The Chicago Bulls have been able to have some of the best players ever don the iconic red jersey over the years. Drafting talent like Michael Jordan or trading for talent like Scottie Pippen, there are all different ways to build rosters. However, they have also been on the bad side of getting talent on their roster. Let’s take a deeper dive into one of the worst trades Chicago has made in franchise history.
The Chicago Bulls trading away LaMarcus Aldridge is the worst trade in franchise history
Jan. 22, 2010; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Chicago Bulls forward (24) Tyrus Thomas against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Chicago defeated Phoenix 115-104. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote an article ranking the 50 worst NBA trades ever, with the Bulls being listed a few times. Some trades saw the team get the better end of the deal, while others not so much. Their worst trade is ranked 32nd, which took place during the 2006 NBA Draft, where the Bulls traded LaMarcus Aldridge and a second-round pick for Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa. Below is the reasoning for the trade being ranked this low:
“Crushing teams for draft-night decisions always feels a little unfair. And in this case, Tyrus Thomas was entering the NBA with plenty of hype. Prior to his selection, DraftExpress read, ‘In terms of physical attributes, there are few players in the NBA right now who can match Thomas’ combination of length and athletic ability.’
“In his lone season at LSU, he averaged 12.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and a conference-leading 3.1 blocks in just 25.9 minutes. But Thomas’ skills never caught up to those physical gifts in the NBA. He finished his career with a sub-44 field-goal percentage and an average of 7.7 points. Meanwhile, LaMarcus Aldridge went on to be one of the best players in Portland Trail Blazers history. The five-time All-NBA selection turned himself into a fringe Hall of Fame candidate.”
Thomas would play 254 games with the Bulls and struggled to be effective, while Khyrapa would play in just 42 games for the team before ending his NBA career. It is difficult to find a bigger backfire than trading away one of the better players of a generation for two players who played less than five total years with the team.
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