NBA Rumors: If the latest rumor is true, the future of the Chicago Bulls is even more uncertain than originally believed.
Heading into this season, it was believed that the Chicago Bulls were going to prioritize the development of their young players and attempt to retool - or rebuild - on the fly. Part of those plans included trading Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic while also continuing to develop Josh Giddey (a key offseason acquisition) into a potential foundational piece of the franchise moving forward.
At least so far this season, the Bulls haven't made much progress on either front. Chicago continues to hover around mediocrity in the Eastern Conference and there's still no guarantee they'll be able to move on from LaVine or Vucevic this season. Their young core has also left much to be desired. So much so that the latest whispers are that the Bulls could be open to trading Patrick Williams, who many would assume was going to be a big part of their next build - especially after signing him to near-$100 million contract during the offseason.
If this report is true and the Bulls are indeed open to the idea of trading Williams, it introduces the idea that perhaps this team's future is even more uncertain than we believed it was heading into the start of the season. If the Bulls are open to trading Williams and they aren't ready to give Giddey the big contract he's asking for, you can't help but wonder if there are any guarantees for this team as they move into the future.
What is the Chicago Bulls' easiest path forward?
The Bulls are in a difficult spot that could be described as a crossroads. Right now, the Bulls need to make some big decisions about their future and it appears that there isn't a clear path forward for the team. I'm not sure if that has more to do with indecision from the decision-makers or if this team does believe retooling on the fly is the best way to move forward.
Either way, what we've seen from the Bulls over the past two seasons now has left much to be desired. Since the decision from DeMar DeRozan to leave, the writing was on the wall for this core. In fact, you can make the case that was the reality for the team since the injury to Lonzo Ball a few years ago.
For one reason or another, the front office never pivoted and the Bulls have the same issues on their plate that they've been battling for years now. Chicago has one of the most uncertain futures in the NBA right now. At some point, changes are going to be made. Right now, it's almost impossible to predict what level of changes could be on the horizon for the team. For the Bulls, the only certainty moving forward is uncertainty. And that's not generally a good thing in the NBA.