A season ago, the Chicago Bulls looked like one of the most promising teams in the East. They had one of the league’s best records, a star-studded core, and a winning playstyle that had the entire NBA world on notice.
Sadly, after the fall of Lonzo Ball last winter, the Bulls have fallen off hard with no end in sight. As of the time of writing, Chicago has the 10th-best record in the East at 20-24 and the writing seems to be on the wall for this Bulls group.
The front office seems to at least partially agree, as recent reports suggest they are open to trading all three members of their veteran core.
“LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic could all be discussed in trade scenarios and realistically be elsewhere when the deadline comes and goes,” wrote Bulls insider Joe Cowley. “According to a source, Alex Caruso could be the one untouchable just because of how valuable he is defensively.”
“LaVine,DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic could all be discussed in trade scenarios and realistically be elsewhere when the deadline comes and goes… According to a source,Alex Caruso could be the one untouchable just because of how valuable he is defensively.”👀
– @JCowleyHoops pic.twitter.com/nKmVWYfWNr
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 18, 2023
Apparently, Alex Caruso is the only player Chicago is determined to keep right now, which is ironic since he is among their most coveted assets.
As for what the Bulls can hope to gain by putting their stars on the trade block, a complete rebuild may not be the worst thing for them right now. With DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic nearing the end of their primes, it’s only a matter of time before they start slowing down and putting the Bulls in an even worse position.
Frustration Building In Chicago As Struggles Continue For Bulls
As the future hangs in the balance, the feeling in Chicago continues to be one of angst and frustration both inside and around the organization. As Nikola Vucevic explain for himself this week, there are times when the Bulls just have no clue what they’re doing out there.
“The biggest thing I think for us is offensively at times we look like we really don’t know what to do,” said Vuc. “I know when (DeRozan’s) in the game he has the ball a lot and we depend on him a lot. But we still have a lot of weapons out there even without him. And we still have ways that we can score. At times, we got a little too stagnant. I think that’s what happened in the first half. We tried too hard to get something instead of working the defense, being patient.”
There is still time for the Bulls to get their act together, but there is a sense that this group has already reached its peak together. By trading away their core guys now, the Bulls can get a head-start on building for the future.
For now, the Bulls aren’t ready to take that path just yet. But if the right package comes along, don’t be surprised if the Bulls endure some major changes over the next few weeks.
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