The Chicago Bulls are in a very weird spot. After snapping a four-year playoff drought in the 2021-22 season, they slipped backward this past year, getting bounced in the Play-In Tournament by the Miami Heat. And while Lonzo Ball’s long-term injury has played a huge part in that, the Bulls can’t afford to use that as an excuse.
However, despite their failures last season, Arturas Karnisovas had stated that the Bulls have no intention of rebuilding the roster right now. According to KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, all signs point to Chicago giving their core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic “one more shot.”
That being said, Johnson did note that the Bulls could reconsider their decision at the trade deadline in February, as it could give them a chance to pivot toward a rebuild.
“It’s certainly trending towards giving this core one more shot,” Johnson wrote. “Perhaps a pivot would be more seriously considered at next February’s trade deadline if the season hasn’t borne fruit by then.
“Those decisions are down the road for now. Free agency is just getting started. By landing Carter, the Bulls are on the board—with more work to be done.”
The Bulls have the talent to be a playoff team in the East, should they add the right talent around their core. And if that’s their goal, then maybe their current track is the correct decision.
But if their goal is a championship, they need to begin a new rebuild sooner rather than later.
