The Chicago Bulls began the 2023-24 season in NBA purgatory after a stale offseason. Rumors circulated in Chicago that the Bulls could begin a rebuild by allowing Nikola Vucevic to leave via free agency and trading star Zach LaVine. However, neither occurred, leaving the Bulls with even more questions as they begin the season 2-4.
Chicago Bulls Rumors: Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams & Point Guard
Chicago was on a two-game losing streak heading into tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets (5-1). The Bulls are coming off a 109-107 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets, in which the Bulls were outscored by nine points in the first and fourth quarters combined. The Bulls have struggled all season with slow starts and poor finishes.
In each of their last four games, Chicago has trailed after the first 12 minutes. The Bulls also rank in the bottom half of the league in first-quarter scoring (27.0 points) and scoring defense (28.0 points). However, the Bulls have struggled in the fourth quarter, ranking 20th in scoring and 26th in scoring margin.
Despite having three quality offensive players, each with their own weaknesses, the Bulls have struggled on that end. Last year, their biggest issue was inconsistent 3-point shooting and inability to get to the free throw line. These two continue to be problems for the Bulls, despite the fact that they have shot the ball poorly this season, ranking 27th in field goal percentage and 26th in scoring.
Chicago’s defense, on the other hand, has been the most disappointing. The Bulls’ defense, which finished fifth in defensive efficiency last season, is now ranked 20th. While the difference between this season and last is only 1.3 points, the Bulls’ overall defense has regressed significantly. The Bulls’ defense ranks 19th in field goal percentage against, and they have struggled guarding the 3-point line as well as on the defensive boards.
Should the Bulls Trade Zach LaVine
LaVine’s name remains at the top of trade rumors, with the Philadelphia 76ers the most recent team to be linked to the 28-year-old guard. According to Joe Crowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls continue to insist that they have “no interest” in trading the two-time all-star at this time.
LaVine is in the second year of a five-year contract extension. LaVine scored 51 points against the Detroit Pistons on October 28 and has 120 points in his last four games. However, he only averages 1.8 assists per game and has struggled mightily with his shooting. LaVine has never been a strong defender.
LaVine’s shooting stats will improve as the season progresses. His assists will almost certainly increase as well. However, this does not imply that the Bulls will be a playoff contender. So, should LaVine be dealt by Chicago?
I’m not sure what the point is. The most important question is, what is the market for him? Philadelphia received two future first-round picks as well as a slew of veterans. KJ Martin is a promising young player for the 76ers, but he is not a cornerstone.
It would be a plus if LaVine’s contract could be terminated. Although the Bulls are reportedly interested in keeping DeMar DeRozan, whose contract expires at the end of the season, Vucevic, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu all signed extensions this summer. Granted, Lonzo Ball could return next year, but nobody knows what he will bring after missing two seasons due to injury.
What To Do With DeMar DeRozan
Chicago and DeRozan couldn’t come to an extension before the start of the year. Therefore, the 34-year-old forward will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 unless he can come to an extension with the team following the completion of the season.
Prior to allowing the extension deadline to pass, Shams Charania of the Athletic, on Fan Duel’s Run It Back, said that the Bulls wanted to work out an extension with DeRozan. But the sides were far apart.
“They’ve been talking about an extension, but I’m told that the sides are apart right now on multiple fronts — years, salary,” Charania said. “And also, DeMar DeRozan wants to see where this Bulls team goes. They had a players meeting after game one of the season, and so that’s not the way to start the year.”
"They've been talking about an extension, but I'm told that the sides are apart right now on multiple fronts."@ShamsCharania on Demar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls.@FanDuelTV pic.twitter.com/lt34MBFGOz
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) October 26, 2023
DeRozan, for his part, told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that he is not concerned about not being extended. He also stated that he would not try to force a trade.
“I honestly don’t consider it at all. I’ve never done so. It does not bother or stress me out. Again, I only have control over what I can control. And then, in due course, let it speak for itself.”
“I don’t think I’d be able to sleep comfortably if I went somewhere and said, ‘(Expletive) trade me.'” ‘I’m sick of it.’ “That’s not me,” he explained. “I’m going to compete, be the best version I can be, and let it go from there.”
DeRozan is having a difficult time shooting the ball. However, the 6-6 winger has scored 20 points in five of his first six games this season. He hasn’t rebounded the ball as well as expected, but he’s still passing it well and not turning it over.
DeRozan continues to finish well at the rim and is at his best when slashing or is within 10 feet of the rim. However, he continues to struggle from beyond the arc. He is also an ineffective defender.
Chicago must make a difficult decision. Over his two-plus seasons with the team, DeRozan has a record of 82-74.
However, he will be 35 next year and will most likely demand $20 million per year. As a result, it is probably best that both parties wait and see. The big question is whether the Bulls can trade him.
What is Patrick Williams’ Future With the Bulls?
With the Bulls, Patrick Williams appears to be at a crossroads. Williams lost his starting spot to Torrey Craig on Friday after the team declined to offer the 2020 No. 4 overall pick a rookie scale extension.
Williams has been inconsistent throughout his tenure and has had a rocky start. Williams was averaging less than 22 minutes per game through the first four games before being replaced in the starting five against Brooklyn. According to The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry, he was routinely replaced in lineups to close halves and games while looking out of place alongside the Bulls’ stars.
“Nah. None at all,” Williams told Mayberry when asked if his contract was weighing on his mind.“Knowing it’s a long season and knowing what I can do. I’ve always had confidence in myself, what I can do, what I bring to the game. Knowing it’s going to be stretches like this and times like this. It’s all about how you bounce back from it. It’s not a matter of what you go through but how you do it. I kind of look at it as an opportunity to show what I’m really made of. Everybody can be happy when everything’s going well for them. But when it’s not, when it’s shaky, when you can’t make a shot, when you lose a couple of games in a row, then what are you really made of?“
To his credit, Williams played well in his first game of the season, collecting season-highs in points (10) and rebounds (5).
According to Mayberry, Williams is very much in Chicago’s future plans, and his teammates are on his side.
“He’s fine. He’s going to be all right,” DeRozan said. “We’re all going to have that slump, that couple of games here or there where it just feels like everything is terrible. He’ll be fine. It’s a couple of games in. We are all struggling of some sort, whether it’s making shots not executing for as close as 48 minutes as possible. So it’s still a learning process for us all. We’ve just got to get it through. Once it clicks for us all, we’re going to be rolling in the right way.”
Does the Bulls Need a Point Guard?
Ball’s inability to play for the second consecutive season put the Bulls in an unenviable position. While Jevon Carter was signed by the Bulls this offseason, neither he nor White, Alex Caruso, or Dosunmu are true lead guards. As a result, the efficiency of Chicago’s point guards is second to last in the league. The Bulls are also 29th in assists per game, with less than 20 dimes per game, with their point guard contributing only five per game.
While it is still early in the season, the Bulls will almost certainly require a true point guard if they are to make a playoff push. White, who plays nearly 30 minutes per game, has struggled with his shooting and is averaging 3.7 assists and 1.7 turnovers per game.
Dosunmo has a good shot but only plays 11 minutes per game. Dosunmu was unable to play on Saturday due to illness.
Carter and Caruso have also not contributed much, despite shooting the ball well.
A roster spot is available in Chicago. Due to Ball’s injury, the Bulls are nine million dollars under the league’s first tax apron and have a $10.2 million disabled player exemption.
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