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Denzel Valentine, SG/SF

Denzel Valentine—the Bulls' first-round pick this year (No. 14)—has been good in moments. His best game came against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 10, when he tallied 19 points, two assists and two rebounds. Inexplicably, he was dropped out of the rotation after that, appearing in just three games since.

Valentine told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:

"It gets tough sometimes, especially the third or fourth game of a (did not play by coach's decision) stretch," Valentine said. "But after the game, I just think to myself that there are worse things going on in the world. I still have a dream job."

He’s good enough that he would be an enticer as a trade but not so much that he’s likely to draw any major intrigue on his own.

Bobby Portis, PF

Bobby Portis is, in many ways, what I think is emblematic of what the Bulls have encountered under Hoiberg: He is among the young players who not only have failed to improve this year but have actually regressed.

Portis has enough raw talent that, if he were on a team that was competent at player development, he might evolve into a rotation player. He struggles on defense, and he’s a little too eager to shoot at times. However, these are the sorts of things that can—and should—improve through proper coaching.

Michael Carter-Williams, PG

Michael Carter-Williams was going to be the answer at backup point guard. Then he was promoted to starter after Rajon Rondo got demoted to the bench. Now, he’s out of the rotation entirely.

Johnson reported: "Sources said Nikola Mirotic and Carter-Williams have frustrated Wade and Butler more than most players and that both Wade and Butler addressed players privately before airing their frustrations to reporters."

Carter-Williams' benching could work two ways. It could generate calls if interested general managers think they could get him on the cheap (say, Cleveland looking to use one of its trade exceptions), or it could cause them to shy away. It all depends on if they believe the report.

Jerian Grant, PG

Grant, for now, seems to be the resident starter, and that seems to be working out well. He has been the best fit, based on stats from NBA.com. Here is what every lineup with the other four starters looks like:

LINEUPS MIN OFFRTG DEFRTG NETRTG J.Butler, T.Gibson, J.Grant, R.Lopez, D.Wade 117 111.3 90.6 20.6 J.Butler, T.Gibson, R.Lopez, D.McDermott, D.Wade 23 110.2 107.3 2.8 J.Butler, T.Gibson, R.Lopez, R.Rondo, D.Wade 390 106.3 105.5 0.8 J.Butler, M.Carter-Williams, T.Gibson, R.Lopez, D.Wade 96 94.9 101.3 -6.4 J.Butler, I.Canaan, T.Gibson, R.Lopez, D.Wade 17 86.2 98.2 -12 J.Butler, T.Gibson, R.Lopez, D.Wade, P.Zipser 16 116.6 133.7 -17.1

The plus-20.6 net rating speaks volumes. Sometimes fit matters more than production. Grant offers enough defense and shooting to make everything else work. His overall 33.3 three-point percentage is not eye-popping, but he is 40.7 percent as a starter.

Grant’s combination of pedigree—his father (Harvey), uncle (Horace) and brother (Jerami) all had/have NBA careers—and potential makes him an asset who could be used in a trade. But the Bulls should be cautious before flirting with breaking up the current fit—especially if they endure the upcoming schedule.

Doug McDermott, SF

Doug McDermott is the type of player who, when used correctly, can facilitate an incredible lineup. His jump shot is one of the best in the business. According to SynergySportsTech.com, his 1.11 points per possession ranks in the 91st percentile.

Hoiberg could do more to work him into open shots. Only 19.7 percent of his looks are coming off screens, and those are typically straight off them (47 out of 71). Coming off fades, curls or flares, he’s averaging 1.25 points per possession, but they compose just a quarter of his screens and about 5 percent of his sets.

A more inventive coach might be looking at better ways to use McDermott and his offensive abilities. He could have some value, though getting back what they gave up for him (two first-round picks and then two second-round picks to offload Anthony Randolph’s contract) isn’t even remotely feasible.

Cristiano Felicio, PF

Felicio is the lone exception among players who developed under Hoiberg. But when one player disproves the rule, you tend to think the player is the reason for the exception.

Felicio has surprising athleticism. When you look at him, he seems too “bulky” to get up as quickly as he does. He has soft hands and has become a steady finisher on Rondo or Wade lobs. He’s beastly at the rim, going 13-of-15 on alley oops and 22-of-24 on dunks.

His range is extremely limited, though, making just 10 shots beyond five feet this season. His rim protection also needs to improve opponents’ field-goal percentage is plus-2.6 percentage points within six feet.)

However, he has enough promise as a player that plenty of teams would love to take him in conjunction with another trade.