It’s been a minute. Let’s start with a quick recap:
-The Bulls DO NOT have a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft… yet.
-Their first round pick has been sent to the Orlando Magic as part of the Nikola Vucevic trade.
-Their second round pick has been confiscated by the league due to the Front Office tampering to get Lonzo Ball.
-The “Run It Back” Bulls of last season finished under .500 and on the outside of the playoffs.
After a season of relevance (2021-’22), the Bulls are back to Mid. With only the Mid-Level exception, Bi-Annual exception, and Bird Rights to several players available for the Bulls to use in free agency, it looks like the “Run It Back” Bulls will be making another appearance in the 2023-’24 NBA season.
As of yesterday, the rumor mill has Vucevic ready to re-sign with the Bulls, and the Bulls asking around the league to see how valuable Zach LaVine might be. With the news that the Front Office is trying to gauge LaVine’s value, old trade speculations have resurfaced. Could LaVine be on his way to New York, L.A., or Portland?
A better question might be, is it time to trade Zach?
I have waffled on LaVine his entire time with the Bulls. In my brain, I think that he’ll never be the kind of player that drags a team to the playoffs. In my heart I see a man that works hard every season and has steadily improved. LaVine has gone from exciting athletic prospect to All-Star Bucket Getter and Olympic Gold Medalist, all during his time with the Bulls.
I’m not sure I want to move on from Zach LaVine.
For one thing, if the Bulls trade him, I know the players they get back won’t be as good as he has become.
BUT.
Maybe they can make up for his absence in the aggregate.
Here’s another thing to consider, Arturas Karnisovas comes from the Denver Nuggets organization, the team that just won the NBA Championship, and a team that has been notoriously patient when it comes to their core players and coaching staff. When the masses where calling for them to move on from Jamal Murray or Mike Malone, they were immovable, and it worked out for them.
AK has maintained “continuity” over the last 3 transaction periods.
The question is, and maybe always has been, do the Bulls consider Zach LaVine to be part of their future core?
We already know Billy Donovan is their Mike Malone. They extended his contract at the beginning of the season. We can assume that Patrick Williams is part of that core because he is their first draft pick. I’m assuming Dalen Terry is part of that core as well, considering the Front Office just hired a shooting coach to bolster their development staff.
I’ve always maintained that the Front Office has two teams they are trying to build; the one for the present, the team that makes the playoffs and keeps the Bulls relevant, and the team of the future, the one that competes for Championships.
LaVine and Donovan have had some very public disagreements over the last couple seasons, and the Bulls have already extended their coach.
I think championships are more than 5 years away for this team. So is Zach LaVine really a part of the Bull’s future core?
The Front Office is asking around the league about LaVine’s value.
… And the Bulls DO NOT have a pick in the 2023 NBA Draft… yet.
RokDeez Bulls Blog 