Here's the latest Chicago Bulls news on Boxing Day, including a chance to leap up the East, some more trade rumors and Billy Donovan's comments on a potential Josh Giddey extension.
Bulls could vault into legitimate playoff contention in Eastern Conference
Chicago is 5-4 in its last nine games with one of those wins coming on the road against the Boston Celtics.
The Bulls' shooting let them down in the rematch two nights later as they shot just 37.8 percent from the floor and 34.1 percent from three. If Chicago isn't efficient from deep, it's not winning games, especially against teams like Boston.
But the Bulls have a chance to make a surge in January.
Games against the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks are followed by winnable contests against the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. The Bulls also get games against San Antonio, Indiana, Washington again, Sacramento, New Orleans and Portland between Dec. 30 and Jan. 19.
That's a stretch of winnable games for Billy Donovan's team. A 6-4 record in those 10 isn't out of the realm of possibility, and Chicago is only 2.5 games back of the sixth-place Miami Heat, who may or may not have Jimmy Butler at that point.
Billy Donovan believes Josh Giddey could be crucial going forward
Donovan seems delusional in his comments to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times (h/t Hoops Rumors), claiming that Giddey can be an "important piece" moving forward:
"“I think like any player, coach, we all need to get better, so I’ll just start there. But I really felt like there was a learning curve with him with our team because one of his greatest strengths is his passing. The defensive part for him, I think he’s gotten better as time has gone on. I think the thing for him the last five or six games before he got hurt, I thought he was really impacting our team in a positive way as he started to figure things out, so I definitely think without question that he can be an important piece to us.”"Billy Donovan on Josh Giddey
Sure, Giddey is a smart player and passer. But he can't shoot or play defense and is a free agent after the season.
The Bulls don't have a solid track record when it comes to re-signing players who don't deserve long-term contracts.
The outgoing piece in the Giddey trade, Alex Caruso, just signed an extension of his own with the Oklahoma City Thunder. If Chicago's 22-year-old point guard doesn't show some improvement where he needs it most, the Bulls might be better off taking the "L" on the trade and just moving on.
Latest Bulls trade rumors
The Zach LaVine-Denver Nuggets trade seems to have hit a stalling point. The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly out on the veteran guard.
It seems like it's Denver or bust if the Bulls want to trade LaVine.
Nikola Vucevic could have more suitors as the Feb. 6 deadline gets closer. The Golden State Warriors may hold some interest. The Lakers could kick the tires. The Phoenix Suns could find a deal that makes sense to some people (not sure why).
Lonzo Ball and his $21.4 million expiring contract will be available as Chicago continues to shop its veterans.