Billy Donovan just admitted the Bulls front office has absolutely no plan
Chicago Bulls fans can't be blamed for not understanding what the team's front office and ownership is trying to accomplish this season. Even head coach Billy Donovan admits that he doesn't have any answers when it comes to Chicago's current trajectory.
Some fans might have concluded that a rebuild was coming to the Bulls after their decision to trade Zach LaVine to the Kings. The team mostly took bad bad salary in exchange for their sweet shooting, high-priced shooting guard. The best asset they received in the three-team deal was regaining full control of their 2025 first-round pick back from the Spurs.
The organization's failure to deal other veterans goes against the idea that Chicago might finally be ready to rebuild. Nikola Vucevic is still a quality starting center but is 34 years old and won't be a reliable option a few years from now. He has no place on a team like the Bulls who are multiple years away from being a serious playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.
Billy Donovan on Bulls: "Clearly, we’re making a shift. I want to be part of building something. But what direction are we going and how are we going to build it and what we are going to do? I don’t think anybody inside the organization has those answers right now."
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) February 5, 2025
Chicago needs to commit, one way or the other
Lonzo Ball would be another logical trade asset for the Bulls to shop in the coming days. He's enjoyed a miraculous recovery from injury this year, but he's slated to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason and would be better served elsewhere. If Chicago isn't ready to lock him up with a long-term extension, they should extract value for him while they still can.
Even Ayo Dosunmu and Colby White could have enough value to net serious assets for the Bulls in a trade. Their reasonable contracts could be attractive to contenders who are keeping a close eye on their payrolls. Both guards are competent players but neither is going to emerge as a star for the next relevant Bulls team.
In the end, the LaVine trade looks like a one-off deal for a franchise that desperately needs to chart a coherent course. If Donovan doesn't understand where the team is going, it doesn't bode well for the Bulls to arrive anywhere positive anytime soon. The disconnect between head coach and front office spells trouble for Chicago.