The Chicago Bulls find themselves in one of the worst situations an NBA franchise can be in—NBA purgatory. They are not bad enough to secure high draft picks that could bring in a future superstar, yet they are not good enough to compete for a championship. This limbo has kept the team stagnant for years, frustrating both fans and analysts alike.
The reality is simple: The Bulls lack direction. The front office has made win-now moves that haven’t worked out, coaching hasn’t elevated the team, and the roster is built for mediocrity rather than true contention. If the franchise wants to escape this cycle, they need to make tough decisions and commit to a clear plan.
The Bulls Are Stuck Between Two Worlds
Great NBA teams either contend for championships or rebuild for the future. The Bulls, however, have been trying to do both at once—and it’s not working.
With stars like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vučević, the Bulls should be competing at a high level. But season after season, they fail to make a deep playoff run. On the other hand, they don’t have the young core or draft assets necessary to fully rebuild. This leaves them stuck in the middle, a place where teams remain for years unless drastic changes are made.
In today’s NBA, standing still is the same as falling behind. While teams like the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks make moves to strengthen their title chances, and teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder commit to building a young core, the Bulls are treading water with no clear endgame in sight.
A History of Front Office Mistakes
A major reason for the Bulls’ struggles is the front office’s poor decision-making. They’ve made win-now moves without considering the long-term impact, and their draft decisions have often left much to be desired.
Take the Nikola Vučević trade in 2021, for example. The Bulls sent Wendell Carter Jr. and two first-round picks to Orlando in exchange for Vučević. At the time, the move was meant to make Chicago a serious playoff contender. But in hindsight, it has backfired:
- Carter has blossomed into a solid young center, while Vučević hasn’t moved the needle for Chicago.
- One of those first-round picks turned into Franz Wagner, a rising star for the Magic.
Then there’s the Lonzo Ball situation. When the Bulls signed Ball to a four-year, $80 million contract, he was supposed to be the missing piece—a defensive-minded point guard who could run the offense. But his career was derailed by injuries, leaving Chicago with a massive hole at the position and no real solution.
The Bulls’ draft history hasn’t been much better. In 2020, they selected Patrick Williams with the No. 4 overall pick, passing on players like Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Vassell, and Desmond Bane—all of whom have turned into high-impact players. Williams, meanwhile, has been solid defensively but has yet to prove he can be a game-changer.
These front-office missteps have kept the Bulls stuck in mediocrity, unable to take a real step forward.
The Bulls Must Pick a Direction—Now
If the Bulls want to break free from their current state, they must choose between two paths:
1️⃣ Go all-in and build a contender.
2️⃣ Blow it up and rebuild from the ground up.
If they choose to compete for a championship, they need to make a major move—perhaps by trading for a superstar like Damian Lillard or Trae Young. They would also need to find a true floor general, as their lack of a high-level point guard has hurt them.
However, there’s a major flaw in this approach: They don’t have many valuable trade assets. Zach LaVine is their best trade chip, but his massive contract and history of injuries make him difficult to move. And while DeMar DeRozan is still playing at a high level, he’s already in his mid-30s.
The other option—the rebuild—might be the best long-term move. That would mean trading away veteran stars and focusing on the future. The Bulls could:
- Move DeRozan before he walks in free agency.
- Trade Vučević for assets while they still can.
- Get a haul for LaVine to build around younger players.
- Develop Patrick Williams, Coby White, and other young talent.
While this path might be painful in the short term, it would finally allow the Bulls to build a foundation for long-term success.
Coaching Needs to Improve
Even with roster challenges, coaching can make a difference. Unfortunately, Billy Donovan has yet to prove he can take this team to the next level.
His offensive system is predictable, relying too much on isolation plays rather than ball movement. The Bulls also rank near the bottom of the league in three-point shooting, a major weakness in today’s game. Without Lonzo Ball, their defense has collapsed, and Donovan has struggled to make the necessary adjustments.
If the Bulls commit to rebuilding, they may need a new player-development-focused coach who can get the best out of young talent. If they try to win now, they need a coach who can outsmart elite teams and fix their glaring weaknesses.
Bulls Fans Deserve Better
Chicago is one of the most passionate basketball cities in the world. Bulls fans have stuck with the team through the dominance of the Jordan era, the excitement of the Derrick Rose years, and the disappointments of the last decade.
But loyalty doesn’t mean patience. Bulls fans deserve a front office with a clear plan, not one that keeps tinkering with a broken roster while hoping for different results.
The time has come for the Bulls to choose a path:
- If they want to compete, they need to make a big move and stop settling for mediocrity.
- If they want to rebuild, they need to fully commit and give fans hope for the future.
Until they make a real decision, the Bulls will remain stuck in the worst place a team can be—nowhere.
What Do You Think? Should the Bulls Rebuild or Go All-In?
