Did the Bulls Give Up On Rob Dillingham Too Early?

Rob Dillingham came out of college as one of the more intriguing young guards in basketball. His ability to handle the ball, create his own shot and generate offense off the dribble made him an exciting prospect.

Yet just a few seasons into his NBA career, Dillingham is already headed to his third team at only 21 years old.

The Chicago Bulls recently traded Dillingham to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Buddy Hield and cash considerations, ending what turned out to be a very short experiment in Chicago.

On the surface, it might look like the Bulls gave up too early.

They acquired Dillingham from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the trade surrounding Ayo Dosunmu, and there was hope that the former lottery pick could eventually help fill the Dosunmu-sized hole left behind. Dillingham struggled early in Chicago, but once injuries opened the door for increased playing time and usage, he finished the season playing some of his best basketball.

So why trade him now?

Because there simply wasn't a role for him.

The Bulls have made it clear that this new era of Chicago basketball is going to revolve around Caleb Wilson, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. Every roster decision should now be made with one question in mind: Does this player make life easier for those three?

Dillingham didn't.

That doesn't mean he's a bad player. In fact, Dillingham could eventually become a very productive NBA guard. But his game requires the basketball. He needs possessions where he can break down defenders, create his own shot and operate as a primary offensive weapon.

Where were those possessions going to come from in Chicago?

Giddey is going to have the basketball in his hands. Tre Jones is going to receive minutes because of his ability to organize the offense and create opportunities for everyone around him. Dillingham was essentially Chicago's third point guard, and asking a 21-year-old score-first guard to develop while barely giving him opportunities to do what he does best doesn't help anyone.

Then there's the defensive problem.

Dillingham is undersized, and that's difficult to hide in the modern NBA. Teams constantly hunt mismatches and force smaller guards into switches. You can live with some of those limitations when that player is providing significant offensive production.

But if Dillingham isn't getting the ball enough to provide that offense, what exactly are the Bulls getting?

That's why Buddy Hield makes considerably more sense.

Hield doesn't need 15 dribbles or a high usage rate to impact a game. Defenses know exactly what he wants to do. He wants to shoot threes, and they have to respect him because of it.

That alone could make life easier for Chicago's young core.

Give Giddey another legitimate perimeter target. Give Wilson more room to attack the paint. Give Buzelis additional space to operate without defenders constantly collapsing toward him.

That's a much cleaner fit.

Could Dillingham go to Charlotte, receive more opportunities and eventually make the Bulls look foolish? Of course. He's 21 years old. Chicago is accepting that risk.

But keeping every talented young player simply because they're young isn't rebuilding. At some point, a front office has to decide which players actually fit together.

The Bulls didn't need another young guard who needed the basketball.

They needed someone who could make their most important young players better without taking the ball away from them.

Dillingham might eventually become the better individual player.

Buddy Hield might still be the better player for this version of the Chicago Bulls.