting—would spread opposing defenses thinner than Tobias Harris did. And that would, of course, open the floor a bit for Maxey and Embiid inside.

Nikola Vučević to the Thunder5 of 5

Chet HolmgrenCooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images

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’ve found a way to fold him into the Caruso-Giddey deal, and that obviously didn’t happen.

Situations and feelings can evolve over the course of the offseason, though, and OKC still has a need for size and rebounding.

That was there in February, and the front office chose what it hoped would be versatility from Gordon Hayward instead of going after a big. That didn’t work out, as Hayward was barely in the rotation during the playoffs.

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

But Chet Holmgren’s agility and perimeter skills make playing him at the 4 reasonable, too. And even if the Thunder wouldn’t tip games off with him and Vučević sharing the floor, it’s a look they could go to against bigger opponents.

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