Chicago Bulls: The rebuild is off to a slow start

After moving on from Jimmy Butler this summer, the Chicago Bulls rebuild is off to an awfully slow start

One can trace the decline of the Chicago Bulls back to the first major Derrick Rose injury. Chicago went from a potential title contender to a team with a serious albatross contract on their books. Since then, it’s been a series of bad decisions and bad breaks, leading to where we are today.

Chicago’s two major moves of the 2016 offseason, the free agent signings of Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, reeked of desperation. To be fair, Chicago was in a bit of an odd place due to the presence of Jimmy Butler.

Unquestionably the team’s best player at the time, Butler wasn’t young enough for Chicago to launch into a full rebuild without trading him. So, as we’ve seen from teams many times, they attempted to put a couple of Band-Aids on a gaping wound.

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Despite making the playoffs and playing well for a pair of games, it was clear that the Butler-Wade-Rondo Bulls weren’t going anywhere special. It was time to blow things up. Butler was one heck of a trade chip, and one would have assumed that the team would get a really nice package of players and picks for him. After all, the Marquette product is only 27 and considered one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

However, just before the draft, Wade decided to opt into the second and final year of his contract. Either he really wanted the money or the Bulls gave him no indication that they would be entering the tanking sweepstakes. Wade’s decision did not vibe with Chicago’s plan.

Fast forward to draft night, where the Bulls had the 16th pick in the draft. When the news dropped that Chicago had traded Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, I remember thinking that they must have gotten Andrew Wiggins. After the Wade news, I don’t think many people expected Butler to be moved. Chicago had seemed reluctant to part with their star player even before Wade’s decision to opt in.

Chicago traded Butler and the 16th pick for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the 7th pick. “What? That’s it?” seemed to be the general reaction throughout NBA circles. Chicago just traded one of the best players in the league right as he’s entering his prime. There must be more to this deal, I thought, but in the end that was the extent of the trade details. So what did the Bulls get out of this trade?

LaVine epitomizes the concept of sizzle over substance. Everybody knows that he’s one of the best dunkers that the league has ever seen, but as far as I know those baskets still count for just two points each. He scored 18 per game last season while shooting decent percentages, but we’re talking about a guy that seems utterly lost on the defensive end of the floor.

He’s a ball-stopper on offense, the kind of guy that would have been a much better fit in the Stephon Marbury era of the NBA. Let’s also not forget that this is an elite athlete coming off a major knee injury. Sure, ACL injuries are not as devastating as they once were, but they can’t be ignored altogether either.

Dunn has the potential to be the best piece the Bulls received in the Butler trade. His stock was down after a disastrous rookie season, but this is the same player that was the 5th pick in the draft just a year ago. Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau is notoriously hard on young players, and he didn’t give Dunn a very long leash last season.

Still, there is no denying that Dunn’s rookie campaign must cast some doubt on his future. He shot under 38 percent from the floor and connected on less than 29 percent of his shots from distance. He didn’t get a ton of minutes, but his per-36 numbers are not especially encouraging. It’s possible that Dunn will be a bust, but there is still upside.

Chicago used the pick they received in the Butler deal to select Lauri Markkanen out of Arizona, the player I expect to be the biggest bust in the 2017 draft. People drool over Markkanen because he’s a seven-footer than can shoot threes, and I’ve even seen some Dirk Nowitzki comparisons. Those comparisons are ridiculous.

Markkanen is a passive player, something that has plagued a lot of overseas busts over the years (he’s from Finland). He does have a good shot when he’s open, but he struggles when defended thanks to a somewhat low release point that negates some of his size advantage. The former Wildcat shot 24 percent from distance in summer league and failed to crack 30 percent from the floor in general. Yes, it’s summer league, but those numbers are worrisome. He doesn’t rebound at a high level and had the tendency to disappear for long stretches in college. I see a bust just waiting to happen.

So those are the three players the Bulls got in return for Jimmy Butler. Add in the fact that Chicago also had to give up the 16th pick in the deal and there’s no other grade to give this than an F.

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Chicago has a few other young players with promise in Bobby Portis, Denzel Valentine and Cristiano Felicio, but I don’t see a single player with real All-Star potential on the roster. When you trade an All-NBA player, it’s crucial to get at least one blue-chip prospect in return. The Bulls failed to do that.

With Wade on the roster, Chicago’s tanking efforts may be thwarted by his presence. The Hawks and Nets will probably end up with worse records in the Eastern Conference alone. The Chicago Bulls rebuild is not off to a good start, and their fans are likely in for a very long struggle.