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The report says the Chicago Bulls need to acquire draft picks at the trade deadline

Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI | By Nick Raguz | Last updated Feb 2, 2024 11:48 AM ET

The Chicago Bulls have been playing a lot better in the last two months and are in the thick of the race for either a spot in the NBA Play-in Tournament or an outright ticket to the NBA Playoffs.

While the team’s better performances offer the Chicago faithful some hope, it also must not dissuade the front office from doing what it should have done long ago: make adjustments to its roster.

Stock up on draft picks

The Bulls are stuck at the crossroads of mediocrity, unable to rise to elite status or be bad enough to nab a high draft pick. With the trade deadline looming on February 8, the Bulls’ decision-makers must pick a path to follow soon. The most logical choice would be accumulating as many draft picks as possible.

“The Chicago Bulls may be a little more reluctant to pull the plug than the Hornets, but they probably shouldn't be,” Andy Bailey wrote on Bleacher Report.

The writing has been on the wall for a long time; the Bulls’ core just isn’t cutting it. With the ceiling being either a first-round exit or the Play-in Tournament, Chicago’s long-term prospects are bleak. The best path to rebuilding and potentially contending in the future is through the draft.

“If Chicago can get any kind of young talent, draft consideration, or some combination of both for its underachieving trio, it needs to do it now,” Bailey added.

Young building blocks

The Bulls don’t have to tank blatantly, as they have some solid young players to work with, led by rising star Coby White, who has stepped up to become one of the team’s best players. There’s also Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, and rookie Julian Phillips, who gave fans a taste of his potential in their last contest against the Portland Trail Blazers.

While it remains to be seen what the Bulls would look like if they leaned on their young studs more, what’s obvious is the team’s “Big 3” of Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan haven’t panned out as they expected.

“Over the course of the two-plus seasons DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vučević have been on the roster, the Bulls are minus-2.8 points per 100 possessions. That's a dreadful mark for your top three players and one that almost begs the front office to trade two or three members of that core,” Bailey quipped.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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