Chicago Traded Jake Voskuhl for Samake and a Future Pick
On October 29, 2001, Chicago sent center Jake Voskuhl to Phoenix for Soumaila Samake and a 2003 second-round pick. The future selection mattered more than the immediate center exchange: Chicago waived Samake the same day, according to its transaction ledger. The Bulls were therefore not acquiring Samake as a lasting rotation piece. They had turned Voskuhl's rights into draft capital while Phoenix chose a center it could retain and use on its own roster.
The Future Selection Became Matt Bonner at No. 45
Chicago's incoming second-rounder ultimately became the No. 45 choice in the 2003 draft, used to select Matt Bonner. The Bulls later traded Bonner's rights to Toronto rather than enjoying his eventual NBA shooting career directly. Nevertheless, the selection was a tangible asset Chicago could move in another draft-rights transaction. The B+ grade rests on acquiring and ultimately using transferable draft value, not on crediting the Bulls for seasons Bonner played in Toronto and San Antonio.
Phoenix Obtained a Center, Not a Future Draft Choice
Voskuhl gave the Suns a conventional center option at the start of the 2001-02 season. That was a more immediate roster addition than the pick Phoenix gave up, and he stayed with the franchise beyond that season. The Suns' C+ credits his actual center minutes without pretending that the return transformed the team. Phoenix gave up a future second-round option, while Chicago deliberately traded away immediate center depth to obtain a different long-term asset.
Final Verdict
Bulls Win. Chicago receives B+ for the 2003 second-round pick that became No. 45 Matt Bonner and was subsequently usable in another transaction. Phoenix grades C+ for the center minutes supplied by Jake Voskuhl. Samake was immediately waived, so the Bulls' advantage comes from the acquired pick, not from his NBA contribution.