After failing to make the play-in this season, Bulls fans were hopeful that the organization might finally be ready to move on from this core and start fresh with a rebuild. Sadly, those dreams were crushed this week after news of the Bulls’ free agency plans finally became public knowledge.
While we still don’t know all the details, NBA insider Joe Cowley confirmed that the Bulls are actively trying to secure Nikola Vucevic as their big man for the next three years.
“Project “Blow Up’’ is not an option, according to Karnisovas, who seems fine with staying on the path of continuity. The organization is content to hold out hope for a miraculous Lonzo Ball recovery from three surgeries on his left knee while beginning negotiations on Nikola Vucevic’s contract extension over the last week. The Bulls are looking to lock up the big man for the next three years (Chicago Sun-Times).”
With NBA teams starting to prepare for the new CBA in a few years, and the current state of the East, the Bulls need to be aggressive this offseason. Jump off the stale continuity train! Here's how. Some trades that make you say hmmm …
Read it:https://t.co/j3k5Xq3Uc0
— Joe Cowley (@JCowleyHoops) June 3, 2023
With averages of 17.6 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, Vucevic isn’t a bad big man by any means, but his effectiveness on the court can be questionable at times, especially on defense. And for a Bulls team running out of options to improve, many fans would rather just rebuild and gather assets for the future instead of trying to work things out with this core.
Keeping Vuc, who will turn 33 in October, is a sign that the Bulls are going all-in on competing right now… but will it be enough? Lonzo Ball is doubtful to play NBA basketball again, and Zach LaVine’s long-term future is questionable at best.
DeMar DeRozan will be 34 years old next season, and should the Bulls trade him for young players or to go another season with a similar team as they had?
The big question when it comes to the Bulls is what they decide to do with LaVine. If they are committed to exhausting this core until the last drop, he could stay for a while.
But as the situation grows more and more unstable, it’s looking increasingly likely that LaVine will ask out sooner rather than later.
There are a lot of questions for the Chicago Bulls this summer, and in which direction they will decide to go. If they trade Zach LaVine, that means they want to start rebuilding, and that would mean they would trade not just their best player but DeMar DeRozan as well.
The Chicago Bulls have to take a deep look at how they want to move forward this summer. After all, the team finished with a 40-42 record. It is certainly not a good outlook for an organization that wants to win an NBA Championship.
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