For months, it has been an open secret around the NBA that the Chicago Bulls were open for business. A player’s only meeting on opening night following a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder was seen as an omen for how the rest of the season was going to go.
While the Bulls have shown some signs of life recently, this isn’t a team built to contend for an NBA Championship, as they are barely in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 22-26, the Bulls are currently in ninth place, holding a two-game lead over the 11th-place Brooklyn Nets.
It has been rumored for months that a shakeup would be coming in Chicago sooner than later. NBA rumors have swirled around several of their players, including Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls Updates
However, an update has been provided by Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic that will shock some people. It sounds like the Bulls have changed course, as no major deals are going to occur ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
“With a week remaining before the NBA’s trade deadline, few within or around the Chicago Bulls organization anticipate the franchise making a major move.
If the Bulls swing a deal before the Feb. 8 deadline, most will be surprised. It’s not that the Bulls can’t make a trade, but there’s a prevailing belief that the front office won’t commit to something substantial,” wrote Mayberry.
That is shocking as there arguably isn’t a team in the NBA that needs a shake-up as badly as the Bulls. When point guard Lonzo Ball was healthy, Chicago was among the best teams in the Eastern Conference. But, without him in the mix, the Bulls have proven they are nothing more than a fringe playoff team.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls Updates
As Mayberry continued, a reason a trade isn’t going to get done is how the Bulls value the players they have made available. The asking price for Caruso has been astronomical and the market for LaVine is nonexistent. Value for DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic isn’t high, which could force Chicago’s hand into paying the aging duo.
Hit hard by injuries as well and the 2023-24 NBA season looks like it is going to be another lost one for the Bulls. They are stuck in the dreaded middle ground of the league; too good to seriously contend for a top pick in the draft but not good enough to make any real noise in the postseason.
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