Why the Chicago Bulls Should go All-In on the Future
The Chicago Bulls are hopeless. Let's get that out of the way first and foremost.
It's a franchise that's stuck with unimaginative ownership, and that has a ripple effect down the line of the organization.
It's led to unorganized management circles, flawed coaching staffs and a team that leaves a lot to be desired.
And yet, the franchise won six titles all on the heels of draft luck by picking the best player in the history of the sport third overall, because Houston and Portland were too infatuated with size.
In 2008, the Bulls again struck gold, by landing the top pick with 1.8% chance — see, there's that luck part again — and it resulted in them selecting the youngest MVP in history, and a conference finals appearance before the basketball gods, with a little help from Tom Thibodeau playing his best player in garbage time, decided enough was enough.
The above serves as a reminder that, despite being generally bad at identifying talent, and squeezing out the most of their assets, even poorly run teams can luck their way into a title by making the right pick at the right time.
With the Bulls now being open to moving off Zach LaVine, it follows that the organization should tear it all down and start over. I mean, really, how far do you think this team can go with a star duo of DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević?
Everyone should be on the chopping block. There are no players currently in place that should be considered locks to be kept. Even former fourth overall pick Patrick Williams hasn't proven enough to justify a long-term place on that roster.
Chicago's goal shouldn't be a quick retool, or a rebuilding process that's suddenly accelerated after two years. That'd be a waste of everyone's time, especially from the side of fans, who at this point overwhelmingly deserves better.
So let's lay the foundation here.
The Bulls shouldn't set a limit on their rebuild. If it takes five years to get back into the playoffs, it'll take five years. If it takes them five years to find a proper superstar that can lead them forward over the next decade, it'll take five years.
How do you achieve finding that player?
It starts with an obvious plan of accumulating assets, and renting out cap space to, well, accumulate even more assets.
Over the next two-to-three seasons, the Bulls should do nothing but focus on acquiring draft picks in whatever way they can get them.
They should clear cap space for the sole purpose of calling expensive teams to let them know that they can ease their tax bill, and it'll only cost them a draft pick or two.
In other words, they should be shamelessly cold-calling teams, like the most annoying phone sales person you've ever encountered, to get even a late second-rounder into their asset cupboard.
The on-court product, over the next few years, simply should not matter. Look at where they are now. They gave up everything for the current roster, and the team is bad, lifeless, and flat-out uninteresting to watch. Fans aren't showing up - nor should they - because there's nothing to root for.
If that's the product you're putting on the floor, you might as well get something out of it in the meantime, such as crucial youth development, tanking for picks, or showcasing veterans for the purpose of flipping them for, yes, more assets.
The Bulls should make everyone available, and they should have a price set on what they wish to get out of certain players. For LaVine, DeRozan, Vučević, and Alex Caruso, there needs to be a return of around 4-5 first-round picks, with differing protections.
From there, it's about playing Jevon Carter and Ayo Dosunmu more minutes to pump up their value. Can they get a small handful of second-rounders, or even a first, for those two, that's a win.
And that mindset should occupy the Bulls for years. Whoever they get in, particularly in-prime players, should be rentals for the purpose of getting something in return on the trade market.
Basically, the Bulls should spend money in free agency on players they think can fetch them picks in later trades, thus indirectly purchasing picks for money.
And before you ask the obvious question of "who should they target?" let me clarify immediately that they should in no way go for fit or culture. They should go off talent and potential. Identifying a player based off position should be a complete no-go. Identifying a player off which college program he attended should be a complete no-go.
Put in the work, be thorough in your evaluations, and don't be scared to select guys who might not fit your cultural standards, because so far, the only players the Bulls, under current management, have chosen are guys that way too passive, and look outright scared to do anything with the ball in their hands.
Seek out players with an edge. Players that assert their will. Physical players that are more inclined to initiate contact than receive it.
Essentially, the Bulls must get out of their comfort zone. If they don't, they're bound to make middling selections that are, well, fine, but doesn't move the needle. And in a rebuild, those selections are almost as bad as busts.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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