Chicago Bulls: Why They Need to Trade for Tyreke Evans

As the NBA draft approaches, the rumor mill is starting to heat up. 

The latest Bulls rumor I've heard comes from ESPN, which proposes that the Bulls make a play for disgruntled Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans.

The Kings have been adamant in letting Evans know that they are not going to extend him when his contract is due for an extension, which obviously makes him being traded a serious possibility. Well if that's the case, then the Bulls need to jump on this golden opportunity. 

Here is the Trade Offer: Tyreke Evans and Kings' 5th Pick for Luol Deng and Bulls' 29th Pick.

First and foremost, it's imperative to address the negative notion that not only Bulls fans, but the rest of the league for that matter, has developed about Evans and his game.

He clearly hasn't been the same player since his sensational rookie year in which he was named the Rookie of the Year and became just the fourth player in NBA history—along with Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James—to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his rookie year.

The talent is certainly there, but the Sacramento Kings used it horribly over the past two seasons. They've had Evans play everything from point guard all the way to small forward. The biggest way to deter a player's development is to not give him a set position from the start. A notable example is Michael Beasley from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who is still trying to figure out if he's a three or a four. 

Evans is a two guard with point guard playmaking abilities. He can run an offense in spurts, and the best part about his game is his ability to create his own shot. That alone is a good enough reason for the Bulls to pursue him.

He's very young as well at just 22 years old, so there is no way to say that he won't improve. The best part about Evans is not only can he play alongside Rose, but he can run the offense while Rose is rehabbing and returning from injury. Evans has played point guard in his career and has been successful at it. 

Luol Deng, as much as Bulls fans may adore him, has reached his peak. Plain and simple. This is as good as he's going to get.

Deng made his first All-Star team this year, but he's no star, because what it all boils down to is this: stars can create their own shots. Luol Deng cannot. It is what it is. Deng is a great system player and Thibodeau has done a masterful job in creating a perfect system for Deng to flourish in. In fact, I credit Thibodeau more for making Deng an All-Star than I do to Deng for becoming one. 

This league is about stars; the more you have, the better chance you have to win. You can make the argument that, as currently constructed with a healthy Derrick Rose, the Bulls can maybe beat Miami. But there is no way they can defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder Thunder in a seven-game series.

The Bulls have Derrick Rose and role players. They have no big three. No one acknowledges Luol Deng as anything more than a role player. 

Trade him for Evans who has shown major potential to become a star, and let him grow alongside Derrick Rose. Then the Bulls can draft another young star with the fifth pick, possibly Harrison Barnes or Thomas Robinson, and amnesty Boozer in a year.

Then you actually have stars surrounding Derrick Rose instead of just role players. I've said it before and I'm not afraid to say it again: you need stars, not a star, to win in this league. The Bulls' management is not fooling anyone with this team.