The Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls entered the season with different goals.

The Pistons are a young team on the rise hoping to finally compete in the Eastern Conference and build on a talented core.

The Bulls have been stuck in the same spot forever and no one knows their true intentions, but it seemed like they were trying to lose just enough games to retain the protected top-10 pick they owe to San Antonio.

So far, both are getting their wish as the Pistons are better and the Bulls remain exactly where they need to be to retain their pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

But Chicago has seen better-than-expected play from both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, jeopardizing their tanking/rebuilding plans if they actually have any.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Insider Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times reported that the Bulls are once again shopping both LaVine and Vucevic in a clear effort to sell big while both are healthy and playing well .

LaVine has been on a roll lately, hitting 54 percent of his field shots and 50 percent of his three-point shots over the last five games.

He averages 22 points, five rebounds and four assists per game on outstanding shooting distributions of 52/44/81 and spends more time without the ball.

Vucevic has also rediscovered his shooting touch, averaging 20/10 on 58/46/87 shooting averages, which is also excellent. The Pistons got a taste of how both of their shots can change the game in their recent loss to the Bulls.

As soon as these names popped up (again) in trade rumors, I immediately saw Pistons fans saying, “Get them.” Unfortunately, it’s not that simple and there’s a lot to consider when it comes to these two players.

If the Pistons were to trade one or both of these players, they would be an instant playoff contender in the Eastern Conference, where there are actually only five good teams and only four with winning records.

LaVine and/or Vucevic would address specific needs, as the Pistons desperately need another creator and Vucevic would give them a big man who offers more than just offensive dunks.

With both players under contract as of this season, the Pistons would essentially have their team for the foreseeable future and be able to at least compete for something in the East.

But a trade would come with costs.

The Pistons could have had these players in the offseason if they really wanted them, since both were available and no market was developing.

At one point there was talk that the Bulls would have to forfeit assets to LaVine just to move his contract.

That’s why they’re desperate to trade him now that LaVine is healthy (healthier than ever) and has All-Star ratings.

The same goes for Vucevic, who suddenly looks like a trade asset again and whose contract doesn’t look so bad since there’s only one year left on this deal.

These two players would undoubtedly help the offense, but at what cost? The Pistons could potentially trade for both LaVine and Vucevic since they have the contracts to do so if they were to send a combination of Harris, THJ, Reed and possibly Fontecchio, but I hardly see the Bulls being interested.

You would undoubtedly want one of the young players, so go with Duren or Isaiah Stewart. If not, they would want expiring contracts and draft picks, and the Pistons don’t have enough of either.

This would be a classic case of expensive purchases when you could have bought cheaply in the summer and gotten one of these players for next to nothing. It would be a risk to give up the young core for an oft-injured LaVine and Vucevic, who could come back down to earth with his shooting at any time.

It would also change what the Pistons build.

The Pistons are trying to build their culture around defense, which is smart. Defense is sustainable. Defense doesn’t need superstars. And as cliche as it may be, defense wins titles, as almost every champion in recent years has been a top 10 defenseman.

The Bulls currently have the worst defense in the NBA, scoring an incredible 123.9 points per game, which is 30th in the NBA. The pistons are 10.

The Pistons rank 12th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and the Bulls rank 28th.

LaVine and Vucevic are a big part of this, as the former can’t stop anyone at the rim and the latter doesn’t do much at the rim and is even worse in space.

The Bulls have been outscored by over 140 points a few times this year, including last night in a loss to the Grizzlies when Memphis had a layup for 142 points.

Hypothetically, the Pistons could have a much better offense, but that would potentially come at the expense of their defense and the culture they are trying to build.

Keep in mind that LaVine’s teams have NEVER won and appear to have a glass ceiling that sits around the edge of the play-in tournament with a better roster than the Pistons currently have.

I think you can make a strong argument for Vucevic giving them a weapon, but I’m still a tough opponent for LaVine since I don’t trust his health and his defense is atrocious.

There are pros and cons to this type of move, but more will become available in the future and the Pistons have time to be patient and wait for the right star to emerge.