According to Brian Windhorst, many NBA teams around the league are waiting for the Chicago Bulls to retool their roster at the very least.
"In talking to some people around the league, the scouts are jamming themselves into Bulls games because they realize that at some point, the Bulls may break this team up. And they're all gathering intelligence like, 'What's gonna happen with the Bulls?'" Windhorst reported.
The Bulls are going nowhere fast and will most likely get some future assets for their veterans. It seems like the Bulls could be heading towards a rebuild as the team doesn't really have a future with their current core.
3. Zach LaVine
The Bulls would be starting to commit to an actual rebuild if they traded their best player but the team would be wise to do so. Zach LaVine's contract will most certainly be bad at some point due to the fact that the player signed a max deal that has four years left on it. LaVine can be an all-star player in this league but it will be very hard for him to be that as he ages.
Chicago would be wise to get off his contract while it still has value. A desperate team will most certainly give up some kind of first-round pick for the player. With that in mind, the Bulls should start to rebuild by trading their best player.
2. DeMar DeRozan
Due to the fact that the Bulls and DeMar DeRozan are reportedly far apart from getting a contract extension done, it seems very logical that the Bulls could end up shopping the player. It's hard to find the right place for DeRozan due to the fact that his game doesn't really translate to today's game. Any team that wants to trade for DeRozan will have to find a way to match his $28 million salary.
They will also have to justify signing him to an extension if they were to trade first-round picks for the player. With that in mind, it's hard to find the right destination for DeRozan right now. Still, it is quite possible that he gets moved to a contender at some point this season.
1. Alex Caruso
Alex Caruso will most likely be a major target for every contender in the league as they try to win a title this season. Caruso is an excellent wing defender in this league and would fit in any team in the league. Caruso has a season after this left on his deal which allows any team to view him as a two-year rental and fits the underrated player as someone who could fit into your short-term title window.
Of course, his former team, the Lakers, seems interested in trading for the role player. Still, it would make the most sense for the Lakers not to trade for the player due to their more pressing needs at point guard and backup big. It's more likely that a team like the Denver Nuggets could make a deal for the player. The Nuggets could package a bunch of young players and one first-round pick for the Caruso.
Denver could go all-in on their title window and Caruso from the Bulls. To be quite honest, this could crush a bunch of NBA teams' title hopes if the Bulls end up trading Caruso to Denver.