The Chicago Bulls showed they were finally ready to begin a new era on Sunday night.
Zach LaVine is headed to the Sacramento Kings as part of a three-team blockbuster deal that also has De’Aaron Fox landing in San Antonio. The trade comes after years of rumors and another underwhelming season in Chicago, where they currently sit 21-29 and 10th in the Eastern Conference.
While the trade return leaves a lot to be desired, there is no denying that moving on from LaVine is a necessary step in paving a new path. Chicago now opens up significantly more financial flexibility, as well as puts itself in a better position to increase their draft lottery odds. Still, as critical as this move is, there is more work to be done for the Bulls to fully embrace a rebuild. And it sounds like they are ready to put in that work.
More Trades Coming for the Bulls?
Shortly after the news broke, multiple Chicago Bulls beat reporters sent the same message to fans on social media. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic each reported in their own way that the Bulls are not done making moves.
Take a look:
Of course, all eyes will now move to Nikola Vucevic, who has been linked heavily to the Golden State Warriors in recent weeks. LaVine had also been linked to join Stephen Curry and Company, but the fact he is now off the table could open the door further to a Vucevic trade. This is especially true when we consider ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday night that Jimmy Butler would not re-sign with Golden State if they acquired him.
Lonzo Ball is another player who some believe could draw interest as the deadline looms. While injury risk remains a real factor, he has recently seen his minutes restriction increase and has looked a lot like his former self defensively. Nevertheless, even if the Bulls could find a deal for Ball, fans shouldn’t hold their breath for much more than a second-round pick.
The big question will be whether or not the Bulls seek deals for any of their young players. Patrick Williams has already been in rumors. We can’t say the same about Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, but both are on extremely team-friendly deals and are easily their most valuable assets.
If it’s first-round draft capital they want, they can likely achieve that by listening to deals on either. Now, could both make sense for a rebuild, as well? Absolutely, but each will be eligible soon for a lofty extension. White, in particular, is on such a cheap deal that he could very well turn down an extension (which can only start at 140 percent of a player’s final season) to hit free agency in 2026. Might the Bulls want to sell high on him now and avoid potentially losing him for nothing?
If one thing is for sure, everything has to be on the table for the Bulls now that they have officially moved on from their star player.