Was The Nic Claxton Trade Actually Bad? Bulls Shooting Problem May Be Overblown

Was the Nic Claxton trade really one of the worst moves of the NBA offseason — or are people missing what the Chicago Bulls actually needed?

On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down why SB Nation ranking the Bulls’ acquisition of Nic Claxton as the fifth-worst move of the offseason may be too harsh. The asset-management criticism is fair: Chicago used cap space and took on roughly $44 million over two years instead of extracting draft capital. But from a basketball standpoint, Claxton checks several major boxes for this roster. The Bulls finished 22nd in defensive rating, allowed opponents to shoot 58.9% in the paint, and badly needed a real defensive center next to Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson.

Haize explains how Claxton gives Tiago Splitter defensive flexibility with switching, mobility, length, blitzing ability and recovery speed. He also looks at how Claxton could help protect Matas and Caleb while they develop into a long, athletic defensive frontcourt. But the concerns are real: spacing could get ugly, Claxton’s rebounding must bounce back, and the Bulls need the 2022-24 version of Claxton — not the statistically declining one from last season.

Then the show shifts to Chicago’s biggest offensive concern: is the Bulls’ shooting actually as bad as it looks? Haize breaks down why the answer may be “not as bad as people think.” Josh Giddey has become a respectable shooter, Matas Buzelis already has high-volume three-point confidence, Caleb Wilson changed the conversation in Summer League, Norman Powell brings proven shooting gravity, and Jalen Smith may be too important as a stretch big to give away.

🔥 Topics include:

• Was the Nic Claxton trade really one of the NBA offseason’s worst moves?
• Why the asset-management criticism is fair
• How Claxton helps Tiago Splitter build a real defense
• Why Claxton’s fit with Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis matters
• The Bulls’ spacing concerns with Claxton, Caleb and Giddey
• Why Jalen Smith remains important
• Is Chicago’s shooting problem overblown?
• Josh Giddey’s shooting growth
• Matas Buzelis as a high-volume shooter
• Caleb Wilson’s Summer League shooting leap
• Norman Powell’s gravity and lineup impact

🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!

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