The Bulls management promised change, and Chicago is definitely changing course… although it may not be over yet. DeMar DeRozan has already headed to the Kings, Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City, and Josh Giddey has arrived as a counterpart.
It's the end of the DeMar DeRozan – Zach LaVine – Nikola Vucevic era, which will not have achieved the results hoped for.
“After the season, I kind of talked about the changes that were coming. We were telling the truth.”, explains Arturas Karnisovasthe club's sports boss. “I think we're targeting very specific players. Giddey, in free agency, adding some guys like Jalen Smith or this year's draft pick (Matas Buzelis).”
Changes are still expected to come for the Bulls, with rumors surrounding Zach LaVine rife and the franchise now looking to the future.
“In terms of rejuvenating the squad, per se, I would say we have a lot of experienced young players who are moving in the right direction. And I think the changes that are happening now are going to help us build for the future,” believes Chicago's vice president of basketball operations. “This is the best way to do it. And it's still not a finished product. There will be constant adjustments.”
Too many injuries to hope
The squad assembled in 2021 only gave satisfaction for a few months, at the start of the 2021/22 season. This was followed, of course, by injuries (notably to Lonzo Ball) but above all by two 9th places and failures in the “play-in”.
“And I think three years ago when we came up with our plan, our formula, it worked for a short period of time until the injuries. After the second year, we waited a third year to see where we were,” explains Arturas Karnisovas. “Now we're kind of making these changes. You could say it's too late or too early. But that's where we are right now.”
After the failure of the second year, and a new false start at the beginning of last season, the Bulls had not made any major changes during the season. A choice that raised questions…
“We felt we owed it to this group to give them a chance to find a solution,” Arturas Karnisovas assures us. “But since we couldn't find the solution, it was up to us to give the team a new direction and make changes. And that's what happened.”
Now it remains to be seen what Chicago will do with Zach LaVine. Clearly, he has his way out, but the offers aren't very attractive, and Arturas Karnisovas has made it clear that a trade should make sense. Both for the guard and for the Bulls. And that Chicago is therefore ready to keep its All-Star.
