Here's the latest Chicago Bulls news for Feb. 10, including a potential Lonzo Ball trade that fell through, Arturas Karnisovas doubling down on his awful deadline decisions and at least some positive news in the form of Matas Buzelis.
Matas Buzelis earns NBA Dunk of the Week
There's a silver lining to all the disappointing news that's been pouring out of Chicago the last few weeks.
Rookie forward Matas Buzelis has earned a spot in the starting lineup, is playing nearly 30 minutes per game and is providing plenty of evidence that the Bulls may have landed a major steal in the back half of the lottery in the 2025 draft.
In his last six games, two of them starts, the 20-year-old is averaging 15.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in more than 27 minutes a night. He's shooting 62.3 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from three.
And then there are the times when he does this.
If nothing else, Bulls fans can watch that for the last 29 games of the year.
The Lonzo Ball trade that didn't happen
It was no secret that Lonzo Ball was on the trade market, at least temporarily, and that other teams were interested in acquiring the 26-year-old.
Eventually, he re-upped with the Bulls, but more information is flooding out post-deadline regarding which teams were interested, and it includes a relatively shocking one: the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (h/t HoopsRumors), Ball was a potential target as the Cavs canvassed the league for a defensive-minded wing. Cleveland ended up making a trade with the Atlanta Hawks for De'Andre Hunter, but it's interesting to hear that the Bulls' veteran point guard was considered a wing defender at the deadline.
Arturas Karnisovas continues to baffle everybody
Karnisovas, Chicago's vice president of basketball operations, gave some interesting answers in his post-trade deadline press conference. He's content with the roster he has—openly acknowledging that said roster includes zero stars but 9 to 10 "good players"—and shooting for another Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament spot.
In a sit-down with KC Johnson of CHSN, Karnisovas doubled down on his roster-building strategy and trade deadline silence.
Apparently, he was concerned about the process of integrating new players into the team with only 30 games left in the regular season. Because, of course, it's important for the franchise to aim for that 10 seed in the East, and that process could cost Chicago some games.
And, obviously, getting one or two games of postseason experience—assuming the Bulls even make the play-in—is more valuable for the team's young players and the organization than potentially acquiring a top pick in a draft loaded with potential superstars.
At least there's Matas.