NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls may have already backed themselves into a corner.
A case can easily be made that winning games shouldn’t be a priority for the Bulls this season. They have swam in the depths of mediocrity over the past several years, facing a first-round playoff defeat before losing back-to-back times in the Play-In Tournament. For the organization to finally start building a true contender, a step backward feels needed, especially when we consider their current draft situation.
The Bulls’ 2025 first-round pick will land in the laps of the San Antonio Spurs if it doesn’t fall within the Top 10. They traded this 2025 selection to the Spurs in the sign-and-trade deal that brought DeMar DeRozan to Chicago. To the front office’s credit, they finally realized the underwhelming trajectory they were on this past summer and allowed DeRozan to walk. We also saw them move on from Alex Caruso, implying that they were ready to pursue the teardown many coveted.
Fast forward to today, however, and the Bulls are playing a dangerous game. The team is 10-15 on the season and 10th in the Eastern Conference. In other words, they remain in Play-In Tournament territory and are walking the fine line of finishing No. 11-14 in the lottery. For a team that needs high-upside young talent far more than they need another taste of Play-In action, losing that pick would sting a lot.
The good news is that there is still a lot of time for the Bulls to run the Tank Race in earnest. Whether it be motivated young teams like the Pistons (11th) and Hornets (13th) or a veteran squad trying to crawl out of the mud like the 76ers (12th), there are several teams below Chicago in the standings that could work their way up.
However, the bad news for the Bulls is that stringing together enough losses to move out of the Play-In race could truly be challenging. Not only have they already proven to be a pretty competent basketball team with a Top 11 offense, but they have a shockingly manageable schedule ahead!
The Chicago Bulls’ Strength of Schedule
Tankathon currently lists the Bulls as having the single-easiest remaining strength of schedule in the NBA. The combined winning percentage of their 57 opponents is a mere 47.3 percent. They have a total of 14 games remaining against the East’s four worst teams, including eight against the Hornets (7-17) and Raptors (7-19).
Especially when we consider how well Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have played to start the season, it’s hard to imagine the Bulls can tumble much lower than five games below .500. If anything, there is a case to make right now that the Bulls are more likely to return to an even record than to enter the East’s bottom three.
Now, is it possible that some trade could change their fate? Absolutely. The Raptors were a perfect example of the post-trade-deadline tank last season, trading Pascal Siakam and losing 19 of their final 21 games. At the same time, the Raptors got that deal done in mid-January, giving themselves even more time to set their trajectory.
If the Bulls bring things all the way down to the Feb, 6 trade deadline, they could already have enough wins on the board to cause major trouble. Also, what happens if they fail to find a trade for either Zach LaVine and/or Nikola Vucevic? The market already isn’t looking great! Heck, even if they do manage to trade both, head coach Billy Donovan may be good enough to lead a frisky group of youngsters to some wins.
I know this all feels backward. Thinking hard about how a team can lose games on Dec. 13 doesn’t sit great in my stomach. But you know what would sit worse? Losing in the Play-In and thus losing a chance at adding talent in a deep 2025 NBA Draft. I mean, just look at how excited we all are about Matas Buzelis! He’s one of the few things about this roster that is currently giving fans hope. If the Bulls were in this same situation last year, they would have missed out on drafting him.
At the end of the day, this is just the frustrating reality the Bulls have put themselves in. Losing games is likely the best thing for them moving forward. And, unfortunately, they might even screw that up!
Only the Bulls!
