3 reasons the Chicago Bulls should trade Denzel Valentine

Best trade value

Denzel Valentine missed the entire 2018-19 season and only played in 36 games last year. So far, he has been healthy during the 2020-21 campaign. Teams that may have been leery of trading for him before may be more willing to acquire his services now that he’s back to full strength.

In November, Valentine signed a one-year, $4.7 million deal with the Bulls. If the franchise doesn’t move him before the March 25 trade deadline, they risk letting him walk for nothing. Five years is a long time to have a player with your franchise just to see him go elsewhere for nothing in return.

A veteran who can take care of the ball, guard both backcourt positions and occasionally score in double figures certainly has trade value. Chicago could try to acquire draft picks in exchange for Valentine from a team looking to shore up their guard rotation before the playoffs.

Warren Buffett once said, “Don’t test the depth of the river with both your feet while taking the risk.” The gist of this quote is to be careful when taking risks. NBA general managers may not phrase this idea the same way but are guided by the same concept. When Valentine struggled with injury for more than a season and a half, it may have been difficult to get opposing front offices on the phone when offering his services. Now that he’s healthy, those same executives will be willing to take those calls.