NEW YORK — The NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday and the Chicago Bulls stood still — at least for now.
That’s not a surprise if you believed the words of the front office and coach Billy Donovan, both of whom emphasized consistency and continuity as the deadline neared throughout the last three weeks.
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Those two buzzwords have been the mainstay of the front office since last year’s trade deadline. In the span between those windows, the Bulls have a combined 38-43 record while floundering against Eastern Conference opponents who continue to rebuild and reload their rosters.
The Bulls front office and coaching staff have identified multiple needs for the team since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, including a dearth of 3-point shooters and a poor balance of defense and rebounding. But the front office continues to search for answers to those issues from within.
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The Bulls still have options to improve their roster, such as making a move on the buyout market. The Bulls reportedly would be interested in signing Russell Westbrook should the Utah Jazz buy him out, according to TNT’s Chris Hayes, which would reunite the point with Donovan, his coach from their days with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Any bid to acquire Westbrook would require the Bulls to waive a player to make room on their roster.
But for now the Bulls will attempt to close the season with a winning record as they continue to focus on their core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević.
The Bulls face the Nets in New York on Thursday night after Brooklyn traded away superstars Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in the biggest blockbuster trades of this deadline period.
