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Recent precedent has shown that sitting two games back from .500 is a comfortable place for the Chicago Bulls. It’s typically been a “strong” enough record to convince the front office that they are on the right track and that pushing for the postseason is the only path forward. How can you resist the Play-In!?
With that being the case, we simply can not rule out Arturas Karnisovas talking himself into a fourth-straight tournament run. There is still a lot of time for him to choose precisely that with the trade deadline still roughly weeks away. However, in a surprising dose of rational news, it sounds like the Bulls are finally planning to shake things up.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times gave some insight into the organization’s trade deadline plans this Sunday. With rumors swirling surrounding several of their key players, the long-time Bulls beat reporter made note of the front office’s willingness to talk business.
“The good news is that Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas finally has realized that this on-the-fly reload he has been trying to pull off since the start of the 2024-25 season isn’t viable,” Cowley wrote.
“Last February, more than a handful of NBA executives said Karnisovas was as open-minded and transparent about trade talks as he has been since taking the job in 2020. That hasn’t changed.”
Cowley went on to reiterate that the Bulls held “serious” conversations with the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this season about Coby White. He also suggested that those talks could creep up again or even pivot toward the team’s other capable guards. Nevertheless, the report only underscores the broader point: The Chicago Bulls sound ready to make a move.
Will the Chicago Bulls Remain Aggressive?
With the trade deadline still 24 days away, this is pretty much all you could want to hear regarding the Chicago Bulls’ intentions. Sure, it might be nice to have a little more connective tissue regarding specific deals and what the Bulls hope to pull off. But this is at least a considerably firmer update than what Bulls fans have received in the past.
In recent years, this time of year would produce a whole lot of nothing. While there may have been a few LaVine rumors here and there, the larger plan would remain unclear. This time around, there has been a lot more talk about a legitimate sell-off that takes advantage of the roster’s many expiring contracts. And this now includes Cowley’s report regarding Karnisovas’ “open-minded” attitude.
Once again, does this mean we are about to see Karnisovas press self-destruct and enter full-blown tank mode? I wouldn’t go that far. If his recent deals have suggested anything, it’s that he likes taking flyers on young players who need a change of scenery and can make a more immediate impact. This is likely why Zion Williamson and Jonathan Kuminga have continued to come up in conversation. We have recently discussed both, and Cowley also made mention of both in his article.
To be sure, I can understand if the idea of adding either player doesn’t sit well with some fans. Pursuing a traditional rebuild and stashing draft equity certainly seems like the more sensible approach. However, adding a young, buy-low candidate is at least a more palatable plan than pursuing a win-now piece like Anthony Davis or Domantas Sabonis. It at least suggests more forethought.
Regardless, if there is anything we can take away from Cowley’s words and the consistent flow of rumors, it’s that the Bulls do appear poised to do something with the future in mind. Will that end up being the right something? That’s always the question! But I’d at least consider that an encouraging development. For years, this front office has sat on its hands and refused to entertain changing its mediocre product. They now might finally be willing to throw their hat in the ring and play the game.