The Chicago Bulls are in a weird spot: They could go in a couple of different directions. Arturas Karnisovas has publicly stated they don’t plan to rebuild their roster, but everything is subject to change. Between rumblings of the Bulls gauging trade interest in Zach LaVine and their trading into the NBA draft, the signs could be there that they may reconsider their stance.
Last season, the core of LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic wasn’t quite good enough to make the playoffs. The Bulls were bounced in the play-in tournament. Now, rebuilding the roster could be an attractive option as most of the league attempts to push for the postseason.
According to Howard Beck of GQ Sports, executives around the NBA expect the Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans to make major moves this summer.
“Team executives do expect to see major moves by Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago and New Orleans, along with a continued churn in Washington,” Beck wrote.
For the Bulls, a total rebuild would involve trading LaVine, DeRozan and Alex Caruso while letting Nikola Vucevic walk.
The potential issue with that is LaVine’s massive contract. The Washington Wizards just traded Bradley Beal and his long-term money to the Phoenix Suns for a relatively modest package, so the market for LaVine may not be robust.
However, there’s no point in Chicago mindlessly pushing for the playoffs without any hopes of going further than that. It could be time to hit the reset button.
