Bulls' Blueprint for 2024 NBA Trade Deadline
The Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline looms as the proverbial fork in the road for the Chicago Bulls.
Over the next few weeks, this front office will have to decide whether it still believes this group can win or if it's time to heed all of the external calls to reset the roster.
While a number of different paths lay in front of the Bulls, this three-step guide to trade season should help put them on the right one.
Unload Zach LaVine
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Admittedly, nothing revolving around Zach LaVine's trade market sounds remotely promising. The Bulls should continue to explore all angles of it anyway.
The injuries behind him and the finances in front of him (up to $138 million owed to him after this season, per Spotrac) have torpedoed his trade value. His suitors have never been obvious, and his most logical one, the Los Angeles Lakers, either dropped out of the race and wasn't running to begin with.
Even still, Chicago should be burning up the phone lines in search of a reasonable landing spot. LaVine's contract is the biggest financial burden on this organization, and his offense-only play isn't worth the enormous pay rate.
The Bulls' next step—whether that's a forward move with this core or a backward one until the next nucleus is ready—should start with a LaVine swap.
Choose a Direction
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While the Bulls technically have until this offseason to decide the fates of impending free agents DeMar DeRozan (unrestricted) and Patrick Williams (restricted), they'll need to essentially settle those debates ahead of the deadline.
If they plan on buying back into both, then they have to keep pushing forward with this roster. Shooting would rocket up the wish list. Two-way playmaking and interior athleticism might be priorities, too.
However, if Chicago doesn't see DeRozan in its future, then he shouldn't be a part of the present, either. This should be a seller's market, and a rebuilding Bulls squad would be better equipped to take advantage of that then most.
What Chicago can't do, though, is let the deadline slip by without identifying a purpose and pursuing it however possible.
Maximize Trade Season
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The Bulls stood pat at the deadline in each of the past two seasons. Stretching this inactivity streak to a third campaign might be unforgivable.
Status quo isn't cutting it. That should be obvious by now. The Bulls need to either expand their talent base in hopes of making playoff noise or tear it down to the foundation. Standing in the middle would leave this bunch indefinitely bound by mediocrity.
If Chicago winds up making a push, it needs to push hard. This roster could be upgraded on both ends of the floor, and it might take multiple trades to cover all the bases. That's fine. Several stories must be added to get this ceiling anywhere close to contention. If that's the aim, the time to start construction is now.
If the Bulls accept that they don't have a championship-caliber core, then they should nothing back in pursuit of long-term assets. Coby White is worth keeping as a building block, but you could make the case that anyone else could go. Deals involving LaVine and DeRozan would be no-brainers, but Alex Caruso, Nikola Vučević and Andre Drummond should be among those up for grabs, too.
Half-stepping their way through trade season would accomplish nothing for the Bulls. Once they find that direction, they must fully commit to it.
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