CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Two moments Wednesday evening showcased what seemingly lies ahead for a Bulls organization undergoing the first stages of change that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas promised at season’s end.
The first came when Chicago went on the clock at No. 11 overall in the NBA Draft. With a pair of polished, ready-to-contribute-immediately prospects on the board in Providence guard Devin Carter – who had been linked extensively to Chicago in the pre-draft process – and Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, the Bulls instead drafted 6-foot-10 G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis , a 19-year-old full of promise who’s on a longer-term learning curve.
The second moment came after the conclusion of the draft, when Karnisovas was asked if the Bulls still want to re-sign 34-year-old star forward DeMar DeRozan, who’s set to hit free agency Sunday. After sharing his adoration for DeRozan and a desire to retain him back on previous occasions, Karnisovas struck a different note this time.
“As I said also before, we’re going to look at everything,” Karnisovas said. “Everything is on the table. It’s still an option.”
What the Bulls have been focused on lately is getting younger. They traded veteran guard Alex Caruso to the Thunder late last week in exchange for 21-year-old point guard Josh Giddey, who projects to be a poor fit with DeRozan. That’s because both players need the ball in their hands to be effective, and neither can space the floor as a spot-up shooter. Defensively, they’re both subpar as well.
Late Wednesday, Karnisovas extolled the virtues of what Giddey can bring to the Bulls. To hear Karnisovas speak was to hear a lead executive who wants to use less of the isolation-heavy and elbow-based system the team utilized often in playing through DeRozan.
“I’m happy we that we were able to get this deal done and bring Josh to Chicago,” Karnisovas said. “Bringing a very talented guard that is an elite playmaker and rebounder with elite size – his game is predicated on making everyone better around him. Those guys are hard to find.”
While he fielded a series of questions about “directional stuff,” as he called it, Karnisovas largely sidestepped the topic of how competitive he expects the Bulls to be in the 2024-’25 season. He didn’t yet confirm that the Bulls are set to pivot from competing for the playoffs to relying on a more youth-based movement, even though a pair of key moves in the last week suggested just that.
“It’s hard to predict what we might look like in a week or two,” Karnisovas said.
Beyond the fact that the Bulls’ core of DeRozan, guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic has grown stale as the team was eliminated in the play-in round the past two seasons, the reason Chicago’s state of competitiveness is such a hot topic is because of the uncertain status of its first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Bulls owe the Spurs a first-round pick in 2025, but it’s top-10 protected. So if the Bulls take a notable step back coming off a 39-win season, they should retain their first-round pick in a strong draft class in 2025 – and potentially get lucky enough to land at or near the top for a swing at a premier talent like Duke forward Cooper Flagg.
“I take my role of reshaping this team very seriously, and tonight was an important step in that direction,” Karnisovas said. “As I’ve said, everything is on the table. I want fans to know that we are committed and the process of building a team for long-term success. We’ve made some initial changes this offseason, and now our focus shifts on Friday (after the draft) to free agency. While we can’t predict exactly what’s going to happen, we’re determined to strengthen our roster.”
What Karnisovas left out in that comment was the time horizon element. Judging by the Bulls’ actions, they’re content with taking a step back before taking one forward.
Cody Westerlund is an editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund .
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