Chicago Bulls: 3 glaring concerns to address this offseason

The 2020-21 season was a weird one for the Chicago Bulls. Despite a rocky start, the team found a newfound competence under new head coach Billy Donovan and played their way into playoff (or at least play-in) contention.

When the team traded for Orlando Magic All-Star Nikola Vucevic in March, the postseason felt like even more of an inevitability. Unfortunately, things didn’t play out that way.

In the time between the Vucevic trade and the end of the regular season, the Bulls went 12-17 with a -1.4 net rating, and that stretch of uninspiring form combined with teams like the Washington Wizards peaking at the right time ensured that Chicago would watch the spring/summer tournament from home for the fourth consecutive season.

With the Chicago Bulls missing the playoffs again, they have plenty of holes they need to fill to improve the team for next year.

As you would expect from a team that finished with the record that the Bulls did, there is no quick fix move — at least one that’s feasible for this offseason — that will turn them into instant championship contenders.

Assuming that Kawhi Leonard picks up his 2021-22 player options and remains with the LA Clippers, there won’t be a big-name superstar for the team to pursue. Depending on how the Draft Lottery shakes out, improving through the draft may not be a viable option, either.

This means that the Bulls might need to find some creative ways to address these issues.