It was another disappointing and mostly mediocre season for the Chicago Bulls. Although the team ultimately exceeded their projected win total set before the season, they still fell short of claiming a playoff spot in what turned out to be a relatively weak Eastern Conference.
The Bulls have failed to secure a winning record in six of the last seven seasons, and have won a grand total of one playoff game in that time. With so little to show for all they have done over the last several years, it seems high time for Chicago to commit to a full rebuild.
If that is the direction they end up taking, the Bulls have plenty of players other teams around the league will be interested in trading for, especially after this past season. These are five Bulls players that raised their trade value in 2023-24.
1. Javonte Green
Playing his third full season in Chicago this year, Javonte Green played sparingly. Still working on getting back to form after getting over right knee troubles from last season, Green only appeared in nine games for the Bulls with five starts.
But in those games, he put up a career-high scoring average of 12.2 points and shot 60% from the field. Javonte is an interesting case in the sense that he entered the league as a 26-year old rookie, so he does not have nearly as much NBA experience as his peers.
But Green is showing with his three-and-D capabilities that there is still a player there to be excited about. He could certainly be part of a potential trade package, and any opposing teams that paid attention to him this season are undoubtedly more interested than they were six months ago.
2. Alex Caruso
Playing his third consecutive season in Chicago, Alex Caruso put together yet another masterful display of defense and shooting efficiency. Three-and-D players are a dime a dozen these days, but the top 2% of these players can make a massive impact for their team.
Caruso falls into this category. One of the best perimeter defenders in the association, he had his healthiest season as a professional, playing in 71 games for the Bulls in 2023-24. Every time he stepped on the floor, he provided a massive lift as an on-ball stopper and as an outside shooter.
All in all, it was a season of career-bests for Alex. He put up a career-high 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, all in his highest minutes average at 28.7 per night. He enjoyed his third career season shooting at least 40% from beyond the arc, as well as started his highest percentage of games in a season with 57 starts.
Taking this leap after earning a First Team All-Defensive selection last season (and will likely earn another one this year) proves just how much Caruso's stock has continued to rise. He will undoubtedly be a highly coveted asset around the league this summer.
3. Coby White
Perhaps the player that gave Bulls fans the most reasons to be excited this past season was Coby White. Drafted by Chicago in 2019 out of North Carolina, he jumped out to an excellent rookie campaign and was named to the 2019-20 All-Rookie team, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.
White continued along his solid trajectory into his second season, where he increased his scoring average and shooting percentages across the board. By this point, he was already in the starting lineup and was playing north of 30 minutes per night.
But everything shifted during the summer of 2021, when the Bulls brought in DeMar DeRozan and completely changed the dynamic of this team. All of a sudden, Coby was moved back to the bench and his role was diminshed, leading to more inconsistent play from a still young and developing guard.
There were certainly a lot of questions about how White's role would look going forward at the start of the 2023-24 season, but he answered the bell in a big way. In putting up career-high numbers (third on the roster in points per game average) and becoming one of the finalists for the Most Improved Player award, White showed that he has real scoring power and can absolutely be a part of the team's core going forward.
If Chicago does opt to trade him, best believe they will be getting a significant return.
4. Ayo Dosunmu
Heading into his third professional season, it was a make or break year for Ayo Dosunmu. After 76 games played and multiple notable individual achievements, it is safe to say he made it obvious he has a place in this league going forward.
A 6-foot-5 guard with a lightning quick first step and lethal downhill driving ability, Dosunmu was coming into 2023-24 after a sophomore season where he had more or less plateaued. Not a lot of improvement had been made, and some wondered if his exciting rookie season had been a bit of a fluke.
Ayo put the doubters to sleep in his third year, putting up 12.2 points per game and shooting 50% from the field, a wildly impressive accomplishment for a perimeter player. Maybe the most intriguing development for the young guard was his improvement in shooting from three-point range, as he knocked down 40.3% of his threes this past season after making just 31% of those shots the previous season.
Dosunmu's resurgence reminded fans why they had been so excited about him two years ago during his rookie campaign. His performance this year gave the Bulls major leverage in the event they decided to look into shopping Ayo.
5. Andre Drummond
One of the most interesting post players in the association is Andre Drummond. Entering the league in 2012, Drummond joined the NBA at a time where prototypical post play had yet to be significantly altered the way it has been today.
He was one of the most dominant post scorers and rebounders in his early days with the Detroit Pistons, earning the Rookie of the Year award, two All-Star selections and even an All-NBA nod during the 2015-16 season where he also led Detroit to the playoffs.
Leading the league in rebounding four times in his first eight seasons, he had clearly established himself as one of the most valuable interior players in basketball. But all that changed with age and the three-point revolution.
Though he remains just 30 years old, Andre had to adapt his play style with many centers around the league now stepping out to the perimeter and shooting three-point shots. Incredibly, he has adapted wonderfully, and continues to be a valuable role player with every team he suits up for.
He proved this value again with the Bulls this year, upping his scoring and rebounding averages from last season while playing and starting in more games as well. Drummond undoubtedly raised his trade value with his improved play in 2023-24.