The 2020 NBA draft marks the first of Bulls' post-GarPax era. Here's a look at 4 of the duo's worst draft-day trades.
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls underwent a significant shift during the offseason, overhauling the front office with the intent of escaping the doldrums of the NBA.
After years of wayward leadership from John Paxson and Gar Forman, Bulls ownership finally cleaned house and ended the GarPax era. In April, Paxson was moved into an advisory role and Forman was fired. Jim Boylen was relieved of his coaching duties soon after.
Vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, general manager Mark Eversley and new coach Billy Donovan were brought on as replacements and will be expected to turn things around, starting with the upcoming Nov. 18 NBA draft. The Bulls have the No. 4 pick.
But while the draft is ultimately about forging forward under a new regime, removing the shackles of the past will remain a focus of longtime fans.
With this being the first post-GarPax draft, the Tribune decided to take a look back at four of the most egregious draft-day trades in the pairing’s history.
1. The Bulls bypass LaMarcus Aldridge
Tyrus Thomas burst onto the basketball scene as an energetic freshman at LSU, teaming with Glen “Big Baby” Davis to push the Tigers into the 2006 Final Four for the first time since 1986.
Thomas’ performance caught the attention of the Bulls and lured them into making a major play to gain his services in the draft. Set on their guy, the Bulls decided to leverage their position at No. 2 in the 2006 draft rather than take the best player available.
That turned out to be a bad decision. Thomas became a serviceable player who never matured into a star. But the player the Bulls drafted and traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge, made multiple All-Star teams and remains a viable player for the San Antonio Spurs.
2. GarPax trades up for Doug McDermott
The logic is easy to follow. The 2014 NBA draft was light on talent, and Creighton star Doug McDermott was fresh off a stellar senior season in which he averaged 26.7 points and 7 rebounds.
Sitting at Nos. 16 and 19 in the draft, the Bulls appeared to have little shot at landing an impact player to pair with Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol. With so much talent on the roster, the team planned to add a shooter to open driving lanes for their slashers and free up paint space for their big men.
The team decided to move up for that player, landing McDermott at No. 11 and trading their two first-round selections to get him. Those two picks became Jusef Nurkic (No. 16) and Gary Harris (No. 19). Both players have gone on to have markedly better careers than McDermott, who was out of Chicago after three below-average seasons.
3. The Bulls give up on Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat team was the surprise of the NBA bubble. He made it all the way to the NBA Finals and served as the linchpin of an upstart roster of young stars and grizzled role players. And while his team fell to LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in six games, Butler shocked the league and basketball world by taking the Heat so far into the postseason.
It was the biggest shock involving Butler since the 2017 draft. On that night, Butler was traded — along with Justin Patton — to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and No. 7 pick Lauri Markkanen. The Bulls made that deal without trying to build around Butler, instead deciding start with a blank slate. But that rebuild has yet to yield results while Butler has found a home and proved he can lead a team after stops with the Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers.
4. The trade that started the ‘Baby Bulls’
The Michael Jordan era was followed by bleak years in Chicago. The Bulls’ coffers were bone dry after the dynasty ended in 1998 and Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Phil Jackson all left town.
That changed to a small extent the next year when the Bulls selected Elton Brand and Ron “Metta World Peace” in 1999. Neither player lasted very long in Chicago, but Brand, the No. 1 pick, had an especially short stay. He was traded in 2001 after two strong seasons in Chicago, including a Rookie of the Year campaign in 1999-2000 during which he averaged 20.1 points, 10 rebounds and 1.6 blocks at only 20 years old.
Even after Brand’s early success, the Bulls decided to select Eddy Curry with the No. 4 pick in 2001 — and doubled down by trading Brand for Tyson Chandler. Of course, Brand went on to play six productive seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and make two All-Star games.
Chandler became a solid player — but not with the Bulls. Chandler also was traded in 2006 and found himself as a player with the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks, winning an NBA title with the Mavericks and Defensive Player of the Year with the Knicks.
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