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CHICAGO, Ill. - With the NBA offseason underway, the Chicago Bulls will foray into a stretch of a few months that will bring to light any potential changes the team promised to make.
Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said as such after the season ended.
"I'm going to look at the totality in this group," Karnisovas said on April 20. "This group hasn't worked. There's a lot of great things in certain individual players and a lot of young guys that took a step forward and it's positive. But in totality, as a group, it didn't work so I'm gonna have to find these answers in the offseason."
Here are some questions – with some potential answers – the Chicago Bulls will face this offseason.
ZACH LAVINE
It’s fair to assume that LaVine will be a player on the move this offseason. The only issue is who will take him? The 29-year-old has injury issues and a massive contract, but he’s still a player who can score better than most of the players in the league.
The answer: gauging the trade market for LaVine would be the best move for the Bulls. There has to be a handful teams that would be seeking a player like LaVine who can score in bunches, stretch the floor and attack the rim voraciously. His contract is an albatross, but moving on from LaVine and getting something in return is better than letting him walk.
DeMAR DeROZAN
The Bulls’ most consistent player has a good argument for staying in Chicago. He was the team’s leading scoring player and tied with Coby White and Andre Drummond for most games played among all Bulls.
The answer: DeRozan should be resigned. He’s expressed his desire to stay in Chicago and while he may not be a superstar player that takes you to the NBA Finals, he’s the kind of player that helps win games and sets an example for the younger stars. If Karnisovas is serious about competing, keeping DeRozan in the future plans should be a thought at the forefront of the team’s thinking.
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NO. 11 OVERALL
The 2024 NBA Draft is seen as a weak draft. There isn’t one player the Bulls could target at No. 11 overall that could be an immediate impact player. The Bulls have also struggled to draft well when in the top-15. Of their last four top-15 picks, one (Coby White) has emerged as a stellar player while the others (Wendell Carter, Denzel Valentine and Patrick Williams) are either off the team or have yet to live up to their potential.
The answer: Drafting a player that fits a positional need, like USC point guard Isaiah Collier or Tennessee forward Dalton Knecht, would help with depth or rotational shooting. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to shop the pick if the Bulls would prefer to acquire a player that could help immediately. The good news is the Bulls are flexible here, and any avenue improves the roster.
ROSTER OVERHAUL
Karnisovas promised things would be different in his press conference at the end of the year. "We're gonna have to find these answers in this offseason," he said. "Obviously, the results are not where we want it. I totally get it. And it's on me to figure it out." Those answers will probably come in the form of a roster overhaul. What that looks like remains to be seen, but it would need to include improvements in the team's overall shooting and defense.
The answer: When considering the overhaul, players like Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, LaVine and other players who have comprised the team’s core for the last few seasons should be given a hard look. If these players could garner draft capital in trade talks, the Bulls should listen. The 2025 NBA Draft could be something to look forward to if the Bulls are armed with draft capital, while those trades could also free up money for 2024 free agent signings.
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