The Chicago Bulls sat out one of the busiest trade deadlines in NBA history — but they reportedly could get into the action late with a bid for Russell Westbrook on the buyout market.
In a Friday segment on NBA Today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski named the Bulls as a “front-runner” to land Russell Westbrook if the Utah Jazz elect to buy out the veteran point guard’s contract after a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers.
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“If he gets into the buyout market, there is significant interest in Westbrook,” Wojnarowski said. “One team that you’ve got to watch and I think will be a front-runner is the Chicago Bulls. … Certainly you could see how he fits, just bringing some energy and some fire to that team’s bench.”
Executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas on Thursday said the Bulls would “take a look” at the buyout market once the dust settled from the trade deadline.
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Wojnarowski added that Westbrook could wait until after the All-Star break to make his decision. At that point, the Bulls will only have 23 games left in the regular season. Would it be worth it to shake things up and bring in Westbrook for that short of a tenure?
Westbrook, 34, is a nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA selection and the 2016-17 NBA MVP with a strong connection to coach Billy Donovan, who coached him in Oklahoma City alongside several assistants, including Mo Cheeks. Westbrook averaged 15.9 points and 7.5 assists coming off the bench for the Lakers this season, a significant offensive bump compared with any reserve guard on the Bulls roster.
But the fit is shaky at best for a Bulls team still struggling to reach .500 — they have had a losing record since they were 6-6 after beating the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 7. Westbrook is a 29.6% 3-point shooter who doesn’t offer any solutions for the Bulls’ issues behind the arc.
It’s unclear whether Westbrook would start or come off the bench, but either way his acquisition would force the Bulls to displace one of their guards — Ayo Dosunmu from the starting group or Goran Dragić from the secondary rotation.
Dosunmu has been a reliable interim option at starting point guard since his rookie season, when he replaced the injured Lonzo Ball. Dragić started the season with a hot hand from 3-point range and continues to manage point guard duties for the secondary rotation even now that his shooting has cooled off. Neither player is perfect, but disrupting these lineups — especially for a team that has preached “continuity” into exhaustion for two seasons — for a player who can’t directly contribute at the 3-point line or on defense could be a mistake.
Another potential landing point for Westbrook would be the Los Angeles Clippers. Not only could he remain in LA, he could leap into the starting lineup immediately. Paul George and Marcus Morris openly campaigned for Westbrook to join them with the Clippers, which likely reflects teamwide enthusiasm for the potential addition.
With a week left until the All-Star break, this will likely be a waiting game for Bulls fans as Westbrook weighs his options — if he and the Jazz agree to a buyout.
