Waiting for the Bulls to Join the Chicago Sports Renaissance (and Other Bulls Bullets)

The Bears drafted Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. The Blackhawks drafted Connor Bedard. The Sky drafted Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. The Cubs have the best farm system in baseball.

Welcome to the Chicago Sports Renaissance! Feel free to join whenever, Chicago Bulls!

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1783652262193021410

  • Chicago sports fans have a lot to be excited about right now. Of course, that is if you’re not a fan of a Jerry Reinsdorf-owned team! The White Sox currently look like the worst team in Major League Baseball, while the Chicago Bulls needed a self-deprecating press conference from their front-office leader to make their followers feel anything. You’d hope that the seemingly incoming success would serve as a motivator to for all parties, but I’m not sure any of us believe that will be the case.
  • Technically, the Bulls have an opportunity to join the optimistic mix this offseason. Arturas Karnisovas could stand by his vows for change and aggressively overhaul the roster. This feels like a natural breaking point for his aging core that has failed to finish above .500 in two straight seasons. Trade Zach LaVine. Let DeMar DeRozan go in free agency. Maybe find a deal for Nikola Vucevic or use him as a veteran leader. Chicago would open a comforting future of flexibility, as well as the potential to snag a high-end talent in 2025’s attractive draft class (*cough* Cooper Flagg *cough*).
  • Adam Silver stands at the NBA Draft before announcing the Chicago Bulls pick.
    (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

  • Look, I’m not always a tank-or-nothing kind of guy. I do think there is a world where you can gradually build a contending team or be extremely aggressive in building a win-now squad. But the Bulls tried and failed at that approach. They don’t necessarily have the option to do that all over again right now. They still owe a protected 2025 pick to the San Antonio Spurs. They lost most of their trade value in players like Zach LaVine and now DeMar DeRozan. Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu would likely draw some eyes in the open market, but trading either would be extremely foolish at this point. Karnisovas has painted himself into a corner, and the only way out is to get his clothes dirty.
  • You’d always rather have a top 5 pick, but I actually kind of like where the Bulls project to land in this year’s draft. The top is an absolute mess right now. Nobody knows who belongs in the No. 1 slot, as there is a staggering lack of elite-level talent. In some cases, having the field help determine whose left on your board can make it a lot easier not to screw up! And, well, Arturas Karnisovas doesn’t necessarily have the best track record in the first round right now!
  • I also think this Bulls team would benefit from some more versatile size at the wing, and there could be a couple of nice options in the late lottery. Cody Williams, Matas Buzelis, Dalton Knecht, and maybe even Ron Holland could stumble into the 9-11 range. All four are very different players, but they would each offer some great positional size. At the end of the day, though, this is a draft the Bulls must approach with a “best-player-available” mindset. While another guard wouldn’t be ideal, I don’t think a team with back-to-back Play-In Tournament losses can be picky.
  • Angel Reese and Caleb Williams are about to make Chicagoans so happy …
  • After Coby White lost the Most Improved Player award to Tyrese Maxey, I expressed some concerns about how the voting might go for DeMar DeRozan. Even though the veteran forward felt like an even stronger lock to take home the Clutch Player of the Year award, the superstardom of Stephen Curry won out. What a bummer.
  • The last player who should receive some well-deserved recognition is Alex Caruso. Up for his second-straight All-Defense First Team honor, it would be arguably the greatest snubbing of all if he doesn’t make the cut. BBall Index reminded us of just how special he is on that end, listing him as the No. 1 points of attack defender using their metric D-LeBron.
  • The Caleb Williams hype is so dang real.
  • While we’re on the topic of drafts …
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

    more bulls news

    Angel Reese Had an Amazing 24 Hours Ahead of First Game in Chicago

    Angel Reese just made all of us look lazy. The Chicago Sky's first-round draft pick reported for practice on Monday with a game plan. After spending some time with the team, she got the green light to run to the...

    2024 NBA Mock Draft: How Could the Draft Combine Impact the 1st Round?

    While the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery odds are officially set, there are still almost two months until Draft Day. This means there is plenty of time for some stocks to rise and fall, especially with the NBA Draft Combine starting...

    Stop Living in the Past, Sky News, Rodman’s Mt. Rushmore, and Other Bulls Bullets

    The Chicago Bulls need to stop living in the past. The organization's lackadaisical approach to building a title contender surely stems from its success in the 90s. Michael Jordan and Co. turned the Bulls brand into one of the most...

    Victor Wembanyama Put Together One of the Best Rookie Seasons Ever

    Victor Wembanyama taking home the Rookie of the Year award should come as no surprise. Last night, he was named the league's top first-year player unanimously with Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren finishing second and Charlotte's Brandon Miller in third. Wembanyama...

    Jamal Murray Threw Something on the Court in the Middle of Game Action

    Jamal Murray might have jumped headfirst into some hot water. During Monday night's Game 2 battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets point guard appeared to throw a heating pad onto the court. The object landed right under the...

    Sky’s Kamilla Cardoso Will Reportedly Miss the First Month of the Season

    Chicago Sky fans will have to wait a while to see the organization's recent top-3 pick in action. According to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, rookie Kamilla Cardoso will miss 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. The recent national...

    Pat Riley A Takes Shot At … Jimmy Butler?

    I get that tensions are probably a bit high in Miami, especially when the boss is Pat Riley. This team already didn't feel like one that could upset Boston as an eighth seed in the NBA Playoffs for a second...

    Anthony Edwards Gave His Thoughts on the Michael Jordan Comparisons

    Anthony Edwards has averaged 33.4 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting over his five playoff games this season. And he's still only 22 years old. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick has climbed the league ranks at lightning speed....

    NBA Playoffs: Odds, Schedule, X-Factors For Round 2

    Now that the Cavs and Magic have wrapped up, we can take a look at the full second round of the NBA Playoffs! There are two games on the schedule Monday night. The Knicks and Pacers tip off their series...

    Offseason Strategy, Free Agency Fears, Nikola Vucevic’s Struggles, and Other Bulls Bullets

    I gave Arturas Karnisovsas plenty of credit for his end-of-season press conference. He blindsided us with his refreshing accountability and vows for change. All things considered, it was practically the exact opposite of what we watched from him during the...

    Latest News

    Marcus Semien is a Triple Shy of the Cycle … in the 2nd Inning!

    Well, have yourself a day, Marcus Semien. The Rangers infielder is 3-3 with a home run, double, single, four RBI, and a run scored today against the Oakland Athletics, and they're only in the second inning! Semien led the game...

    CODY BELLINGER IS BACK (Plus Several Other Cubs Roster Moves and Injury Updates)

    No point in burying the lede! The Chicago Cubs center fielder, Cody Bellinger, is officially back with the team just TWO WEEKS after fracturing multiple ribs on a collision with the center field wall. I'd say that's as "best case...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: Hello, Cody!

    CUBS LINEUP — With Dylan Cease scheduled to pitch for the Padres in the finale tomorrow, the Cubs are really going to want to take this game tonight. Fortunately, they have Shota Imanaga on the mound ... and CODY BELLINGER...

    2024 MLB Futures Odds: Who’s Winning the AL MVP Race?

    As the Major League Baseball season progresses, MLB Futures odds begin to come into focus. The race for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award heats up, capturing the attention of fans and bettors alike. With several standout...

    Keegan Thompson is at Wrigley Field, So Apparently a Move is Coming

    Sam Bernero has an eagle-eye and a steady camera, so when there are players newly in town around Wrigley Field, she is frequently the first person to have it. So it is today, with the return of Keegan Thompson to...

    Rookie of the Year 2024 Odds Update and Betting Advice: Colton Cowser, Shōta Imanaga Imanaga Lead the Way

    The MLB season is heating up, and players are already separating themselves from the pack. Who is the current favorite to win the Rookie of the Year? Who has an excellent chance to make a run at the award? Take...

    Thinking About the Cubs Lineup AFTER Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki Return

    UPDATE: Cody Bellinger is officially back with the Chicago Cubs, having been called up after publication of this article. Original post follows. *** According to Taylor McGregor on last night's broadcast, we are maybe a day away from Cody Bellinger...

    AL Cy Young 2024 Odds Update and Betting Advice: Corbin Burnes is the Favorite, But Seattle’s Bryce Miller is an Interesting Case

    The MLB season is heating up, and players are already separating themselves from the pack. Who is the current favorite to win the AL Cy Young? Who has an excellent chance to make a run at the award? Take a...

    Blackhawks Sign Lukas Reichel to Two-Year Deal

    On Tuesday afternoon, just hours before the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, the Chicago Blackhawks announced the team has signed forward Lukas Reichel to a two-year contract that carries a $1.2 million cap hit. https://twitter.com/NHLBlackhawks/status/1787905424173449489 Reichel, 21, is coming off a...

    2024 Wells Fargo Championship Odds, History, & Picks: Bet Corey Conners & Max Homa

    Who Will Take Home the Trophy? A Look at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship Odds The Wells Fargo Championship is upon us, and with it comes the thrill of competition and the chance to see some of the world's best...

    more bulls news