The Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls might not be playing postseason basketball this year, but the two came together on a rather big deal on the eve of the NBA trade deadline.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Washington has dealt high-priced forward Otto Porter Jr. to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for forwards Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis.
The Washington Wizards are sending Otto Porter to the Chicago Bulls for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2019
From a Bulls perspective, this is something we recommended the downtrodden team do ahead of the deadline. That is to say, move on from expiring contracts while bringing in someone who could help the team long term.
Still only 25 years old, Porter Jr. has a nice amount of upside. Sure he’s overpaid at $26.6 million annually, but it’s a salary the Bulls can take on.
As it relates to Washington, this enables the team to cut some of the fat off its roster. Parker has one year remaining on his deal, but that comes in the form of a team option. Meanwhile, Portis is a restricted free agent this coming summer.