11:13pm: The trade is official, the Bulls announced on Twitter.
6:43pm: The Wizards will send Otto Porter to the Bulls in exchange for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Washington will also receive a protected future second-round pick, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). Jake Fischer of SI.com adds (via Twitter) that the pick will be a top-36 protected second-rounder in 2023.
The deal shapes up as a cost-cutting move for Washington, which was well into luxury tax territory for this season and was in danger of heading there again next year. Porter, who makes $27.25MM next year and has a player option worth nearly $28.5MM for 2020/21, was the most logical trade piece to provide cap relief. Injuries have made John Wall virtually unmovable as his super-max deal kicks in next season, and the Wizards don’t want to part with All-Star guard Bradley Beal.
Washington gets back a pair of players with no guaranteed salary beyond this season. Portis will be eligible for restricted free agency after turning down an extension offer from the Bulls in October. The fourth-year forward is having his best NBA season, averaging career highs of 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Parker signed a two-year, $40MM deal with Chicago last summer, but it carries a team option on the $20MM second year. He will get two months to try to impress the Wizards, but the team will almost certainly likely opt for the savings.
The trade drops Washington’s projected tax bill for this season from $8.96MM to $3.34MM and puts it $2.3MM above the tax threshold, posts Bobby Marks on ESPN Now. Marks adds that Parker’s option must be exercised by June 29, and the team must submit a $3.6MM qualifying offer to Portis by the end of June to retain the right to match any offers.
Porter, 25, will get a chance to shine in Chicago as part of the team’s young core. He’s averaging 12.6 PPG and 5.6 RPG in his sixth NBA season and recently moved into a sixth-man role in Washington.
The Wizards had pledged last week not to trade Porter or Beal, but Wall’s heel surgery, followed by a ruptured left Achilles tendon that will sideline him for at least 12 more months, apparently changed their minds, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The move should create enough financial freedom for Washington to sign Tomas Satoransky and Thomas Bryant to long-term deals this summer, adds David Aldridge of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
we gotta be flipping porter for picks because….
uh, odd
Good move for bulls. I think Porter will do well outside of DC.
You’re going to be disappointed.
He did good on DC.
Not sure if anyone on here follows basketball or just say things
Otto becomes the best player on the Bulls by a landslide.
By a landslide?
Porter – 12.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2 APG, 15.1 PER and 2.2 Win Share
LaVine – 22.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 17.6 PER and 1.5 Win Share.
Stating Otto is the Bulls best player by a landslide isn’t true at all. Is he their best player? That argument can be made but he and LaVine are pretty close.
Are you F’n kidding me?!?!?!?!
Um, well I didn’t see that one coming.
This makes no sense. Why would the Bulls take on that much money and lose their cap flexibility?
Who was/is going to sign in Chicago?
Nobody is coming to Chicago. It sucks, but we all know it’s the truth
True…. but that doesnt mean you have to use it on Porter.
Cap flexibility??? Bahahahaha. Dude, this is the Chicago Bulls. NOBODY big signs with the Chicago Bulls. They either build through the draft or have to trade for someone. That won’t change until the current regime is gone, and the way it’s panning out, they look like the Kim dynasty of North Korea.
Awesome news!! Glad Otto can be closer to home!!
Pretty sure Mirotic won’t be moved to Washington D.C.
Or Houston because they just got Shumpert in a 3 team between CAVS/Rockets/Kings.
I was thinking he wasn’t going to The District because his Punch Out buddy Portis was just shipped there. But you’re right on your end, too.
Is Otto Porter any good?
He is being paid like he is pretty good
He is talented but tends to disappear. Holler him up, rowdy loud Chicago crowd.
Yes. Good all-around player.
Best player involved in the trade.
I like it
For Washington I’m assuming.
Yes
This makes no sense for chicago because porter is on a long term terrible deal….
2 years
2 years is perfect timing for them.
Let alone Porter is one of the better small forwards in the league.
I say bravo.. but to each their own.
Just in Amico Hoops- Alec Burkes sent to Sacramento, Brandon Knight to Cleveland, Iman Shumpert to Houston.
I assume CLE gets a 1st, but what does Sacto get. The 3 is their gap, not the 2.
Thought for sure Parker was going to the Lakers. Hopefully they get Ariza at least.
Ariza for KCP + 1st could get Wiz under the tax
Why would the Lakers go after Parker? He plays the same position as LeBron/Kuzma. He wouldn’t be significant trade bait since he has a big contract and is pretty one dimensional. Plus, the Lakers would have likely had to hope that an offer of KCP and Rondo plus picks would get a deal done (to match salaries). I would hardly call Parker an upgrade over either.
Today is a day the Nets can reflect and say thank you to the Heat and Wizards for matching those horrible contracts that just got dealt today.
Good memory and you’re absolutely right. The Brooklyn Nets, making other teams pay up for restricted free agents since 2015.
If the heatbdidnt match Tyler Johnson, the AFC was only going to be 12.5 for them
Wow….*if the Heat didnt match on Tyler Johnson, his AAV would have only been 12.5 for them
Lol, I got what you were saying. But still, Tyler Johnson at anything more than a mid-level exception feels like lighting money on fire.
Good trade for the Wizards. They get out from the Porter contract and get a much needed shake-up to their core. Portis is probably worth holding on to at a reasonable rate. Unless the Wizards end up using the cap space saved from Porter towards another albatross of a deal, its a good trade for them.
Surprisingly good trade for the wizards. Cut costs and gets a decent young player
He hasn’t been great thus far, but I think Porter has a chance to break out with the Bulls much like Victor Oladipo did with the Pacers. Taking a talented player out from under the shadow of superior players and putting them on a team without a star could cause them to blossom.
Jabari left 3 years, 54 mil on the table for 2 years, 20 mil and only one year guarantee because he wanted to be in Chicago, his home town. They showed him lol
For sure the Bulls did the Wiz a solid here, the Wiz can rid themselves of both players but this also let the Bull get a controllable player who will slide into the starting rotation and could become a star.
Looks like they’ll run with Carter, Porter, Markkanen & Lavine moving forward put Dunn to the bench use their pick for a depth add then spend all that cap on amax deal for a PG …..Bledsoe would be a nice fit with this group.
All and all good deal for both sides especially when FA’s aren’t flocking to come to the Windy City….
Eric Bledsoe on a max deal? Yikes. That would be a bad contract instantly on signature.
If They give Bledsoe even half the max they might as well not have a team in Chicago. That would be an all time low.
I wasn’t implying a max for Bledsoe, I simply meant a player like him would work well with this group or they could spend max money to add a PG
I imagine they’ll go after Rozier or draft Morant. Bledsoe doesn’t fit with the Bulls young core.
Like both of those guys more than Bledsoe. The big question is: what the heck is Rozier worth? I feel like he can be a starting PG for a good team, but the sample size is so small. Jonathon Simmons money? Or does someone over pay in a market with few good PG options?
The Bulls IMO will have to give max money to a player that doesn’t deserve a max deal just to bring themselves back to a competitive spot
Man, Otto Porter really looked good in his contract season. Never agreed with the price the Wizards paid, but can’t say I saw him being moved as a salary dump. He looked like a legit 3rd option for a good team, maybe he finds that game again once the Bulls get rid of Lavine.
I guess I’m still just a little perplexed at how the Bulls evaluate a player’s value in relation to how much they pay. Is a 3rd option worth 28mil a season now that we’ve seen good players signing for 9-13mil?
Washington must be on the floor laughing at how dumb the Bulls management is. Not only do they dump the worst contract in basketball but they also get a pick and 2 expiring deals. If it weren’t for the Knicks the Bulls are clearly the worse run organization.
So this isn’t a salary dump, the dude just isn’t very good? I don’t know a lot about his games (I don’t watch many Wizards games) Are you a legit Wizards fan? Can you elaborate on Porter’s game a little bit?
Worst contract in basketball would go to Wiggins.
He’s near the top for sure. Wall, Conley, Wiggins, LeBron after next season.
First Bledsoe, now Conley & James. Not impressive.
Worst contract in basketball? Do you know who John Wall is?
Also, we know the Bulls were going to overpay a free agent this summer. Now, instead of overpaying for 3 years, they can overpay for 1.5.
Not to mention, Porter just might surprise.
Good point with John Wall.
To be clear though, as of today Porter’s contract is a pretty outrageous overpay, but it will have some more value next year as an expiring and he might be able to shoot his way into a spot that makes him dual value in expiring + contributor for a playoff contender.
I know Porter was part of the core of the Wizards, I know he’s still young and he’s a good two way player. That’s really all I know about him. I was hoping some legit Wizards fans could give some more info, attributes, good/bad things about his game. Thanks in advance
*crickets* I’m not a Wizardwatcher but say… a taller BJArmstrong, in that he likes the baseline a bit too much, partly because he’s good there. He looks good everywhere but doesn’t seem to want the ball. Supposedly the coach worked at getting him the ball more to not much effect. Maybe the Wall/Beal unrest over time chased him from the middle of the court. He’s not a Wall kind of tough guy. Change of scenery prob a good thing. Bulls players will prob help him, or not impede him due to their youth and losing record… LaVine almost complains about carrying the offense.
Just want to say, this is a fine trade, and not the time to knock Gar/Pax/whatever. Nothing they planned on keeping was given up. The Bulls can stand to have another slightly overpaid player, given his potential. Their yocomofo are controlled for another couple years.
amiright? *crickets*
bulls should consider shifting next year to the g league
Bulls just need to dump Lopez now. Clock is ticking, any takers?
Paxton has got to go. The bulls are never gonna be good. This move sucks.
The Bulls will still not be good after this trade but they do improve by adding Porter and it really only cost them money they didn’t give up anything valuable in the trade. I see it as a win-win and Wizards get a mulligan after overpaying to keep Porter.
Good deal for both teams. Porter is a great get for the Bulls basketball-wise and plugs their most significant roster gap. His contract isn’t bad, it’s a 25% max but has only 2 years left on it. He’s a better player than his top line numbers indicate, even in an off year, because he’s 2 way player, and a true combo 3, and only 25. Portis, on the other hand, has no path to the Chicago starting lineup, and is an RFA, where he’s bound to get an offer sheet from a team with an opening at 4/5, which may not be for Porter’s salary, but won’t be typical backup $$ either and will be for a longer term. Whether they match or not, it doesn’t solve their gap at 3, so further resources would have to dedicated to that, and, again, likely for a longer term than 2 years. Here, age, position and remaining contract length trump any under performance based on annual salary.
The Wiz on the other hand get off the luxury tax this year, and a path to stay beneath it next year, and also get a guy in Portis who can start for them with or in place of Bryant. They’re locked from UFA market (with or without Porter, but even moreso with), so it’s what’s on the roster at season’s end and Bird, EB or NB rights. They have a lot of 3 types, but no path to add a young power guy like Portis.