After missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the past six years, the Chicago Bulls entered the season on high alert. An early 20-point loss in the team’s regular season opener led to a players-only meeting just minutes after the game was finished. The Bulls won the next game, but it took an overtime thriller to accomplish their goal.
Unfortunately, the rest of the start of their season has been up and down too, but this arrow is mostly pointed down after a 3-6 start. Entering NBA games today, the Bulls are the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference.
If the Bulls continue fading, trade rumors surrounding some of their most valuable pieces will continue to mount. That includes the likes of their All-Star trio consisting of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. But the Bulls also have several other parts of the roster, such as Patrick Williams who may draw trade interest.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, teams around the league are already keeping a close watch on the Bulls’ situation ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.
“In talking to some people around the league, the scouts are jamming themselves into Bulls games because they realize that at some point, the Bulls may break this team up. And they’re all gathering intelligence like, ‘What’s gonna happen with the Bulls?'”
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on Chicago Bulls
LaVine, 28, is a two-time All-Star who’s under contract through the 2025-26 season, holding a cap hit of $40 million this year. His bouncy athleticism and ability to score at all three levels should interest several teams around the NBA looking for more of a scoring punch.
Vucevic, 33, is also a two-time All-Star under contract through 2025-26. He has an $18.5M cap hit this season but averages a double-double in his career and would provide a low-post scoring presence who can also gobble up rebounds.
Lastly, DeRozan, 34, is the most well-known of the bunch. The three-time All-NBA member and six-time All-Star is now 34, but he’s still one of the best mid-range scorers in basketball who averages 6.5 free throw attempts per game in his career.
Any of the three would be a nice fit on a contending team, and if the Bulls’ front office is ready to admit Chicago isn’t ready to compete, we could see GM Marc Eversley start looking to the future instead. Or at least that’s what NBA teams are waiting to see play out.
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