The Chicago Bulls’ trade deadline plan reflects a two-pronged approach. The team is entering rebuild territory, as evidenced by its unapologetic salary-cutting moves, while also emphasizing player development. Or, as Artūras Karnišovas put it, “…we have to look at a different combination of players.”
Losing is part of the plan
Karnišovas avoided labeling it a rebuild, instead calling it a “stage.” Whatever the terminology, this phase is centered on identifying long-term keepers. Chicago has technically already found two in Jaden Ivey and Rob Dillingham, whose contracts extend beyond this season. The remaining deadline acquisitions are on expiring deals, a decision made to preserve financial flexibility moving forward.
What hasn’t been mentioned yet is that a rebuild, or a “stage,” as Karnišovas calls it, typically comes with losses. The Bulls completely retooled at the deadline, and while many of the moves felt somewhat lateral, a massive influx of new talent doesn't lend itself to continuity. That was evident in the Bulls’ 123–107 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
The fifth-place Raptors beat the Bulls by 16 points just hours after the trade deadline passed. Toronto, meanwhile, made minimal roster changes and produced the expected result. But as mentioned above, the loss isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Falling to the Raptors also knocked the Bulls out of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. In this stage, that alone qualifies as a win.
The Bulls are certainly off to a strong start in Karnišovas’ two-pronged “stage.” But, there's more. The player development side of the plan was on full display as well. Short on available bodies following the whirlwind trade deadline, Billy Donovan played his three new additions—Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons, and Guerschon Yabusele—more than 30 minutes each, and all three delivered.
Bulls' deadline additions shine
Ivey finished with 13 points, four rebounds, six assists, and three steals against Toronto. He converted 5-of-12 field goal attempts and went 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. The former Piston’s game looked well-suited for Donovan’s uptempo, three-point-heavy style.
Simons, meanwhile, led the Bulls with 22 points, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 6-of-13 from three-point range. What the Bulls lost in Coby White’s deep shotmaking, they have regained in Simons, who is even averaging more made threes per game than White this season. Early on, Simons looks like an ideal catch-and-shoot guard alongside Josh Giddey.
Lastly, Yabusele, who likely won’t receive as long a look as most of the Bulls’ other acquisitions, given his age (30 years old), made an immense impact. Yabu scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench, shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-6 from downtown. It was his best performance of the season, following a short-lived, disappointing tenure in New York.
While Karnišovas’ “stage” drew some ridicule, mostly because fan-favorites White and Ayo Dosunmu brought back relatively modest returns, the Bulls’ trade deadline moves were quickly vindicated. Chicago lost, yes, but that loss serves the team’s plan. Three of its seven new additions exceeded expectations, and the defeat helped the Bulls move further into the rebuild stage they want.