Bulls' Nikola Vučević on DeRozan, Caruso Trade Rumors: 'I Believe We Have Enough'

There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Chicago Bulls with Thursday's trade deadline approaching and multiple injuries hampering the roster, but big man Nikola Vučević believes there is still enough talent to make a playoff push even as rumors circulate regarding DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso.

"Those are things that are out of my control. We feel we have enough," Vučević said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. "We have a lot of stuff we can do better on the court. We've also had some stuff, like injuries, that's unfortunate to deal with. But I believe we have enough."

On the injury front, Zach LaVine is out for the season, while Lonzo Ball hasn't played since the 2021-22 campaign. When the front office was putting the roster together, it surely envisioned LaVine and Ball as major contributors for potential playoff runs.

Patrick Williams is also sidelined, and role players Dalen Terry and Torrey Craig have both dealt with setbacks of late.

Then there are the trade rumors, as DeRozan is playing on an expiring contract and Caruso is someone most contenders could use to stabilize their defense and provide additional outside shooting. Johnson suggested there will be plenty of speculation regarding both of them, as well as Andre Drummond, "all week."

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Coby White is "considered off limits" during his breakout season and listed Drumond as "the most likely Chicago player to be moved by Thursday."

As for Caruso, Fischer noted he "has indeed drawn interest from various postseason contenders, but the Bulls' asking price is known to be quite steep."

The entire situation has created something of a crossroads for a franchise that was unable to reach the heights it was hoping to when it grouped together LaVine, DeRozan, Caruso, Ball and Vučević.

Chicago is in position to make the play-in tournament in ninth in the Eastern Conference, but it also isn't a realistic contender given its roster makeup and health situation. That could mean multiple trades before Thursday's deadline, although Vučević surely won't be one of them since he is in the first season of a three-year contract extension.

He might have even more responsibility following any potential trades, but he still thinks the team can go on something of a run in the coming weeks.