Chicago Bulls
Last season: 39-43, lost to Miami in a play-in game.
COACH: Billy Donovan (5th season with Bulls, 10th season overall, 399-319).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 23 at New Orleans.
DEPARTURES: F DeMar DeRozan, G Alex Caruso, C Andre Drummond, F Javonte Green.
ADDITIONS: G Josh Giddey, F Jalen Smith, F Chris Duarte, F Matas Buzelis.
BetMGM championship odds: 1,000-1.
What to expect
The Bulls finally broke up their core after missing the playoffs for the second straight year and sixth time in seven seasons. Six-time All-Star DeRozan went to Sacramento in a three-team, sign-and-trade, and Caruso got dealt to Oklahoma City for Giddey. But the Bulls still have plenty of work to do. The big question is how much longer Zach LaVine will be in Chicago. The two-time All-Star is back after having season-ending surgery in February for a foot injury that limited him to 25 games. He is in the middle of a five-year, $215.16 million contract extension he signed after 2021-22 season that makes him difficult to trade.
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: Guard Coby White is coming off a breakout season. He just about doubled his scoring average from 9.7 points to a career-high 19.1 in his fifth season and finished second in the Most Improved Player voting to Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey.
The not-so-good: The Bulls still appear to be stuck in NBA no-man's land. They're not contenders and probably aren't bad enough as constructed to have a great chance at winning the lottery in a year with a strong draft class led by Duke's Cooper Flagg.
Players to watch
If the Bulls really want to trade the 29-year-old LaVine, the best-case scenario would be for him to show that he's healthy and as effective as he was prior to last season. LaVine was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022, and averaged 24.8 points in the 2022-23 season. Someone else to keep an eye on his guard Lonzo Ball, who hasn't played since Jan. 14, 2022. He is trying to return from a meniscus transplant in his left knee, though his role will be limited.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
The Associated Press
