CHI | GSW | HOU | PDX: Big Man Shuffle

[drosestruts]

Chicago in: Robert Williams III and Jock Landale
Chicago out: Nikola Vucevic and Torrey Craig and PDX 2025 pick

Golden Stae in: Nikola Vucevic and Torrey Craig
Golden State out: Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, and Moses Moody

Houston in: Kevon Looney and Gar Payton II
Houston out:Jock Landale and Jae'Sean Tate

Portland in: Jae'Sean Tate and Moses Moody and PDX 2025 pick
Portland out: Robert Williams III


Why for the Bulls?
Bulls move off two veteran players for two younger big men to continue their youth re-tool. Landale is coming off a decent Olympics run alongside Giddey to give each a familiar face. Williams has had injury issues, but when healthy is an impactful, very athletic big man. Bulls happily roll the dice on a new trio of young bigs in Williams, Londale, and Smith (signed this offseason)

Why for Golden State?
Warriors add on two vet players to balance their roster and continue trying to be as good as possible with Curry and Draymond. Vuc, on paper is a floor spacing big who will grab a ton of rebounds. His shot fell off last year, there's many hypothesis as to why - one being that being the only big on the floor for Chicago was too much. Now he'll have Draymond next to him which might be the perfect pairing. Craig is a 3&D wing that provides defense and shooting depth.

Why for Houston:
It's a slight reshuffling for Houston. Expiring contracts (Londale is technically non-guranteed) for different expiring contracts. Looney or Londale will likely be the 3rd string center in Houston. Payton could find more minutes than Tate which could benefit Houston. Rockets might be owed a 2nd here.

Why for Portland:
Swap out Williams who is likely a 3rd string center at this point on a roster with a lot of centers for expiring deals that better balance the roster. Portland gets a first hand look at Moody who is still a young player with potential, and get's forward depth in Tate. They also get their pick back from the Bulls which is lottery protected through 2028 and has been preventing Portland from using future picks in any trades.


Not anything earth-shattering, but I think it brings nice balance to each roster.

[ThatBoyNick]

I don't think Houston is necessary here, it looks like we're getting two better players for no reason. We also wouldn't even have minutes for these guys, both GP and Looney deserve a consistent rotation spot when healthy.

[NW]

Vuc’s contract not worth the gamble he gets his shot back and isn’t on the decline imo

[DiegoChara]

Easy yes for Portland.

[JRoy]

Don’t think GSW would go for this.

[gswhoops]

I’d do this for GS but I recognize that I’m probably in the minority

[xdrta+]

Leaves GSW with 13 players and not enough room under their hard cap to even sign a minimum player.

[ChettheJet]

Comical to see people always acting like Vucevic after one bad shooting season has 'lost it' and will never be an 18-10 player. Oh yeah that's what he did last year on what those people want to make out as his decline off a cliff.

The Bulls do this, it's not great but they get off of Vuc's contract. Realize that Vucevic missed 13 games in the past 3 seasons, send them a pair of often injured guys as they give up durability and it's not the easy sell of youth.

Landale has started 9 games in 3 seasons, and never played 70 in any season. Williams has never played 62 games in any season, at best to preserve him he comes off the bench behind Jalen Smith. I'm going to make the other teams sweat and not include returning that PORT pick because because the Bulls are giving up a starter and solid rotation player and getting back 2 part time bench guys.

[JRoy]

Comical to see people always acting like Vucevic after one bad shooting season has 'lost it' and will never be an 18-10 player. Oh yeah that's what he did last year on what those people want to make out as his decline off a cliff.

The Bulls do this, it's not great but they get off of Vuc's contract. Realize that Vucevic missed 13 games in the past 3 seasons, send them a pair of often injured guys as they give up durability and it's not the easy sell of youth.

Landale has started 9 games in 3 seasons, and never played 70 in any season. Williams has never played 62 games in any season, at best to preserve him he comes off the bench behind Jalen Smith. I'm going to make the other teams sweat and not include returning that PORT pick because because the Bulls are giving up a starter and solid rotation player and getting back 2 part time bench guys.

I don’t think the reticence to take on Vooch is so much due to a bad shooting season but due more to the fact that he provides so little on the defensive end, which is what most teams want out of their center.

[cpower]

Kerr will only play guards...Vic will never see a min on this roster

[NW]

Kerr will only play guards...Vic will never see a min on this roster

Kerr plays the best players that he has the most confidence in. Warriors roster makeup tends to make that mostly guards. Warriors got any talented big men he’s not playing?

[DonaldSanders]

Vuc will be 34 this season and looks like he's declining, so GSW should pass on this. It looks fine for the other teams.

[drosestruts]

Vuc’s contract not worth the gamble he gets his shot back and isn’t on the decline imo

I guess I would ask what the gamble is? Say Golden State lets Looney and Payton expire, going into next summer, it's not like their absence creates any ability to do anything with cap space.

Another way to say it - I don't see what buying low on Vuc prevents Golden State from being able to do at any point in the future.

How Vuc will look in Golden State is pure speculative. I happen to be of the opinion that Vuc could benefit from a change of scenery.

Over the past two years he's primarily shared the court with 4 guards - playing alongside forwards like Green and Anderson and Wiggins and Kuminga would be huge for him. I also think he's a better match for Kerr's offball movement offense over the constant pick and rolls and iso's in Chicago over the past few years.

Vuc is not a game changer on his own. Fit is and will be important to maximizing his success and value - I do think Glolden State is a team he would fit well on.

[meekrab]

Comical to see people always acting like Vucevic after one bad shooting season has 'lost it' and will never be an 18-10 player. Oh yeah that's what he did last year on what those people want to make out as his decline off a cliff.

The Bulls do this, it's not great but they get off of Vuc's contract. Realize that Vucevic missed 13 games in the past 3 seasons, send them a pair of often injured guys as they give up durability and it's not the easy sell of youth.

Landale has started 9 games in 3 seasons, and never played 70 in any season. Williams has never played 62 games in any season, at best to preserve him he comes off the bench behind Jalen Smith. I'm going to make the other teams sweat and not include returning that PORT pick because because the Bulls are giving up a starter and solid rotation player and getting back 2 part time bench guys.

I don’t think the reticence to take on Vooch is so much due to a bad shooting season but due more to the fact that he provides so little on the defensive end, which is what most teams want out of their center.

One whole season ago he was the anchor of the 5th best defense in the league...

[gswhoops]

Vuc’s contract not worth the gamble he gets his shot back and isn’t on the decline imo

I guess I would ask what the gamble is? Say Golden State lets Looney and Payton expire, going into next summer, it's not like their absence creates any ability to do anything with cap space.

Another way to say it - I don't see what buying low on Vuc prevents Golden State from being able to do at any point in the future.

How Vuc will look in Golden State is pure speculative. I happen to be of the opinion that Vuc could benefit from a change of scenery.

Over the past two years he's primarily shared the court with 4 guards - playing alongside forwards like Green and Anderson and Wiggins and Kuminga would be huge for him. I also think he's a better match for Kerr's offball movement offense over the constant pick and rolls and iso's in Chicago over the past few years.

Vuc is not a game changer on his own. Fit is and will be important to maximizing his success and value - I do think Glolden State is a team he would fit well on.

Kuminga (and possibly Moody) will have new contracts next year, so Vuc may push them into the tax.

[NW]

Vuc’s contract not worth the gamble he gets his shot back and isn’t on the decline imo

I guess I would ask what the gamble is? Say Golden State lets Looney and Payton expire, going into next summer, it's not like their absence creates any ability to do anything with cap space.

Another way to say it - I don't see what buying low on Vuc prevents Golden State from being able to do at any point in the future.

How Vuc will look in Golden State is pure speculative. I happen to be of the opinion that Vuc could benefit from a change of scenery.

Over the past two years he's primarily shared the court with 4 guards - playing alongside forwards like Green and Anderson and Wiggins and Kuminga would be huge for him. I also think he's a better match for Kerr's offball movement offense over the constant pick and rolls and iso's in Chicago over the past few years.

Vuc is not a game changer on his own. Fit is and will be important to maximizing his success and value - I do think Glolden State is a team he would fit well on.

Warriors are right at the apron. In distance of maybe getting out the tax. So there would be consequences that I don’t see Vuc being worth. JMO

[DonaldSanders]

Vuc is not a game changer on his own. Fit is and will be important to maximizing his success and value - I do think Glolden State is a team he would fit well on.

The Warriors typically like their big men to be able to be versatile defenders capable of switching... a lot of concern there w/ Vuc on the fit there. If he can't, it doesn't work, and I've seen him struggle with switches.

[JRoy]

Comical to see people always acting like Vucevic after one bad shooting season has 'lost it' and will never be an 18-10 player. Oh yeah that's what he did last year on what those people want to make out as his decline off a cliff.

The Bulls do this, it's not great but they get off of Vuc's contract. Realize that Vucevic missed 13 games in the past 3 seasons, send them a pair of often injured guys as they give up durability and it's not the easy sell of youth.

Landale has started 9 games in 3 seasons, and never played 70 in any season. Williams has never played 62 games in any season, at best to preserve him he comes off the bench behind Jalen Smith. I'm going to make the other teams sweat and not include returning that PORT pick because because the Bulls are giving up a starter and solid rotation player and getting back 2 part time bench guys.

I don’t think the reticence to take on Vooch is so much due to a bad shooting season but due more to the fact that he provides so little on the defensive end, which is what most teams want out of their center.

One whole season ago he was the anchor of the 5th best defense in the league...

Or was he just a beneficiary of defense around him because he is not a good defensive player.

[drosestruts]

I don’t think the reticence to take on Vooch is so much due to a bad shooting season but due more to the fact that he provides so little on the defensive end, which is what most teams want out of their center.

One whole season ago he was the anchor of the 5th best defense in the league...

Or was he just a beneficiary of defense around him because he is not a good defensive player.

The truth is a little more complicated - I mean, two of the other guys he primarily played on the floor with were Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. It's not like Vuc was surrounded by all-defense defenders at every other position.

I think the main thing it highlights is that you can build a defensive system, that includes Vucevic, that can be successful.

Some have called it a gimmick defense, Bulls put a strong focus on rebounds over fast breaks to limit second chance opportunities at the expense of fast break points. But at the end of the day it worked. Vucevic was the starting center for a top-5 defense.

[drosestruts]

Vuc is not a game changer on his own. Fit is and will be important to maximizing his success and value - I do think Glolden State is a team he would fit well on.

The Warriors typically like their big men to be able to be versatile defenders capable of switching... a lot of concern there w/ Vuc on the fit there. If he can't, it doesn't work, and I've seen him struggle with switches.

It would require a change to their Warriors defense to be successful, as pointed out in other comments, the Bulls with Vucevic had a top 5 defensive rating just a year ago - so there are systems that can work defensively even with whatever limitations Vuc does have as a defender.

If Vuc was a plug and play player that could fit anywhere and perform very well he wouldn't be obtainable for a package of Looney, Payton, and Moody.