Bulls Rumors: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, More
In this week’s episode of The Fast Break Podcast, Fastbreak on FanNation NBA insider and reporter Brett Siegel is joined by Julia Poe from The Chicago Tribune to discuss all things Chicago Bulls, who currently find themselves outside of the Play-In Tournament picture in the Eastern Conference following the All-Star break.
To ensure that you do not miss future episodes of The Fast Break Podcast and other exclusive interviews from around the NBA, be sure to like and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever else you may be listening.
Concerns For Chicago During 2022-23 Season [15:21]
The Chicago Bulls snapped their playoff drought a season ago, reaching the postseason for the first time since 2017. This seemed like a massive step in the right direction for the franchise, but now they have once again reverted back to their old ways this season and find themselves entering the final stretch of the 2022-23 regular season needing to string together a handful of wins just to reach the Play-In Tournament!
Julia and Brett discussed what this season has been like for the Bulls and why they have struggled as much as they have.
Poe [15:21]: “I think it is very easy for people to point at the Lonzo Ball situation and that injury as the big problem, but I do not think that this is the case at all. The Bulls dealt with that for almost all of last season and were still able to be competitive. I think it’s just that they have not been able to figure out how to manage and balance this roster. They did not make a lot of moves in the offseason and one of the biggest areas that you can kind of point to is three-point shooting. We knew this was going to be a big problem coming into the season and they did nothing to fix that besides signing Dragic, who has not been able to fill that gap. The front-office knew what the problems were entering the offseason and preseason, yet they did nothing to fix them.”
Lonzo Ball’s Injury Stats & Future With Chicago [15:58]
Ever since he suffered a bone bruise and meniscus injury in his left knee last season, nothing has been right for Lonzo Ball. He has undergone a couple of surgeries to address his issues and the meniscus no longer seems to be an issue, but Ball continues to experience discomfort and pain from this injury/surgeries.
He was only able to play in a total of 35 games last season as a result and this year, Ball has not played in any games and the team recently released a statement saying that the former second overall pick will be sitting out the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
Now, the key questions become “When will Lonzo Ball be back?” and “Will this franchise ever be the same without him?” [15:58]
Siegel: One of the big concerns for the Bulls all year long has been injuries, as it seems like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have both been banged up, Alex Caruso has missed chunks of time here and there, bench guys like Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. have missed time and of course, how could we talk about the Bulls injury problems without bringing up Lonzo Ball. Ball has played in just 35 games for the Bulls due to a torn meniscus and god knows what else is going on with his knee. It really does not seem like anyone knows where Ball is at in regards to his recovery, as usually players are able to return the same season from meniscus injuries, but that has not been the case with Ball due to him experiencing discomfort and pain in daily activities like climbing stairs. The Bulls recently issued a statement saying that Ball would miss the entire season, as many have reported previously, but perhaps the thing that stuck out to me is the fact that the team stated Ball has made significant increases in strength and function over the past several months. I mean, I guess that is good news for Lonzo Ball and his chances of entering the summer with the mindset of playing at the start of the 2023-24 season right? Where is your head at on this whole Lonzo Ball saga?
Poe: It is hard to even classify this as a meniscus injury anymore because as far as we have been told by the Bulls, the meniscus is healed and is not the issue. What is the issue then? We don’t know and Lonzo has said that he’s seen multiple doctors who just cannot give him any answers on why he is still having pain. Nobody knows why this is taking so long and the doctors don’t understand why his body is not recovering. This is a guy that is young and has had chronic pain now for 13 straight months. That is just a horrible situation to be in. If you are asking what Bulls fans should do, you have to stay optimistic because if you like basketball, you like watching Lonzo Ball play, so everyone just has to hope this is going to go into a better situation in the offseason. Seeing him make progress by running on a treadmill and jumping for light dunks are definitely good signs. The question now is whether or not he can get pain free enough to actually play at an NBA level.
DeMar DeRozan Injury Concerns & Updates [18:37]
Prior to the All-Star break, DeMar DeRozan revealed that he has been playing through multiple injuries and ailments, specifically to his thigh/hip. Recently undergoing an MRI, it was revealed that DeRozan has a Grade 1 thigh strain.
He missed the Bulls final two games ahead of the All-Star break, yet he did log 16 minutes in the All-Star Game and did not seem bothered by any injury.
DeRozan does not seem concerned about this injury and the Bulls head coach Billy Donovan does not seem too concerned about this injury, but he did miss some games and has not looked like himself offensively, so what is the latest regarding DeMar DeRozan’s status?
Poe [18:59]: “So, I think DeMar is going to play. I am not concerned about that because DeMar DeRozan would play through not having a leg at all honestly. He’s really hard to get off the court and that’s clear to see when you look at his numbers as a whole and the minimal amount of games he’s missed over the course of his career. More of the question is just how much, if he is still experiencing any discomfort, how much will this hinder him? He missed those last two games before the All-Star break, but really where I see the concern is that you could tell this injury or pain was affecting his offense. If he comes back from the All-Star break and is still looking bothered by something and somewhat limited, then that will be a concern because DeMar is that guy for the Bulls. They need him in clutch moments down the stretch run of the season and he’s the top guy on offense. We will have to see how he looks in those first few games coming back from All-Stars."
Chicago Bulls Lack Of Trade Deadline Moves & Nikola Vucevic Future [21:53]
Heading into this season’s trade deadline, both the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls dominated trade talks in the Eastern Conference because of the position they both found themselves in. Near the bottom of the standings and on the outside of the Play-In Tournament region of the standings looking in, the Bulls seemed like they needed to make a move, yet they did nothing.
In fact, the Bulls, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, were the only two teams not to make any kind of trade during the season. Having key needs as a franchise and struggling to find their footing, many have questioned this team’s front-office and have been quick to criticize them for the moves they did not make [21:53].
Siegel: Rival teams were inquiring about DeRozan and LaVine, yet the Bulls really did not take any of these conversations seriously as their mindset was always to keep their stars. I had been told both before and following the deadline as well that Alex Caruso was receiving a lot of interest and there were some teams willing to give up more value than many would think Caruso is worth, but Chicago was quite content keeping him on their roster. So now we enter the final stretch of the season with the same team having the same problems, but to me, the biggest storyline that I guess pertains to this team’s immediate future revolves around former All-Star center Nikola Vucevic. He is in the final year of his contract though and the team could have signed him to an extension at any point during the first half of the year. I do not think the team was ever serious about dealing Vucevic and I do not think they had reached out to teams specifically offer him, but he is 32-years-old, he is set to be an unrestricted free agent and I think out of him, LaVine and DeRozan, the Bulls would be alright with the idea of moving Vucevic. I am inclined to believe that they did not give him a new extension ahead of the deadline in order to keep their options open if there was framework for a potential deal involving him
Poe: I think the Vuc situation is one of the most interesting because like you said, they could have extended him and they chose not to. The messaging from the front-office is that they fully intend on re-signing him. With that being said, you kind of have to send that message when you are entering the final stretch of the season to make your guys feel like you are bought in on them. The interesting thing pertaining to the trade deadline is that they did not make a move either way to make sure all of Vucevic’s value was theirs to then work with in the offseason. He’s really figured out how to make the most of his opportunities in Chicago and I really don’t know why people are so quick to blame Vuc for everything when nothing has really been his fault. I’m not really sure what is next for the team and Nikola because they did not insure his future and they have dead in the water assets like Lonzo Ball. Even if they extended him, they could still possibly move him in the offseason and flip their roster around, so by not doing anything, I am not really sure where we are at with all of this.
Siegel: At this point, do the Bulls have any other options other than sticking with Vucevic and extending his contract? If they lose him in the offseason and he signs elsewhere, they’ll lose that salary spot and with Lonzo still being a question mark, money could instantly become a problem for this team.
Poe: It is so interesting to think where this team is going to go in the offseason because they have continued to beat the same drum of what they’ve wanted for so long. They’ve stayed true to their word long enough to the point where if this team keeps talking consistency, I don’t actually know when that is going to change. They need to look elsewhere in the offseason and if they do buy back into Vucevic, they will need to move other pieces to make that offensive make more sense for him because it is just not doing enough right now to capitalize on Vucevic’s value.
Zach LaVine’s Future With Chicago Trending Towards The Offseason [25:22]
Signing a five-year, $215 million deal in the offseason, Zach LaVine is under contract through the 2026-27 season. However, that does not mean that his long-term future is in Chicago.
There was a lot of talk in the offseason about LaVine pursuing other, smaller deals from rival teams due to his discomfort in Chicago and a lot of noise has been made about him and the team not seeing eye-to-eye on everything.
Julia talked about LaVine’s future with the Bulls and why his time in Chicago could be coming to an end in the near future.
Poe [26:00]: “Some of the stories that were coming out earlier in the season about LaVine and the issue in the locker room; I would not say it is some kind of big, toxic locker room issue. These were guys that hit a very low point in the season and a lot of the confrontation that was happening was not healthy, but it was definitely necessary. There have been moments where I believe Zach has been frustrated and being where they are in the standings is not a great look for the franchise. I think moving LaVine is definitely something the front-office needs to look at in the offseason for sure. I think both Zach and the Bulls would be logical to look at other options in the offseason because you kind of have to pick which guy you want to go with here. If you don’t want to blow it up fully, then you have to pick which cornerstone you want to reconstruct around and right now, I think that is just the question with the Bulls. Figuring out who they want to build around and how to surround them with capable talent will be what this franchise needs to answer in the offseason, which could lead them to exploring trades involving Zach LaVine.”
