The Bulls were offered as many as two first-round picks Alex Caruso ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Jamal Collier. Instead, Chicago traded Caruso to Oklahoma City over the summer in a one-for-one trade for fourth-year point guard Josh Giddey in a move that resulted in some outside criticism of the front office.

As Collier explains, the Bulls preferred to acquire an established NBA player instead of future draft assets because they want to avoid a full-fledged roster tear-down. They also see Giddey as a key part of a new roster built to employ a run-and-gun style.

“(Giddey) plays exactly how we want to play,” Bulls general manager Marc Eversley told ESPN.

Going into Friday’s action, the Bulls ranked first in the NBA in pace (105.22 possessions per game) and had significantly increased their three-point percentage since last season, with 42.2 attempts per game, good for third. in the competition. By comparison, the 2023-24 Bulls finished 26th with 32.1 three-point attempts per game.

‘We’re not running, we’re ready’ head coach Billy Donovan his team said last month. “It’s that simple. If we run, we will have fun.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

• Chicago’s roster moves have not translated into on-field success so far this season. The team has a 3-6 record and has struggled defensively. Still, Giddey believes there is a good foundation to build on, Collier said. “We have pieces,” Giddey said. “It’s not like we’re starting from scratch. They’re a really talented group and whether that’s the first week, or the 15th, or somewhere in between, we’ll be where we need to be. We all believe in what we are trying to do here.”
• The Bulls are still expected to explore the trade market in search of veteran buyers Zach LaVine And Nikola Vucevic later this season, Collier reports. For now, the focus is on rebuilding the duo’s value after a disappointing 2023/2024 season. Both players are benefiting from Giddey’s playmaking ability thus far: Vucevic’s 58.1% field goal percentage would be the highest percentage of his career, while LaVine’s 49.5% mark would be the second-highest percentage of his career.
• According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (video link), he recently asked an NBA general manager what kind of price he would pay to acquire Vucevic. The GM responded that he would give up “a few” second-round picks. Fischer adds that trading Vucevic during the season is likely more realistic for the Bulls than finding a viable deal before the season for LaVine.