The Loser Of The NBA Trading Deadline
The NBA trading deadline was on Thursday, and there were plenty of moves made around the league.
However, one team that was silent was the Chicago Bulls, which was a surprise.
Since the Bulls did not make any moves, they could end up the loser of the deadline.
Why?
The Bulls have one of the most talented rosters in the Eastern Conference and are coming off a season where they made the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2017.
DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are all multiple-time All-Stars.
That said, the Bulls are currently 26-30 in 56 games, which has them tied with the Toronto Raptors for the tenth seed.
They are in the middle of a three-game losing streak and are 4-6 in their last ten games.
Based on the way they have played this season, they probably should have made a move.
LaVine, DeRozan or Vucevic could have landed a solid return if they were willing to take on young players or draft picks.
In addition, DeRozan will be a free agent in the summer of 2024 (and Vucevic will be a free agent this summer).
Therefore, they won't want either to walk for nothing, and DeRozan's value is very high right now, considering the 33-year-old was just named to the NBA All-Star Game for the second straight season (sixth of his career).
Even if the Bulls trust their roster and want to remain competitive, they could have tried to get another point guard (Lonzo Ball has yet to play all season).
No one will know the true winners and losers of the deadline until after the season, but it's safe to say the Bulls don't appear to be in a good spot.
