Grade The Trade: Bucks add two-time All-Star in a deal with rivaling Bulls
By Dalton Sell
The Chicago Bulls’ POV on this trade
There are rumors swirling about Zach LaVine’s availability. Yahoo Sports’ NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in June that the Bulls have “checked the temperature” on LaVine’s market. If they are in the market for a LaVine trade to retool their roster, this trade with the Milwaukee Bucks could be of some interest, due to the cache of pieces they’d be getting.
Middleton isn’t as young or athletic as LaVine, but he’s still an excellent scorer who has proven to be a capable No. 2 on a championship team. He’d be a quality piece for the Bulls as they aim to get back into contention. On top of that, his contract isn’t all too bad in the grand scheme of things, so they could always potentially flip him for more assets down the line.
After the 2022 NBA Playoffs, where the Bucks and Bulls met in the first round, it would be pretty hard for a lot of Bulls fans to welcome in Grayson Allen. However, from a basketball standpoint, it makes sense to get a starting caliber shooting guard who is an above-average perimeter shooter when the opportunity presents itself.
The other two assets in this deal could be the most intriguing of them all for Chicago. Given that the first rounder is six years away, it could become valuable, as no one knows what the Bucks will look like then. MarJon Beauchamp is Milwaukee’s most potential-filled young player, so he would undoubtedly be of interest in no shortage of potential trades.
These players would give the Bulls a more well-balanced core while also adding a valuable pick.