Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways from the Justin Holiday trade

2. Trade opens up opportunities for Chandler Hutchison

With the Justin Holiday trade, the Bulls now have 34.9 minutes per game free to disseminate to other players. One player who should benefit the most is Chandler Hutchison. The rookie forward from Boise State is only averaging 17.3 minutes a night and should see a significant boost in playing time now that Holiday is on his way to Memphis.

You might remember, the Chicago Bulls reportedly “promised” to draft the 6’7″ Hutchison in the 2018 NBA Draft. It didn’t make much sense to not only start Holiday over Hutchison in an admitted rebuilding situation, but play the veteran over the rookie as much as they did. It only served to hurt the young forward more than help.

In 33 games this season, including three starts, Hutchison is averaging 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from the floor and 30 percent from long range. With the solid backing of head coach Jim Boylen, fans can expect a more confident player on the floor from here on out.