As Chicago Bulls' ownership slowly comes around to the idea that the franchise needs a complete overhaul, trade rumors surrounding the team's veteran players are ramping up.
The Bulls have been searching for trade partners for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic for nearly a year at least, but so far to no avail. LaVine's contract, combined with the restrictions placed on teams with the league's new second apron, makes him nearly impossible to move.
Vucevic is owed less money, but he's a 34-year-old center who offers no rim protection in an era in which teams are looking for athletic shot blockers.
Both players have value. LaVine is in the midst of a bounce-back season and could be in the conversation for an all-star berth. Ditto for Vucevic, who's shooting a career-high 46.9 percent from three.
Lonzo Ball and his expiring $21.4 million contract are also available, per reports.
It will be difficult to extract much value in return for any member of that trio, assuming Chicago can find any trade partners at all. Maybe just dumping their salaries and freeing up close to $85 million in cap space is the best the team will be able to do.
Other players on the roster have considerably more value, and the franchise should be willing to listen to any offer. But that doesn't mean there should be a total firesale.
Here are three players the organization desperately needs to hold onto, whether LaVine, Vucevic and Ball are traded or not.
3 Bulls players who should be untouchable at this year's trade deadline
Matas Buzelis
This one seems obvious. There's no reason Chicago should trade its most recent lottery pick.
Buzelis hasn't lit the world on fire through his first 20 NBA games, with averages of 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.1 minutes. He's only shooting 36.7 percent from the field, 31.0 percent from three and averages fewer than one free-throw attempt a night.
But the 20-year-old has shown glimpses of an athletic 6-foot-10 wing who can be a terrifying threat in transition, cause opposing offenses issues with his length and could potentially become a three-level scorer.
Buzelis isn't going anywhere anytime soon, regardless of what kinds of offers the Bulls get.
Dalen Terry
In keeping with the first-round pick theme, Terry - the 18th selection in the 2022 draft - is beginning to develop into the kind of versatile playmaker, defender and shooter all 30 NBA teams covet.
The 6-foot-7 guard/forward has played in all 21 of the Bulls games so far this season and is averaging career highs in minutes (13.0), points (4.2), field-goal percentage (46.9) and three-point percentage (36.4).
Terry doesn't shoot at a high volume - he averages only 3.0 field-goal attempts per game and 1.0 from deep - but he's affecting the game in other areas as his offense continues to develop.
He played mostly point guard during his lone season at Arizona and entered the league as a multi-positional defender, ballhandler and potential spot-up shooter.
Terry is still just 22 years old in his third NBA season and is beginning to make good on those projections.
Julian Phillips
Julian Phillips has forced himself into head coach Billy Donovan's rotation this year with his combination of length, athleticism, defensive energy and flashes of spot-up three-point shooting.
Like Terry, Phillips fits an archetype - the 3-and-D wing - that all NBA teams crave, and also one Chicago doesn't have anywhere else on its roster.
Phillips is only 21 and remains more projection than sure thing, but he's been one of the first players off the bench in Donovan's rotation, and despite his low scoring output (4.4 ppg) and inconsistent three-point stroke (31.1 percent), has shown enough that the Bulls should want to develop him as part of their rebuild rather than send him packing.
Unfortunately, teams reportedly want Terry and/or Phillips in any trade that would force them to take back a large sum of money, like any LaVine deal. But other players, namely Coby White, have far more value on the open market than LaVine, Vucevic, Ball, Terry or Phillips.
If Chicago is going to pull the trigger on any deal of significance, it should involve White or perhaps Ayo Dosunmu rather than this trio. It appears both are approaching their ceilings as players and are younger and cheaper than any of the other Bulls' veterans.
Phillips, Terry and Buzelis are far more underdeveloped but arguably have higher ceilings than anyone else on Chicago's roster. They need to stay.