The Bulls marched out all of the important voices for Saturday’s end-of-the-season media session: executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, coach Billy Donovan, the “Big Three’’ of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, and even restricted free-agent-to-be Coby White.
Absent from that panel was reality.
Karnisovas sounded like a guy looking to bring the core back, which would be impossible unless the Reinsdorfs are willing to go over the cap. LaVine was boasting the Bulls were close to being an “unstoppable’’ offense, and then Patrick Beverley made it known in the wake of that news conference that his free-agent price tag is in the $13-$15 million per year tax bracket.
Silly Bulls.
But let’s say that Karnisovas has been given the nod to go over the cap for the 2023-24 season — a possibility for one year. The area that will need the biggest overhaul is the backcourt. Karnisovas has proven to think outside the box at times, and that will be tested.
First, there’s the elephant in the room in injured point guard Lonzo Ball. In all likelihood, Ball will be out for most or all of next season after having a cartilage transplant in his left knee and is still owed $20.4 million next year.
Karnisovas was asked if he would ask the league for an injury exception for Ball but replied with a “no comment.’’
That still leaves a huge hole at point guard, especially with Beverley likely elsewhere. No problem. White showed enough for the organization to believe in him taking the starting reins, but that comes at a price. White is a restricted free agent, and the Bulls will let the market set a price for him, likely matching it once it does.
There’s no reason why White won’t be in the $14-$15 million per year range.
Karnisovas, however, also indicated that Ayo Dosunmu will be sought after, keeping him off the free-agent market. That’s a tough sell, but doable as long as the cap ceiling is out the window.
LaVine will make $40 million in Year 2 of his five-year max contract, and along with Alex Caruso’s $9.5 million next season, the Bulls are paying roughly $90 million for four healthy guards along with Ball. And they still need the outside shooting that Karnisovas promised he would add.
“It will be a priority for us to kind of change our shooting profile because it’s very difficult for us to go into every game with such a deficit,’’ Karnisovas said. “We’re last in three-point rate, we’re last in three-point field goals made. It’s almost like we’re going into every game with an eight-point deficit to make up.’’
Good luck making that up.
WHO THE BULLS HAVE
LaVine, Ball, Caruso, Dosunmu, White, Beverley and Carlik Jones.
WHO COULD BE ON THE MOVE
Beverley was instrumental in the second-half surge, but his asking price is not a fit with the Bulls. Karnisovas wants to keep Dosunmu in the mix, but that will be tough. White is a restricted free agent, and the Bulls are all in on matching any offer he gets on the market.
THE DRAFT
The Bulls won the coin toss over the Thunder, locking in the 11th-best odds for the draft lottery, but unless the Bulls land in the top four the pick is unprotected and goes to the Magic for the Vucevic trade.
The chance of the Bulls landing in the top four is 8.5%, while the chance of hitting on No. 1 overall is 1.8% and No. 2 is 2%.
If the stars align and the Bulls somehow hit in one of those top spots, obviously 7-5 Victor Wembanyama would immediately shift the offseason plans, but landing point guard Scoot Henderson at No. 2 would be a heck of a consolation prize.
FREE AGENCY
Bulls killer Max Strus is a free agent, but the Bulls already botched it once with him. Kicking the tires on Seth Curry could be a more realistic option for some bench shooting. The sign-and-trade path would be more likely.
WILD CARD
While the Karnisovas honeymoon is long over and the luster has worn off, he usually has been very honest with the media. But what if an unforeseen offer comes his way where it’s one team’s problem for a Bulls problem. The Hawks sending Trae Young to the Bulls for LaVine works financially, but has this front office reached desperation yet? That remains to be seen.
