Bulls Trade Rumors: Rival Teams Expect Chicago to Keep Core Intact at Deadline

The Chicago Bulls have been perceived to be a team that potentially could see some changes by Thursday's trade deadline, but that reportedly is no longer the case.

According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports, all indications point to the Bulls standing pat and holding onto their core players, as executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas remains confident in the team's chances to compete this season.

"But as of Tuesday, rival teams continue to operate under the premise that Karnišovas wants to see what his core can accomplish down the stretch run," Johnson stated. "This stance would be consistent with Karnišovas' preseason expectations to improve on last season's 46-victory campaign and first-round playoff exit."

Chicago's star duo Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan both have been the subject of trade speculation in recent weeks. Former All-Star center Nikola Vucevic also would be a valued trade piece if the Bulls looked to move him.

However, Karnišovas put together the deals that brought DeRozan and Vucevic to Chicago. He also signed LaVine to a five-year, $215 million max contract this past offseason. It likely would take a significant trade to get him to part ways with any of them.

The Bulls are 26-27 and appear to have turned a corner recently, having won four of their last five games. Johnson noted that LaVine, DeRozan and Vučević are developing a better rhythm together.

At this point, it seems like it would be a surprise to see Chicago make any major moves that would affect the roster going forward.