Bulls Nightmare Scenario for 2025 NBA TRADE ROOK

With the trade deadline approaching, that’s a safe bet The Chicago Bulls will be the main players. With your own Superstars on the trading blockIt may only be a matter of time before the Bulls can finally hit the rebuild button as they aim to build a better roster. However, NBA trade deadline it involves a lot of factors that could be detrimental to Chicago’s plans. In fact, it would be a nightmare for the Bulls to keep the same roster for the rest of the season.

Stuck in the middle

The Bulls signaled their rebuilding intentions when they traded six-time NBA All-Star DeMora DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in the offseason. Additionally, they also sent Alec Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that included controversial Aussie Josh Giddei. Since then, the team has also shopped Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic. However, Chicago was unsuccessful in moving these key players.

Right now, any basketball fan will agree that the Bulls are stuck in no country. They’re not good enough to be a major threat in the East, but they’re also not bad enough to be basement dwellers in the league, which would give them plenty of reason to forfeit some games for higher draft position. For now, they are currently 10th in the East and have a great chance to lose everything.

But for the past few seasons, it’s been the same disappointing story in the Windy City. With the Bulls continuing to listen to various trade offers, it’s easy to see why Chicago is leaning more toward their rebuilding plans. And if things still remain as they are, the new era will have to be further delayed.

Holding all the stars around

There is no question that Chicago wants to build something better than what they have had in recent years. And with the current census, it seems unlikely that they will be attracted by the golden age. As a result, it would be a nightmare situation for the team to hang on to those veterans when the trade deadline passed.

Windy City fans, being the Michael Jordan Era, were waiting to celebrate the championship. Unfortunately, keeping Vucevic and Lavina will have to stretch the bull community’s already working patience. It is worth noting that both Lavine and Vučević have a huge contract that was a big break in various teams.

In 2022, Lavine signed a lucrative five-year contract extension worth $215 million. He is expected to grab $43 million for the regular season. Lavine needs the ball to be effective, and contenders likely suspect his struggles play alongside a certified star or two. On the other hand, Vučević may be easier to deal with, given that his attributes will complement the candidates much better. He’s still talked about, though, considering he’s making $20 million this year after signing a three-year, $60 million contract extension back in 2023.

However, there is no mistaking that both players remain interested. Lavine is having a solid season, averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per outing. Vucevic was also a force to be reckoned with, posting 20.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. But despite their contributions, Chicago is better off trading them for first-round draft picks or future building blocks if they want to move to the next level.

If he doesn’t move other veterans

While much of the focus is on Vucevic and LaVine, the Bulls also have other veterans such as Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams, Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter who may need to move. Ball is on an expiring contract with a salary of $21 million through the 2024-25 season. Despite returning from injury, the 6-foot-1 general is proving to be a solid rotational player. In fact, he was Attracting some interest from contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers.

With their backup guard getting some buzz on the trade market, the Bulls should maximize this opportunity to dunk the ball for a few seconds at the very least. Given Ball’s injuries of late, there might not be a better time for Chicago to use him as a trade asset. Furthermore, it would be a waste to just let him go on a buyout contract at the end of the season.

Speaking of expiring contracts, Craig is also on an expiring contract. The 34-year-old swingman has rarely played this year and clearly has no place in the team’s rebuilding plans. The same can be said for Carter. Both players combined for just 10.4 points per game in limited minutes.

The next best trade asset the Bucs could use is the 6-foot-7 Williams, who has proven to be the building block they expected. Williams’ numbers have been on a downward trend since the 2022-23 season. It is right now Talling 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, which don’t exactly make for screaming lottery pick numbers.

Keeping these veterans around serves no purpose to the team’s long and short term goals. As a result, it would be a head scratcher to keep after the trade deadline if the Bulls really wanted to move in the right direction.