Rumor: Bulls exploring trade market for Robin Lopez, Doug McDermott

According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the Chicago Bulls are in search of a first-round pick in exchange for either Robin Lopez or Doug McDermott.

The NBA’s trade deadline is just 10 days away and the Chicago Bulls are starting to become linked to rumors all over the place.

First, it was the whole Jimmy Butler-to-Boston thing again.

Then, it was Jahlil Okafor possibly coming home to Chicago.

Now, the latest rumor has the Bulls in search of a first-round pick by dealing either Robin Lopez or Doug McDermott before the deadline on Feb. 23.

Here’s Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders with some details:

The Chicago Bulls are exploring the trade market in search of a first-round draft pick in exchange for either center Robin Lopez or forward Doug McDermott, league sources told Basketball Insiders.

He concluded the report with this bit:

Chicago remains interested in acquiring Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor. It’s unclear at this time if exploring the trade market for a first-round pick in exchange for either Lopez or McDermott is related to the Okafor trade talks.

The Bulls got a solid deal in the Derrick Rose trade this past summer with acquiring Lopez and Grant, an experienced guard from Notre Dame (John Paxson’s alma mater) who they really wanted in the 2015 NBA Draft. Unfortunately for them, Grant has been a disappointment and Lopez can only do so much for a team that continues to struggle defensively as the months move along.

As for McDermott, things just haven’t been the same for him since the concussion he suffered back on Nov. 12. He’s struggled to score in any form or fashion, especially from beyond the arc, and his defensive performance has been well-documented.

You can never say never when the trade deadline rolls around, but two things feel certain:

The interesting part is if they do decide to move Lopez, will that be related to the Okafor situation to clear up space on the center depth chart?