Mar 12, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan gestures to the referees during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
The Bulls were easily dispatched by the Bucks in Round 1 of this year’s NBA playoffs. Here’s how Chicago can improve heading into next season.
Chicago managed to take a game off the Bucks in their first-round series but no one who watched the five games behind the two Eastern Conference teams believed the Bulls were any threat to emerge victorious. That’s why this offseason is crucial for Chicago if they want any chance to make serious noise with this veteran core group.
There’s a cogent argument to be made that blowing things up might be in the Bulls’ best interest but it’s obvious this front office isn’t inclined to go in that direction. As such, the directive must be to surround the current win-now group with better surrounding talent.
Working on the margins won’t be easy for the Bulls, but here are five things they must get done this offseason if they want to make meaningful progress heading into next year.
5. The Bulls need to sell high on Coby White
White can be a nice bench option for a good NBA team, but the reality is that Billy Donovan trusts Ayo Dosumnu more in that role. That makes White and his expiring contract an intriguing trade chip for Chicago this offseason.
Plenty of teams looking for scoring off the bench will be happy to roll the dice on White and his first-round pedigree. In a perfect world, the Bulls could turn him into a valuable wing. Even flipping White for a reserve three would do wonders to improve Chicago’s roster flexibility next season. At the very least, the Bulls should be able to move White for some valuable draft capital.