As Billy Donovan and the Bulls continue to search for answers on the wing, I believe they are quietly overlooking an in-house answer to their SF issues: Trentyn Flowers.
I believe it is fair to say that the Chicago Bulls don't have their wing situation figured out long-term--or short term for that matter--and that they are somewhat desperately searching for answers with a roster filled with mostly guards, several bigs, and a smattering of inexperienced wings in Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips. This array of wings usually leaves Bulls head coach Billy Donovan using Ayo Dosunmu--who is more of a guard to be honest--and Kevin Huerter as his preferred small forwards, with Patrick Williams seemingly out of the rotation as of the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, playing only five minutes in the win. As Donovan and the Bulls continue to search for answers on the wing, I believe they are quietly overlooking an in-house answer to their SF issues: Trentyn Flowers.
Flowers is an athletic wing who has a no-frills playstyle focused around his ability to score efficiently in the paint or from the 3-point line. Flowers stands at 6-foot-9, and is listed at 185 lbs. He could certainly stand to add some bulk to his frame but--as of now--Flowers still has enough meat on his bones to guard a variety of player archetypes.
When I say Flowers is an excellent athlete, I mean it. He was measured as having an impressive max vertical leap of 42 inches and a standing vertical leap of 34.5 inches at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine. This impressive leaping ability allows Flowers to contest and bother essentially any shot in a half-court or full-court setting, even if he isn't necessarily collecting a lot of blocks.
Despite having an impressive athletic profile, the Bulls were able to add Flowers to their roster because of his lack of on-court experience. It is obvious that, yes, any young player is going to have limited basketball experience, but Flowers is lacking in on-court time even amongst his peers. Flowers originally committed to the University of Louisville, before later deciding to go professional as a teenager, playing for the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian NBL, and then the since scrapped G League Ignite program, before eventually signing a Two-Way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, and then (another Two-Way contract) the Bulls. While the numbers don't blow you away, Flowers' G League numbers look like a player who belongs in the NBA.
Across 12 G League games for the Windy City Bulls, Flowers is averaging 13 points, 6.7 rebounds, and a combined 1.9 steals + blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field and 41.7% from the 3-point line. While it is obviously a much higher level of play at the NBA level, Flowers has showcased the ability to take smart shots and keep the ball moving, even if he isn't someone who profiles as a high-assist player.
Flowers would immediately be able to step in and provide Billy Donovan with all of the skills his system needs from a wing in terms of spacing the floor, driving hard into the paint, and hustling on defense to spark transition offense. I believe Flowers would immediately upgrade the Chicago wing rotation, which has not looked to provide many minutes to Terry or Phillips, but there is only one way to find out.