After trading veterans Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan for younger and cheaper players over the summer, many expected the Bulls to undertake a major rebuild. That would include cutting ties with the remaining veterans and presumably moving on from 29-year-old Zach LaVine and 34-year-old Nikola Vucevic. After a quiet offseason following those two blockbuster deals, Chicago entered the 2024-25 season with a big question mark about how this year would pan out. With some young additions like Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and an up-and-coming Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, the fan base assumed it would be a new-look rotation. However, LaVine and Vucevic had every intention of making it to the postseason and still carried the load. At the same time, Torrey Craig and Patrick Williams are still playing significant minutes, although they are still unable to achieve consistent success. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times just confirmed the validity of one of the biggest rumors that has roiled the franchise for over six months and will benefit the organization for years to come.

There was no doubt that the Bulls were actively trying to get rid of LaVine at last year’s trade deadline, and if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury the week of the cutoff, he might already be in a different thread. Cowley says that not only is Chicago still trying to release their two-time All-Star guard, but they are also trying to find a suitor for their 34-year-old center Vucevic, who is currently having one of his best seasons of his career. The big man’s price will continue to rise as his play becomes more consistent and the three-point shot remains incredibly efficient. LaVine’s value has stagnated over the last two years given his lucrative contract and injury history, and that hasn’t changed much. Anything the Bulls can do to move on from the duo will proactively build a better future.

Retain their first round pick

Saying the Bulls won’t be contending for a championship anytime soon doesn’t make headlines or raise eyebrows. However, it remains to be seen whether they will continue to build a strong, young core with another top-ten draft pick in what is reportedly a crowded 2025 NBA Draft class. At the top of this draft class is Duke’s star freshman forward Cooper Flagg, who many say is the unanimous first overall pick and is bound to change the trajectory of the franchise he joins at the NBA level. He competed against the Paris 2024 Olympics team this summer and put in impressive performances against some of the league’s biggest stars. Chicago currently has a 6.7% chance of being selected first in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 29% chance of going in the top four. They would completely lose the rights to their draft pick if it ends up outside the top ten.

The Bulls are currently on pace to win 32 games, which is the equivalent of a 20th or 21st place finish and flirting with top-ten security. Trading LaVine, Vucevic, or both would certainly shake that projection and sink it quickly. With Chicago not making the playoffs or contending for a championship, they should pursue the highest possible draft capital next summer and trade any veteran assets for future additions while they still retain their value.

Would you support a #TankForFlagg movement or should the Bulls stick with the current roster?