With the trade deadline approaching, it’s a safe bet that the Chicago Bulls are going to be major players. With their superstars on the trading block, it might be only a matter of time before the Bulls can finally press the rebuild button, as they aim to build a better roster. However, the NBA trade deadline involves many factors that can be detrimental to Chicago’s plans. In fact, it would be a nightmare for the Bulls to keep the same roster for the rest of the season.

Stuck in the middle

The Bulls signaled their intentions for a rebuild when they traded away six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in the offseason. Furthermore, they also sent Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that involved controversial Aussie Josh Giddey. Since then, the team has also been shopping Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. However, Chicago hasn’t been successful in moving these major players.

Currently, any basketball fan will agree that the Bulls are stuck in no man’s land. They aren’t good enough to be a major threat in the East but also not bad enough to be cellar dwellers in the league, which would’ve given them plenty of reasons to lose some games for a higher draft position. For now, they’re currently 10th in the East and have a good chance of snagging a Play-In spot at the very least.

But for the past few seasons, it has been the same disappointing story at the Windy City. Given that the Bulls are continuing to listen to various trade offers, it’s easy to see why Chicago is leaning more toward their rebuilding plans. And if things continue to stay as they are, a new era will have to be postponed further.

Keeping the All-Stars around

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) and center Nikola Vucevic (9) talk on a time out against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. © Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

There’s no question that Chicago wants to build something better than what they’ve had in recent years. And with the current roster, it seems highly unlikely for them to recapture their golden era. As a result, it would be a nightmare situation for the team to stick with these veterans when the trade deadline has passed.

Windy City fans, since the Michael Jordan era, have been waiting for a championship to celebrate about. Unfortunately, keeping Vucevic and LaVine will have to make the Bulls community extend their already thinning patience. It’s worth noting that both LaVine and Vucevic have a massive contract, which has been a major turn-off to various teams.

In 2022, LaVine signed a lucrative five-year contract extension worth $215 million. He’s expected to rake in $43 million for the regular season. LaVine needs the ball to be effective and contenders are probably suspecting his struggles to play alongside a certified star or two. On the other hand, Vucevic might be easier to deal, given that his attributes would complement contenders much better. However, he’s still pricy, given that he’s earning $20 million this year, after signing a three-year contract extension worth $60 million back in 2023.

Make no mistake, however, that both players are still garnering interest. LaVine is having a solid season, averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per outing. Vucevic has also been a force to be reckoned with, logging in 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. But despite their contributions, Chicago is better off trading them for a haul of first-round draft picks or future building blocks if they want to get to the next level.

Failing to move other veterans 

While plenty of the focus has been on Vucevic and LaVine, the Bulls also have other veterans such as Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams, Torrey Craig, and Jevon Carter that might need to be moved. Ball is on an expiring contract with a $21 million salary for the 2024-25 season. Despite returning from injury, the 6-foot-6 floor general is proving to be a solid rotational player. In fact, he’s been attracting some interest from contenders such as the Los Angeles Lakers.

With their reserve guard gaining some noise at the trade market, the Bulls should maximize this opportunity to leverage Ball for some second-round picks at the very least. Given Ball’s injuries as of late, there might not be a better time for Chicago to use him as a trade asset. Moreover, it’d be a waste to just let him walk away with an expiring contract at the end of the season.

Speaking of expiring deals, Craig is also on an expiring contract. The 34-year-old swingman has rarely played this year and clearly has no place in the team’s rebuilding plans. The same can be said for Carter. Both players have only combined for 10.4 points per game on limited minutes.

The next best trade asset the Bulls can utilize is the 6-foot-7 Williams, who has turned out to be the building block they expected. Williams’ numbers have been on a decreasing trend since the 2022-23 season. Currently, he’s tallying 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, which don’t exactly scream lottery pick numbers.

Keeping these veterans around serves no purpose to the team’s long and short-term goals. As a result, it’d be a head-scratcher to keep them around after the trade deadline, if the Bulls really wanted to move in the right direction.