The Chicago Bulls had their share of struggles during their coronavirus-shortened season, some of which were beyond their control. Injuries kept key players out and only a few durable cagers were left to hold up the fort. Among them were Thaddeus Young, the 32-year-old veteran who tried his best to keep the team together as it failed to make the 22-team bubble in Orlando.
But heading into the next NBA season, the Bulls may want to make changes. Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkannen are expected to be fully healthy this time around.
Kris Dunn had his moments although he, too, was bitten by the injury bug. Other than that, the more pressing matter is will he still be around next season in Chicago.
However, all eyes are on the status of Thaddeus Young. Last season, Young played in 64 games, pitching in 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 24.9 minutes of action. The numbers are acceptable, but the Bulls may need more than that to show improvement next season.
This is not to take anything away from Young. He is a tested player and can render some support off the bench. But if one considers the youth drive of the Bulls, he may not be the odd man out. Of course, it still depends on Bulls' management and the needs of their head coach.
Keeping that in mind, taking in young new blood also costs money. Young is still under contract for two more seasons. He is due to earn $28 million more – an amount that could be spent well on other players. With his caliber, it is a bargain. However, it may not align with the Bulls outlook if they want long-term progression.
According to NBC Sports Chicago, unnamed executives believe that trading Young would make sense. It could be a trade to unload some financial commitment or for some young raw player/s.
Hence if rebuilding is in the books, Young may not be a plausible member with the pay he is getting. Though teams need a veteran or two, the Bulls can easily get someone else for less. With the NBA offseason fast approaching, there are a lot of players Chicago can consider.
But before moving forward with possibilities, there is one important prerequisite to consider. Will Jim Boylen stay on as head coach of the Bulls? The last NBA season did not go smoothly for Chicago under his watch. However, the fact he was able to steer the Bulls to a respectable performance despite being undermanned is impressive.
Hence, it may all boil down to a choice for Bulls management. Should they consider Boylen's performance acceptable or pay more attention to the player-coach relationship.
