What will the Bulls do? All eyes on the offseason moves |
Another season and another play in the tournament, disappointment has ended for the Chicago Bulls. The disappointment can come in one of two ways for a Bulls fan: you could be disappointed that the Bulls couldn’t advance past the play-in tournament again, or you could be disappointed that they won too many games this season, taking themselves out of the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. With the draft lottery over, we now know, barring anything crazy happening between now and then, the Chicago Bulls will take their pick in the 12th spot. Now, the hard work of the offseason begins for the president of basketball operations, Arturas Karnisovas. He had already preached the value of patience in his first meeting with the press after the season ended. With that patience, the question is, what are the Chicago Bulls going to do this offseason to make this 39-win team even better and not a play-in tournament participant next season? The biggest elephant in the room would be trading Nikola Vucevic and getting out of his contract, while also giving the player what he desires: the opportunity to compete for a championship. Getting that trade done is easier said than done, given that he is owed $ 21 million next year and will be 35 at the start of the next season. Coby White is another player with a what-to-do decision, as he is due a significant raise after this upcoming season, given his dramatic improvement in play. If the Bulls believe he is a core piece and worth signing long-term, then they have to fully commit to surrounding him with talent to win. Josh Giddey has just arrived, and it has been shown that his numbers without the ball in his hands drop significantly, so the Bulls may try to explore the possibility of finding a trading partner for him if they do not want to run the offense through Giddey. The problem with that is the player is only 22 years old and could improve his play even if he is not the point guard. The biggest and most eye-popping obstacle the Bulls will have to overcome this offseason is named Patrick Williams. The Bulls handing out that huge contract to him, based on what his potential could be, is starting to look like a horrible deal for a player who is better suited for being the sixth man. Finding a trade partner for Williams may not be difficult, as a change of scenery could be beneficial for both sides. Additionally, Williams has a promising upside if he can find a game that suits the NBA better. To understand why the Bulls drafted Williams, one would have to look at his draft class and recognize that, given the pick the Bulls had and the weak draft, many teams would have likely selected Williams with that pick, solely based on his size and future potential. The problem with Williams is that his game has not evolved to the point where he is putting up the numbers that are expected of him. Patrick Williams, coming off the bench as the sixth man, would provide ten points a night with some decisive rebounding, helping any team out. However, the fact is that Williams is being paid like a starter. Matas Buzelis appears to be on the verge of becoming a future star and may be the first actual building block for the Chicago Bulls moving forward. Lonzo Ball has one year left guaranteed on his contract, and after his many setbacks, he is remarkably still playing. Still, the fact remains that you can not count on Ball to be the player he was when the Bulls signed him, and you will live with the fact that Chicago will take whatever he can give them next season. Not all is lost for the Chicago Bulls, as this team surprised everyone by posting 39 wins. Next season, depending on the moves they make this offseason, this win total could increase. It's safe to say that if the Chicago Bulls are not at least a six seed come playoff time, then it would be a disappointment. Sure, Bulls fans can show patience, just as Karnisovas has requested, but to be fair, Chicago has been showing patience since the Derrick Rose era passed by. I look forward to seeing what changes the team makes this offseason, and perhaps it will be an offseason of promise that leads to a brighter future and a championship. Bulls fans can certainly hope.
