Screw it, let's talk Trae Young

there is little 'risk' to any big trade because the Bulls have nothing not worth risking!

I suppose Matas Buzelis gobbling up usage in Josh Giddey’s absence is something worth monitoring, but let’s give it some time…and beyond that there isn’t much to say about the current Chicago Bulls.

But the league never stops, and this week’s rumors are quite interesting surrounding Trae Young. Young is really good, and in his prime. But he is not having a good season, including some injury absences, and as it's his 8th year in Atlanta¹ it sounds like both sides are ready for something new.

I still think he’s worth pursuing, especially if the asset cost is low.

The latest rumors make it sound like the Hawks would be interested in little more than salary relief in a trade return package. The consensus has also implied that there are few teams actually interested in having Trae Young on their team:

There simply isn’t a great need for point guard play. Across the league, the two deepest positions are point guards and centers, so teams trying to move either position will struggle to get back full value.

Young’s contract is another hindrance for Atlanta, as he is owed $46 million this season with a $49 million player option for 2026-27. The salary cap’s apron restrictions will make it difficult for teams to take on that number.

Not many potential suitors fit both criteria, which is why this situation has been hovering in the background for the past several weeks.

That’s from ESPN.com’s hypothetical trades column, which starts with the rumored Wizards and also includes the Blazers, Bucks, and Kings.

Why aren’t the Chicago Bulls mentioned? They are stuck in sub-mediocrity, have very little hope², and have cap flexibility by virtue of having not many very good players who need a raise.

It’s annoying, but logical to simply dismiss the Bulls:

1. They don’t have “great need” for point guard play because of Josh Giddey. Young has similar limitations but also has way better strengths. This has proven out over several seasons and not a couple 20-game stretches.

2. Ownership would never stomach a $50M player, nor the increased urgency to spend over the luxury tax to build around that player (more on that later)

3. Arturas Karnisovas is so bad at making trades to the point where he doesn’t even understand the word ‘asset’, and will take your use of that term as a sign of disrespect.

But like I did last offseason, let’s live in a fantasy world.

I think the biggest mental hurdle to conceiving a Bulls trade for Trae Young is that it would be the only move. No, the Bulls are not close to anything this season or the next five, so they are not in a position where acquiring Young as a singular move will make a meaningful difference.

But that’s not because of the player, but because of the Bulls. There is no single move that can get The Bulls out of their purgatory, so one would have to think (AK: sit down maybe first?) multiple moves ahead and how trading for Young - particularly without needing to give up much - will set you up for the next move.

[At quick and likely-full-of-holes analogue is the 2008 Championship Celtics. Trading for Kevin Garnett was the obvious leveling up. But a month before they traded for Ray Allen, taking the risk that they’d be able to make a follow-up move.]

If the Bulls traded for Young, a couple follow-up moves increase in urgency.

1. A rim-protecting center

2. Moving out Giddey

While the Bulls would still have some cap flexibility in the offseason even after taking in Young’s salary, it would make the next big trade a bit more difficult. They would lose a couple assets in seeing their many expiring contracts expire, including a couple who teams may pay an asset for (Coby White, maybe Ayo Dosunmu?). There is potential for a sign-and-trade with those free agents the Bulls possesses Bird Rights over, but that gets complex.

But they would still have nearly all their other assets, assuming all it takes to acquire Young would be maybe a single first round pick or even less like a swap or the lotto-protected Portland pick. The Bulls own all their other future picks, Buzelis, Essengue, maybe Giddey would yield positive return (I’m dubious), and decent role players that either could be trade-neutral or stay in a rotation alongside star talent.

So I am thinking bigger than the Bulls should trade for Trae Young while it’s cheap because he’s an upgrade. What about trading for Young in a 3-team trade for Anthony Davis too? Or Giannis?

Snap back to reality, ope there goes grandpa ‘dorf tsk-tsking any Bulls fan for even dreaming that they root for a serious organization, let alone a big-market, championship one. That shouldn’t be the mindset of NBA rumormongers though, throw Chicago in to make your trade ideas truly fantasy.

1. including leading them to the Eastern Conference finals! They won two games in that round, therefore one deeper playoff win than Derrick Rose had in his career.

2. Tom Ziller brought this up WRT to the Wizards: they have a couple interesting young players but nothing worth worrying about Trae Young derailing.