The Chicago Bulls made a surprise move on Feb. 5 when they extended Lonzo Ball. He added two years and $20 million to his expiring contract. The 27-year-old has been one of the best stories in the NBA this season as he returned after missing two full years to be a steady rotation player. Ball drew interest from several teams, but the Bulls kept him in the Windy City.
Arturas Karnisovas is finally making moves. They traded Zach LaVine to the Kings. Part of the package was getting their 2025 first-round pick back. Fans thought it was a signal they would tank, but keeping a veteran like Ball goes counter to that.
The Bulls have just hours to make additional deals. The trade deadline is Thursday at 2 p.m. CT. Karnisovas and the front office should give fans what they want and make the obvious moves.
Bulls must trade Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey before the deadline
Vuc has been heavily involved in trade rumors ahead of the deadline. The Warriors interest likely ended when they landed Jimmy Butler. Can Chicago find another suitor? The Bulls should not worry about the return. Dumping the $21.4 million owed to the former All-Star for the 2025-26 season is a win. It would likely come with a few second-round draft picks. Now is the time for Chicago to cash in.
The Bulls traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey straight up in the offseason. This was just months after the franchise turned down offers of multiple firsts for their defensive stopper. The front office clearly believes in Giddey, but he has failed to blossom in the Windy City.
Giddey is playing just 28.7 minutes per game. His jumper and defense remain problematic and often keep him out of the closing lineup. The 22-year-old still has room to grow, but the Bulls have to dump someone.
Their backcourt consists of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Ball, and Giddey. Jevon Carter is so deep on the bench that he rarely sees action. Chicago just traded for Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter. The new additions are not long-term pieces, but head coach Billy Donovan does not have enough minutes to play all those players.
Giddey is a restricted free agent this summer and will want a massive contract as a starting point guard. The Bulls should not hand one out. Now is the time to trade him if the franchise wants to get value in return.
White, Dosunmu, and Terry should be the present and future. The Bulls should be tanking to improve their lottery odds. They are not a contender as currently constructed. Pushing for the Play-In only to lose after one game is not their answer. It is time to fully embrace a rebuild.
Will the Chicago Bulls make multiple trades before the deadline? They should, but only time will tell. Stay tuned.