NBA trade rumors: 2 Bulls would change Pistons timeline and culture

The Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls entered the season with different agendas. 

The Pistons are a young team on the rise, hoping to finally compete in the Eastern Conference and build upon a talented core. 

The Bulls have been stuck in the same spot forever and no one knows their real agenda, but it appeared they would try to lose just enough games to keep the top-10 protected pick they owe San Antonio. 

So far, they are both getting their wish, as the Pistons are better and the Bulls are hovering right around where they need to be to keep their pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

But Chicago has been getting better-than expected play from both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic that threatens their tanking/rebuilding plans, if they in fact have any. 

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Insider Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times reported that the Bulls are once again shopping both LaVine and Vucevic in a clear effort to sell high while both are healthy and playing well. 

LaVine has been on a tear of late, hitting 54 percent of his shots from the field and 50 percent of his 3-point shots over the last five games. 

He’s averaging 22 points, five rebounds and four assists per game on outstanding shooting splits of 52/44/81 while spending more time off the ball. 

Vucevic has also re-discovered his shooting touch, averaging 20/10 on 58/46/87 shooting splits, also outstanding. The Pistons got a taste of how both can change the game with their shooting in a recent loss to the Bulls. 

As soon as these names came up in trade rumors (again), I instantly saw Pistons fans saying, “go get them.” Unfortunately, it’s not that easy and there is plenty to consider when it comes to these two players. 

A trade with the Bulls would speed up the timeline 

If the Pistons were to trade for one or both of these players, they would immediately be a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference, which only really has five good teams and only four with winning records. 

LaVine and/or Vucevic would address specific needs, as the Pistons desperately need another creator and Vucevic would give them a big man who offers more than dunks offensively. 

With both players under contract past this season, the Pistons would essentially have their team for the foreseeable future and could at least compete for something in the East. 

But a trade would come at a cost. 

What would it cost to trade for Lavine or Vucevic? 

The Pistons could have had these players in the offseason if they really wanted them, as both were available and no market developed. 

At one point, the talk was that the Bulls would have to attach assets to LaVine just to move his contract. 

That’s why they are eager to trade him now, as LaVine is healthy (as healthy as he ever gets) and putting up All-Star numbers. 

Same with Vucevic, who suddenly looks like a trade asset again, and whose contract doesn’t look so bad with just one year remaining after this one. 

These two players would undoubtedly help the offense, but at what cost? The Pistons could potentially trade for both LaVine and Vucevic, as they have the contracts to match if they sent some combination of Harris, THJ, Reed and possibly Fontecchio, but I hardly see the Bulls being interested in that. 

They’d undoubtedly want one of the young players tossed in, so choose Duren or Isaiah Stewart. If not, they’d want expiring contracts and draft picks and the Pistons don’t have enough of either. 

This would be a classic case of buying high when they could have bought low over the summer and had either of these players for next to nothing. It would be a risk to give up any of the young core for an oft-injured LaVine and Vucevic, who could come back to Earth at any time with his shooting. 

It would also change what the Pistons are building. 

You can’t build a defensive culture with LaVine and Vucevic 

The Pistons are trying to build their culture around defense, which is smart. Defense is sustainable. Defense doesn’t require superstars. And as cliche as it is, defense wins titles, as just about every champion in recent years has been a top-10 defensive team. 

The Bulls currently have the worst defense in the NBA, allowed a staggering 123.9 points per game, which is 30th in the NBA. The Pistons are 10th. 

The Pistons are 12th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and the Bulls are 28th. 

LaVine and Vucevic are a big part of it, as the former can’t stop anyone on the perimeter and the latter doesn’t do much around the rim and is even worse in space. 

The Bulls have gotten steamrolled a few times this year for upwards of 140 points, including last night in a loss to the Grizzlies, when Memphis had a lay-up line for 142 points. 

Hypothetically, the Pistons could have a much-better offense, but it would potentially be at the expense of their defense and the culture they are trying to build. 

Keep in mind that LaVine’s teams have NEVER won and seem to have a glass ceiling of about the fringes of the play-in tournament and that was with a better cast than the Pistons currently have. 

I think you can make a strong argument for Vucevic, who would give them a weapon but I’m still a hard pass on LaVine, as I don’t trust his health and his defense is atrocious. 

There are pros and cons to this kind of move, but there will be more available in the future and the Pistons have time to be patient and wait for the right star to appear.