The Chicago Bulls were featured prominently in NBA trade rumors this past season, with teams eyeing multiple players on the Bulls roster including Alex Caruso. Instead, the front office was silent and the ultimate move to not build for the future reportedly came at the cost of a valuable draft pick.
Leading up to the NBA trade deadline, Bulls rumors focused on the future of Caruso and DeMar DeRozan with the franchise. Chicago stood no chance at making a playoff run and with DeRozan poised to become a free agent in the summer, many thought it would’ve made sense to sell off contributors for draft picks.
- Alex Caruso stats (2023-’24): 10.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1 BPG
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NBA teams had good reason to want Caruso, as the defense-first guard would’ve been a huge rotation to any playoff contender and he is under team control through next season. There was even enough interest that multiple clubs offered a first-round pick to Chicago, but even that reportedly wasn’t enough.
According to Will Gottlieb of CHGO Sports, the Bulls rejected multiple trade offers for Caruso during the regular season including a deal that could’ve netted them a top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
“The Bulls have received offers from multiple teams, consisting of multiple protected first-round picks. One of those deals included a pick in the top-10 of the 2024 Draft, the source said.”
Will Gottlieb on Alex Caruso trade offers the Chicago Bulls received
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What arguably makes matters worse for Chicago is why the offer was turned down. It seemingly had nothing to do with the front office, instead, Bulls’ ownership issued a mandate to fight for a spot in the NBA playoffs. Because of it, the front office struggled to pull the trigger on any deals and had to keep Caruso.
- Alex Caruso contract: $9.89 million salary (2024-’25 season), 2025 NBA free agent
“The source indicated that there was a mandate from the Reinsdorfs to fight for the Playoffs. That, no doubt, impacted the front office’s decision-making when it came to pulling the trigger on any Caruso deal.”
Will Gottlieb on why the Chicago Bulls rejected trade offers for Alex Caruso
As a result, the Bulls roster is poised to look very similar next season. DeRozan is expected to return on a lucrative contract and Caruso will be back in Chicago. With the top of the Eastern Conference poised to be even stronger, the Bulls’ path to contention seems non-existent but the Reinsford family evidently isn’t interested in a much-needed rebuild.
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