Another year, another terribly disappointing trade deadline for the Chicago Bulls. There’s no point in mincing words at this point, the front office is failing this team and fans are justifiably mad about it. Bulls fans have proven once before how determined they can be to drive out the team’s decision-makers for doing an inadequate job, so AKME better tread carefully from this point on.
Arturas Karnisovas is now set to discuss his trade deadline decisions in just over an hour from now. He’ll be available at 5:45 ET / 4:45 CT.
Ideally, the fanbase’s frustration will be accurately conveyed tonight and he takes the feedback to heart. After all, most of the negative feedback online stems directly from Karnisovas’ inactivity during a pivotal trade deadline that offered more than enough opportunities to improve (or blow things up).
What a disaster trade deadline for the Bulls. They were one of the teams that needed to make a move the most.
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) February 9, 2023
Instead, they were one of only two teams (Cavs were the other) that did nothing.
Although they appeared to be trending upward, the Chicago Bulls just blew a massive opportunity at the trade deadline to the dismay of fans online.
We’ve now seen two trade deadlines and a free agency period come to pass over the past 12 months, and the Bulls have made no significant additions or moves in that span. Any actual effort to improve has instead been replaced with sermons about “continuity” and outside of that, a whole lot of radio silence from the front office.
It seems people are finally catching on to the act, however, as Arturas Karnisovas has accomplished nothing in Chicago despite claims he’d like to build a winning organization. This front office seems unmotivated to improve, making it that much harder for the fans to approve of this toothless behavior.
The one thing the Bulls' new front office had going for them was that they picked a direction. They said winning was the goal.
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) February 9, 2023
Two trade deadlines and one free agency later, they have only Drummond, Dragic, and two months of Tristan Thompson to show for.
There is no goal.
While the fanbase may have shared mixed opinions on whether improving to compete or blowing it up to tank was the right move, I think everyone was in agreement that standing still as the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference would be a horrible decision. And that’s precisely what the front office did.
The Bulls inactivity, in either direction, is incredibly maddening and frustrating. The entire league is either taking big swings, or at least being part of a 3 team deal to change the mix as best they can. The Bulls, thoroughly inactive.
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) February 9, 2023
Absolutely brutal.
This is nothing new, of course, as SBN’s Ricky O’Donnell gave us a grim reminder of what Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s philosophy and approach to winning is.
Jerry Reindsorf has made the Bulls the least ambitious team in the NBA. He does not aspire to win championships. "Success" is making the playoffs without paying the luxury tax, so he can cash a fat handout check from the big markets that try to win.
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) February 9, 2023
Pathetic! pic.twitter.com/holZQlFVVp
For a minute there, it seemed like the Bulls did have some traction on a shocking move, as reported by Joe Cowley. The report stated the Bulls were entertaining offers for Zach LaVine, with the Knicks drawing strong interest. This got the fanbase talking and ultimately reaching mixed opinions, but it all proved to be for naught in the end.
The New York Knicks are reportedly focused on acquiring 2x All-Star Zach LaVine from the Bulls.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) February 9, 2023
In the framework of a potential deal, Chicago could receive Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, and three first-round picks for LaVine and Goran Dragic.
Instead, the Bulls will now have to look to the buyout market yet again to continue improving. As you may remember, Tristan Thompson was Chicago’s ‘big mid-season addition’ last year, despite having little to no impact for the Bulls in the end. I wouldn’t expect much more this year around either, so don’t get your hopes up.
The Bulls are interested in signing Russell Westbrook, should he receive a buyout, according to reports
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) February 9, 2023
MORE:https://t.co/2HMmwDJhvI
The Bulls will now have to put this all behind them tonight, as they take on a Brooklyn Nets squad that will be severely undermanned in the aftermath of trading away Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Even if the trade deadline was a massive disappointment for you like it was for me, hopefully the Bulls can finish strong tonight and provide at least one silver lining to what has been a particularly damning night for this team’s future.