After another rather quiet trade deadline, there were a great many complaints online about the Chicago Bulls' inaction. But it needs to be said, sometimes the best moves are those that you don't make. Nowadays, when fans' attention spans seem shorter than ever, results are required here and now. Patience is a luxury not many executives around the league can afford.
That being said, building a successful franchise in the NBA is a marathon, not a sprint. Yes, contracts are shorter these days and there's constant movement, but you can't lose your head in that chaos. That's why I think, that as of right now, Arturas Karnisovas is doing a pretty good job. Sure, you can argue about his methods, but at the very least, he's trying to be patient.
Karnisovas kicked off his regime by trading for Nikola Vucevic, who's a solid scoring center that will give you an inside presence and is pretty versatile for the big. Chicago gave up Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and two picks. Vucevic is the best of those three players. What hurts is that one of the draft picks turned out to be Franz Wagner. He's an amazing player, but even still, there's no guarantee that the Bulls would've drafted him.
Karnisovas also signed DeMar DeRozan, who's still, a great scorer and elite mid-range shooter. Recently he also re-signed Coby White to a great contract. With this signing, the Bulls got a potential All-Star at about $12 million annually. That's a truly great bargain.
Of course, this team has flaws. The Bulls still lack shooting and playmaking. They don't have elite talent, that you could build your team around. Their draft choices are questionable at best. The best word that comes to mind, who can describe this situation is mediocre. But maybe that doesn't have to be such a bad thing.
Contrary to popular belief, Arturas Karnisovas deserves a little credit for keeping the Bulls afloat over this difficult stretch.
When discussing potential rebuilding options, it would be easy to take the Sam Hinkie route and completely bottom out. There's no guarantee, however, that this will generate success in the end. In fact, perennial tanking can actually do long-lasting damage to a franchise.
Outright tanking prevents teams from building culture, as young players prioritize proving themselves over winning games. Since these young players are all trying to establish themselves in the league, their priorities lie with their wallets, not the team. Simply put, intentional losing does leave a mark.
It's so hard to get out of tanking mode if you don't draft an elite franchise cornerstone. And there's no guarantee that you will get one. The Bulls could draft a 19-year-old, who will be learning the game for the next few years. By the time he's ready to lead, he will be on his second deal. And that strategy doesn't work. The last time it worked, was back in 2003, when the Cavaliers picked LeBron James. Other than that, that strategy produced limited success.
Sure, you can talk about OKC or Philly, but neither of those teams can show a championship. Now, Chicago is still competing and giving fans the reason, to come and watch the Bulls play.
The NBA is in constant change and there's always a guy, who wants to get traded. Let's say, Donovan Mitchell becomes unhappy in Cleveland and would like to be traded. Could Chicago potentially put a package for him? Maybe. It's all about having assets and Chicago does have some. Sure, they lack them to get a superstar, but they could patch something for a perennial all-star caliber player.
I'm not sure, what's the best way, to get out of this current situation. Some contracts are coming off their hands soon. Maybe then they'll have some more flexibility. But the main thing is to have patience. Trust the front office, get a coach, that management trusts, and be patient. I think it's the best thing, that the Bulls can do right now.