Bulls: Former All-Rookie Standout Floated as Offseason Trade Target

Getty Head coach Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls want to re-sign DeMar DeRozan this offseason.

They also still roster Coby White and Zach LaVine despite their best efforts to trade both; the former before his breakout over the last two seasons and the latter in an ongoing effort that will resume this offseason.

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley believes they also lacked a certain vertical element from their frontcourt. He suggests targeting New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson this offseason.

“With off-the-dribble scoring threats like Coby White and DeMar DeRozan (assuming he’s re-signed), the Bulls could get a ton of mileage out of a dynamic pick-and-roll screener like Mitchell Robinson,” Buckley wrote on May 16. “If the New York Knicks cough up the coin needed to re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein, they might need to find a way to unload Robinson.”

Robinson, 26, was a member of the All-Rookie team and has averaged at least 1.1 blocks per game every year since entering the league.

He averaged 5.6 points and 8.5 rebounds this past season. It was his sixth campaign since the Knicks selected him in the second round (No. 36 overall) in the 2018 draft. The Knicks have utilized Robinson‘s prowess as a roller and less over the last five seasons.

He topped out at a 27.5% play frequency as a rookie in 2018-19, per NBA.com play type data.

That rate has dropped in each season since. It plummeted 8.4% from 2021-22 to 2022-23 with Hartenstein notably arriving in free agency during the 2022 offseason.

However, he has been elite when it comes to scoring in those opportunities. Robinson has ranked sixth or better in scoring frequency every season before this past year. That includes leading the league in 2022-23 with an 86% scoring rate.

Robinson might be an even more appealing trade target to the Bulls for his defensive capabilities.

Mitchell Robinson a Cheaper, Younger Alternative to Nikola Vucevic

Even with Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, and Patrick Williams on hand to slow down penetration, the Bulls lack sufficient rim protection. Opponents shot 64.9% from five feet and in last season, 11th most in the NBA. A deterrent like Robinson could help them get back to form.

The group finished the season ranked 22nd in defensive rating with largely the same group that finished the 2022-23 season ranked fifth.

That includes the 2023 All-Defensive First Teamer and 2024 hopeful, Caruso.

“Ideally, Chicago would find a way to bring a third team into the fold, so it could route Nikola Vučević elsewhere and replace him with Robinson,” Buckley wrote. “The Bulls would sacrifice some scoring in the process, but they’d become more dynamic at—and especially above—the rim.”

Robinson has two years remaining on his four-year, $60 million contract.

He will count for $14.3 million against the salary cap next season. That’s $5.7 million less than Vucevic will cost in Year 2 of his three-year, $60 million contract.

The Bulls could have a need for a backup center with Andre Drummond headed for free agency. Drummond showed well in his limited role this season. He also flirted with the idea of leaving last offseason before opting into the second year of his two-year, $6.6 million pact.

Injury History Could Cause Pause on Bulls’ Potential Trade Target

Rumors linked the Bulls to a trade for Robinson in 2022 and again in 2023. But Robinson’s injury history is a major red flag, especially if the deal means the Bulls could lose Vucevic in the process. It’s one of many potential hurdles to Robinson finally ending up in a Bulls uniform.

The Knicks big man appeared in 31 games this past season. He has just two seasons with at least 65 appearances.

He was knocked out of this postseason with his ankle injury.

Mitchell Robinson was pretty clearly hobbled in Game 1, not moving well on that balky ankle, but he chipped in 12 minutes of hustle and made a couple of big plays in the fourth quarter. Thibs praised him after the game for “giving us everything he has.” Tough way for it to end.

The Bulls could find it difficult to match salaries in a trade for Robinson. Their guard-heavy roster might not offer much that appeals to the Knicks. Players like Caruso and Williams are likely in the Bulls’ plans for the future and therefore out of trade talks.