Bulls pass on trades at deadline, counting on injured players to return
There were some fireworks on NBA trade deadline day.
Whether or not Bulls boss Arturas Karnisovas enjoyed the show is unclear. What's known is he sat quietly and declined to light a fuse. The Bulls did nothing at the deadline, preferring to wait for their injured players to return.
“My wishlist was to get healthy,” Karnisovas said in a Zoom meeting with reporters. “That's the primary reason for us not doing anything. We've got a little bit to wait, but I think hopefully when we get all healthy we're going to have a whole group there and see what we got.”
The Thursday blockbuster was Philadelphia pulling off the long-rumored deal and adding James Harden from Brooklyn for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. Simmons has not played at all this season while waiting for a trade, while the Nets' Big Three of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had a short shelf life.
Obviously, the Bulls could potentially play either team, or both, in the playoffs in a few months. They're hoping to have Lonzo Ball (knee), Alex Caruso (broken wrist), Derrick Jones Jr. (broken finger) and Patrick Williams (left wrist surgery) by the end of March.
“I think it reflects that we like this group, (coach) Billy (Donovan) obviously said it all along,” Karnisovas said. “We had a short sample of 16 games where most of our guys were healthy, that doesn't include Patrick. In those 16 games we were top five in offense and defense, so we liked what we looked like when everyone was healthy.”
Williams was injured in the fifth game of the season. The Bulls originally said he'd likely miss the remainder of the regular season. But he's been back on the court doing some basketball activities and it appears the second-year forward could be back within weeks.
“At some point I think you're going to see him this year,” Karnisovas predicted. “So in terms of timeline, we don't have one for now. We don't want to put any pressure on Patrick or us to bring him back. But there's a lot of positive things: He's around our guys, he's working every day and I'm glad to see him be on the floor.”
It's still possible the Bulls could add a player, because several across the league are expected to negotiate contract buyouts and become free agents. Among the candidates are veteran point guards Goran Dragic and Dennis Schroder, forwards Paul Millsap and Robert Covington, and centers Tristan Thompson and Robin Lopez. Except for Lopez, all of those players were traded this week.
The buyout market should work itself out in the next several days. In order to sign a player, the Bulls would have to waive someone on the roster, with Alfonzo McKinnie, Malcolm Hill and Matt Thomas the most likely candidates.
“When the dust settles after trade deadline I think we're going to look at some things,” Karnisovas said. “But we'll see what happens, what's going to present.”
Should Karnisovas be faulted for sitting tight at the deadline? He pointed out the Bulls made moves last year at the deadline, getting Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, along with some smaller deals. He was very active in the summer, adding Ball, Caruso and all-star starter DeMar DeRozan.
So it's fair to say the Bulls had nothing left to trade. They can't deal any of their own first-round picks until 2027 and don't have a second-rounder until ‘26. They're also just $3 million below the luxury tax threshold. Karnisovas deflected questions about the tax, but it does make sense for the Bulls to avoid it this year and avoid repeater tax penalties in the future.
Did the Bulls' chances to win the East take a solid punch in the gut Thursday? Not really. The Bulls were and still are in danger of being a good regular season team that exits the playoffs in the first round.
But if they are close to full strength when the postseason begins, DeRozan's level of play alone should give them a fighting chance against any team. In recent weeks, the defense has suffered without Ball and Caruso, while the return of Williams would give them a taller front line.
Elsewhere in the East, Milwaukee added veteran center Serge Ibaka on Thursday, Washington got Kristaps Porzingis from Dallas for Spencer Dinwiddie, Toronto added ex-Bulls forward Thad Young, while Cleveland acquired Caris Levert earlier this week.
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