This season during the trade deadline, the Bulls didn’t make any trades so getting Thompson from the buyout market was a huge move. The Bulls released forward Alfonzo Mckinnie to make the Thompson signing. 

What does Tristan Thompson bring to the Bulls? 

Thompson brings rebounding, defense, size, toughness and playoff experience to the Bulls. Thompson isn’t the same player he was in Cleveland but he still plays hard and always plays with toughness and an aggressive big has been one of the Bulls’ biggest needs. According to Cleaning the Glass, Thompson’s defensive rebounding rate ranks in the 73rd percentile with his offensive rebounding rate in the 96th percentile.

While Vucevic isn’t on the floor, Thompson will give the Bulls rebounding, size and defense which is very much needed. Another thing Thompson brings to the Bulls is his playoff experience. The Bulls haven’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season, and many players on the roster have no playoff experience. Meanwhile, Thompson has played in 83 playoff games in his career including multiple games in the NBA Finals. Now that the signing is official, Alex Caruso and Tristan Thompson will be the only players on the Bulls roster who have won championships.

It’s always good to have players on your team that have won a championship and adding Thompson means the Bulls will have 2 of those players. Thompson is a good backup center to have and instantly improves the Bulls bench. This was a great signing by the Bulls, Thompson checks all the boxes you want in a backup center, and he makes your team better. 

The Bulls’ record is 38-21 which is tied for first place in the East during the All-Star Break; with the addition of Thompson and the Bulls getting key players back from injuries the Bulls are in a good position to have a huge second half of the season and make a run to win a championship. 

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The Pelicans are very unlikely to match a significant offer sheet on Lonzo Ball this offseason. The Bulls and Clippers are expected to be among teams interested in Lonzo Ball. This news came from Shams Charania who is one of the most trustworthy NBA reporters. This is great news for the Bulls and their fanbase who have been wanting Lonzo Ball for months. I hope we can land him.

Lonzo Ball Fits What The Chicago Bulls Need

Lonzo Ball is coming off his best season in the NBA where he averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game with a field goal percentage of 41.4% 3-point field goal percentage of 37.8%, a free throw percentage of 78.1% and a defensive rating of 112.7 in the 2020-21 season. Lonzo Ball on the Bulls would be a perfect fit for the team and next to Zach Lavine. In my opinion, the Bulls’ biggest need is a playmaker and a defensive player.

Lonzo Ball fulfills both of those needs which is why I think he is a great fit on the Bulls. Lonzo isn’t a star, but he does things that every contending team wants. In my opinion, adding Lonzo Ball on the Bulls without a doubt makes them a playoff team. Can you imagine how good a Zach Lavine and Lonzo Ball backcourt could be?

Lonzo Ball is a restricted free agent, so for the Bulls to get him I think they will have to offer him a contract over 20 million dollars, hope he accepts it and the Pelicans don’t match it. It’s going to be a crazy offseason for the Bulls and their fans. Everyone knows the Bulls are looking for a Point Guard but who will that Point Guard be? If it’s Lonzo Ball he will be a great asset, completing a part of the Bulls’ needs!

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Multiple reports came out that Dejounte Murray might be ‘gettable’ this offseason, and with the Bulls needing a Point Guard it makes sense that the Bulls would be interested in Murray. If I’m being honest I don’t see the Spurs trading him but I would love to have him on the Bulls. 

This season Dejounte Murray averaged 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds ,5.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game with a field goal percentage of 45.3 %, 3-point field goal percentage of 31.7% and a free throw percentage of 79.1%. Also this season Dejounte Murray had a defense rating of 110.8 which is pretty solid. Back in 2018 Murray made the NBA all defensive second team which lets you know that Murray is a pretty good defender and that is exactly what the Bulls need. The 2 biggest needs for the Bulls in my opinion are defense and a playmaker and Murray is good at both of these things which makes him a good fit on the Bulls and a great fit next to Zach Lavine. Can you Imagine Dejounte Murray and Patrick Williams’ defense together?

Dejounte Murray And Zach Lavine

Fun Fact- Zach Lavine and Dejounte Murray are very good friends, they are both from the same area and they have worked out together multiple times. With Zach and Murray being friends that makes it another reason why the Bulls should trade for Murray. He is a good fit for the team and can add more chemistry. 

What is it going to take for the Bulls to get Dejounte Murray? In my honest opinion I don’t know because I have no idea what direction the Spurs are going in. The Spurs have been rumored to have interest in Lauri Markkanen this offseason so maybe both sides could work out something where the Bulls get Murray and the Spurs get Lauri. It’s only 3 players that I would not trade Murray for and that’s Zach Lavine, Nikola Vucevic and Patrick Williams. With that being said I really hope the Bulls could get Dejounte Murray. 

Stats via Basketball Reference

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On March 25, 2021, the Bulls traded for 21 year-old Troy Brown Jr., who was in his 3rd season as a NBA player and a member of the Washington Wizards. The Bulls gave their second-year player Daniel Gafford and third-year player Chandler Hutchison to the Wizards in this deal. The Bulls received Troy Brown Jr. and fourth-year player Mo Wagner, who they ended up trading to the Celtics. 

When the Bulls first traded for Brown my first opinion was that it was a very underrated move. Brown added good perimeter defense and versatility, which the Bulls needed badly. Also, he is a young player that the bulls can develop to have a part of their future. Brown has had ups and downs in his young NBA career so far but a change of scenery could really get the best out of him. 

After the trade, Troy Brown Jr played in 13 games with the Bulls before missing the last 15 games of the season due to a sprained left ankle. In the 13 games Brown played, he averaged 5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists, with a field goal percentage of 52.7% and shooting 33% from 3. Brown also had a defensive rating of 112.5 with the Bulls in those games.  The things  that stood out about Brown the most was that he  was a very good defender, good rebounder and he always hustled. These 3 things made Brown  a fan favorite in a very short time frame. Bulls fans loved him already just because of how hard he played

The game that stood out to me the most about Troy Brown Jr.  was against the Brooklyn Nets on April 4, 2021. In this game Brown played 28 mintues and finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds, but the thing he did very well was slowing down Kyrie Irving. When Brown was  guarding Irving he was 1-5 from the field in that time frame. 

Is Troy Brown Jr. a part of the Bulls future? In my opinion yes because Brown is a young player that fits with the Bulls needs; his defense is very important to this team. If Brown can develop a 3 point shot and become a 3 and D type player he would be a very important player on this team for years to come. 

The grade I will give Troy Brown Jr is a B.

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