The times are changing for the Chicago Bulls, and there are players still around with this team that don’t look like they will be here for much longer. That is the case for a lot of the pieces acquired by the former front office pairing of John Paxson and Gar Forman. The direction of the franchise is going to be much different now under the leadership of executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley.
The Bulls are also still hoping to land a spot in the play-in tournament later this month. Currently sitting with a record of 29-39, and riding a three-game winning streak, the play-in tournament will be tough to make but is still possible.
Ahead of their meeting with the Brooklyn Nets on May 11, the Bulls sit 2.5 games back of the Washington Wizards and three of the Indiana Pacers for that final spot in the play-in tournament. They only have four games remaining in the regular season, so the Bulls really can’t afford to lose another game. And they’ll essentially need either the Pacers or Wizards to lose out.
Which Chicago Bulls are meshing with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic?
Moreover, given the slim odds still for the Bulls to make it to the postseason, there’s just as much focus placed on building the roster up this offseason as there is what’s left this season. The Bulls have a star duo in center Nikola Vucevic and shooting guard Zach LaVine that gives this team a more legitimate foundation to build a contender around than they’ve had since Jimmy Butler was traded four years ago.
Karnisovas and Eversley have already altered the roster a good bit to build around the likes of LaVine and Vucevic, but it’s clear that further change is needed. Here’s a look at three Bulls players that could soon be let go that aren’t the best fit with LaVine and Vucevic.