The Chicago Bulls could be active before this year’s NBA trade deadline, however, the players they move may not be the names you expect.
The Bulls have been one of the biggest disappointments so far in the 2022-2023 NBA season. Despite having two All-Stars on the roster and a solid core around them, the team owns a 22-26 record a couple of weeks before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
The absence of point guard Lonzo Ball has played a massive role in their performance this season, and with his return cloudy at best, many around the NBA believe the Chicago Bulls could be a trade partner for contending teams looking to make roster upgrades. Yet, while stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have the most value on the market, it seems the team is more open to taking calls on other players in their rotation.
Who the Chicago Bulls are open to moving at the NBA trade deadline
On Thursday, Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed on his “Please Don’t Aggregate This” podcast that the word around the league is that the team is willing to move ace defender Alex Caruso. However, the asking price is shockingly high and is currently set at two first-round draft picks.
Beyond Caruso, NBA insider Marc Stein added two more Chicago Bulls nuggets to the rumor mill this week. The organization seems open to the idea of moving one of its big men. Sources around the NBA believe the team could make a push to trade Andre Drummond with his minutes in the rotation in decline, just a few months after joining the team as a free agent in the summer.
Starting center Nikola Vucevic reportedly could also be a player the organization might part with at the NBA trade deadline, as per Stein. The 12-year veteran is in the final year of a $100 million deal he signed with Chicago in 2019. With the market for big men stronger than usual right now, the 32-year-old could fetch a solid return for the Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine likely staying put
Two players that the Chicago Bulls are highly unlikely to ship out at the deadline are DeRozan and LaVine. Despite a reported rift between LaVine and the organization, and a lack of chemistry with DeRozan this season, Marc Stein claims the Bulls are telling interested teams that LaVine is not available, and would prefer to hold on to DeRozan.
That certainly does not mean the Chicago Bulls are against trading either man in the summer. And that could be the likely strategy as they dangle the stars in front of teams that may fail in pursuit of free agents in the offseason.
They could also be holding out hope that Ball returns this season, and then reevaluating the team after a possible playoff push in the second half of the season.
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