DOOR NO. 1, NO. 2 & NO. 3
For varying reasons, ‘Vooch,’ White, LaVine might want to pay Karnisovas a visit
It’s a nice option available to Bulls players as the Feb. 9 trade deadline nears.
After all, NBA front offices aren’t exactly known for their willingness to be transparent with their players, so publicly stating that any concerns or questions regarding trade rumors can be answered by a simple knock on vice president Arturas Karnisovas’ door is a welcome gesture.
As of Monday, no one’s knocking.
It isn’t that the players don’t appreciate Karnisovas’ openness. It’s more about controlling what can be controlled. Plus, these Bulls have way more on their plate than chasing down the authenticity of rumors.
“I know I encourage guys to communicate,’’ coach Billy Donovan said. “Something on your mind, communicate. You’ve got to be able to talk it out, but also helping them stay focused because I think with where we’re at right now this late in the season and where we are in the standings, we cannot be distracted by stuff that guys may not be able to have control over.’’
Sources have indicated that the Bulls are likely to stand pat at the deadline, possibly just tweaking the roster by moving veteran big man Andre Drummond. He has fallen out of the rotation as Donovan has gone with a smaller second unit and used Derrick Jones Jr. as the center.
Besides that, there’s no itch that Karnisovas is willing to scratch after he doubled down on keeping the roster intact and allowing it to grow together.
But that’s written in pencil, not pen.
All hands are not even close to being revealed leaguewide; how a team feels today can rapidly change by tomorrow.
So maybe a few Bulls should give a knock on that door or at least have an agent make a call, starting with Nikola Vucevic:
1. Vucevic
The Bulls big man said at the start of the season that he was “a little surprised’’ that the front office didn’t even talk to him about its thoughts on his expiring contract. Vucevic didn’t expect an offer or a detailed scenario, but at least a “Hey, here’s what we’re thinking as you enter a free-agent offseason.’’ That never happened.
Then factor in that the Pacers just gave center Myles Turner a two-year, $60 million extension, and now a market has been set for what Vucevic could be looking for this summer.
With Zach LaVine’s max contract reaching the $40 million mark for the 2023-24 season and the team looking to extend Ayo Dosunmu off his rookie deal, $30 million a year for Vucevic would be tricky for an organization that doesn’t step into the luxury-tax area.
So could a bad week of basketball with four home games against very beatable teams change Karnisovas’ mind about “continuity’’? If it does, Vucevic is a likely candidate to be talked about.
2. Coby White
Teams have been calling about White since the summer. Several franchises were interested in acquiring him, but the asking price was too high. By all accounts, that asking price hasn’t changed for the upcoming restricted free agent.
White is shooting a three-year low of 35.8% from three-point range, but he has become a much-improved, more physical defender and a better ball-handler.
3. LaVine
Should he be concerned about being moved? Not likely. As the face of the franchise, however, he should want to know what the front office is thinking about as far as improving the team. LaVine should find out how open that door really is.