It’s difficult to be enthusiastic about the Chicago Bulls at the moment.
Although their present roster isn’t good enough to even guarantee a top draft choice, they would need a miracle or two to be genuinely competitive.
Being in this situation after yet another losing season where the aim was to qualify for the play-in tournament is difficult. Chicago’s lack of a clear long-term strategy and limited short-term improvement options have left the Bulls at the bottom of a questionable list.
The Bulls were ranked last among all 30 NBA head coaching positions by CBS Sports, who also noted that the position was the least attractive for a head coach. The report assessed Chicago as being both “cheap” and “poorly managed.” Whoa.
It’s a shame that the Bulls are in this position given the size of the market, their fan base, and the resources at their disposal, but it makes sense given their circumstances.
With all of their buried costs, the Bulls
The Bulls have made significant investments in a number of players, but the roster is stacked with ones who will likely yield little return on their time.
They risk losing both Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan for nothing because they waited too late to trade them. If not, they’ll have to accept a sign-and-trade for pennies on the dollar or overpay to retain a 34-year-old. Caruso is also a contract that is about to expire and will be worth less in a trade.
The Bulls are faced with a decision: either sign Patrick Williams to a costly long-term contract, risk losing him for nothing, or make a possibly disastrous trade like they did with Lauri Markkanen. The Bulls might suddenly lose a former fourth pick for nothing if another team (OKC, Detroit) steps in and makes an offer they can’t refuse.
With two more years remaining on an absurd contract that no one wants, Nikola Vucevic was terrible enough to hinder the team last season after the Bulls gave up valuable draft money to get him (they might have gotten Franz Wagner instead).
Zach LaVine, who still has three years remaining on his contract that nobody wants—not even the Bulls—wants, Chicago has poured an amount of money into him equal to the GDP of a small European nation. Reportedly, in order to get out of that agreement, they might have to forfeit assets.
