The Chicago Bulls are in the final stretch of the 2024-25 NBA season.
They carried a five-game losing streak into the break, dropping them to 22-34 on the season. The Bulls somehow remain in the play-in tournament race for the third consecutive season, sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference. You could copy and paste that last sentence at any point during the season, and it would apply.
STILL COMPETITIVE AFTER LOSING LAVINE
The Bulls’ trade deadline moves have not worked out as planned.
Chicago traded Zach LaVine, hoping it would be the first in a series of deals. However, the team’s high asking price for Nikola Vucevic and others ultimately kept them in Chicago.
Only trading LaVine and no one else means the Bulls are still competitive enough to stay in the play-in race. Chicago’s losses since the trade have been close, except for the two Pistons games. The Bulls led by 24 points against the Warriors, trailed by four in the fourth against the Timberwolves and went to overtime with the Knicks. Even without LaVine, the Bulls are keeping it close against playoff teams.
Chicago’s schedule only gets tougher down the line. Bulls fans should be watching the Sixers and Nets box scores each night, as they are one game behind Chicago in the standings.
Another play-in season for Chicago is not only repetitive to watch, but it also hurts the potential placement of their draft pick. The Bulls currently have the eighth-best odds for the top overall pick at 6%. If Chicago has a worse record than the 76ers and Nets, their odds would improve to 9%, and they would move to the sixth-best odds.
POOR ROSTER CONSTRUCTION
Chicago entered the season with a surplus of guards, and the LaVine trade only added to that.
The trade brought in two more guards, increasing the number of players at the position. Coach Billy Donovan has used a starting lineup featuring four guards alongside Vucevic.
This roster imbalance forces the Bulls to play small-ball lineups and limits opportunities for younger players. Dalen Terry, a 2022 first-round pick, averaged 12.6 minutes per game this season but has only played 18 minutes total since the addition of Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Although there are serious roster concerns, Chicago can’t address them until the offseason. In the meantime, the team needs to focus on developing its current roster. Matas Buzelis, for example, had double-digit points in eight consecutive games before the All-Star break. Now, Buzelis is starting.
For Patrick Williams, development is more difficult. He injured his right leg and is expected to miss two weeks.
Bulls fans who are checked out of the season and looking towards the draft should keep an eye on the 76ers and Nets’ records and pay attention to Maryland’s Derik Queen, Georgia’s Asa Newell, and other college big men during March Madness as potential future Bulls.
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