Big Bang Theory: No telling how massive Bulls overhaul will play out
After three straight years in the play-in tournament, with a fourth trip pending, Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas decided enough was enough. It was finally time for drastic action.
The overall logic may be lopsided, but maybe Karnisovas deserves credit for at least going all in with roster destruction.
When the trade deadline arrived Thursday afternoon, the Bulls had discarded six players. Three of the top four scorers (Coby White, Nikola Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu) were sent away with relatively meager returns.
For better or worse, the Bulls they are changing.
“The play-in is not our goal, a championship is,” Karnisovas said in a post-deadline Zoom call with reporters. “We know where we are in the standings, and we're not satisfied with being in the middle.
“This process takes time, but we've already made a meaningful shift in how we're approaching roster building and development.”
Are they? The Bulls are certainly loaded with guards now, with the addition of Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton and Anfernee Simons. It's possible that trio will be an upgrade from White, Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter. But all three are on expiring contracts and will be free agents this summer.
Point guard Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2024, should get the opportunity here he didn't see in Minnesota, especially with Josh Giddey and Tre Jones out with hamstring strains.
The Bulls are still thin inside. They technically had a net gain of one big man, since Vucevic was replaced by 6-foot-11 Nick Richards and 6-10 Leonard Miller. But it's not realistic to expect those guys to match Vucevic's steady production in points and rebounds. It will be those two, plus Jalen Smith, manning the middle, with Zach Collins' return from a toe injury unknown.
“All these players are going to get a chance to play and are going to be able to display what they can do,” Karnisovas said. “Those (former Bulls) were really good for us, but we just couldn't get over the hump. We just couldn't get consistently good and consistently healthy.”
Speaking of health, Karnisovas mentioned he plans to continue trying to play a fast-paced style. That's worked well at times, but there's been no evidence it's sustainable. The running of the Bulls has brought constant muscle strains and short-handed lineups.
“I think taking into consideration how young we are and the lack of experience, execution in the half-court, we lack,” he said. “So we have to run. We're going to continue playing this style of play and hopefully our half-court execution gets better with experience.”
Another curious byproduct of the trade deadline was the Bulls acquiring nine second-round draft picks during their various trades. They added zero first-round picks. There's obviously not room on the roster for nine second-round players, but those picks can be used in future trades, theoretically.
“I believe you cannot have too many draft picks in terms of how you can operate for the future,” Karnisovas said. “Everything we are doing is tied to building something meaningful toward the long term.”
Karnisovas mentioned wanting to be active in the free-agent market this summer. There won't be many unrestricted free agents who fit the Bulls’ needs and timeline.
A couple of centers who would be great fits are headed toward restricted free agency. But the chances of pulling away Jalen Duren from Detroit or Walker Kessler from Utah are slim at best. Adding Houston forward Tari Eason is more realistic, but how much would he help?
The Bulls can clear roughly $60 million in cap space, but that's without re-signing any of their own free agents. There's no clear path for the Bulls to reach the next step. Moving up in the draft lottery seems like the best-case scenario.
“We have a lot of flexibility,” Karnisovas said. “I think Chicago is still a desirable market for players to come, and we're just going to take one thing at a time.”
No promises, of course. The Bulls have been rebuilding for 11 years without much progress. They've proven many times that decisive changes often bring no shift in success.