As Nikola Vucevic talked about the state of his team during practice at the Advocate Center on Monday, it was no surprise that the ghosts of the Bulls were nearby taking jump shots.
Injured point guard Lonzo Ball initially only shot from a stationary position, but then slowly began to test his left knee and actually started putting air between his shoe and the wooden floor.
A reminder of what the Bulls could have been and the mess they are in right now.
“I like it here,” Vucevic said when asked about his future with the organization, with the trade deadline four days away. “I want to be here.”
It’s the same answer all Bulls veterans have been saying recently when discussing their futures.
And that’s the real problem with this roster these days. No one is selfish enough to state the obvious. Ball’s injuries are unknown and Zach LaVine (right foot surgery) is currently awaiting surgery, which means this is a sinking ship and everyone should get off the ground quickly.
Forget about heading for the iceberg. The iceberg has already hit.
It’s up to the front office to make sure this group does the right thing and starts moving.
Vucevic made some good points about why he doesn’t mind continuing to work with this current group, but Vucevic is also the type of player who rarely makes a splash.
“They are all outside of my control,” Vucevic said. “I feel like we’re good enough. There’s a lot of things we can do better as a team. There were some disappointing things, like having to deal with injuries. Especially with Lonzo, we only played together for about four months. But that was part of it. You can’t control that. You can think too much, “If only he was there…” but we don’t know, and we’ll never know. A large number of teams were assembled on the table, but it did not work out. ”
File the current Bulls roster under that.
Not only are there question marks over LaVine and Ball, but veterans DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond are also on expiring contracts.
With LaVine unavailable for trade, executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas may have to pivot to a decision he was trying to avoid: moving a player he wasn’t planning on moving. do not have.
Manager Billy Donovan acknowledged that he has not yet been called into a staff meeting by the front office or asked about his feelings about specific players who may be targeted, but that doesn’t mean negotiations aren’t happening. isn’t it.
It’s highly unlikely that Vucevic actually goes anywhere, especially given his current contract situation (three years and $60 million total), but he also sounds like a player the front office would have no problem keeping. Ta.
“When I was younger, yeah, I thought about (deadline trades),” Vucevic said. No matter where you go, there are a lot of things that have to happen first to be a good team and then to get in the ring. It’s not that simple.
“I think we have players who can step up. We have a lot of young players who can get minutes and compete, and if new players come in and play well, that can be a positive.” We have to work it out with the guys we have. Going out looking for answers isn’t always the right way, but we figure out how to do it. I believe it is sufficient.”