Why these could be Thaddeus Young’s final months as a Bull

by Bella Michaels

Photo Courtesy of the NBA

With each game he plays off the bench this season, 32-year-old, 6-foot-8 point forward Thaddeus Young’s value goes up.

This means that any playoff-contending team could want to trade for the NBA veteran when the March 25 trade deadline hits. Young has been traded three times before in his 14-season career and he’s an appealing trade target now more than ever before.

Why?

Because of his experience, leadership, versatility and focus.

The Chicago Bulls are seeing an elite side to Young, who’s been playing the best basketball of his career. He’s averaging a career-high 4.3 assists per game off the bench and almost notched his first career triple-double in a couple of his past few games.

Last night, Young posted 19 points in a 107-103 loss against the New York Knicks. He has improved his field goal percentage to 58.5% -- the best he’s ever had – from the career-low 44.8% he averaged last year with the Bulls.

Young has been doing a great job stepping in for 6-foot-10 center Wendell Carter Jr., who’s out due to a quad contusion that he suffered in practice.

This season, Young is averaging 10.9 points per game, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists – making an impact on both ends of the floor in his 25 minutes off the bench.

Last season, he averaged 1.8 assists. Poor coaching by Jim Boylen was keeping Young around the perimeter to shoot threes rather than putting him in a position to do his best – the way he is performing this season.

He’s second in the league when it comes to drawing charges – he’s racked up eight of them just this season.

He’ll chase down a loose ball and he finds ways to get the ball to his teammates in the best, most efficient way possible to give them a good shot. He’s not flashy, he’s tough and gets the job done by studying where the ball comes off the rim.

Last year, the Bulls acquired him on a three-year contract for roughly $43.6 million. Only $6 million of the $14.2 million are guaranteed next season, which is another reason why he is an attractive trade target.

It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold at the trade deadline.