The Chicago Bulls don't like to bottom out and tank, with this season being the ultimate proof of the same. Despite making moves to trade away DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso, the team is still looking to be a Play-In roster, with this season's 76ers ranked below them as well. It doesn't look like they'll be committing to tanking next season either, with a relatively competitive core in place.

Paul George is averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season. He's a shadow of the MVP-caliber player he used to be but could be a great veteran to help develop a competitive Bulls' core. They don't have any standout young players at forward either, so George could fill that gap right now while helping win-now players such as Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Nikola Vucevic try to make a genuine Playoff push next season. They'll rely on George being healthier than we've seen him in years. But even if George can't change their winning fortunes, it's not like they can get worse than what they are. If they finish lower in the standings, it might be a blessing in disguise as it lets them get a high draft pick for a change. Otherwise, this could be a worth-it cap dump with a valuable future pick coming their way as well. When the 76ers decided to make a traditional free agency signing by giving Paul George a max on the open market, the team hamstrung itself with how they could fill out their rotation. While they did make shrewd moves for the likes of Kelly Oubre Jr,. their veteran minimum signings such as Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond have simply not worked out.

Instead of trying to replace them with new veteran minimums over the next summer, the 76ers could acquire real depth in this deal by splitting George's contract into three less-than-ideal deals but all players are positively productive. Patrick Williams is averaging 9.0 points and 3.9 rebounds, and could potentially reach his potential with a new situation. Zach Collins is averaging 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds while Kevin Huerter is averaging 8.7 points. These aren't major difference-makers but are upgrades on the players that they already have. It would fill the rotation out with real contributors and at least give the 76ers the cover they need to be a Playoff franchise next season, even if they lose a draft pick while doing so. The 76ers roster as currently constructed is simply not sustainable if they're not having success. They have three players on max contracts, with both Embiid and George potentially being lower-value on max deals because of their frequent unavailability. Trading Embiid isn't realistic due to what he means to the franchise and his injury history, but George could be dumped in a shape like this. These are non-difference-making players for the Bulls, who they can consolidate for a star-level veteran like George. They could get genuine value in a shape like this while the 76ers just get some bodies who can be productive players. In addition, the three contracts instead of George's one max deal will be easier to move on from.