The NBA trade deadline is February 7th 3pm eastern time. The Chicago Bulls have agreed to a trade with the Washington Wizards. The Bulls will send (PF/C) Bobby Portis, (F) Jabari Parker and a 2023 second-round draft pick to Washington in exchange for (PF/F) Otto Porter. Porter (25) was considered one of the key pieces to the Wizards puzzle before being traded to the Bulls. Porter was drafted in 2013 third overall, is averaging 12.6 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Otto Porter is owed $55 million over the next two years. This breaks down to $26 million for the rest of this year, and $27 million for 2019-2020. Porter gets guarantees to add up to the $55 million. With the Bulls taken on this big contract, they may have knocked themselves out of signing a big name free agent this coming offseason. Some of these big names that will be free agents come the offseason are. Golden State Warriors (SF/PF) Kevin Durant, Toronto Raptors (F) Kawhi Leonard and Boston Celtics (PG) Kyrie Irving.
The Bulls need a lot of help. The trade for Otto Porter gives them a good two way player that is shooting 36.9% from the three point line, but that won’t be enough to take the team too the playoffs this year. Beings the Bulls will not have that much money to spend during the offseason, they will look to sign a second tier superstar to help their young stars Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Caarter Jr. The Bulls may look to bring in (PF) Tobias Harris who was just traded to the Philadelphia 76ers from the Los Angels Clippers, or they may try to sign Milwaukee Bucks (F) Khris Middleton.
The Bulls could look deeper into that second tier of superstars. They may look to sign Brooklyn Nets(G/PG) D’ Angelo Russell. They may look to bring back hometown boy Minnesota Timberwolves (PG/SG) Derrick Rose. At any rate the Bulls will look to spend their money wisely during this offseason in hopes to get back into playoff contention for next year.
