1. Do Not Overthink This Time
This is the most important and is also a case of needing to learn from the past. The Bulls have had a tendency to get in their own way trying to get creative. One standout instance is the draft night trade that sent LaMarcus Aldridge to the Portland Trail Blazers for Tyrus Thomas. Aldridge is a seven-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA while Thomas never started more than 30 games after 2009.
Gary Harris and Jusuf Nurkic for Doug McDermott another bad trade that comes to mind. It is good to be forward thinking. And the Bulls have had success unearthing gems. But they also have a tendency to pivot, seemingly, on a whim. Remember when rebuilding turned into the ‘Three Alphas‘? They must stick to their game plan. Especially when they defend it so vehemently.
The Bulls are coming off of their lowest win total since 2001 and they had sub-par output in nearly every major statistical category. No stones should go unturned in trying to get this thing back on track. It has been reported that no one outside of Markkanen and Carter is untouchable. While that shows some of that flip-flopping attitude, it also shows they are not overly attached to a core that has won nothing.
They can change that by following this plan. Be honest with themselves, they need everything. Get t point and trade for Holiday. Take the best player available or be proactive if ‘their guy’ slides. Do not get in their own way, a task that has proven Herculean for this front office. If they do all of these they will be have had a great off-season.
Stats and info provided by NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.