NBA Rumors: If the most recent rumblings are true, it seems as if the Chicago Bulls may have made another unforgivable mistake.
As the Chicago Bulls continue to tank down the Eastern Conference standings, it does seem as if a complete rebuild of the roster is probably in the best interest of the franchise at this point. However, at least for now, it doesn't appear as if Chicago is 100 percent ready to pivot in that direction - especially if the recent reporting surrounding this team is accurate. And that could end up being a huge miscalculation by the team.
According to NBA insider John Hollinger, the Bulls had a firm offer for a first-round pick (and salary) on the table in exchange for Lonzo Ball ahead of the trade deadline. However, they declined it and, instead, doubled down by giving Ball a two-year contract extension. It's certainly a bold move but you can't help but wonder if this is one of those situations that Chicago will end up regretting in a few months.
Why the Chicago Bulls keep making the same mistake
In fairness to the Bulls, this deal likely broke down because they didn't want to take on that future money. However, considering where the Bulls are in their build as a team, that should not be a deal-breaker when they could get future draft compensation. The reason why the Bulls keep making the same mistake over and over again is largely because this is a team that doesn't realize they are in desperate need of a rebuild.
The Bulls don't want to completely gut their roster to rebuild. That's been the story of the Bulls for the better part of the last decade. But it hasn't worked for Chicago and considering they just re-signed Ball instead of trading him, it does seem as if the Bulls are headed in that direction again.
I can't help but wonder if that will end up being a mistake once again. In fact, in this specific situation, the only way this doesn't end up being a mistake is if Ball proves he can remain healthy and emerges as either a strong gap player for the team or as an even stronger trade candidate a year from now. It's hard to predict either one of those two things happening at the moment.
Once again, it seems as if the Bulls are dead set of not accepting the reality of their situation. It could end up costing them another first-round pick that could've gone a long way in helping the future of this team. Chicago is clearly making a gamble with this move. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.