The Chicago Bulls have refused to pick a side for years now. Fans have begged for a clear direction from the front office, but an obsession with staying competitive (even though many moments from the past few years have not felt competitive at all) has won out in the end from Artūras Karnišovas.
As we approach the 2026 NBA trade deadline, rumors fly, but the elephant in the room remains the same; are the Bulls gearing up to... Keep things mostly how they are? Coby White, Ayo Dosumnu, Nikola Vucevic, and Isaac Okoro could probably all fetch at least a future pick at the deadline. In rebuilds, clearing the cap sheet and adding any type of asset is a plus. The Bulls still are in a rebuild (despite their random hot streak every few weeks) thus, the path forward at the deadline should still be obvious. Sell, sell, sell!
But as the team currently sits in their favorite place in the world to be (a play-in spot), can the front office be trusted to see the bigger picture?
I'm getting some deja vu. Have we had this conversation before?
Bulls had the right idea with Vooch trade offer
Before it sounds like pure doom and gloom (which is what sneaking into the play-in would feel like this year, to be honest), there may be reason to believe that things could be different this year. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Bulls tried to part with Vucevic for an expiring deal and a draft asset.
"...Earlier this season, well before Boston surged into second place in the East, the Chicago Bulls inquired on the possibility of trading center Nikola Vucevic for Simons and a Celtics first-round pick, which would have lowered Boston’s tax bill, but the Celtics weren’t interested, league sources told HoopsHype.
That's more like it! Even with the Celtics saying no, this is exactly the kind of deal the Bulls should be pursuing. In fact, that seems like a great deal for both sides, but I digress.
On the other hand, the Bulls appear intersted in adding talent like Domantas Sabonis — a player I love to watch, by the way — which is sort of a nightmare. This team is more than one borderline-All Star away from competing for anything serious, and they definitely don't have the resources to add multiple of those guys at this deadline.
I don't think the front office thinks this team can contend. But I think the decision-makers always think the Bulls are much closer to greatness than they really are, and that's what causes the constant refusal to fully embrace a rebuild.
There's no reason to pursue moves like acquiring Sabonis, and every reason to pursue more trades like that Vooch deal they offered to Boston.
Do you think they'll listen to me?