The more things change, the more they stay the same. Arguably, that statement has never been more true than it is for the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 7, 2025.
Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan and now Zach LaVine have exited The Windy City in the last seven months. All three were significant contributors for the Bulls. So yes, some things have changed.
But Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas couldn't seem to do anything more. Nikola Vucevic is still in Chicago, which, by almost all accounts, is a trade deadline miscalculation of wild proportions.
The return for LaVine only included one first-round pick, and it was the Bulls' own that they sent to the San Antonio Spurs when they acquired DeRozan in 2021. Karnisovas didn't bring in any young players of any significance, either.
So sure, the roster is different, but the Bulls just had another disappointing trade deadline and are unacceptably aiming for a third consecutive spot in the play-in tournament.
But even with how massively Karnisovas failed at yesterday's deadline, Chicago and Head Coach Billy Donovan can still salvage at least something by altering the roles of some key contributors. Whether it's veterans who need to take a back seat or young players who need more minutes and more usage, here are four Bulls whose jobs need to change for the final 30 games of this season.
4 Bulls whose roles need to significantly evolve after 2025 trade deadline
1. Coby White
It's time for Chicago to see if Coby White has what it takes to be the lead offensive option on an NBA team.
LaVine and his 24.0 points per game are gone. There's no reason for Vucevic to continue to be a featured part of the offense now. White is the Bulls' third-leading scorer at 18.5 ppg. His usage rate of 22.7 now leads the team with LaVine in Sacramento.
Chicago surely hoped that the 24-year-old guard would take a step forward this season. However, his scoring is down from 19.1 ppg last year; his 3-point shooting has stayed the same; he's getting to the free-throw line as often but is connecting on far fewer of them. His rebounding and assist numbers have dropped while his turnovers have increased.
The Bulls need to see exactly what White can do as a lead ballhandler and scorer and how he does it when the opposing defenses game plan to stop him.
He'll be an unrestricted free agent after next season and will be looking for a hefty payday. Chicago needs to see if White can be one of its franchise cornerstones moving forward.
2. Nikola Vucevic
This one was mentioned above and is relatively straightforward. Vucevic has been a steady double-double machine for most of his career, but he's 34 years old and has no future in Chicago.
The 13-year pro is having a career season offensively, but the Bulls need to see what they have with their future generation of big men. Vucevic doesn't need to be featured in any kind of prominent role. He is what he is and should have been traded before the deadline.
3. Ayo Dosunmu
Dosunmu's case is similar to White's but at a lesser level. The Illinois product has continued to develop across his three-plus NBA seasons, and the 6-foot-5 guard, who's always been known more for his defense, is having the best offensive season of his career.
Dosunmu is averaging career highs in minutes (30.7), points (12.4), field-goal attempts (9.9), 3-point attempts (4.2), rebounds (3.6) and assists (4.7). But the 25-year-old is currently 11th on the team in usage rate behind Patrick Williams.
He needs to see more of the ball the rest of the season so the Bulls' terrible front office can see if he has the tools to become a more consistent threat.
And like White, Dosunmu will hit unrestricted free agency after next season. Chicago needs to be sure he can become more than just a high-level role player before it doles out another unnecessarily large contract.
4. Matas Buzelis
It apparently took 45 games, but Buzelis finally appears to have earned Donovan's trust.
Over the Bulls' last five games, the 20-year-old is averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks on 63/48/80 shooting splits. He's playing nearly 27 minutes a night and started the team's most recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
One of the only things Karnisovas said during his post-trade deadline press conference that made sense was that the final 30 games of this season should be an audition for the team's top young talent.
Buzelis' development should be the Bulls' No. 1 priority. He's turning the glimpses of potential stardom we saw earlier in the season into full stretches. It's time to see what he can do and give him a running headstart into 2025-26.