The Bulls have no plans to rebuild after a disappointing 40-42 season and an exit in the play-in tournament, vice president Arturas Karnisovas told reporters, including Jamal Collier of ESPN, at an end-of-season press conference Saturday. Karnisovas said management will use the offseason to search for ways to build on the team’s 14-9 performance after the All-Star break.
“That’s been thrown around all this season,” he said. “Blow up, rebuild. It’s not on our minds. We changed our minds in the 2021 season to focus on winning, and try to build a sustainable program here — I think that’s where we’re focused right now. How we can help this group and how we can improve from this year.”
Karnisovas indicated that the Bulls will focus on trying to re-sign as many of their free agents as possible. He mentioned starting center Nikola Vucevic, who will be unrestricted this summer, and said the team “absolutely” wants to keep reserve guard Coby White, who can be made a restricted free agent with a $7.7MM qualifying offer.
Vucevic also spoke with reporters, saying he has enjoyed his two and a half seasons in Chicago.
“The Bulls will have priority,” Vucevic said of his free agency plans. “I’d like to stay here. But that’s on the front office to decide and work with my agent.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Karnisovas wasn’t able to offer an update on Lonzo Ball, who underwent his third knee surgery last month, Collier adds. Karnisovas declined to comment when he was asked if the Bulls plan to seek salary relief from the league for the $43MM remaining on Ball’s contract. “I have confidence that he’s going to come back,” he said. “In terms of timeline, I don’t have that timeline right now because he just had his procedure.” The team could only be approved for salary relief if Ball’s health issues are considered likely to be career-ending.
- Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan believe they can become an even better combination with a healthy start to next season, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. DeRozan points out that injuries have been been disruptive throughout their two seasons together. “We haven’t even scratched the surface,” he said. “Last year, with him being hurt and me carrying so much of the load and this year him coming off his surgery, I know early on in the season he was frustrated just trying to find his rhythm. I kept being in his ear telling him, ‘It’s gonna come. You got to get your rhythm back. You haven’t played. You haven’t touched a ball.’ By the time he got healthy and got it rolling, I began to deal with my quad. So we haven’t been fully ourself and that’s the scary part about it.”
- Chicago has a decision to make on Patrick Beverley, who took over as the starting point guard after signing in February. Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype points out that the Bulls can offer Beverley a $3.2MM veteran’s minimum salary or $3.8MM with his Non-Bird rights. They would have to use part of their mid-level exception to exceed that figure, but Gozlan states that they may want to save the MLE to add another big man off the bench.
I like this group but they have way too much-wasted money in Ball and honestly, they needed more veteran bench guys this year. A Melo could have helped bridge bench scoring while also being a good size. Wings like Snell or Harkless could have helped there D. A trade for Thad Young maybe could have also been a good move.
Also Drumond should have played more
Snell, Harkless or Thad?! Way to reach for the stars buddy.
I think someone is stuck in 2013. Snell, Harkless and Young are all shells of their former selves.
If you think Melo was the missing piece you are truly delusional. There is clearly a reason (or 3) no team has signed him. This isnt 2k.
I give Bulls a hard time, but admit injuries play a pretty big part. Timing is a thing. Still a disappointing season, and not sure the current core is enough. Those injuries may be past but they’re not gone.
They really coulda used Troy Brown as well, perhaps some exception money could be geared towards a reunion
I actually found the exit interview a refreshing take
Bummer on Lonzo, I think they should offer Vu a slight overpay on a 2 yr deal to stay away from a guaranteed 3rd- 2/36 ~ 2/40. I dont think he could get more anywhere else but you can’t obtain anyone in the free market so it gets done
AK is delusional, that is all I can say after watching this team for 2 seasons. This is clearly a deficient roster, and the only way to solve that is to trade from strength. Re signing Vucevich on anything but a sweetheart deal is idiotic, they apparently just can’t admit they have failed.
Send Lavine and Caruso to Portland for Simons, Sharpe, picks and filler. (unless they get Wemby,ofc)
Thad Young? Wasn’t he injured most of the season for the Raptors? Not sure he would have helped much. DeRozan is a great person but you can’t build a roster around him…..the Raptors realized that and dealt him away and immediately got better. Nor can you build around LaVine. Even with a healthy roster this team is seriously flawed with how the roster is constructed.
They immediately got better because they then acquired Kawhi who was then one of the best players in the NBA, if not the best..
Derozan has his issues, defense being the main one, but he’s a positive on any roster.
AK is one of the very best talent evaluators in the world. It’s not the only talent a FO needs, but over time it’s the single most important one. Why, with his background in the draft, he swung for the fences so early on, I don’t know, but I suspect it was based on (at least) the urging of ownership. Their different type of scheme did look good pre-Ball injury, but that’s the problem with quick fixes and different types of schemes, they tend to be fragile.
In any event, CHI would do well to stay the course with AK. I thought they coaching staff found some things after they realized they can’t wait for Ball to return.