Chicago Bulls
1 Concerning trend: The Josh Giddey contract issues
The Chicago Bulls made one of the boldest (and somewhat unexpected) moves when they traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey straight up. The expectation was that the Bulls and Giddey would come to a contract extension agreement sooner rather than later. However, that never came. And the recent rumblings suggest that this entire situation could be more complicated than perhaps many assume. And if the Bulls aren't able to agree on a fair deal with Giddey, he could end up leaving in free agency next summer. If that were to happen, it would be a colossal disaster.
Giddey appears to be a good fit from a basketball perspective for the Bulls. He filled the need as a natural playmaker for the team and does offer value as Chicago looks to rebuild their roster in the event that they do trade Zach LaVine. But if the Bulls can't figure out the contract situation with Giddey and he does leave in free agency next summer, this is a deal that would go down as one of the bigger mistakes in recent team history. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure it's something the front office would live down.
Cleveland Cavaliers
1 Concerning trend: The Cavs may be peaking too early
To be quite honest, it's difficult to find any way to nitpick how great the Cleveland Cavaliers have been this season. Through the first few games of the regular season, the Cavs have played near-flawless basketball. On both ends of the floor, the Cavs do appear to be more locked in and improved. However, if there is one concern for the Cavs, I suppose it would revolve around the idea that they're peaking too early. I suppose it would be a good problem to have but if this is the best version of Cleveland, we're certainly seeing it at the wrong time.
Generally speaking, teams want to be peaking around May and June, and not in October. If that's what's happening, there's no question this is less than ideal for the Cavs. However, what if they're not and there's still another gear that the team could reach in the postseason? That would be a very good development for the Cavs as they look to emerge as a legit championship contender in the Eastern Conference this season.