Playoff Injuries Stacking Up, Prioritizing Future Flexibility, Nets as a Trade Partner? And Other Bulls Bullets

At least the Chicago Bulls aren’t the only ones to have injury trouble!

The injuries are starting to become a storyline in the NBA playoffs, specifically for the Bulls’ central division foe. The Milwaukee Bucks are at risk of going down 3-1 to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday after Damian Lillard suffered an Achilles injury. The team is already without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his availability for the remainder of this series remains up in the air.

  • Of course, we also can’t forget that the Miami Heat are without Jimmy Butler and the New Orleans Pelicans are without Zion Williamson. The Los Angeles Clippers are playing with a less-than-100 percent Kawhi Leonard, too. I know injury trouble is unavoidable at this time of year, but it sure feels like this first round is being impacted more than usual.
  • At the same time, the Clippers beat the Mavs without Leonard, the Heat stole one from Boston without Butler, and the Bucks blew the doors off the Pacers in Game 1 without Antetokounmpo. None of these teams are using injuries as an excuse on the biggest stage, and I hope there is a lesson the Bulls can take away from that. Similarly, I hope Arturas Karnisovas is also paying attention to which kind of teams are leading their respective series!
  • Whether it be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, or Tyrese Haliburton, youth is the common denominator. These are all teams that have prioritized building around high-level young talent. If Karnisovas believes he can retool this Bulls roster with DeMar DeRozan as the centerpiece, he is grossly mistaken. Does that mean he has to tank? No. But it does mean he has to set the organization up to acquire a building block that is far closer to the beginning of his prime than the end. This should be the entire motivation this offseason – whether it be to set them up for future lottery success or for a chance to make a real run at a most established young star.
  • Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Everlsey of the Chicago Bulls
    Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

  • For what it’s worth, both Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young could be on the move this summer. I don’t bring that up to say I expect or want the Bulls to pursue either player, but I do think it serves as a reminder that big-name players are on the move ALL the time. Unfortunately for the Bulls, they aren’t (1) an attractive destination for those players or (2) have the attractive assets to be an ideal trade partner. So, again, whatever these changes Arturas Karnisovas makes must be made with a more long-term outlook. Opportunities pop up all the time in the NBA, which means having some level of future flexibility is key.
  • This is why the DeMar DeRozan contract remains so important. The last thing the Bulls need is to tie up $40+ million into a soon-to-be 35-year-old for each of the next three seasons. Does DeRozan deserve that kind of money? Absolutely. And I’d love for him to get it … but probably not in Chicago. I mean, are you really going to trade LaVine just to then hand an older player some significant dollars? In case you missed it, we talked more about DeRozan’s future here
  • The Brooklyn Nets have added former Michigan head coach Juwan Howard as an assistant, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
  • Speaking of the Nets, I still think that is a perfect trade partner for Chicago. The organization still has no incentive to outright tank with their first-rounders headed elsewhere, so would they take a chance on Zach LaVine this offseason? Mikal Bridges feels like a potentially ideal running mate for LaVine thanks to his defensive versatility. Brooklyn also has a couple of interesting young wings and some enticing draft picks from Phoenix, as well as the expiring salary of Ben Simmons to easily make things work. All in all, I won’t be surprised if their name comes up this summer.
  • I’m still so salty about this …
  • You were a fun story, OB!
  • Playoff season is Michael Jordan Highlight season!
  • https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1784228507591028943

  • PUNTS ABOUT TO BE LIT!
  • Hossa doc!
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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