After the city of Chicago entered a new era, they struggled to find their way in a talented Eastern Conference. The front office built a firm core around Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, but injuries seemed to get the best of them. DeRozan saw enough and found a way out to Sacramento. This puts the Chicago Bulls in a position to rebuild once again.

The duo of LaVine and Vucevic will not be enough to compete against Eastern Conference contenders. Although these two stars are exceptionally talented, they bring injury concerns and a minimized sense of urgency on the defensive side of the ball.

Entering a rebuild may be more challenging than expected, as teams are not fond of taking on LaVine’s contract and injury history. He is an elite scorer, but the Bulls made a hasty decision and offered the former UCLA guard a five-year, $215 million max contract. If a trade occurs, Chicago will receive much less for LaVine than they may be hoping for.

How should the Chicago Bulls go about entering a rebuild?

The most important decision in a rebuild for the Chicago Bulls should be to trade their all-star guard, Zach LaVine. Teams are interested but won’t be willing to give up much, considering LaVine’s contract. Chicago must take what they obtain and move on.

Conversely, star big man Nikola Vucevic is on a much more manageable deal. Although he is 33-years-old, the Bulls could trade the two-time all-star to another contender. In return, the front office should ask for a young role player and draft compensation to help set them up for the future.

The Bulls have already done an excellent job developing rising star Coby White, as he is coming off the best season of his career. They will also be building around Josh Giddey, a young point guard they acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder. These promising young talents are the key to the Bulls’ future success.

As of right now, the Bulls roster is discombobulated. They have a number of veterans and stars when they need to focus on the future. However, if the front office can make the right decisions, ship away their bad contracts, and bring in quality youth, they will return to postseason contention in no time. 

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