After the first 14 games of a promising regular season slate, second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls are off to an impressive start sporting a record of 10-4. The Bulls have also won two games in a row and four of their last five, each win coming over some bona fide postseason contenders like the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Dallas Mavericks.
If Donovan and the Bulls can beat the Portland Trail Blazers and superstar point guard Damian Lillard on the road on the night of Nov. 17, this team will likely boast the top record in the Eastern Conference (or they will at least be tied with the Washington Wizards). The Bulls are proving their postseason contender status out of the gates this season and it really has the fan base excited.
Who could the Chicago Bulls add this season to upgrade their contender status in the East?
For the first time since the mid-2010s, it looks like the Bulls can actually make a sustained postseason run in the East. Behind the efforts of stars like shooting guard Zach LaVine, shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan, and center Nikola Vucevic, this Bulls team should be excited about what’s to come this season.
Where the Bulls can build from here is identifying any areas of the roster/rotation that could still be improved and finding solutions ahead of the trade deadline. One way to elevate your contender status is always to add a key piece down the stretch. The buyout market and trade block are likely the places that the Bulls can turn to be able to do so later this season.
Here’s a look into three potential trade targets to watch in the early season that could help to elevate the Bulls’ contender status in the East.