Just days removed from the NBA’s February 9 trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls front office will be forced to trek down one of two distinct paths: either face the reality of the situation and peddle off assets now while it’s still a seller’s market, or commit to the original vision and continue trying to build a winner around the Big 3. For better or worse, it seems Arturas Karnisovas is willing to put his reputation on the line in an effort to keep the Bulls in a winning position.
If we are to take Shams Charania’s word for it — and at this point, you’d be a fool to dispute his credibility — it appears the Bulls are preparing to make moves to improve ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline.
The most obvious of said moves would be working to improve at the point guard position. Despite having a litany of guards on the roster, none come even close to the impact Lonzo Ball would have on this team if healthy. Since Ball’s return to the court seems increasingly unlikely by the day, now may be the best time to spring for a point guard with so many interesting players on the trade block.
According to @ShamsCharania on ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy Show, the Chicago Bulls are active in the trade market and are trying to get guard help. The Bulls don't want to tank and want to continue to compete for a playoff spot.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) February 3, 2023
The Chicago Bulls need to move for a point guard at the trade deadline if they want to continue competing for the playoffs.
When compiling this list, perhaps the most important criteria for me here when deciding which players should be at the top of the front office’s wishlist was their affordability and contract length. The Bulls aren’t looking to find a long-term answer at the deadline, all they need is a quality stopgap that can hold down the fort and buy the franchise time until Lonzo can ideally make his return to the court next season.
Fit with the team will also be heavily factored in here, which means you won’t find any score-first guards on this list (sorry for those of you advocating to bring Kyrie to Chicago). I wanted to focus in on the type of players that make those around them better and can address the Bulls’ weaknesses at the margins without the ball always in their hands.
There are many players I expect to be on Chicago’s radar, but I believe these three are ultimately the most realistic options worth targeting due to their expected fit with the roster.