Bulls must be patient in their pursuit of failure

Headlined by Cooper Flagg, the 2025 draft class is projected to be loaded with talent. Multiple NBA teams are expected to hit the reset button in the hopes of landing the top pick next summer.

The Chicago Bulls are no different. Their decision to trade Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for Josh Giddey clearly indicates the direction the front office wants to take.

Unfortunately for Chicago, it still has Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine on its roster. Those two talents are enough to disrupt any potential race to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein , the Bulls should be able to move on from Vucevic before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

"Vucevic should be far easier for Chicago to trade given that he has just two seasons left on his contract at a total slightly above $41 million," Stein reported on his Substack. "...And with proven big men harder to find. The early indications, though, suggest that a move involving the 33-year-old is more likely to materialize during the season than before it."

At 33-years-old, Vucevic is still a genuine force. He ended last season averaging 18 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 48.4% from the field and 29.4% from three-point range.

If Vucevic can rediscover his perimeter shooting form, he will undoubtedly entice more teams to take a closer look at him. Having a center who is a reliable perimeter-scoring threat is a hot commodity in the NBA right now, especially after Kristaps Porzingis' impact on the Boston Celtics this past season.

Chicago is in a weird spot. It needs to lose games to have a chance at landing a generational talent and genuine franchise cornerstone. However, it must also showcase what LaVine and Vucevic can do when on the court and empowered to play their game.

A lack of patience is what led to the Bulls' current situation. The front office cut corners in pursuit of a championship. Now, they must show they've learned from their mistakes and are ready to hold their nerve in the hope of negotiations getting underway closer to the trade deadline.