Bulls vs. Hornets roster snapshot and game preview: can we trade Zach here?

who could Bulls receive in a LaVine trade with Charlotte? (oh there's a game too)

Riding a TWO GAME winning streak and the immaculate vibes of a LaVine-free roster, the Bulls surely can’t lose to the lowly Hornets who are missing their by-far-best player, right?

Sure they can! And not because they are what Bulls media would call ‘weird’, or what their front office would call ‘inconsistent’, but because they’re not a good team.

But it looks tough to do when looking at the Hornets roster. Let’s do just that:

shout-out Ish Smith, 2nd stint with Hornets so doesn’t add to his near record breaking mark of NBA teams played for

The Hornets are a sensible hypothetical LaVine trade destination because they’re the kind of team bereft of overall talent on a franchise bereft of ability to sign free agents (though they did get a broken down Hayward once upon a time).

They have contracts to assemble and match in a trade, plus middling assets that the Bulls should expect when it comes to a LaVine trade return. I cannot distinguish JT Thor and James Bouknight and only know Nick Smith as the 7-footer on the early 2000s Fighting Illini. That’s the Bulls job is to try and “scout” and see if if they can unearth someone buried in the Hornets morass.

But all that said I’m not sure the Hornets would want to make a move for LaVine. For one thing, as a fit it’s not great with Ball, though they could potentially point to those magical 30 games or whatever that a Ball brother played well with LaVine it is likely too defense-deficient to have Zach, LaMelo, and Brandon Miller 1-3. And then financially, while the Hornets have room under the tax going forward (because they have so few good players), they’re also under new ownership. Sometimes that means a nonsensical “splash” like this, but they haven’t even fully taken over and fired the current administration yet so likely don’t want to give them the go-ahead to make such a major acquisition this year.

Injury Report: For the Hornets, Mark Williams is questionable, so their really-bad defense could be a whole lot worse tonight.

Torrey Craig is questionable for the Bulls. Caruso is probable even though he reinjured his toe on Saturday and didn’t practice fully.

DeRozan off the injury report after playing last game. He has done very well after extended rest this season.

Schedule factor: Same rest for both teams, as they last played on Saturday. But Charlotte traveling to Chicago for this.

Betting line: Bulls -190 to win, likely highest of season? Implied final score: CHI 112, CHA 108

Game Time: 7 central

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