5 reasons why Chicago Bulls would benefit from Damian Lillard trade

The Chicago Bulls are among the teams that have recently entered the race to land Damian Lillard. Over the past few days, many Eastern Conference teams have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Lillard, who has asked out of the Portland Trail Blazers. But he has set the Miami Heat as his preferred destination.

Since talks between the Blazers and Heat have stalled, other teams have emerged as favorites to land the All-Star guard. Things are expected to clear out as we head into the training camp's start next Tuesday, October 3.

It wouldn't be easy for the Bulls to complete the trade, even though they have the players and draft picks to send to Portland, but it could make sense to try and attempt to acquire the superstar guard. Here, we examine why a Damian Lillard trade could benefit Chicago.

5 reasons why Chicago Bulls would benefit from a Damian Lillard trade

#5. Moving on from Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball is dealing with a knee injury that has sidelined him since January 2022. He had three surgeries and will miss the entire 2023-24 season.

Even though the team denied any rumors of letting Ball go, they wouldn't rule out including him in a trade package or waiving him to earn cap flexibility and getting rid of his contract. Ball has a guaranteed spot for the 2023-24 season and a player option for next summer.

#4. Giving an ideal pick-and-roll partner to Nikola Vucevic

Damian Lillard enjoys having the ball in his hands and creating for himself and his teammates. He does so in one-on-one situations and through pick-and-roll. The latter would significantly help Nikola Vucevic, who can stretch the floor and shoot from beyond the arc.

So, bringing Lillard in would help Vucevic have a different role than the one he had last year, with pick-and-roll as the main scoring option.

#3. Upgrading Chicago's point guard position

Since Lonzo Ball's injury, Chicago has struggled a lot with the point guard position. Neither Alex Caruso nor Coby White have been consistent and able to make the difference on both ends.

Caruso is an elite defender, while White can offer some solutions coming off the bench. Still, the Bulls can't rely on them to lead the way. On the other hand, Lillard is a megastar who will bring his elite scoring and leadership skills to Chicago should the team agree to a deal with Portland.

#2. Extending the Bulls' title window

Chicago have failed to challenge for the title over the past two or three years, with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine leading the way. So, the franchise has already considered trading one of the two, as the title window could close if the team fails again this year.

Trading for Lillard, though, would extend this window, as the All-Star guard has four years remaining on his current deal with the Blazers. Thus, playing alongside DeRozan or LaVine would help keep the Bulls in the title picture for a few years.

#1. Making Chicago a title contender for the 2023-24 season

The most important thing for Damian Lillard's trade is his ability to immediately turn any team into a title contender.

This also goes for the Bulls, who would enter the title picture and should be considered a favorite to claim the championship this year should they trade for Lillard.