Decisions the Bulls Should Already Regret from the Trade Deadline

The 2024 NBA trade deadline was mostly quiet and didn't serve up many surprises.

The Chicago Bulls' decision to stand pat for a third consecutive season arguably came as close to being shocking as anything else that did or didn't happen.

The surprise had less to do with the results, though, than it did the process of this front office. Chicago has always seemed far less interested in overhauling this roster than everyone else thinks it should be. Letting the deadline come and go without a deal was always a possibility—it just shouldn't have been.

Not for a non-contending team that desperately needs to brighten its future.

As the Bulls stumble through whatever remains of their season—probably a play-in tournament appearance, almost certainly not any postseason success—they'll come to regret their latest dormant deadline for a number of reasons.

Not Capitalizing on Andre Drummond's Trade Value

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CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 14: Andre Drummond #3 of the Chicago Bulls plays against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 14, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)

It isn't very often that teams can turn a 30-year-old reserve center on an expiring contract with severe limitations in his game into actual assets, yet the Bulls had an opportunity to do exactly that.

Chicago was hoping to collect three second-round picks for Andre Drummond, and the Philadelphia 76ers, who needed a temporary replacement for the injured Joel Embiid, were so interested they "believed they had a trade done," per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. Yet, the Bulls "pulled out of talks hours before the deadline," meaning they'll have Drummond for the next few months and then who knows.

Is Chicago so focused on reaching the play-in tournament that it can't even stomach the idea of subtracting someone averaging fewer than 17 minutes per night? Apparently so.

Drummond is good at what he does (rebounding and staying active on the interior), but he is very limited and offers almost zero value away from the basket. At this point of his career, he's an adequate reserve and nothing more. The Bulls don't need him as much as they could've used those picks.

Not Turning Alex Caruso into a Mountain of Assets

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CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 14: Alex Caruso #6 of the Chicago Bulls plays against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 14, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)

Alex Caruso's current scoring output of 9.8 points is on course to be a new career high. Same goes for his 3.8 rebounds. His 34 starts are two fewer than his previous personal best.

He isn't someone who the stat sheet thinks would've delivered a pile of assets in a deal. In this market, though, he loomed as a top target for seemingly every win-now shopper. His glue-guy game made him a fit with anyone, while his $9.5 million salary, per Spotrac, felt like a fit for any budget. As ESPN's Zach Lowe put it, "Everybody wants Caruso."

The Bulls could have charged a premium in a Caruso deal and teams still would've paid it. Multiple first-round picks were not out of the question.

Given Chicago's low-hanging ceiling, it should have let Caruso, who's closing in on his 30th birthday, go and received the kind of assets needed to build up this roster to a point where it can actually compete for something of substance. His complementary game is best utilized by a good team, and the Bulls simply aren't one.

Forever Clinging to False Hopes

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 02: Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas of the Chicago Bulls looks on as head coach Billy Donovan answers questions from reporters during Media Day at Advocate Center on October 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

In this seller's market, the Bulls should have gotten their overdue rebuilding project rolling by selling off their veteran talent, likely at above-market costs. Instead, they ignored opportunity's knock, because they're still aiming to maximize this season.

"We didn't see anything that would make us better," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas told reporters. "We would take a step back, which we didn't want. We want to compete for the playoffs."

What, exactly, does this front office think will happen this postseason? The Bulls have a losing record (26-29) and a negative scoring differential (minus-1.1). They have the fewest wins against .500-or-better opponents (nine in 33 tries) among all teams currently in the play-in picture in either conference. The storybook ending the Bulls keep chasing just isn't happening.

This front office needs to accept that at some point, but it keeps clinging to false beliefs about this club rising to contention. The sooner Chicago ditches that dream, the sooner it can go about building something of actual substance.