After seeing veterans Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan being traded away for younger and cheaper assets over the summer, many expected the Bulls to execute a full-blown rebuild. This would include cutting ties with the rest of the veteran pieces and presumably moving on from 29-year-old Zach LaVine and 34-year-old Nikola Vucevic. After a silent offseason following those two blockbuster deals, Chicago entered the 2024-25 season with a giant question mark about how this year would unfold. With some new young additions such as Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith, and an emerging Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, the fanbase assumed it would be a new-look rotation. However, intending to make it to the postseason, LaVine and Vucevic have still carried the load. At the same time, Torrey Craig and Patrick Williams still see significant minutes despite a continued failure to produce consistent success. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has just verified the validity of one of the biggest rumors that has swirled the franchise for over six months, and it will benefit the organization for years to follow.
There was no doubt that the Bulls were actively trying to rid themselves of LaVine at last year’s trade deadline, and barring a season-ending injury suffered the week of the cutoff, he might already be in different threads. Cowley says that not only is Chicago still looking to dump their two-time All-Star guard, but they’re also trying to find a suitor for their 34-year-old center Vucevic, currently pacing for one of the best seasons of his career. The big man’s price tag will continue to rise as his play becomes more consistent, and the three-point shot remains incredibly efficient. LaVine’s value has been stagnant for the past two years, given his lucrative contract and injury history, and that hasn’t shifted much. Anything the Bulls can do to move on from the duo will proactively build a better future.
Saying that the Bulls will not be contending for a championship soon is not making headlines or turning heads. However, what remains to be seen is whether they’ll continue to build a strong, young core using another top-ten draft selection in a supposedly loaded 2025 NBA Draft class. Looming at the top of that draft class is Duke’s star freshman forward Cooper Flagg, who many have said is the unanimous first-overall selection, bound to change the trajectory of whatever franchise he joins at the NBA level. He was seen competing against the 2024 Paris Olympics team this summer and putting up impressive performances versus some of the league’s biggest stars. Chicago currently holds a 6.7% chance of selecting first in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 29% chance of picking in the top four. They would lose the rights to their draft pick altogether if it lands outside the top ten.
The Bulls are currently on pace to win 32 games, equating to a 20th or 21st finish and flirting with that top-ten protection. By trading away LaVine, Vucevic, or both, that projection would certainly tailspin and drop rapidly. Since Chicago will not make the playoffs or compete for a championship, they should pursue the highest possible draft capital for the upcoming summer and trade away any veteran assets for future additives while they still hold value.
Would you support a #TankForFlagg movement, or should the Bulls ride it out with the current roster?
