Once again, the Chicago Bulls find themselves in a mindless pursuit of mediocrity. Their third consecutive season spent loitering in the bottom-half of the Eastern Conference has yet to pressure the front office into making any sort of consequential move. But, the status of their 2025 first-round pick might finally coerce them into parting ways with some polarizing players.
The Bulls currently owe a top-10 protected first-round pick to the Spurs in the upcoming 2025 draft. For those that are unfamiliar with pick protections, it simply means that if Chicago’s 2025 first-round pick falls between 1 and 10, they keep it. If it falls outside of the top-10, it goes to San Antonio.
As a team that has no intentions of competing for anything significant this season, it would be irresponsible for the Bulls to not give themselves the best possible chance at keeping that pick. Guaranteeing yourself a top pick in what is set to be a loaded draft can be a franchise-altering move. Oddly enough, ensuring that they miss the play-in needs to be the top priority for the Bulls this season. But, figuring out how to make that a reality is not as easy as it seems.
Trade Struggles
Chicago has two things working against them: Their most valuable trade assets (Lavine, Vucevic) are (1) playing too well to bottom-out with, and (2) nearly impossible to trade due to the baggage they bring with them. Nikola Vucevic is having a resurgent offensive season, the best of his short Bulls tenure. His efficiency has skyrocketed, resulting in near 50/40/90 shooting splits.
Meanwhile, Zach Lavine has regained his form as one of the premier three-level scorers in the game. The volume is down, but Lavine is enjoying the most efficient scoring season of his career. Keeping these two in a Bulls uniform for the next 4 months won’t allow Chicago to get where they need to go, they’re simply playing too well. The quickest way for the Bulls to bottom-out is trading the duo, but finding a way to make that happen is where the difficulty lies.
Lavine’s contract is widely regarded as one of the hardest to trade in the entire NBA, for good reason. He’s making over $43 million this year, with that number set to increase to roughly $46 million in 2025-26, and $49 million 2026-27. Teams are more hesitant than ever to take on large salaries of non-superstars thank to the harsh penalties the new CBA imposes, and Lavine certainly falls in that category.
At his best, Lavine is an explosive off-ball scorer who can effectively space the floor and offer some of the best shot-creation in the league. Some online discourse might lead you to believe that he’s a bad player because of the contract, but that’s simply false. There’s no denying the talent he possesses, but it’s not enough for most teams to overlook the deficiencies. Contract aside, Lavine has a massive question mark floating above his head. He’s won just one playoff game in his eleven-year career, raising concerns about his ability to contribute to winning basketball.
His defensive impact will almost certainly be negative, and spending $43-49 million on someone who will likely be your third best player is not exactly a prudent front-office decision. Even if the market is heating up, anyone who decides to pull the trigger on a Lavine trade will likely do so out of desperation.
Finding a trade partner for Nikola Vucevic seems to be a bit simpler of a task, yet still difficult. Thanks to his unexpected offensive revival, Vucevic has upped his trade value and made his contract a little more bearable for potential suitors.
His $41 million over the next two years is not as daunting as it was a few months ago, and is attainable for a decent number of teams. The 34-year old would be a hot commodity for any contender looking to boost their offensive versatility and frontcourt depth. But, teams will still be cautious in their efforts to acquire Vucevic for a variety of reasons.
While he’s prime to age gracefully thanks to his size and playstyle, trading for a 34-year old making $20 million might not be at the top of any GM’s priority list. Luckily for the Bulls, Vuc’s contract only runs through the end of the 2025-26 season, meaning some teams might be more willing to absorb his short-term contract in exchange for an influx of talent. Much like his teammate Zach Lavine, Vucevic’s defensive skill set leaves a lot to be desired. His lack of mobility and rim-protection puts a lot of pressure on the four defenders surrounding him and limits his team’s schematic versatility.
Pairing Vucevic with a credible frontcourt defender is the easiest way to hide his inadequacies while taking advantage of his offensive prowess. His market is likely the more crowded of the two, offering Chicago a better chance to make a quick move.
What’s Next…
It’s clear that the Bulls are operating under unusual circumstances. Despite the lack of motivation, and clarity on how to do so, they desperately need to trade their two best players. Forfeiting this year’s top-10 pick would be another setback on a run of organizational incompetence. As much as it pains any franchise to hit the rebuild button, it’s long overdue in Chicago.
They’ve been treading water for the better part of five years and need to finally commit to going under. Finding other teams to help them accomplish that task is proving to be difficult, but not impossible. Teams like the Nuggets, Warriors, and Lakers have been rumored to have interest in at least one part of the Bulls’ tandem, giving Chicago some reason for optimism.
The return probably won’t be as strong as they might anticipate, but getting a deal done is achievable, and crucial to the organization’s long-term success. The values of their trade chips have never been higher over the past few years, and the time to strike is now.
