After last season ended in the same disappointing fashion as a year ago, one thing was different about the most recent dismissal from playoff contention. Arturas Karnisovas took the podium to answer questions after elimination and vowed that change was coming, that this roster is admittedly a failed experiment, and that Chicago needs to go in a new direction. For many Bulls fans, this was a situation they would need to see to believe, having been the longest-running team in the NBA without a trade until last Thursday’s trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. With their most valuable asset now gone in exchange for a 21-year-old with All-Star upside, one more detail in the franchise is not being talked about enough, and it’ll be the root cause of what transpires in the front office over the next twelve months.
Top Ten Protected 2025 First-Round Pick
In 2021, the Bulls executed a sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan in exchange for two aging salary dumps and a 2025 first-round draft selection. However, that pick is top-ten protected, meaning if the Bulls land in the first ten picks of next summer’s draft lottery, they would retain it. Seeing how vital draft picks are to any rebuild, Karnisovas and the front office group may lean toward a soft tank during the 2024-25 campaign to keep this selection in-house. More signs will follow when the return for Zach LaVine is revealed and DeRozan’s current landing spot is determined. Seeing him sign elsewhere would almost guarantee that the Bulls are playing for key positioning in what is rumored to be a stacked 2025 NBA draft.
Missing back-to-back postseasons and losing their best defenseman indeed has moved the Bulls down the league ranks. Barring a win-now package in return for LaVine in the coming month that changes the trajectory of the near future, expect them to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season and the seventh time in eight years.
Moving Up In The Draft
Several times in the last few weeks, it has been reported that Chicago is also eyeing a move up in Wednesday night’s draft. Currently sitting in the 11th slot, don’t be surprised by pairing that with a player to move up. Andre Drummond has likely played his final game in a Bulls uniform, leaving Nikola Vucevic as the only center who turns 34 before next year’s opening night. Houston, Detroit, and Charlotte are all positioned near the top and need veteran pieces to build around young talent.
Could Karnisovas turn the 11th pick and LaVine into a top-five selection to grab the reigning NCAA Champion center? Regardless of whether they move up or not, the Bulls will have added two talents 21 years old or younger and moved on from at least one 30-year-old or older player. Trading a win-now piece to move up the draft boards and grab another unproven talent shows that Chicago is conceding the 2024-25 campaign in favor of retaining their draft selection next summer.
Is it time for a complete rebuild? If so, does Karnisovas and his staff deserve another crack at it? Wednesday night will answer a lot of questions in the Windy City.
