Despite their clear need for reinforcements, Billy Donovan reveals there's nothing on the buyout market for them

The Chicago Bulls have a barebones frontcourt, no thanks to season-ending foot injuries suffered by Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams and the knee sprain that has sidelined Torrey Craig for an indefinite period.

With the trade deadline coming and going earlier this month and Chicago not making a deal, the Bulls’ last chance at adding warm bodies to their roster rests on the buyout market.

But according to head coach Billy Donovan, there’s nothing available for them now. In an interview with reporters, Donovan stated he had spoken to the team’s chief basketball executive, Arturas Karnisovas, but he had not heard of any potential buyout candidates that could help strengthen their frontcourt.

There’s nothing there

Donovan revealed that as much as they need to add a player to compensate for Craig’s absence, the team cannot just bring anyone on board. They need someone who can fit into their system and contribute right away.

“When there’s stuff that is real or active, generally, we’ll speak about it,” Donovan said.

“But right now, there’s nothing there. I’m sure Arturas and (general manager) Marc (Eversley) are diving into a bunch of stuff. And they’re probably looking at what makes sense and what doesn’t make sense.”

Adding a player isn’t as easy as many think

Donovan explained that adding a player to their roster at this point of the season isn’t as easy as many think. There are many variables to consider, such as team chemistry, and fit with the current roster. As desperate as the Bulls are to add a warm body to help with their injury woes, they are still being very cautious in making any decisions.

“Certainly for us, with Torrey being out and Patrick being out, you’re probably looking a little bit more for a specific role or position to fill a need for our team. Through their due diligence of looking at that, I would imagine there’s probably not anybody that they feel maybe is what we’d be looking for or there’s an option. But it’s not like we’ve talked about a litany of guys to call or speak to or look at,” Donovan shared.

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— BullsMuse (@BullsMuse_) February 20, 2024

There’s nothing there

Adding a player isn’t as easy as many think

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