Chicago Bulls: Should the Team Consider Tanking Next Season to Rebuild?

One question that has been raised regarding the Chicago Bulls is whether they should "tank" the 2013 season to make a title run in the future. 

There are several reasons for this consideration. First, there is the question of whether the Bulls have "Buffaloed?" 

By this, I mean: Are the Bulls a team that is very good, but only almost good enough to win a championship? To cross up my sports metaphor here, the Buffalo Bills lost the Super Bowl four years in a row.

Are the Bulls a team that will always be good enough to contend but never good enough to win? 

There are those who believe that Derrick Rose is a special talent, but that the surrounding talent doesn't give him that player who is good enough to push the Bulls over the top and win a title. 

This question is tough to answer because the Bulls haven't really been healthy for a title run. Yes, they had their starters for the title run their first year together when they "only" went to the Eastern Conference finals. 

The next question is when will Derrick Rose be better? While there have been some encouraging reports that he's ahead of schedule as he recovers from his torn ACL he's still not likely to be back before the All-Star break (via ESPNChicago.com). 

There is also a good chance the Bulls will be without Luol Deng the first couple of months of the season, as he may need wrist surgery before the season begins but after the Olympics are over (via ESPNChicago.com).

Then there's the question of how much good basketball is left in Carlos Boozer. Some might argue there isn't any. The Bulls are paying a lot of money for an above average player there. 

In 2014, could this team compete for a title? Perhaps. But consider this alternative.

The Bulls trade Luol Deng for a draft pick and get someone like Harrison Barnes. They miss the playoffs this year but they get a lottery pick next year. In 2014 they get Nikola Mirotic to come over and play his rookie season in place of the freshly amnestied Carlos Boozer.

Then a year or two later they get their pick from the Bobcats, who could be a lottery pick. 

Or else, a year from now, when those assets are closer to reality, they combine them with their own pick to get another top-five pick. 

Of course, there's always the possibility that just by remaining the same the Bulls stay competitive, and when Rose and Deng are both there at full strength, the team is the strongest it's been in the post-Jordan era heading into the postseason. 

Whichever the Bulls do, if they don't win a title based on their decision to make a move or not, they will always be second guessed. It's not an easy decision.