NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls have been on a silent retreat for the past couple of seasons.
I knew the organization had been quiet ever since their wave of moves during the 2021 offseason, but I never fully realized it was this bad. Mark K over at CHGO went ahead and mapped out every transaction for the organization since the summer of 2021, and the results are sure to make Bulls fans even more frustrated with the front office.
Take a look:
Note: Mark clarified that he forgot to include Nikola Vucevic’s re-signing this summer.
A closer look shows that the majority of the Bulls’ transactions have been either 10-day contracts or two-way signings. Those that have an impact on the actual rotation are few and far between, with the buyout signing of Patrick Beverley and the 2023 offseason additions of Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter being the “marquee” additions.
All things considered, it’s hard to look at this and feel any sense of optimism regarding the upcoming 2023 NBA trade deadline. While it might be fair to argue that the organization is due for a big move or two, recent history has shown that this front office isn’t afraid to sit on its hands.
Comparing the Chicago Bulls to the Rest of the NBA
With Feb. 8 in mind, I decided to take a closer look at specifically how many trades the Bulls have made since the calendar flipped to 2022. And it didn’t take me long. Their deal with the Washington Wizards to select Julian Phillips with the No. 35 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has been their lone move of the past two years. They sent the Wizards two future second-round picks in the deal.
The fact they can go two seasons with only one trade in the modern NBA is astonishing. And, if you don’t believe me, I went ahead and compared their activity to the rest of the league. Using Spotrac’s transaction tracker, I went through all 30 teams and counted the number of individual trades they’ve had since 2022 (these include everything from blockbusters to deals for cash considerations).
Here is what I came up with …
Hawks: 12
Celtics: 14
Nets: 7
Hornets: 6
Bulls: 1
Cavaliers: 6
Mavericks: 7
Nuggets: 6
Pistons: 11
Warriors: 4
Rockets: 9
Pacers: 13
Clippers: 9
Lakers: 7
Grizzlies: 7
Heat: 4
Bucks: 5
Timberwolves: 7
Pelicans: 3
Knicks: 9
Thunder: 14
Magic: 5
76ers: 4
Suns: 10
Trail Blazers: 9
Kings: 10
Spurs: 14
Raptors: 4
Jazz: 10
Wizards: 13
The Chicago Bulls have made the fewest trades in the NBA since the start of 2022. The next closest team was the New Orleans Pelicans with only three trades. Still, each of the Pelicans’ trades from 2022 and 2023 (the third was just this week when they moved Kira Lewis Jr. to Toronto) were deals that had an immediate on-court impact. The first deal brought CJ McCollum to the city, while the second added role player Josh Richardson.
The Raptors, 76ers, Heat, and Warriors had the next fewest number of trades at four, but three of those teams have been in championship contention. The other is now in the middle of a fire sale.
Overall, the average number of trades per team over this span has been EIGHT. AND THE CHICAGO BULLS HAVE MADE ONE, FOLKS!! Again, I knew things were bad, but I can’t believe just how much of an outlier they’ve been. This is especially true when we consider how poorly the team has performed. They’ve had every reason to make a move … and they’ve refused.
Let’s hope we aren’t saying the same thing on Feb. 9. Speaking of which, we all might need this …
