Report: Bulls, Warriors Talked Trade Involving Wendell Carter Jr., Draft Picks

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Chicago Bulls have reportedly discussed a trade that would send center Wendell Carter Jr. and the No. 4 overall pick to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 2 selection in the 2020 NBA draft Wednesday night.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported the news and noted the Bulls would target Memphis center James Wiseman if the deal were completed. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reported the Bulls have spoken to the Minnesota Timberwolves about the No. 1 pick, as well.

Carter has enjoyed two solid seasons since Chicago took him with the seventh pick in the 2018 draft. He’s averaged 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 50.8 percent from the field across 87 NBA appearances.

While he’s been a rock-solid contributor, he hasn’t been viewed as the potentially franchise-altering talent Wiseman could be in his prime.

The proposed deal mentioned by O’Connor falls right in line with what Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle is hearing out of the Warriors’ camp.

Golden State is looking at options to move down in the draft in order to acquire a starting center without losing the chance to select Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija, per Letourneau. Avdija is expected to land somewhere in the first handful of picks Wednesday night.

So it’s a potential trade that could be the best of both worlds.

Chicago gets a legitimate franchise building block in Wiseman who can immediately become an important part of its plans at both ends of the floor.

Golden State gets a proven center in Carter who can round out its starting lineup alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. The well-rounded Avdija has a good chance to still be on the board at No. 4, and he could slot right in as a versatile sixth man.

An argument could be made the Warriors should take Wiseman themselves, but it’d be tougher for him to maximize his potential given all of the other talent on their roster. Getting two highly promising complementary players could help the Dubs more than one potential star at this stage.

Meanwhile, fewer details are available about the Bulls’ potential pursuit of the Wolves’ first overall pick, though if Wiseman is their target they should be fine at No. 2. Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards is the favorite to come off the board first to Minnesota if the team stands pat.

There are a lot of possible moving parts within the lottery, however, so the stage is set for an unpredictable draft night.