Now that the All-Star Break has officially arrived for the entire NBA as of March 5, the focus now turns to reflecting on the first half of the schedule for the Chicago Bulls and expectations that lie ahead for the second half. First-year head coach Billy Donovan led the Bulls to round out a first half of the schedule with a record of 16-18, which is much improved from where they sat at the All-Star Break last year. As a whole, the Bulls are one of the most improved teams in the NBA this season.
Donovan and the Bulls finished out their last game prior to the All-Star Break with a solid four-point road win over star forward Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center back on March 3. The Bulls get a full week off between games, as their next outing comes at home at the United Center on March 11 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The next big looming event for the Bulls following the All-Star Break will be the March 25 trade deadline. Given mixed messages coming from the Bulls camp right now, it’s hard to tell the approach that the new front office will take at the deadline this year. Since they do sit well within striking distance of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference at the moment, it might not be smart to take on the role of a full on seller at the deadline.
With this in mind, here’s a look into three players that are most likely to remain with the Bulls after the March 25 trade deadline.