The NBA trade deadline is finally over and throughout the day, multiple teams have made last-minute deals. The Chicago Bulls weren't part of the fray, however. Despite plenty of rumors heading into February 8, the Bulls once again sat out the deadline, marking their third straight year of doing so.
Talks primarily revolved around Zach Lavine, who the Bulls spent months trying to ship from the team. Besides him, Chicago also reportedly entertained discussions about potential Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond trades. Still, nothing materialized.
Team executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas cited the team's competitiveness as the primary reason for the inactivity.
“This team is very competitive in every game, and we have aspirations to compete in the playoffs,” he said, per 670 The Score's Cody Westerlund.
Arturas Karnisovas on Bulls: "This team is very competitive in every game, and we have aspirations to compete in the playoffs."
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) February 8, 2024
Additionally, the EVP also felt that none of the available deals on the market would have made the Bulls a better team.
“We didn't see anything that would make us better,” Karnisovas said, per NBC Chicago's KC Johnson. “We would take a step back, which we didn't want. We want to compete for the playoffs.”
Artūras Karnišovas: "We didn't see anything that would make us better. We would take a step back, which we didn't want. We want to compete for the playoffs."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 8, 2024
Chicago Bulls fans explode in fury over trade inactivity
While Karnisovas certainly believes in his team's abilities, plenty of Bulls fans are on the opposite side of the spectrum. With the team holding a below .500 record (24-27) while ranking ninth in the East, social media exploded in anger over the management's decision to stay put.
WHAT IS THIS ORGANIZATION'S DEFINITION OF COMPETITIVE!? https://t.co/fGO4gKaLHI
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 8, 2024
This guy is unbelievable
— Bodis (@codybrandt03) February 8, 2024
— b (@peyton976) February 8, 2024
So AK is blind gotcha 👍
— 𝒮𝑀𝐻𝟤𝟦 (@smh24yt__) February 8, 2024
I can’t with this team bro
— BearsBullsSox (@BearsBullsSox09) February 8, 2024
Make the play-in you mean and get stomped out of that… what a loser franchise the Bulls are. Being competitive isn’t vying for a play-in spot. It’s being in the top 1-6 spots consistently year in and out with superstar talent mixed in with draft capital. Bulls have neither.
— Nate G (@Mrgibbs42) February 8, 2024
At the moment, the team will have to make do without Zach Lavine as the high-flying guard recently underwent foot surgery. With their list of injured players growing, the Bulls have no other choice but to weather the storm in order to secure a postseason spot come April. And as for Arturas Karnisovas, it might be best if he turns off his social media notifications for a while.
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