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NBA Trade Grades: Thunder Get Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott From Chicago

By Phil Watson

Feb 1, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket between Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jerian Grant (2) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket between Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson (22) and guard Jerian Grant (2) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 1, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cameron Payne (22) shoots the ball over Chicago Bulls forward Cristiano Felicio (6) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cameron Payne (22) shoots the ball over Chicago Bulls forward Cristiano Felicio (6) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls spent much of the last, oh, seven or eight months actively shopping third-year forward Nikola Mirotic.

So it makes perfect sense that on deadline day they traded third-year forward … Doug McDermott. Wait, what?

Their fanbase is a tad confused, too.

The only way this deal makes sense is that if Cameron Payne emerges from the pile of point guards the Bulls have already started this season (Rajon Rondo, Michael Carter-Williams, Jerian Grant) to take the reins of the offense.

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Otherwise, you’ve dealt your starter at the 4 and a rotation reserve on the wing for a point guard coming back from a broken foot (Payne), a three-point specialist shooting less than 30 percent from distance (Anthony Morrow) and a backup center (Joffrey Lauvergne).

Oh, and a second-round pick … next year.

In the 20 games he’s been back since breaking his foot last fall, Payne hasn’t exactly lit things up, shooting 33.1 percent overall and 30.8 percent from three-point range. Morrow has shot 38.7 percent overall and 29.4 percent from distance.

Lauvergne, already 25 and in his third season, was playing almost 15 minutes a game and shooting .455/.346/.638 as a backup to the backup center in OKC. He was acquired over the summer from the Denver Nuggets and figures to compete for playing time with Cristiano Felicio behind Robin Lopez.

Next: 2017 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

Add this deal to a litany of moves that just don’t seem to make a lot of sense for either the short- or long-term for Chicago, a team that seems content to just spin its wheels with neither a plan to blow things up and start over nor aggressively build a contender.

Grade: D+

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