Bulls Right to Explore Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vučević Trades Amid NBA Rumors

The Chicago Bulls are 8-13 and currently sit 11th in the Eastern Conference, a spot the team almost certainly expected itself to be in after allowing DeMar DeRozan to leave via free agency this past offseason and doing little to improve the roster in his absence.

According to Jake Fischer on The Stein Line, the Bulls are open to trading Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vučević before the deadline, if the right offers come their way. It is essentially a fire sale without outwardly calling it one.

It is also the right decision.

The Bulls have not appeared in an NBA Finals since 1998, the last year of Michael Jordan's Bulls dynasty. They have not even competed in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2011, when hometown star Derrick Rose led the team to a 4-1 series loss to the Miami Heat.

Questionable management and coaching decisions, including roster building, have left the team irrelevant and marred in obscurity. They have not yet been competitive and appear to be wasting the enormous talent of Coby White, whose start to 2024 (32.5 minutes, 18.3 points) is at least comparable to his breakout season a year ago.

LaVine has logged 33.8 minutes, 22 points, 50.9 from the field, and 42.9 from beyond the arc through 18 games in 2024. Ball has only played in five games this season as he continues to struggle with his comeback from a devastating knee injury, tallying 16.8 minutes a game and 4.4 points per game.

Vučević is arguably the most intriguing of the three Bulls stars available.

The veteran center is averaging 32 minutes of floor time, 20.9 points, and 57.7 percent from the paint. His 46.9 percent from downtown is the highest of his career.

Considering the Los Angeles Lakers' search for center help is well-documented, he is a player worth keeping an eye on.

LaVine has been linked to LA on multiple occasions.

Ball is the mystery here as he would almost certainly have to exhibit consistent ability to stay on the court amid his injury history if any team is expected to be interested in the former second overall pick.

Regardless of where those three anchors of this Bulls team go, it would behoove the front office to see what they can get in return and to officially put the reboot in motion. If for no other reason than putting the last few years in the organization's rear view mirror and focusing on building a champion.