I've covered a lot of bad front office decisions in my 20 years on the radio. But what the Chicago Bulls have done over the past decade? Folks, this might be the worst organizational performance I've ever seen.
Let me lay it out for you, because the numbers are staggering:
The Bulls have traded Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, and Lauri Markkanen. They also lost DeMar DeRozan in free agency.
Total first-round picks received: ONE.
Let me say that again. ONE first-round pick for seven quality NBA players.
That's not rebuilding. That's not retooling. That's organizational malpractice.
Here's what drives me crazy about this, folks: The Bulls never committed to anything. They didn't commit to winning around Butler. They didn't commit to tanking and rebuilding. They just... existed. Year after year, stuck in mediocrity, refusing to make the hard choice.
And now they've got nothing to show for it. No young stars. No draft capital. No path forward. Just a fan base in Chicago that deserves so much better.
The Butler trade to Minnesota? They got Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and the pick that became Markkanen. Not terrible, right? Except they then traded LaVine and Markkanen for almost nothing in return.
The Alex Caruso trade to Oklahoma City netted them basically salary relief. Caruso is one of the best perimeter defenders in basketball, and they gave him away for financial flexibility they didn't even use.
And don't even get me started on the Vucevic trade. They gave up and to get him, then traded him away for scraps.
