Chicago Bulls: Analyzing a hypothetical trade for Ben Simmons

Does this Ben Simmons trade work for the Chicago Bulls?

This deal works a little too well for the Chicago Bulls. They get to take care of a pesky restricted free-agent situation with Markkanen AND extract max value by adding a legitimate (if limited) star in Ben Simmons.

Parting with two point guards in White and Satoransky is less than ideal, but Simmons may function best as a point guard himself alongside Zach LaVine in Chicago. Given his shooting limitations, the fit may be a bit awkward, but Ben Simmons is going to fit awkwardly just about anywhere in the NBA anyway.

As we discussed above, the 2025 pick coincides well with Simmons’s contractual timeline. Even if they don’t retain him at the end of this deal, that pick most likely won’t be of particularly high value by the time it comes due to convey.

The Bulls would also put the final touch on their own Big 3, adding Simmons to the existing duo of LaVine and last trade deadline’s big score, Nikola Vucevic. This may not be a championship core, but it’s at least a group that should be able to propel the Bulls into the playoffs and even make some noise once they get there. That’s more than at least two-thirds of the NBA can realistically even hope for.

This deal works for the Bulls, but it works too well to be viable.