The Chicago Bulls finished this past season with a measly 40-42 record, which was good for just 9th in the East. The Bulls missed the playoffs a year after seemingly turning the franchise around, and while there may have been injuries that the team faced, this was an unacceptable season.
Despite many question marks and lineup inconsistencies, the Bulls’ big 3 was in the lineup for basically the entire season, with Zach LaVine playing 77 games, DeMar DeRozan with 74 appearances, and Nikola Vucevic playing in all 82 contests on the year. This consistency is actually a bad sign for the Bulls, because even though the team’s stars were there the entire season, they were unable to get the job done. In the 70 games that the three played together, they were 36-34, which is a winning record but is not enough to be a contender.
The mediocrity that the team faces with these three mainly lies within the playing styles of DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. The current Bulls offense is one that centers around DeRozan and relies on a slow pace with Vucevic playing on the perimeter in order to spread the floor.
This offensive style is not the best way to utilize a player like Vucevic, who has been able to thrive when given touches in the paint. These clashing play styles require change, as the Chicago Bulls have an opportunity to get a fresh start with this offseason.
The combination of DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic has not allowed the Chicago Bulls to be a contender, and the team should consider trading the two stars.
Don’t get me wrong, DeRozan and Vucevic are still excellent players in the league, but they may not be the best fit together. Considering their caliber and the experience they bring to the table, they can still yield the Bulls a solid return with young pieces to build around Zach LaVine.
The reality is that DeRozan and Vucevic (who next season will be 34 and 33, respectively) cannot be the centerpieces for the team in even two years. For these reasons, it may be worth trading either one or both of them in order to clear the way for Chicago’s younger players to truly develop while also getting some nice assets in return.