Chicago Bulls: The East is getting worse and so is the organization
With the NBA’s Eastern Conference growing weaker, unfortunately so are the Chicago Bulls as an organization.
Some may call the NBA’s Eastern Conference a sinking ship.
In fact, many have.
As if things were not bad enough with the formation of the Golden State Warriors as a so-called super team once Kevin Durant hopped aboard, it seems like many other Western Conference ball clubs are now following suit.
Take the Houston Rockets, for example. Having just acquired Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers, the organization is looking to add even more talent; recently, Carmelo Anthony stated he would waive his no-trade clause to join the Rockets (or the Cleveland Cavaliers).
Former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau himself has made some major moves this offseason, trading for former Bulls Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, and signing Jeff Teague. Perhaps not the Miami Heat circa 2010, but certainly changes that will continue to make the West stronger.
Meanwhile, the East is looking like a hot mess.
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Although LeBron James still sits atop his throne in Cleveland, things within the Cavaliers’ franchise have gone from bad, to worse. Starting with having lost to the Warriors in the finals, there were reports of James once again jumping ship; a free agent in 2018, rumor has it he is looking to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
Then, general manager David Griffin was fired, shocking the entirety of the league and worse, greatly angering James. This ultimately led to the discovery of James not actively recruiting for his team, as he usually did in years past.
Not exactly a good look.
However, somehow Chicago still appears to be in worse shape.
Having to endure the wrath of general manager Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson for many years now, fans are over it. And rightly so. Season after season they promise change, but never deliver. Even roping in Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade was for nothing.
And now, the organization seems more in trouble than ever.
After all but ruling out even the possibility of a Butler trade, the front office went ahead and did just that; during the 2017 NBA Draft, they dealt away their star (and a pick) to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Then they gave Cristiano Felicio a four-year, $32 million extension. Then they signed Justin Holiday to a two-year, $9 million deal, after trading him to the New York Knicks last summer. And then they waived Rajon Rondo. Now, there are talks of re-signing Nikola Mirotic, despite having drafted Lauri Markkanen.
In fact, the only move that has made sense for the Bulls so far is not re-signing Michael Carter-Williams.
As for Wade? Although he opted into his player option, he is already talking about a buyout.
Of course, this is easier said than done. While Chicago is not thrilled with having him eat up nearly $24 million of their cap, the front office will only agree to a buyout if it’s highly beneficial to the team. And given that Wade is 35 years old, finding an organization to take him on may prove difficult.
In any case, Wade’s commentary surely indicates he is not happy with the direction the Bulls are headed in.
And he is not alone in that.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency grades: Bulls will re-sign Cristiano Felicio
The Eastern Conference getting weaker should, in theory, help teams like the Chicago Bulls gain momentum in standings. However, it will take more than that to propel such an organization back toward success.