It sure was fun watching Bobby Portis light up the Heat and Hornets in the last 2 games. The 4th year forward-center scored 22 of his 26 points in the 2nd half against Miami, then came back with a 28 point first half in Charlotte on the way to a 33 point performance, 5 short of his career high.

It’s been a frustrating season for Portis, who missed 7 weeks of action early in the season because of a sprained knee ligament, then had to sit out 7 more games with a sprained ankle. All of this coming on the heels of not being able to work out a long-term contract extension with the Bulls before the opening night deadline.

According to several media reports, the Bulls’ front office made a competitive offer to get Portis signed, but Portis decided to bet on himself and hope for a bigger contract as a restricted free agent, much like Jimmy Butler did at the same point in his career.

Butler responded with a breakout season that wound up earning him an extra 50 million dollars, but Portis will need to have a strong finish to re-establish his value in the restricted free agent marketplace.

Just how much will a sweet-shooting 6’11” big man be worth this summer? Hard to say. About a dozen teams have significant cap space to use, but most of them will look into trying to sign one of the elite unrestricted stars before looking at the restricted market.

Reportedly, Portis and his agent were looking for a 4 year contract at a total value of around 64 million dollars, but it’s hard to say whether he’ll be able to command that price coming off an injury-marred season.

The Bulls value Portis’ contributions on the court and his tireless work ethic, but are they prepared to offer that kind of money to a bench player? Even with Portis’ ability to score points in bunches, he’s not an elite athlete and offers little in the way of rim protection as a back-up center. Similarly, Portis struggles at time to switch on to smaller players in pick and roll coverage which can lead to breakdowns in the Bulls’ team defense.

So, as we approach Thursday’s 2 pm trade deadline, should the Bulls consider trading Portis if they’re concerned about a big offer in restricted free agency?

A number of contending teams are looking for more shooting for the stretch run, which could make Portis a desirable player in a limited market. Philadelphia is showing interest in former Bull Niko Mirotic, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. The 76’ers have extra draft picks at their disposal, and might be willing to part with a late 1st rounder to replace what they lost in sending Dario Saric to Minnesota in the Butler deal earlier this season.

Utah is also looking for a 3 point shooting big man, and remember the Jazz were one of the teams showing interest in Mirotic a year ago. Given their past history, wouldn’t it be ironic if Portis and Mirotic are now in competition to land with a contending team?

The Bulls can just wait until the free agent market opens on July 1st and see what kind of offers Portis commands, but if he keeps on scoring like he has over the last 2 games, that price could reach a point they’re not comfortable with for a 6th man.

Portis isn’t going to beat out Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, so his future with the Bulls will be coming off the bench. It’s up to the front office to decide whether to try to pick up a draft asset now or play the restricted free agency game in July. Given all the young players on the roster already, my guess is they’ll hold on to Portis for now and see where the market lands this summer.

If the Bulls are unsuccessful in pursuing unrestricted free agents like Kemba Walker, Tobias Harris and Khris Middleton, they can always try to work out a contract with Portis that both sides can live with. But given all the factors involved, it’s not an easy decision as we approach the deadline.

AROUND THE ASSOCIATION

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The latest twist in the Anthony Davis saga involves NBA Insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania reporting Davis would consider signing long-term with a couple other teams besides the Lakers and Knicks. Charania reports the list includes the Bucks and Clippers, but Milwaukee has little to offer beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo (who is absolutely untouchable) since both Middleton and point guard Eric Bledsoe will be free agents at the end of the season. Similarly, the Clippers’ best asset, Tobias Harris, will also be a free agent, and the Knicks have next to nothing to offer after sending Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas.

Boston has been planning on putting together a trade package for Davis over the last couple years, but they can’t make the deal now because of a collective bargaining rule, and Danny Ainge would have to think long and hard about cashing in his treasure trove of assets for a 1 year Davis rental since the Celtics reportedly are not on AD’s list of teams he would consider as a long-term home.

The Bulls could potentially offer a very attractive package to New Orleans that would include either Markkanen or Carter, Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and their 2019 1st round draft pick (top 1 protected, hopefully), plus a future 1st rounder in 2021. But if Davis has no interest in signing with the Bulls long-term, it doesn’t make sense to give up almost all of your young assets in a high risk trade.

Which brings us back to the Lakers. Wojnarowski reports Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have increased their initial trade offer for Davis to include all of the Lakers’ young players (Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Ivica Zubac), plus multiple draft picks and cap relief. Johnson and Pelicans’ general manager Dell Demps talked on Monday and it’s now sounding more likely a deal could get done by the Thursday deadline.

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In other deadline news, Mike Conley is the biggest name besides Davis likely to move by Thursday. The Grizzlies are ready to blow up the Grit and Grind era by making both Conley and Marc Gasol available in trade. Gasol is 34 years old and has a player option for next season, so he’s not drawing a lot of attention on the trade market.

But a number of teams are trying to acquire Conley, including the Jazz, Pistons, Pacers, Magic and Suns. The asking price is high for Conley, who still has 2 years left on the record deal he signed back in 2016, but the Jazz have reportedly offered their point guard Ricky Rubio, plus a 1st round draft pick and the Pacers would love to bring the Indianapolis native home with a combination of players and picks.

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We know who the sellers will be this week. The Bulls, Cavs, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, Suns and possibly the Magic will be looking to cash in veteran players for draft assets.

Cleveland will most likely hang on to Kevin Love until the summer when teams are more inclined to make major moves, especially with Love missing most of this season because of injury. Portland has shown interest in the Oregon native in the past and could be willing to break up the Lillard-McCollum duo if they can’t advance past the 1st round of the playoffs again.

The Cavs traded swingman Rodney Hood over the weekend, and they’ll be looking to move Alec Burks and a handful of other vets before Thursday.

Atlanta is also open for business, with Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince, Jeremy Lin and Dewayne Dedmon among the players available for draft assets.

The Magic are still in search of a quality point guard to lead their rebuilding effort, and could make Aaron Gordon or Jonathan Isaac available in the right deal. They’re also rumored to be shopping veteran swingmen Terrence Ross and Evan Fournier.

Phoenix is also looking for a point guard and willing to cash in recent lottery picks Josh Jackson and Dragan Bender, as well as veterans Ryan Anderson, Jamal Crawford and Troy Daniels.

And, of course, we know all about the Bulls’ efforts to try to move Jabari Parker and Robin Lopez for a draft asset. The expensive contracts of both players make it difficult to match salaries in a deal without long-term contracts coming back, so Parker and Lopez could wind up joining what’s shaping up as a larger than normal buyout market before the March 1st deadline for playoff eligibility.

This is a fun time of year for fans of contending teams hoping to add a player or two who can make a difference for the stretch run. We’ll find out by Thursday afternoon if any of the countless trade rumors turn out to be true.