Chicago Bulls must trade for James Harden after players-only meeting
The Chicago Bulls’ opening three games of the 2023–24 season have resulted in two losses. These two events have been the best storylines of the Bulls season thus far: Zach LaVine scored 51 points, and Alex Caruso made a game-winning corner triple. Because their front office has chosen not to rebuild just yet, this Bulls team has been mired in the middle of the pack for a number of years.
DeMar DeRozan’s contract expires at the end of this season, so he might choose to join a team that has a better chance of winning a championship than Chicago. The organization may decide to buy cheap on a disgruntled star like James Harden if they continue to be stubborn. Though it is a high-risk, high-reward situation, if they want to avoid living in a cellar, then it is a viable option.
The Chicago fan base finds a players-only meeting following their first game to be alarming, so going after Harden for a package that revolves around DeRozan or LaVine could cause a stir in the Windy City.
If things start getting unbearable in the Bulls locker room, these are a couple of reasons why James Harden can be an effective fit with the Chicago Bulls.
James Harden could be the Bulls’ initiator, offensive facilitator
It has been abundantly clear that the Bulls lack a dependable floor general capable of setting up the offense ever since Lonzo Ball suffered a serious injury. The team’s primary ball handlers for the previous two seasons have been Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Patrick Beverley. This has been disastrous because in 2022–2023 they ranked 24th in offensive rating. That won’t be the case with Harden in Chicago as he will create numerous opportunities for both himself and his teammates.
Chicago’s offense will significantly improve because Harden has consistently led the NBA in points and assists. LaVine and DeRozan are extremely skilled scorers, as any fan would know, but they often give head coach Billy Donovan the “your-turn-and-my-turn” mentality. It balances out the strengths and dynamics of their star players with either of them going to Philadelphia for Harden.
Even supporting players like Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic will play a bigger role in the offensive sets because Harden’s consistent play will be essential to their success.
Harden can be difficult to handle for Donovan, but his contract is only one year, so they can get rid of him after this season.
Harden has a ton of playoff experience
Yes, all NBA commentators are aware that James Harden has drawn a lot of flak for his terrible mistakes during pivotal playoff games. Harden has participated in 163 playoff games over the course of 14 years, despite his exaggerated mistakes. He has made multiple trips to the Western Conference Finals and has attended the Finals once.
Mentioning his extensive playoff experience is essential because players such as LaVine, Vucevic, and White have not had much experience playing under pressure. Because he performs best in situations where the lights are brightest, Alex Caruso is typically included in the closing five lineup.
Given the possibility that Harden ends up in Chicago, his teammates stand to gain valuable insight from his brilliant lessons learned in the heated games if they hope to advance in the Eastern Conference.
Keep in mind that the Bulls might not be too far from the elite teams—they were only three minutes away from defeating the East champs in the 2023 play-in game.
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