With Bulls’ roster shakeup underway, is Zach LaVine the next piece on the move?

Wednesday brought a four-year max-contract for Pascal Siakam and Indiana. Thursday brought Chicago and Oklahoma City swapping Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey. The NBA offseason is officially underway, and there’s plenty of trade activity still to come ahead of the NBA Draft on Wednesday and Thursday and the ensuing start of free agency.

The Bulls had been communicating with rival teams a desire to reshape their roster, league sources told Yahoo Sports, and Artūras Karnišovas’ front office indeed struck a deal that brings the first player back to Chicago via trade in three years. Word of the Bulls’ interest in Giddey had filtered to opposing front offices throughout this past week. Although many executives from opposing teams believed that was a potential construct for a Patrick Williams sign-and-trade — the fourth-year forward is set to reach restricted free agency June 30, with OKC, Toronto and Charlotte already being mentioned by league personnel as possible landing spots for Williams outside of Chicago.

Alas, the deal resulted in a direct flip of Giddey for Caruso, a 30-year-old 3-and-D guard who’s on an expiring $9.9 million contract and will become eligible for a four-year, roughly $80 million extension six months after the completion of this trade. OKC has made its first true win-now move that rival teams have been anticipating for some time, swapping one of the Thunder’s prized lottery picks for a veteran who fits perfectly within OKC’s five-out scheme. Many league observers quickly compared this acquisition to that of Boston landing Derrick White — a key building block toward the Celtics’ championship.

It’s fair to say the Bulls may not have maximized their return for Alex Caruso. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, file)

The Bulls are making a significant investment in Giddey, not just for the payday their new 21-year-old playmaker will likely command after his rookie deal expires following the 2024-25 season, but in regard to the Caruso offers Chicago dismissed during previous transaction cycles. The Bulls engaged several teams over the past 18 months that were willing to sacrifice first-round draft…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/with-bulls-roster-shakeup-underway-is-zach-lavine-the-next-piece-on-the-move-150136313.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-21 15:01:36

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.