The Chicago Bulls' plans at the trade deadline took a turn over the weekend. Zach LaVine, their All-Star guard who has battled injuries all season long and been the subject of many trade rumors, opted to undergo surgery on his injured foot that will hold him out for the entire season. It seemed like the Bulls wanted to trade LaVine and bring on another player that could help Chicago make a playoff push alongside DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Coby White, and the majority of their current roster.
Those plans look different, and so much different that it might be time for the Bulls' hierarchy to see the bigger picture and aim for a rebuild. While shooting for the playoffs and receiving extra checks for hosting a couple of playoff games is nice, striving to be the eighth seed should not be the goal for any NBA franchise. The Bulls are the poster boys for that line of thinking. It makes much more sense to rebuild and sell at the trade deadline. There are a few reasons why.
Bulls unlikely to make playoffs
Chicago is currently the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. They're a half-game above the Atlanta Hawks, another team that also may blow up their roster before the trade deadline, and two games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets, who might make a series of trades themselves. That's fine, but the Bulls are three games behind the Miami Heat for the eighth seed in the East.
That's important because of the format of the Play-In tournament. A team that finishes in the seventh or eighth spot has two chances to win one game to make the playoffs. The winner between those two teams becomes the seventh seed and faces the two seed in the playoffs. The loser takes on the winner of the battle between the ninth and tenth seed. Those teams have to win twice in a row to make the playoffs as the eighth seed.
It seems unlikely the Bulls catch up to the Heat, Orlando Magic, or the Indiana Pacers, who are separated by two and a half games from the eighth seed to the sixth seed. The Bulls are not better than any of those teams. Chicago's net rating this season (-1.8) lags pretty far behind Indiana's (+1.6) and Orlando's (+1.1), and while Miami's isn't great (-0.9), it's still twice as good as Chicago's. All of those teams have an All-Star on their roster this season, and Indiana and Miami have another player who has made one recently. Those two also already upgraded their roster midseason.
They are better than the Bulls. And even if the Bulls somehow make it to the playoffs, their reward is the Boston Celtics, arguably the best team in the NBA. They are not beating them if they even get the chance to compete with them. Chasing the eighth seed is simply not worth it.
Alex Caruso is at the peak of his value
Every contender wants Alex Caruso. Every contender needs Alex Caruso. Not only did Caruso make the All-Defensive first-team a year ago and carried that tenacity over this season, he is also adding as much on offense as he ever has. He's shooting a career-high 40.5 percent from three on a career-high 4.4 attempts per game. There is not a single team in the NBA who could not use a player like that.
The Bulls are mired in mediocrity at the moment, while Caruso can help a team win a championship; he's already proven that. Chicago can absolutely get a first-round pick for him and maybe more. He has another year left on his deal. This is the time to strike for the Bulls. They won't be able to get more for Caruso than they can right now.
DeMar DeRozan is a pending free agent
DeMar DeRozan is about to be a free agent. He will be 35 years old at the start of next season. Is it really the wisest move for an NBA team stuck in the middle to extend a 35-year-old guard at near-max money long-term?
DeRozan is a fantastic player, but trading him now absolutely makes the most sense for the Bulls' franchise. After extension talks have gone nowhere, that now seems to be on the table.
DeMar DeRozan is a player to monitor leading up to the trade deadline, per @ShamsCharania on @RunItBackFDTV.
The Bulls are open to fielding calls on DeRozan as extension talks went nowhere.
If DeRozan isn’t traded by Thursday, there’s a real possibility he walks in free agency. pic.twitter.com/07SMzFiSco
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 5, 2024
The Bulls can get something real for DeRozan instead of letting him walk for nothing. Trading him should be a priority before the trade deadline.
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