In 2021, the Chicago Bulls pushed their chips all-in. They moved to acquire DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball. Just a few months earlier, they had traded for Nikola Vucevic.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, those moves failed to yield the desired results. The front office has spent the past 18 months pivoting away from that roster and toward a younger, more sustainable roster construction.
With that in mind, it’s unlikely that we will see the Bulls enter the fray for any disgruntled star talent in the near future.
“The Bulls seem pretty done with the big-time-free-agent Alpha route and Big Three makeup,” Sam Smith wrote in a recent mailbag for NBA.com. “…But since the Vučević trade it seems like the Bulls have decided, especially with the urgency in the LaVine trade to get their own daft pick back, that the future will be more about using their own picks in an organic improvement.”
Smith continued.
“…I doubt the Bulls endanger that by trying to make a move to win once—or get to sixth—than gradually building upon what they have. It’s difficult, but it seems like they are going to pursue sustainability over the spectacular. A lot of teams like Philadelphia recently won the offseason; it’s not as valid a route anymore.”
The Bulls have some exciting young talents on the roster. Coby White, Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams and Matas Buzelis are all making a big impression this season. So, while it may take longer for the Bulls to emerge as a contender, it’s fair to assume the franchise’s new direction is already proving to be viable.
Bulls’ Patrick Williams Looking to Improve
During a recent interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Williams discussed his struggles this season and the mindset he’s using when approaching games.
‘‘That’s kind of what got me to this point, holding myself to that high bar, you can say,” Williams said. “And it’s not necessarily making or missing shots but how I’m playing, the energy I’m playing with. When that doesn’t happen, then something has to change. . . . But the only thing that can change it is a change in me.’’
Despite his injury issues and struggles on the court, Williams is still focused on winning.
‘‘When we’re winning, I’m having fun, regardless of how I’m playing,” Williams said. “I come from a culture, obviously, at [Florida State] where winning was the top priority. When you win, everybody gets taken care of. You hold the trophy up, everybody gets to hold it up.”
Nevertheless, Williams must show improvement if he wants to secure himself as part of the Bulls’ long-term future.
Bulls’ Lonzo Ball Working Through Pain
According to head coach Billy Donovan, Lonzo Ball‘s absence is now about pain management rather than actual injury. Ball hasn’t suited up for the franchise since Feb. 28.
“There’s no problem medically — from what I’ve been told by the people that have been dealing with his wrist — of him going out there and playing,” Donovan told Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “Whenever he does get back to playing, if he falls on it wrong, he’s going to be right back to where he was. If he can get back and play to a point where he feels comfortable that he can be productive out there, we’re going to play him.”
Ball could be an ideal bench contributor during the play-in tournament. His defense and playmaking would provide a much-needed punch with the second unit. However, as things stand, there’s no telling if he will be back in the rotation this season. Either way, the hope is that Ball is fully healthy by the time the 2025-26 season arrives, and that he can stay healthy throughout that basketball year.
