NBA trade deadline

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Which seemed to be the message from Bulls Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnišovas Thursday after the Bulls were among just a few NBA teams not to make any changes in the flurry of activity that marked this season’s NBA trading day/week deadline.

It was one of the most active in season NBA transaction periods in recent memory with stars like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook changing teams along with valuable veterans like D’Angelo Russell, Mike Conley, Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, Jakob Poeltl, Eric Gordon, Devonte Graham, John Wall, Mason Plumlee, Mo Bamba, James Wiseman, Thomas Bryant, Josh Hart and Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, the latter two who faced the Bulls with the Nets Thursday.

Karnisovas said the Bulls were active and involved in trying to improve the team and not sell off players. But he suggested because of the play-in tournament more teams believed they could be in contention, so it proved more difficult to acquire talent. Also, Karnišovas said, the Bulls believe the landscape in the Eastern Conference became more welcoming because more of the star talent relocated to the Western Conference.

But Karnišovas also said he expected more from the team this season and will analyze these last 28 games for plans moving forward. But that he’s still confident about the team’s prospects.

“I’m like the fan base,” said Karnišovas. “Hate to lose a lot of those close games, but a lot of those close games we were in it. It’s just disappointing to see that our record doesn’t show we’ve improved. In a lot of those games, it’s just disappointing that we lose at the end. After a busy couple days, we came to the conclusion that this was the best group for us to give us the best chance to win.

“There were so many buyers, so there were a lot of teams that didn’t want to take a step back including us, so we tried to improve our team, but at what cost?” asked Karnišovass. “That price was not OK with us, so I think the next stage for us now that we’ve passed the trade deadline is to evaluate this group the next 28 games. Mediocrity and average is not OK with us, but the next step is what’s going to happen for the rest of the season and then how we can address – during the draft and free agency – our shortcomings.

“There were a lot of hypotheticals and a lot of rumors and, like I said, we were pretty busy, but nothing capitalized,” Karnišovas reiterated. “I think you have to have an open mind, especially when you are in the ninth or 10th place. You have to look at yourself realistically, but I think at the end of the day, we'll look at this group as the best way to go over the next 28 games. I am disappointed in terms of result. I’m disappointed in inconsistency. But again, those guys are still hanging in there. Players and coaches are doing a great job to hang in there. There’s still time to improve. And we have 28 games left. We have to improve our position. Each team probably says the same thing. We’re going to battle and see what happens.”Do you expect to be in the playoffs? Karnišovas was asked.&nbsp;

So this Bulls season at 26-28 before Thursday’s game with the depleted Nets missing Durant and Irving plows ahead with the hope that it can harvest enough victories to produce that hoped for playoff yield.

“We were pretty active at the trade deadline. It just didn’t seem like there were deals for us to make to improve this group,” Karnišovas insisted. “I think that this group has shown some resiliency, improvement this year because we’ve kind of flipped the script from last year beating bad teams, losing to good teams. This year, winning against good teams and losing to below .500 teams. Regarding this group, again I thought there were small improvements this year in terms of staying in games, coming back from large deficits in the games we had no business being in, pulling [them] out in the end, and obviously there were a lot of painful losses that we were very close. So at the end of the day we thought this was the best group to finish the season.’’

Karnišovas also said the Bulls hope to be able to resign center Nikola Vučević.

“I’m confident (resigning Vučević); he’s having an unbelievable year,” said Karnišovas. “We want him to be here. I just think for this group now it is important now that the trade deadline has passed. This is the group that we are sticking with and they can go out there and play and put a foot on the gas and put together a run.

“This trade deadline showed us that we have a lot of good players that have a lot of value around the league and I think there’s ways to do it (improve),” said Karnišovas. “We will look at how to improve based, obviously, on the next 28 games and how we are going to finish the season. There’s some parity in the East. I think the trade deadline kind of shifted some quality more toward the West, so there’s a chance obviously to compete in Eastern Conference. There’s a lot of teams that are pretty good, but they are just (bunched) all together.

“We tried to get into a lot of deals,” Karnišovas said when asked about Kevin Durant. “But at the end of the day we didn’t make any of them. I think after looking at the return and what we had to give up to improve the team, we thought it was prudent to stick to this group for the next 28 games. We made calls; we got a lot of calls. It was pretty busy, but at the end of the day we were buyers. We wanted to improve our team. But we couldn’t capitalize on that.”

Although the Bulls were not able to make any transactions to improve the team now, there is the possibility for player acquisitions on buy out contracts or be released. Karnišovas said the Bulls will “look at it. First, I have to look through every trade that actually happened and what kind of rosters each team has before we look at the buy out market. We'll look at it, for sure.”

Last year, the Bulls added Tristan Thompson as a buyout.

Though it’s speculation, some of the players who could become available include Westbrook, John Wall, Reggie Jackson, Terrence Ross, Patrick Beverley, Will Barton, Serge Ibaka, Kevin Love, and Derrick Rose.

“I think we turned the roster around the last couple years,” said Karnišovas. “We’ve done deals that in the summertime that a lot of people said we couldn’t do. I think there are ways to improve. It’s just the timing is going to depend on when you make those moves. This is just a collection of information, these next 28 games, of where we are.”

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Karnišovas and the Bulls Move on After the Trade Deadline

Artūras Karnišovas takes questions from the media following the 2022-23 NBA Trade Deadline

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Artūras Karnišovas Trade Deadline Media Availability

Sam Smith

OK, OK, I'm checking my pulse. Breathe, breathe, breathe. Slowly.

But it seems like the Bulls aren't just putting out some hot air with a big time Trade Deadline Day Thursday.

It may prove one of the most significant in franchise history.

The Bulls Thursday acquired two-time Orlando Magic All-Star center Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first round drafts, this season and the Bulls selection in 2023.

Chicago now has a pair of All-Stars on the roster with the addition of Nikola Vucevic.

The trade was the principal move in virtually remarking the Bulls roster. The Bulls also traded backup center Daniel Gafford, forward Chandler Hutchison and backup center Luke Kornet. The Bulls in the three-team deal with Washington and Boston received center Daniel Theis from Boston, Troy Brown Jr. from Washington and Javonte Green from Boston. Brown from Oregon is a 6-6 small forward regarded for his defensive play. a reserves for the Wizards and will be for the Bulls. The trade for Vucevic also allows Thad Young to return to the bench and enhance the Bulls second unit.

The transactions alter the face of the Bulls roster since Carter has mostly been a starter in his three Bulls seasons since being the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Interestingly, the Magic skipped him in that draft to select Mo Bamba one pick ahead. Hutchison was a late first round pick who has had injury and personal issues while Gafford was a second round selection regarded for his defensive play.

They were primary elements of the Bulls plans in recent seasons to use the draft to rebuild the franchise after the trade of Jimmy Butler. Now new chief executive Arturas Karnisovas has changed course to begin a win now—or at least compete more seriously now—game plan.

The Bulls took advantage of teams basically out of the playoffs in Washington and Orlando to exchange young players who are potential prospects for more established players and positional needs. The Bulls trades were part of a massive trading deadline bonanza with numerous players changing teams, including Aaron Gordon, Norman Powell, Austin Rivers, George Hill, Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood, Gary Harris, Evan Fornier

While yielding first round draft picks always is a risk, the trades are a bold and perhaps necessary move to make the Bulls relevant immediately.

Plus it puts the Bulls in better position to extend the contract of star guard Zach LaVine because he finally will be playing with another All-Star player. And a center, which has been a primary need for the Bulls. LaVine can be a free agent after next season.

Now the Bulls can feature two All-Star players, which is widely regarded as the current formula for success and playoff contention in the NBA.

This also could rank as one of the most significant veteran player trades in franchise history along with Chet Walker for Jim Washington in 1969, Bill Cartwright for Charles Oakley in 1989 and Dennis Rodman for Will Perdue in 1995. The Walker trade started the Bulls on the first big run in franchise history in the early 1970s toward their first conference finals while the Cartwright trade was the final piece for the 1990s title run. Rodman was the vital missing power forward for the second threepeat in 1996-98.

Vucevic fills an important need for this Bulls team as a star center not only to compete with the elite big men in the league like Joel Embiid and Nikola Vucevic, but another significant scorer to support and complement LaVine. Aminu is a veteran 6-8 forward defensive specialist playing for his sixth team.

Vucevic was having his best season this year, averaging 24.5 points and 11.8 rebounds for the rebuilding Orlando Magic. He also was shooting 41 percent on threes and during the last four years was one of four big men in the NBA to average at least 20 points and 11 rebounds along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns. the seven-foot Vucevic also has averaged almost four assists per game the last three seasons.

Vucevic made his second All-Star appearance this season. He is from Montenegro and attended USC before being drafted No. 16 by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was part of a four-team trade in 2012 involving also Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum and Andre Iguodala.

Vucevic also would appear be the ideal complement to Lauri Markkanen, another seven footer who now can use his shooting strength to stretch the floor and rely on the more physical Vucecic for rebounding and post play.

With Vucevic and LaVine, two high scoring and excellent shooting current All-Stars, this Bulls team begins to resemble some of the most talented teams in recent franchise history.

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Bulls make big moves in possibly the most significant NBA trade deadline day in franchise history.

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The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

By Sam Smith | 2.19.2015 | 6:56 p.m. CT

The Bulls remained resolute as the NBA trading deadline passed 2:00 p.m. Thursday. And with good reason. The Bulls don’t really have any major holes to fill and have not even effectively used all the players they could, like Tony Snell and Doug McDermott. So there wasn’t much need for change.

Actually, few of the teams in the league with the best records, like the Hawks, Warriors, Grizzlies, Raptors, Bulls and Cavaliers made any moves.

But the Bulls—and some other top teams—may be looking over their shoulders some as teams creeping up from behind executed deals that should substantially enhance their chances to make the playoffs and have post season success.

That’s primarily the Heat and Bucks in the Eastern Conference and the Thunder and Trail Blazers in the Western Conference. Suddenly, you don’t want to be facing the Heat in the first round. Similarly with the Thunder, who likely will be able to move beyond the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

That’s because the Suns were big losers Thursday and probably the 76ers, the latter who continue to make the most confusing moves while seemingly destined to produce losing for the next decade.

The big winner has to be the Thunder with the Heat a close second and then the Bucks.

The Thunder succeeded on several levels in perhaps their best move since drafting Russell Westbrook No. 4 in 2008. They acquired young big man Enes Kanter from the Jazz along with D.J. Augustin and Kyle Singler from the Pistons. They gave up much-in-decline Kendrick Perkins with an expiring deal and unhappy Reggie Jackson, who’d also become a locker room distraction, it seemed.

The trades pretty much assure not only the Thunder making the playoffs after the early season injuries to Westbrook and Kevin Durant but perhaps moving up past the Spurs, Clippers, Mavericks and Rockets. With Blake Griffin out and no major moves, the Clippers seem most likely to slip and perhaps even fall out of the top eight if the Pelicans can get going. The Suns became a parachute with a hole plummeting out of the playoffs. The moves are an immediate boon to the Bulls, who open the post All-Star Friday in Detroit, who is without Augustin after trading for Jackson. The Pistons also gave up Singler and Jonas Jerebko. And in apparently committing to Jackson with Brandon Jennings to return, the Pistons look like a loser with issues to come.

The Thunder much improve their starting lineup with a young big man who is a high level offensive player to go along with Serge Ibaka, Durant and Westbrook. Singler and the wily Augustin fit in as good veterans who can play a role. The moves also signal to potential 2016 and 2017 free agents Durant and Westbrook the Thunder is serious about finding them support players with whom they can compete for a title.

There were rumors Perkins would be bought out or released and the Bulls were among those interested. Though that would not seem to make sense as they have too many inside players and not the stretch four type to defend players like Chris Bosh.

The scare in the Eastern Conference is the Heat.

Previously even a question mark to make the playoffs, Miami suddenly looks like a team you want to avoid in the first round. The addition of Goran Dragic from the Suns gives them one of the league’s best point guards—all-NBA third team last season—to fill out what now looks like a formidable starting five.

Dwyane Wade, assuming he is healthier, now can get off the ball some and Luol Deng finally gets to work with a guard who can pass and knows where other players are on the floor. Bosh becomes an elite stretch four, and that has proven the toughest position for a team like the Bulls to guard. Hassan Whiteside gives Miami an interior physical presence. Suddenly, it becomes perhaps a delicious Miami/Cleveland first round matchup. Maybe the Heat owner should have tweeted they’d win the title before LeBron does. Pat Riley has done it again.

Also, the Bucks are quietly looking like one of the top competitors in the Eastern Conference and a tough Central Division foe.

No one has any idea what the 76ers are about in shipping out the reigning Rookie of the Year in Michael Carter Williams to the Bucks along with K.J. McDaniels to the Rockets. It fits with their dump last year of trading players when they help them get wins, though the 76ers did get a potentially high Lakers pick through Phoenix. Still, when are they going to start trying?

It’s a terrific addition for the Bucks, who do give up Brandon Knight to the Suns. Knight has been having a good season and some felt could/should have been an All-Star given Milwaukee’s surprise good season. But Carter-Williams fits the Bucks’ new style of long, athletic players. They’ll be difficult to even bring the ball up court against in the future in a sort of Bulls ‘90s model. Plus, they add Miles Plumlee from the Suns, another athletic big man to a team with intriguing possibilities. The Bucks also acquired rookie point guard Tyler Ennis, a good prospect.

It seemed to rank mostly as a destruction of the Suns, who are in the United Center Saturday. Thus another weakened opponent for the Bulls. The Suns added spare parts in Marcus Thornton, Danny Granger and Jordan Hamilton.

The Suns, whose curious signing of Isaiah Thomas last summer for no apparent reason helped alienate Dragic, who was their best player last season, now traded Thomas. He went to Boston, where he’ll likely dribble the ball a lot and have others watch there as well. The Suns drove out their best player like few franchises ever have in signing Thomas and then paying a max deal to Eric Bledsoe, who isn’t as good as Dragic.

The other winner was likely the Trail Blazers with the acquisition of Denver shooting guard Arron Afflalo, a strong bench addition and support if Nicolas Batum continues to have physical problems. By solidifying, the Trail Blazers move up with the Warriors, Grizzlies and perhaps the Spurs as a top four in the West.

The Nuggets seem to be pretty much dumping their roster to start yet again—so much for the brilliant Carmelo Anthony deal—in taking on a bunch of expiring deals from Portland. They get a pick and did drop JaVale McGee’s deal with $12 million next season to the 76ers. The 76ers with such a low payroll needed some salary to avoid a penalty payment to the union. They get a pick to take the deal.

The Kings made a financial move of Ramon Sessions for Andre Miller, which was a talent upgrade for the Wizards and help for Washington as Miller had clearly come to the end of his usefulness as a player.

The Minnesota trade was intriguing in bringing back franchise favorite Kevin Garnett. Even though it’s a decline in talent at this stage for Thaddeus Young, Garnett can be a veteran presence. And the ‘wolves weren’t going anywhere with Young.

The Rockets are unable to let a deadline pass without doing something. They were about to make some fantasy deals with fans when they got McDaniels for a draft pick and Pablo Prigoni. It’s also not trading deadline if Thomas Robinson isn’t traded, and he was packed off to the Nuggets.

The Pelicans got Norris Cole with Jrue Holiday out, which isn’t that much help, while the Suns also apparently took back John Salmons as some deals still are being cleared. And Tayshaun Prince in another sentimental move went back to Detroit for Jonas Jerebko to Boston in an underrated move for the Celtics. The Knicks picked up some cap room trading Prigoni to the Rockets.

Whew! What a trading season. With Rajon Rondo, the previous Nuggets and Knicks deals to the Cavs, Mo Williams to the Hornets and Corey Brewer to Houston, Jeff Green to Memphis and Dion Waiters to Oklahoma City, it’s been a wild few months. The NBA is back!

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Whopper of a trade deadline toughens East

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