From beginning the season as obvious sellers to creeping into the buyer's category, the Chicago Bulls are on a pendulum, swinging into each grouping seemingly every other week. The Bulls began the season 3-6, with teams closely monitoring Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic ahead of the trade deadline.
While both former All-Stars are still being monitored, the Bulls are now 18-21, winners of five of their last eight contests. There's a real debate as to whether Chicago should send LaVine, Vucevic, or other veterans away in a trade to start the rebuild or focus on winning games to secure a playoff spot for the second time in eight years.
Chicago's reason for being buyers
LaVine is Chicago's most notable trade candidate. He averages 24.0 points per game and converts 51.7 percent of his field goals and 45.0 percent of his triples. The 29-year-old is on a tear to begin 2025. LaVine averages 33.3 points while connecting on nearly 60 percent of his field goal attempts throughout the first six games of January.
Furthermore, Vucevic is back above the 20-point per-game mark for the first time since 2020-21. Like LaVine, Vooch slashes an extremely efficient 55.7 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from long range. Aside from his efficient scoring, he's contributing 10.1 boards and 3.3 assists per contest.
Chicago's two best players have dramatically increased their trade values following subpar 2023-24 campaigns. However, simultaneously, the recently instated Collective Bargaining Agreement has made trading for All-Star-level talent that much harder. Teams are either wary or incapable of trading for players like LaVine, who earn north of $40 million. Even Vucevic's $20 million per year pact is difficult to absorb nowadays.
The lack of plausible avenues to trade LaVine and Vucevic supports the buying ideology. If Chicago doesn't find a suitor capable of fulfilling their trade requests, it'll be better off retaining LaVine and Vucevic, at least into the offseason. Chicago is currently in 10th place, just three games out of the coveted sixth seed.
If the Bulls continue to tread the line of mediocrity, why not hold onto your best assets and punt on the 2025 NBA Draft? Chicago's first-rounder will convey to the San Antonio Spurs if the Bulls fall outside of the top 10. As it stands, the Bulls are ninth in the draft order, narrowly losing the draft pick outright—regardless of the draft lottery.
The Bulls as sellers is the more logical strategy
However, there's an obvious counterpoint to the last paragraph's logic. Chicago has arguably had a better roster in previous seasons than this one. Despite a middle-tier roster in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls have missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. With how things are currently going, this could be a third.
Instead of staying stuck in purgatory, the Bulls' Front Office can decide on a direction by becoming sellers at the trade deadline. Chicago rosters several desirable trade candidates. Besides LaVine and Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, and Torrey Craig are sure to be sought come February 6.
Shelling out Craig or Ball might not be enough to move the theoretical needle. But sending Vooch and one of the previously mentioned veterans for a bevy of draft picks and salary to suffice the financial requirements should do the trick. Of course, LaVine is Chicago's best player and the biggest name on the trade block. Nonetheless, it doesn't appear the 29-year-old will be dealt this season. Thus making Vooch the most notable candidate.
The Bulls' best-case scenario is trading away the 34-year-old big man and acquiring a first-round pick in exchange. Once Vucevic is out the door, focusing on developing young players and retaining its first-round pick in a stacked draft class is in Chicago's best interest. Therefore, selling will be the answer until a playoff spot is all but secured.