One big question for every NBA team

Are Gar Forman and John Paxson the right people to lead a Bulls rebuild?

Forman and Paxson have taken a lot of flak over the past few seasons for their performance as Chicago’s top decision makers. Much of that criticism is deserved, although some of it is also unfair.  After a slew of questionable moves last year however, asking whether they are the right people for leading Chicago through a transitional phase is fair.

The Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler trades were both head-scratchers as they were happening. Chicago gave up some real assets in both trades and didn’t get back substantial hauls in return. The pieces they received simply haven’t produced so far in their careers. Cam Payne has shown little promise so far in Chicago, while Kris Dunn’s rookie season was mostly a catastrophe.

Zach LaVine is coming off of a major knee injury and his game relies heavily on his ridiculous athleticism. He’s a good shooter, but doesn’t provide much other value. He’s a minus defender and not a capable or intuitive playmaker. The clock is ticking toward the end of LaVine’s deal. Paying him big would be an extremely risky move.

Chicago selling the No. 38 pick in the 2017 Draft to Golden State for $3.5 million was perhaps even more alarming than trading Butler for Minnesota’s package. What’s the point of cheaping out when your team could take a chance on another young guy? Finding promising young talent is the most important facet of most rebuilds. Although the early second round doesn’t generally produce future rotation players, we’ve seen more than enough second rounders become solid contributors on successful teams.

Forman and Paxson have had success in Chicago’s front office before, but their latest decisions have been questionable at best. Can we trust them to construct another contender in Chicago?