Bulls Rumors: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević Not Expected to Be Traded
The Chicago Bulls may not even qualify for the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, but they reportedly do not plan to trade any of their Big Three in an effort to either rebuild or shake things up.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported "the current impression of the rival executives to whom I have spoken" is that the Bulls will not trade DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine or Nikola Vučević.
Chicago is in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings at 23-26 and is coming off a week that saw it drop disappointing contests to the Charlotte Hornets and short-handed Indiana Pacers.
It doesn't have the look of a contender, and the immediate future became even bleaker Saturday when head coach Billy Donovan said the injured Lonzo Ball is "nowhere near" a return from the knee setback he suffered last season, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.
An argument can be made that the Bulls should start focusing on the future given their disappointing start to the campaign, especially with Vučević scheduled for free agency during the summer and DeRozan perhaps approaching the end of his prime at 33 years old.
Yet it seems like the front office plans on keeping the core intact through the Feb. 9 trade deadline with the hopes the team can turn things around ahead of the playoffs.
