Many people are keeping an eye on the Chicago Bulls in the coming weeks as we quickly head toward this season’s NBA trade deadline. They are one of the teams that could opt to become sellers ahead of the deadline and change the tide of the playoff races.
The Bulls are currently on the outside looking in of the NBA Play-In Tournament in the Eastern Conference, but only a half-game behind the Toronto Raptors. That isn’t where they expected to be, given some of the moves they made to upgrade the roster ahead of the 2021 deadline and subsequent offseason.
Chicago acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic ahead of that deadline and followed it up with a strong free agency. They acquired DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball in sign-and-trade deals while also bringing in Alex Caruso to bolster the backcourt. When healthy, the Bulls were among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but they may never reach that level again.
Ball’s return to the court is up in the air as he continues to deal with knee soreness despite undergoing his first procedure in January. The reported tension between DeRozan and Zach LaVine could lead to some changes as the two just aren’t meshing well on the court with their overlapping skill sets.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Miami Heat & Toronto Raptors Updates
Could the front office look to move LaVine? He has been involved in some trade whispers thus far with the Bulls considering a rebuild. Locked into a long-term deal and with some injury concerns himself, Chicago could be open to getting back whatever value they can in exchange for him and resetting.
If he were to hit the market, the New York Knicks have the best odds of acquiring him at +250, according to SportsBetting.AG. Early in December, New York looked destined to make some major shake-ups after an embarrassing loss at home to the Dallas Mavericks.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Miami Heat & Toronto Raptors Updates
An eight-game winning streak followed that, but they have yet to lose four games in a row. Another embarrassing loss to the Mavericks occurred on Tuesday night, as the Knicks blew a nine-point lead with 35 seconds remaining in the game, which could have them reconsidering their stance.
Next on the list is the Toronto Raptors at +300, who have some decisions to make of their own. With Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. both having player options for the 2023-24 season, things are about to get expensive. Toronto could look to shake up its roster to avoid the luxury tax while also reshaping things in what has been a disappointing start.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Miami Heat & Toronto Raptors Updates
Third on the list is the Miami Heat at +350. As long as Pat Riley is at the helm, expect the Heat to be involved in some capacity whenever an All-Star player becomes available. LaVine would be a nice fit offensively to take pressure off of Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro.
