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Chicago Bulls projected to be near the bottom of the standings in the next three years
The Chicago Bulls are struggling to keep their heads above water. With a "win-now" roster that hasn't been able to do that, experts predict the Bulls' future to be bleak, with a report from Bleacher Report putting the team near the bottom of the league in three years' time.
Salary cap constraints
The Bulls are locked into the core of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and big man Nikola Vucevic, who they re-signed to a three-year deal reportedly worth $60 million this offseason. With LaVine being given a five-year max deal worth $215 million, it's clear that the Bulls do not have wiggle room to make improvements.
So, if this team flames out again this coming season, fans can expect it to stay near the bottom of the league in the next three years, given their current contracts and lack of financial flexibility.
"Much of the Chicago Bulls' cap sheet is occupied by Zach LaVine, 34-year-old DeMar DeRozan, soon-to-be-33-year-old Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball, who's set to miss his second straight full season. An organizational tank job feels imminent, and the Bulls don't really have any young prospects to lean on in that case," Andy Bailey wrote.
Long way up
Should Chicago's front office finally decide to tear the roster down, the returns could not be as robust as they would've been two or three years ago. The Bulls are in no position to get a high-end draft pick, as their future first-rounders have been sent away in trades.
"Of course, they won't give any of the aforementioned veterans to another team for free, but LaVine might be the only one with good enough trade value to land a future star, and even that might be a stretch. That means Chicago will likely have to rely heavily on upcoming drafts to escape the bottom of the standings," Bailey added.
