Although fans of the Chicago Bulls have asked for a much-needed youth movement from the team since last season, the team has only just started implementing the process, albeit with mixed results.
Vice President of Bulls Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas stated in an interview why the Bulls are starting this youth movement. The following quotes are from a conversation with K.C. Johnson at NBC Sports Chicago.
“After the season, I kind of said about the changes coming. We were telling the truth,” Karnišovas explained. “I think very specific players we’re targeting—Giddey, in free agency adding certain guys like Jalen Smith to this year’s draft pick.”
The VP noted their pivot could have happened too soon or too late but decided to follow their current trajectory instead. With the Bulls starting so late, they have no choice but to follow through and determine methods for gaining value from Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic.
“And I think three years ago when we came up with our plan, our formula, which worked for a short period of time until we got into injuries,” Karnišovas admitted. “The reactions, the second year, and then obviously, we waited a third year to see where we were. Now, we’re kind of making these changes. You could argue that it’s too late or early. But that’s where we are right now.”
Karnišovas was open to discussing the decision to trade DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings, stating they wanted to wait to make major trades to allow DeRozan to prove himself out of respect, as well as his contributions to the team.
“When we met with him (in August 2021) and talked about the opportunity, we were committed to winning. And we wanted to win right away,” Karnišovas commented. “And to your question about like, ‘Did we wait too long?’ (to pivot), I think DeMar was almost central in that decision of, ‘No, give these guys one more chance.’”
“Like we told him,” the VP continued, “we’re gonna give them an opportunity to win, and he was a gigantic part of why we did that.”
Although the Chicago Bulls would have liked to keep DeMar, they gave the player a chance to retry his hand at competing for a championship, given that Chicago was no longer able to do so themselves.
“You know, the pivot away from him, I would love if he was still a Chicago Bull right now,” Karnišovas revealed. “But I think doing right by the organization and letting him explore that opportunity to go somewhere else and try to win; we were not positioned well enough to bring him back. And two, trying to help him chase that dream (of winning) as well.”
It is still uncertain whether the Bulls will trade Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine, though their efforts to do so are apparent. They cannot, however, trade star players for nothing and must determine how to prepare for the future.
