Clearly, the Chicago Bulls’ strategy over the past few seasons has not yielded the desired results. With six consecutive postseason misses, the Bulls have established themselves firmly in NBA no-man’s land and show no signs of making significant improvements any time soon.

The present era in Chicago took off in the summer of 2021 with the addition of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso to the Bulls’ roster. Everyone thought the team would be a real postseason contender and one of the best in the Eastern Conference with these three players.

An all-star scorer, a reliable floor general, and a stout perimeter defender were all acquired by Chicago. Injuries ruined what could have been an unforgettable 2021–22 season, even though all the pieces were in place for a deep playoff run. The Bulls are still mired in mediocrity, and Lonzo hasn’t even returned to the floor since then.

In the same offseason when they leveled up and added numerous new players to the roster, the Bulls made one of their most overlooked blunders from the prior several years. At the same time, in a three-team transaction, the Chicago Bulls sent Lauri Markkanen to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason.

 

When they traded Lauri, the Bulls took a step back.Given Markkanen’s output at the time, negotiating a trade to release him appeared like a good move. It appeared as though Lauri had reached a plateau in his career and was no longer improving. Instead of trying to find a way forward that included Markkanen significantly, the Bulls decided to acquire as much as they could for him.

Markkanen spent one year at Cleveland, where he was very ineffective, before moving to Utah for the 2022–23 season, where he surprised everyone with a breakthrough performance. Lauri flourished on both ends of the court because to the Jazz’s excellent offense setup. Not only was Markkanen named to his first All-Star team, but he also won the Most Improved Player Award for his dominating play in the post and his ability to score when fouled.

After considering his entire circumstances, the Bulls must be feeling guilty. With the proper opportunity to play and coaching to help them develop, they had a player in their locker room capable of starting and elevating their squad. Derrick Jones Junior and a single first-round pick were the only things they recouped.

Last season, the Blackhawks were within striking distance of the playoffs. We might be looking at a whole different picture of this team’s future now if the front management had taken a closer look at the assets they had in 2021.