The Chicago Bulls have been mostly quiet on the roster front as VP of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham got his front office in order and found a new head coach. Most didn’t expect any notable roster moves before the NBA draft on Tuesday night. Those assumptions proved incorrect. Graham struck less than 24 hours ahead of the action, jumping into a deal between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets. It involves Julius Randle being sent to Brooklyn along with the 28th pick in the 1st round.
This move allows Minnesota to free up cap space to retain Ayo Dosunmu and make other exemption moves. The Nets add a three-time All-Star forward to their very young roster and secure an extra 1st round pick. However, there was one problem. His hefty contract was coming with him. To make it work, they would have to unload one of their larger contracts. That required a third team. Enter the Bulls, who have the most cap space in the NBA. They would take 27-year-old center Nic Claxton in the deal, freeing up $23.32 million for Brooklyn.
Bryson Graham erased one big issue from the draft.
Among the most pressing concerns for the Bulls going into this offseason was their lack of presence in the middle. They didn’t have anybody at center who could protect the rim and rebound. That was why there were growing rumors about pursuing Walker Kessler from Utah. That is no longer a problem. Claxton was a steady force in the paint for Brooklyn over the past few years. Last season was one of the more well-rounded of his career. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.
The biggest selling point aside from the defense is his steadiness. Claxton started at least 68 games over the past four years. His ability to stay on the court can’t be overstated. That is a big deal for a team that sometimes struggled to stay healthy in years past. He is the first step in remaking the team’s identity. Bryson Graham said he wants more SLAP players. Big, long athletes who play physical. Claxton checks all of those boxes. He won’t be the star attraction, but he’s got plenty of value.
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The Bulls see which way the wind is blowing.
Graham isn’t naive. If he wants to build a championship basketball team, it must be done with one underlying goal in mind. Find guys who can slow down Victor Wembenyama. It is a simple reality that the superstar San Antonio Spurs center will be a regular participant in the NBA title picture over the next several years. This goes without mentioning reigning champion Karl Anthony-Towns, the still-elite Nikola Jokic, and the always dangerous Joel Embiid. Either you find a center who can match them offensively, or you stack the lineup with bigs who can defend.
Claxton falls into the latter category. His arrival pretty much illustrates what the Bulls will do in the draft. They are almost guaranteed to take Caleb Wilson #4 overall, beefing up their forward positions alongside Matas Buzelis. From there, it is a safe guess that they will hope to land a quality guard to help the backcourt as well. If it plays out as hope, Graham will have addressed all three key positions in the space of one day. That is pretty good work for such a young executive.
