Bulls Should Continue Rebuild After Zach LaVine Trade with Lonzo Deal amid NBA Rumors
Considering how long Zach LaVine resided on the NBA trading block, the Chicago Bulls must feel like a burden has been lifted after finally getting his trade done.
They don't have time to pat themselves on the back, though. Not when there's so much other work to be done ahead of Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Chicago's front office finally seems committed to an organizational overhaul. Only the Bulls' brass knows why it took so long to reach this point, but the important thing is they're here now. They're finally stepping off the treadmill of mediocrity and entering a land in which draft-lottery odds and player development take precedence over play-in tournament participation.
Well, hopefully that's the case, at least. If the LaVine trade is the only move Chicago makes, then this becomes yet another wasted opportunity to move this franchise forward.
The Bulls are reportedly "actively working to make trades," per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, and have "optimism for a Lonzo Ball trade in which draft capital would be acquired."
Ball's comeback has been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season in Chicago, and his impact on this club is undeniable. His two-way playmaking has proved invaluable, and the Bulls have fared a whopping 10.5 points better per 100 possessions with him than without, per NBA.com.
And yet, his value as a trade chip would easily exceed his on-court importance. That's because the Bulls might be years away from competing for anything of real significance, so present contributors pale in comparison to future assets.
That's why Chicago will surely work the phones to find a new home for veteran center Nikola Vučević, too. Just about anyone who could be flipped for draft considerations is worth shopping around. ESPN's Bobby Marks even listed Coby White among his "names to keep an eye on [in Chicago]."
The mention of White might catch a few folks off guard.
He hasn't turned 25 yet (though he will soon) and just broke out in a big enough way to finish just behind Tyrese Maxey (and just ahead of Alperen Şengün) in last season's Most Improved Player award voting. White has a not impossible path to stardom and a plausible path toward really good-dom. He's even playing on one of the league's best non-rookie contracts.
The Bulls are still right to see what he might bring back in a trade. He's probably fetching the most of any of their players on the market, and if someone wants to meet a high price for him, Chicago should let them.
That's the right attitude for the franchise to have with virtually this entire roster. The Bulls have presumably positioned rookie lottery pick Matas Buzelis and 22-year-old floor general Josh Giddey (acquired last summer in a straight-up swap for Alex Caruso) as their building blocks. No one else should be off-limits.
The Bulls must be as active as anyone as this week. There are more buyers than obvious sellers, and Chicago can use that to its advantage. This team has plug-and-play contributors to shop around, and it should be looking to extract as much as the market is willing to bear.
It took the Bulls more than a year to facilitate LaVine's exit, and one could argue their patience was rewarded. They must be much more proactive with the rest of their roster, though, because the time to make additional moves is right now.
