The expectation was more.
When the Chicago Bulls traded Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings last Sunday night, some believed it signaled the team’s commitment to destroying the remaining core and aiming for a stronger draft position.
After the dust settled, dealing LaVine netted Chicago two guards (Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones) and a big (Zach Collins) to add to an already crowded bench. However, it didn’t bring any additional draft compensation beyond the right to retain their own 2025 protected first-round pick, which Bulls exec. Arturas Karnisovas had sent to San Antonio in a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan in 2021.
Instead, despite being in possession of a plethora of tradable assets that could’ve returned extensive draft value, the Bulls remained silent before Thursday’s 2 p.m. deadline.
With Nikola Vucevic and Coby White still in the building, Karnisovas doesn’t see a reason to position the team for a better pick quite yet. “[The] next 30 games will determine if we will be in play-in and playoffs,” the executive vice president of basketball operations said during his opening remarks following Thursday’s deadline. “This is something that is achievable, and our guys are capable of getting there.”
The “next 30 games” became a recurring theme on Thursday, popping up several times in Karnisovas’ presser, especially when asked if he was disappointed with the lack of moves made: “I’m not gonna go into details. I’m not disappointed. I like the guys that we have here, and again, we’re gonna see [the] next 30 games, what this team can do, and we’ll shift our focus on the draft and free agency this summer.”
What happens if the next 30 games don’t go according to Karnisovas’ plan? “We’re gonna be out of the play-in and out of the playoffs, we’ll get a good pick, but at the same time, if we, with this young team, can make the play-in and playoffs, it’s gonna be [an] accomplishment, because if your young guys [are] developing and [it] translates into wins, I think there’s growth.”
The risk then becomes cyclical mediocrity, where the Bulls have lived throughout Karnisovas’ tenure. Since the executive took the reins in 2020, the team has not finished higher than sixth or lower than 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Karnisovas told reporters on Thursday: “We’re committing to building a sustainable, competitive team. We’re not OK with being in the middle. Curating a team that competes at a high level and can compete for [a] championship has been our goal.”
However, when asked if a better position in the draft would help Chicago achieve that goal faster, Karnisovas said, “I think [there are] different structures that you can try to get to [a] championship. There’s 2-3 star players and then a lot of role players, or you can build it [with] 9-10 very good players. And I think now we’re leaning towards to have a lot of solid, good players.”
As for why the club didn’t agree to a deal to move Vucevic, Karnisovas said: “I think Vuc is huge [to] what we do here with this team on offense and defense. I think teammates love him. Going back, you have to have the right guys and try to win games. Next 30 games, I think we’re gonna be able to find out more, and then we’ll move to [the] draft and free agency again.”
But is the grouping of White, Ayo Dosunmu, Josh Giddey, and Matas Buzelis strong enough to build around as a core? The executive believes it’s a good start:
“I think we have a pretty good nucleus of young players, but you never stop looking for opportunities to improve the team, and I think those guys have an opportunity now for the next 30 games to see what they can do. And, we can talk at the end of the season and see what needs to be done during the draft and free agency, [and] what needs to be addressed.”
And because of Karnisovas’ belief in the talent on the roster that currently clings to the No. 10 seed in the East, that makes the idea of squeaking into the playoff picture a more desirable outcome: “If this young nucleus can get you to the play-in and the playoffs, I think it’s gonna be growth in terms of your young players and development.”
Karnisovas later added, “I don’t have a crystal ball, what’s going to happen in the next 30 games, but if we [are] in a play-in and playoffs and your young guys are playing and they [are] contributing to winning, I think that’s a win in terms of their development.”
It’s an incredibly crucial stretch ahead for Karnisovas, who struggled to make his ideal plan for the Bulls’ immediate future crystal clear at the deadline. But according to the EVP, he’s considering the week a success:
“We like what happened a couple of days ago, and we were able to execute this trade, but I think every trade deadline, there’s a lot of opportunities, there’s a lot of calls that you have to make. There’s a lot of calls that you’re going to receive. It’s pretty busy until the last second, but I’m happy where we landed and with this group [and] looking forward to see them play the games.”
