Chicago & Miami: Bam to the Bulls

[drosestruts]

The Heat do not look like a 2025 draft pick away from turning things around post Butler trade. With Ware likely ready to play center full-time as early as next year, do the Heat look to trade Bam?

The Bulls have been showing renewed signs of life lately winning 7 of their last 9. They place fast, move the ball, and an athletic, defensive, mobile center like Bam would seem to fit perfectly with what they've been building.

With $80m in expiring contracts, all their own 1st plus a PDX 1st lottery protected through 2028, and a decent amount of young players. Is there a deal that can make sense between these two clubs?

Some ideas:


Idea 1:

Chicago in: Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love

Miami in: Vucevic, Patrick Williams, CHI 2025 1st, and the PDX 1st

Heat get an expiring center in Vuc, and young player in Williams locked in for 4 more years (can Spoeltra unlock Williams?), and two 1sts, one of them coming in immediately.


Idea 2:

Chicago in: Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier

Miami in: Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu, Tre Jones (sign and trade ~20m/year), PDX 1st

Heat unload Rozier and get two young options to fulfill their starting point guard spot. Jones has been playing very well since arriving in Chicago.


Is this enough for Bam? Do you think the Heat will even be open to hearing offers for him? Should Chicago make a move like this or try to exhibit some patience?

On the last point, I feel Bam is young enough (27) where he can play with these young Bulls and fit their team/timeline, while providing nearly exactly what they need out of a center.

[BBallFreak]

You are WAAAAY short on value.

[ReggiesKnicks]

I just don't see the Heat moving on from Bam for what amount to a few middling assets.

Maybe I'm in the minority on this forum board, but Bam to me has proven he can be the 2nd best player on a team which goes to the Championship, and at the very least has proven he can be the 2nd best player on a team which consistently makes deep playoff runs.

In a way he is the inverse of Gobert. His regular season impact numbers aren't great and he is tasked with too many responsibilities on a night to night basis. Yet, come playoff time, he is arguably the best defender in the NBA and his role becomes defined and immensely impactful.

[gswhoops]

Unless Chicago’s pick ends up in the top 3, this isn’t worth considering for Miami

[Astaluego]

In the hypothetical case that he were available, I imagine at least the Bulls having to compete with the Lakers/Hawks and perhaps the Spurs... bidding hard for him.

[jayjaysee]

Yeah, these are very short.

Theres no reason to expect Bam is going to decline through his 30% extension. And Miami would get a lot more than the OP for him.

There’s also the problem that Miami very likely owes OKC their 2026 pick, so don’t see them wanting to get worse next year?

But for fun, for Dallas I’d send Lively/LAL2029 first to Miami and Dallas’ 2025 first to OKC to get Miami their 2026 first back? Figure out the salaries but pretty open.. And still think Miami turns it down.

Miami doesn’t have to involve OKC if they don’t want, but assume they’d value their 2026 first over Dallas’ 2025 first+?…. Even involving some fourth team getting Lively. No idea what the larger deal looks like.

[ChettheJet]

#1
I doubt the Heat want an expiring Vucevic, who looks worse on defense with Zach Collins showing much more effort, Williams brings the defense for MIA but if I think he's got the offense or others don't, are they willing to give the minutes? Do they have a top 10 player they want to draft?
The Bulls like the player exchange, they likely have to make a decision. Can Smith be the PF with and expiring Collins backing up Bam, or do they trade one of them? Love probably wants to keep paying and he adds to the uncertainty. Then is Bam young enough and does he want to stick around. I don't know if AK would be allowed to trade another FRP, he moved 3 prior to getting this on back so to ship it out again may not be well thought of.

#2
Is a lot better for the Bulls to give up some of their guard glut, keep Williams to play up front with Bam and Buzelis. Keeping their pick is like GOLD. The downside is Rozier who sits way deep on the bench behind Ball, Giddey, White, Huerter maybe even Carter

Again the Heat play defense and Vucevic isn't that guy. Dosunmu is a fine defender, do they have any minutes for him? Jones has shown that he can run a team, Herro, Robinson, Mitchell makes 5 guys so who plays?

[pipfan]

I like this idea, but Chi would have to do much better.
Collins/Ayo/Matas/#11 pick this year/Port pick (which looks much more likely to convert now)

Gives Miami a great young prospect in Matas, a late lotto pick, another first, a very good 3rd guard and an expiring Collins to eat minutes next year. They go for the playin again (with their pick debt) and go into the summer of 2026 with A TON of cap space and the Miami market to attract Luka and someone else

Bulls resign Jones and go for it with this run their on now
White/Jones/Carter
Ball/Huerter/Terry
Giddy/Phillips/Terry
Bam/PWill/Phillips
Vuc/Bam/Smith

A lot of interesting pieces there-and Bulls would own all their own picks

[letsgobulls23]

I don't see it for either team. I wouldn't trade CHI 1st this year (and more) for Bam, and I wouldn't consider anything less from MIA perspective.

[JRoy]

This is terrible for MIA.

[pipfan]

This is terrible for MIA.

How about my offer?
I like this idea, but Chi would have to do much better.
Collins/Ayo/Matas/#11 pick this year/Port pick (which looks much more likely to convert now)

[jbk1234]

The Bulls pick has to be top 3, in which case, the Bulls shouldn't do it. They're not really a Bam away from anything.

[JRoy]

This is terrible for MIA.

How about my offer?
I like this idea, but Chi would have to do much better.
Collins/Ayo/Matas/#11 pick this year/Port pick (which looks much more likely to convert now)

MIA would be giving a young 2 way all star in his prime for mediocre youth and mediocre picks.
Maybe if MIA really likes Buzelis next to Herro. I don’t see it but maybe MIA fans will sound off.

[meekrab]

I like this idea, but Chi would have to do much better.
Collins/Ayo/Matas/#11 pick this year/Port pick (which looks much more likely to convert now)

Gives Miami a great young prospect in Matas, a late lotto pick, another first, a very good 3rd guard and an expiring Collins to eat minutes next year. They go for the playin again (with their pick debt) and go into the summer of 2026 with A TON of cap space and the Miami market to attract Luka and someone else

Bulls resign Jones and go for it with this run their on now
White/Jones/Carter
Ball/Huerter/Terry
Giddy/Phillips/Terry
Bam/PWill/Phillips
Vuc/Bam/Smith

A lot of interesting pieces there-and Bulls would own all their own picks

The Bulls aren't trading Matas for a second tier star like Bam getting paid like he's Giannis, come on. If that's Miami's asking price just wish them luck and say adios.

[BlazersBroncos]

This is terrible for MIA.

How about my offer?
I like this idea, but Chi would have to do much better.
Collins/Ayo/Matas/#11 pick this year/Port pick (which looks much more likely to convert now)

I think this is fair value for Bam but I am a Matas fan.

Matas, Ware, Jovic, Herro, JJJ. Thats some decent youth for MIA + picks 8 & 10.

G - Jeremiah Fears (MIA FRP)
G - Tyler Herro / Pelle Larsen
F - Liam McNeeley (CHI FRP) / JJJ
F - Matas Buzelis / Nikola Jovic
C - Ke'el Ware

Thats a really nice young core IMO. Not sure I see a #1 but Fears has a chance IMO and Matas to me is a good shot to be a #2.

[BBallFreak]

This is terrible for MIA.

How about my offer?
I like this idea, but Chi would have to do much better.
Collins/Ayo/Matas/#11 pick this year/Port pick (which looks much more likely to convert now)

MIA would be giving a young 2 way all star in his prime for mediocre youth and mediocre picks.
Maybe if MIA really likes Buzelis next to Herro. I don’t see it but maybe MIA fans will sound off.

I hate it. I feel like so many teams would jump with a better offer allowing for a quicker turnaround.

[facothomas22]

This 1st proposed trade falls well short for Bam Adebayo. The 8-11 pick in the draft + a pick ether going to be a late round pick or not convey at all,one of the worst contracts in the NBA + a meh expiring contract does not get the Bulls Bam Adebayo.

Btw, the 2nd proposed trade is flat ugly in every way. At that point, it's the Heat basically saying"we are basically going to give away Bam Adebayo for free and we don't care what we get back". Ayo is the only player in the trade that has real value outside of being a expiring contract and even then he's worth a late 1st round pick and not much more than that.The Blazers pick also has no real value. Just around a straight up insulting trade offer with this one.

[BlazersBroncos]

Am I taking crazy pills regarding Buzelis? I would take him over anyone outside the Top-3 or 4 in this draft. Him, a late lotto pick and a pick in 2026 likely to be in the teens' + a locked up young 6th man type in Ayo is a legit return for Bam.

What team has a young player with more potential than Buzelis and would be interested in the highly paid, win now move that trading for Bam would be?

[VaDe255]

Am I taking crazy pills regarding Buzelis? I would take him over anyone outside the Top-3 or 4 in this draft. Him, a late lotto pick and a pick in 2026 likely to be in the teens' + a locked up young 6th man type in Ayo is a legit return for Bam.

What team has a young player with more potential than Buzelis and would be interested in the highly paid, win now move that trading for Bam would be?

huh? what? really?
- Buzelis is shooting below league level on corner 3s (~50% of his shots are from there) and basically all 3s he shoots are assisted
- He's not scoring efficiently
- He's not playmaking at a high level
- He's not defending at a high level
- He's not getting to the line at a high frequency

I'm struggling to see what you are seeing, yes he has size and athletic tools, so far he's not an NBA level player and might not even be one. He's a 20y old rookie and it's ok to not have winning impact and all his value is based on his potential, he hasn't show much so far.

[Astaluego]

Am I taking crazy pills regarding Buzelis? I would take him over anyone outside the Top-3 or 4 in this draft. Him, a late lotto pick and a pick in 2026 likely to be in the teens' + a locked up young 6th man type in Ayo is a legit return for Bam.

What team has a young player with more potential than Buzelis and would be interested in the highly paid, win now move that trading for Bam would be?

I don't know, maybe Atlanta could make a similar offer with Okongwu/Risacher/Niang/T.Mann+ FRP for Wiggins/Bam?