Bulls acquire Quincy Pondexter, second round pick
Stop the presses, the Bulls are making big moves! Kind of. Not really, actually. But they did make a move, acquiring Quincy Pondexter and a 2020 second round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans, looking to unload Pondexter’s $3.8 million salary, are giving the Bulls a player that has not seen NBA action since the 2014–15 playoffs. Since then, the beleaguered wingman has undergone three knee surgeries to address various ailments, failing to play a game in either of the past two seasons. You can speculate whether or not he will be healthy enough to see any time this year, but there’s a very real chance that Pondexter will not play a minute in a Chicago uniform.
Assuming Dwyane Wade is bought out before the season begins, the Bulls’ wing rotation will be thin, featuring only Zach LaVine (who is injured), Paul Zipser, Denzel Valentine and Justin Holiday. But this move is less about acquiring wing depth and more about moving Pondexter’s salary into part of the Jimmy Butler trade exception of $15.3 million in exchange for a pick. And then hey, Gar Forman can say that he actually used the trade exception the time, instead of letting it sit and go to waste (I say, gently rubbing a Kyle Korver poster on my wall).
All in all, not much of a blockbuster deal going on here, but having more picks is never a bad thing. Maybe this even makes up for when they sold the pick used this year on Jordan Bell to the Warriors for cash (it doesn’t really, but I’ll stop myself before the high blood pressure kicks in).
Preseason starts Oct. 3, kiddies. Just over a month away. Mark your calendar and embrace the tank.
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