Chicago Bulls get a grade of D for the first quarter of the season

The Chicago Bulls have now completed a quarter of the regular-season schedule and tote a 9-15 record. The path the team is on right now is eerily similar to the one they tread last season, and one does not need a crystal ball to foresee where this campaign is heading. That said, CBS Sports has handed the Bulls a woeful grade of D for their performances in the first 20-plus games of the season.

Depressing situation

Where are the Bulls going? What will the front office do? These are the questions that plague the once-proud franchise ever since starting point guard Lonzo Ball went down with a knee injury in January 2022 and hasn’t returned since. The front office has had several chances to hit the reset button on their roster but has continued to resist. The result? It is one of the most depressing situations in the league today.

“The Bulls might have the most depressing situation in the league,” Jack Maloney wrote for CBS Sports.

“They've stubbornly forged ahead with this core that clearly isn't good enough to make any noise in the Eastern Conference, and now they're left with three expensive and aging stars who don't appear to be all that valuable on the trade market,” Maloney continued, referring to the team’s “Big 3” of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic.

DeMar DeRozan was ELITE in a tough OT loss in Milwaukee!

41 PTS / 11 AST / 3 3PM pic.twitter.com/WyygOuIJ8n
— NBA (@NBA) December 12, 2023

What’s next?

The Bulls’ front office is reportedly shopping LaVine, who remains out with a foot injury. Reports have also indicated that the team and Deebo have yet to negotiate a contract extension. Meanwhile, the team continues to rank in the bottom ten of most offensive and defensive categories—27th in points per game, 30th in pace, and 22nd in defensive rating.

The Bulls appear to have painted themselves into a corner but hope remains for the team as they look to rebuild and reclaim their place in Chicago’s sports hierarchy.

“There's a good chance this roster looks much different by the end of the season, and that would be for the best long-term, even if they don't get much in return for the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Whatever ends up happening by the trade deadline, the next few months are going to be an awkward slog as the front office debates its options,” Maloney wrote.

PAT WILLIAMS WITH THE FOLLOW.@NBCSChicago | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/4TxPH7EzVa
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 12, 2023

Depressing situation

What’s next?

NBA insider claims Alex Caruso is off-limits in trade talks for now