The Chicago Bulls have somewhat clarified their direction as a franchise, but there are still some big questions hanging over this team.
It’s been a disastrous offseason in some ways, as the Bulls clearly waited too long to trade DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso and had to accept lesser deals.
They did land an exciting player in the draft in Matas Buzelis and made moves towards a rebuild with the addition of Josh h Giddey and the re-signing of Patrick Williams.
But as Zach Lowe asked in a recent thrashing of the Bulls, “what is this team?”
It’s the real question that needs to be answered but it can be broken into parts.
Question #1: Are the Bulls tanking or not?
I should say that I am against tanking but there are times when it makes sense and the Bulls may be there.
They own a top-10 protected pick that they’d like to keep, as the 2025 draft is much deeper with perceived star talent. Another lottery pick added to what they already have and the Bulls have the makings of a solid young core to build around.
But it’s not clear if they are quite bad enough to tank, as there are still some lousy teams in the Eastern Conference who are also licking their chops over Cooper Flagg and the 2025 Draft.
The Bulls’ defense will be atrocious as currently constructed, but with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic still on the roster, they could have enough offensively to at least keep themselves out of the bottom 3-4 teams.
There is still plenty of time before next season, and there are trades that would make it clear which direction the Bulls are headed, but as of right now, they are in the middle zone again, exactly where they don’t want to be.
Question #2: Will Zach LaVine be traded before the season?
This is the question that has been hanging over the Bulls for years and they are not any closer to answering it after a market for LaVine never developed.
That could change, as teams will get desperate at some point (we're looking at you Clippers), at which time LaVine could become an option.
This is the question that will most affect question #1, as a healthy LaVine along with Coby White might be just enough to keep the Bulls competitive, at least competitive enough to miss out on a top pick.
Waiting to trade LaVine has potential upside, as he could play well and make himself more attractive to other teams. The risk is that he plays just enough and just well enough to make the Bulls a 30-win team, the familiar position of not being good enough for the playoffs but not being bad enough for a top pick.
The Bulls clearly don’t want to just give LaVine away, and they shouldn’t, but at some point, he is the player that is going to dictate the direction they go.
Question #3: How good is Coby White?
This season should be about evaluating Coby White and deciding how he fits into the future plans but that needs to start now.
Do you think White is good enough to build around? A solid second option? A role player? Under the new apron rules, giving out max deals to guys who are not max players can become punitive, not that the cheapskate Bulls have ever gone near the luxury tax.
They’ve already given a lucrative contract, some would say far too lucrative, to Patrick Williams, an unproven player. White has certainly shown more, but can he be the 1st or 2nd best player on a good team?
Part of what makes White so valuable now is that he is on a team-friendly deal, but if they think he’s going to be after a max, some evaluation and tough decisions will have to be made, including entertaining a trade for Coby White.
This goes back to question #1. If you are rebuilding, trading White now for a big return might not be the worst idea. If you can get him locked into a reasonable extension, that’s another option, but the Bulls have to decide how much is too much for White and weigh that against the possible return they could get for him in a trade.
Question #4: Where do the Bulls find a center?
As their roster stands right now, the Bulls might have the worst rim protection in the NBA.
They have two centers who can’t defend the post and who aren’t good on the perimeter either.
Vucevic was terrible defensively last season and there is no reason to expect him to be better. Jalen Smith is not atrocious, but he doesn’t block many shots and has been shoved around in the post in the past.
Vucevic is obviously not the long-term answer. Smith can be a piece of a rotation, as he provides other valuable skills, particularly his ability to spread the floor.
But the Bulls need to start thinking about the big man of the future, as well as someone to fill out their depth chart for next season.