Let’s see just how desperate the Chicago Bulls are.
If management has as much urgency in the front office as coach Billy Donovan says the team must play with, then the time has come to pick a lane.
Billy Donovan believes in the current roster but admits the Bulls are now in desperation mode pic.twitter.com/nc55dZrEdY
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) January 27, 2023
With the trade deadline a week away, it’s time for the Bulls to decide whether they are buyers or sellers. No longer can they diddle in the middle.
While the expectation is for the Bulls to remain relatively quiet at this year’s deadline, let’s not pretend the franchise isn’t sitting on assets. The question for chief basketball executive Arturas Karnišovas is if he’s ready to sell or still ride with his incomplete but failed core.
It’s a core that remains fragmented for the foreseeable future while customary starting point guard Lonzo Ball recovers from last year’s knee surgery. But time’s ticking. Only 32 games remain and with the Bulls (23-27) battling just to crack the Play-In Tournament field, the time has come for tough decisions.
Should the Bulls be buyers or sellers? It’s easy to make judgments based on the team’s underperformance in the first 50 contests. But the reality is that the final decision will likely be dictated by the market over the coming week.
Should the Bulls decide to sell or, “blow it up” as some like to say, here are their top five assets and why this is or isn’t the time to trade them.
He entered the season as little more than insurance in the event Ball couldn’t make it back, the most likely odd man out in a crowded backcourt. And despite a significantly reduced role, minutes cut, limited scoring opportunities and injury, White has managed to morph into the most complete player he’s ever been.
Contrary to reports and perhaps the court of public opinion, White does have trade value, with league sources saying the Bulls have rejected overtures from rival clubs. Whether that says more about the Bulls’ belief in White or concern with Ball remains a mystery. But with his shooting and improved play, White is no longer merely a trade chip the Bulls can use to tidy up their backcourt. Could the way he’s developed this season make the Bulls rethink his future? Might he now be a keeper?
The rumors of Caruso being traded don’t make any sense. — unless the Bulls are truly “blowing it up.”
Caruso is the team’s most savvy and versatile defender with Ball sidelined. The Bulls would need to be blown away by the haul for parting with such a valuable piece. Caruso turns 29 at the end of the month, leaving ample runway for him to be a mainstay in Chicago and help orchestrate the team’s defense.
Caruso could make sense on a championship contender if the interested team has enough to offer in the form of young players and future picks. It would have to be quite enticing. Caruso is one of the few established players in mid-career the Bulls can still build with.
Is he back to being untouchable? Was he ever?
This much is for certain: Williams is undoubtedly playing the best ball of his career. He looks more confident, more aware and more assertive. He’s driving the ball strongly to the basket, getting into decisive one- and two-dribble, midrange pull-up jumpers and confidently launching 3-pointers with no hesitation — and at a 41.1 percent clip on 3.6 attempts per game.
In his third season, Williams appears to be coming into his own. This would be the worst time to trade him, or the best depending on perspective. But why would the Bulls give up on their most promising two-way prospect right when he’s showing signs of figuring it out?
The big man is the biggest fish likely to be traded.
There’s a notion that nobody wants an aging center who some view as not the most ideal in today’s NBA. But that doesn’t mean Vučević doesn’t have value. His expiring contract alone makes his situation over the next week worth keeping a close eye on.
The Bulls are running the risk of allowing Vučević to leave for nothing as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Assuming the franchise automatically re-signs him is foolish. There’s the question of whether Vučević still wants to be here and another question from the team’s side regarding whether it wants him back. Vučević has not been the best fit in Chicago as the third scoring option. He’s often been a forgotten man and struggled mightily at times last season trying to mesh.
That’s a lot of friction.
If the Bulls are looking to acquire assets — which they’re currently short on — they can do so using Vučević’s contract. Chicago must be willing to take back something undesirable to extract value. But a returning contract that carries long-term money could be the price for procuring someone’s future first-round pick.
OK, I cheated.
Because when you think about the Bulls picking a direction, it’s impossible to detach the team’s two biggest stars from the conversation. Here is where the Bulls can truly show their commitment to building a better product. They don’t have to trade both. But how much more clarity comes if just one is moved?
The audience can debate which one in the comments section.
We know that DeRozan, 33, has one more year on his contract after this season, and LaVine, 28 in March, is on the first year of a maximum allowable $215 million contract extension. Neither situation is ideal for roster-building purposes. The Bulls can’t possibly think that DeRozan is a long-term answer at this stage in his career. Extracting value for him at the peak of his powers might not be a bad play. And LaVine is tricker.
An important reminder is that there has been no indication of the Bulls being interested in trading LaVine. But the franchise’s return on investment in the first year has not been good either. LaVine has nursed nagging injuries, including recovery from a second knee surgery. And his fourth-quarter performances have left more to be desired.
On top of it all, DeRozan and LaVine have proven to be an ill-fitting duo.
If the Bulls decide to be sellers, one of their stars should be on the table.
(Photo of DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević: David Banks / USA Today)
.