Recent rumor shows who real problem is with the Bulls

The Chicago Bulls surprised the league last season when they didn't make any moves at the trade deadline.

WIth free agency approaching for some of their players, it would have made sense to move them in exchange for something rather than potentially losing them for no return.

A recent report suggests the Bulls may have turned down a lucrative offer for Alex Caruso at the deadline, one that would have netted them multiple first-round picks.

If true, this was the Bulls' chance to reboot with some nice assets, but they instead turned it down in an ill-fated attempt to make the playoffs.

The report also suggested there were members of the Bulls' front office who were open to this type of move but they were shot down by ownership with an order to chase the playoffs instead.

"However, the source indicated that there was a mandate from the Reinsdorfs to fight for the Playoffs. That, no doubt, impacted the front office’s decision making when it came to pulling the trigger on any Caruso deal."

- Will Gottlieb

Arturas Karnisovas has taken most of the heat for the Bulls' inaction over the last few seasons, but he may have both hands tied behind his back.

The Chicago Bulls' problem is a meddling owner 

Look, we all know about Jerry Reinsdorf at this point. He's a classic villain owner who pinches pennies, interferes when he shouldn't and is often accused of caring far more about the bottom line than sustained winning. 

The odd thing about this report is that trading Caruso would have saved him money, but Reinsdorf saw the dollar signs of a potential playoff series and couldn’t resist. 

On one hand, I appreciate an owner who believes in the team and tries to win. Ask fans in Detroit, Washington or Charlotte how perpetual tanking is going for them. 

On the other, this was a chance for the Bulls to add future assets while still building a competitive team, as they might have been able to flip an extra pick to move up in the draft or used it in a trade to get off the contract of Zach LaVine. 

They passed that up just for the chance of banking some high-value ticket sales in a playoff series that never happened. 

I can understand trying to win every year and even appreciate that philosophy, as life is too short to tank. But it’s a balancing act between trying to compete every year without completely ignoring the future. 

The Bulls haven’t found that balance, which is how they are stuck with a mediocre team with no real way to improve and little reason to be excited about the future.