The Chicago Bulls are finally making something happen as the trade deadline approaches. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls have put a trade offer on the table with the Toronto Raptors that would send Carlos Boozer and Nate Robinson to Toronto and recieve Andrea Bargnani and John Lucas III in return. The deal is officially waiting on the Raptors to approve it. This is a move that will get the Bulls under the luxury-tax threshold they have been working on.
Carlos Boozer is currently in the third year of a five-year contract of $75 million. By unloading that, they get under the luxury-tax threshold, saving the team millions. Since signing Boozer to the large contract, it has become nothing but a burden for the Bulls. The team needed to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Boozer is shooting a career-low 47.1 percent from the field, but he has come up big during the absence of Derrick Rose. Nate Robinson has done the same coming off the bench. In 23.8 minutes per game, he is averaging 12 points and 4.2 assists. Getting rid of Robinson is a necesary evil if the Bulls wanted to get players for less money.
Bargnani is the best player of the two that Chicago recieves in the trade. A former No. 1 overall pick by Toronto, he has a scoring average of 14.8 points per game in his seventh year in the NBA. He did miss 26 games earlier in the season with an elbow injury. Lucas III has been a backup in Toronto, averaging 5.6 points per game.
Chicago is certainly giving up a lot just to unload on contract. The trade would certainly benefit Toronto more. Boozer has been a big part of the team being eight games above .500 and just a few games back from leading the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have just 30 games before the postseason begins to work new players into their already well-functioning lineup. While Bargnani is young with high potential, his stats are nowhere near Boozer's.
The trade is a risky move for Chicago. They are playing well without Rose and messing with team chemistry could prove harmful in the end. With Feb. 21 quickly approaching, the Raptors will have to make a decision quickly.
