3 Chicago Bulls the Milwaukee Bucks should monitor as trade rumors intensify
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks’ rivals to the south could reportedly be going through some seismic roster changes in the foreseeable future.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, teams are keeping an eye on Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, as there is reportedly an openness between both the star and the organization about a trade. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry followed that up by saying a source told him that Chicago’s roster will not look the same in a month.
If the Bulls are indeed on the brink of a rebuild, there are a few players the Bucks should call about to at least kick the tires on a potential trade, and here they are.
No. 1 – Alex Caruso
The Bull who everyone, not just Milwaukee, will be calling about if a rebuild does indeed take shape is Alex Caruso. The guard is coming off his first All-Defensive selection and has championship experience under his belt, having won it all with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. It would be hard to find a trade target more fitting for Milwaukee right now.
The Bucks could clearly use more perimeter defense, especially with the loss of Jae Crowder for the foreseeable future. Caruso would be a tremendous option, giving the team a tough guard who’d fit seamlessly in endless lineup combinations to beef up their defensive efforts. He’d particularly be a nice fit next to Damian Lillard in the backcourt, as Caruso could take significant pressure off of him.
From a financial perspective, Caruso is within reason for Milwaukee, as he’s on the books for $9.5 million this season and has a partially guaranteed deal next season. Many would say that’s a bargain of a contract for a player like him. Anything less than $10 million is doable for the Bucks without shaking up their roster too drastically.
The question here is whether or not the Bucks would be able to outbid other interested suitors. On top of that, it’d be interesting to see if Chicago would be interested in sending him to a division rival. Though this is not the NFL, it’s still something to consider. Ultimately, it’s something to keep an eye on at the moment, although it may be a bit of a long shot.