The NBA's trade deadline is a week from today, February 8th, 2024. Chicago has been quiet on each of the last two trade deadlines. Their last transaction near the trade cutoff was in 2021, when they acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic for a slew of draft capital and young talent. The debate remains firm on whether this move set back the franchise or helped catapult Orlando's successful young roster. According to a recent analytic by NBC Chicago's K.C. Johnson, this year may see a change for the Bulls, who may be more active than anticipated. What staggering numbers has he brought to the surface, and will they push the front office to take action?
Identical Mediocrity To 2022-23
In the last decade, the Chicago Bulls have won one playoff series and ten postseason games and are on pace for another underwhelming finish. In the Zach LaVine era of the last seven seasons, they've won just one playoff game and only had one postseason appearance. Inked for the next four years with one of the most lucrative contracts leaguewide, Chicago is seemingly stuck under an underperforming significant cap hit nearing his 30-year-old season. Although the narratives have changed from a year ago, including LaVine missing half of the season thus far, the results mirror last year's disappointing campaign.
Some may argue that this year's bunch has shown more optimism than last season. With Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Patrick Williams's emergence at times, the future looks brighter than it did 12 months ago. A convincing argument for pushing LaVine out of Chicago is that the team holds a 12-10 record without him on the floor and an 11-16 record when he's in the lineup.
The Bulls did boast a 5-2 stretch immediately following his return, but that's also attributed to his career-best seven-game stretch in the assist column, where he averaged over five assists per outing, including seven dimes in three straight games.
"Roster Continuity" Experiment Has Failed
In short, Arturas Karnisovas needs to be held accoutable for the lack of success in Chicago. This roster does not have the starpower, young core pieces, or versatility adhering to today's NBA to prosper. Trading for an aging Vucevic and sending away three first-round draft picks for him, extending a player who has zero All-NBA nods and one playoff victory to a max contract for five years, and whiffing on his only top-five draft pick with the franchise have all led to endless mediocrity.
Since his arrival, Karnisovas has preached that it is essential to create "roster continuity" among the core of a depth chart with championship aspirations. Coming from Denver where he drafted or aquired many of thier NBA Championship team including Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the track record was hopeful, but he's fallen short at every turn with the Bulls. In his fourth season, he holds a career standing of 140-145 record in Chicago, or a 49% win rate with only one playoff appearance and one postseason victory to four losses.
Possibly fighting for his job this upcoming offseason, can Karnisovas navigate his way through the trade deadline in a way that improves the Bulls in the short and long term? What moves do you want to see from the hottest seat in the clubhouse?
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