When you think of purgatory in the NBA over the last several years, a few teams can come to mind, but no team comes to my mind before the Chicago Bulls. For years, the Bulls lived in the league’s least desirable place: good enough to chase the Play-In, not bad enough to get a top-end lottery pick, and content enough to convince themselves that the core just needed one more chance. Thankfully for Bulls fans, they finally did it—they picked a direction: sell everything and enter a rebuild.
The problem is that decision appears to have come three years too late.
By the time the Bulls committed to this direction, the market had shifted, and the players they considered most valuable no longer held that value. The Bulls moved seven players from their pre-deadline roster and walked away without a single first-round pick. What could've been a reset loaded with future assets and young talent has quickly turned into a disaster centered on salvaging what little value remained.
Sure, patience is always a good thing, as you can't rush perfection, but at the same time, waiting too long to start selling leads to zero value when you decide to sell. And unfortunately for Pelicans fans it appears this no rush taking your time Bulls style philosophy is one the Joe Dumars regime is following.
A recipe for failure
When looking at Coby White, it took the Bulls front office seven years to realize he wasn't someone they could build around long-term. By then, the return reflected that delay. Chicago flipped him for an expiring contract in Collin Sexton, Osumane Dieng (later traded for Nick Richards), and three future second-round picks.
And that's the same fate the Pelicans are flirting with when it comes to Zion Williamson.
White and Williamson were both drafted in 2019. Both spent seven seasons with their franchises. Both existed in environments where indecision stalled long-term planning. The difference in Zion's potential was much higher, but if New Orleans waits much longer to trade him, they'll likely see a similar return to the one Chicago got for White.
While players like Nikola Vučević and Ayo Dosunmu aren't on similar levels to players like Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, they hold similar importance to their respective cores. And those two players, in terms of future assets, only brought back five second-round picks this deadline. That’s what happens when teams wait until the market no longer views their players as foundational pieces.
The NBA moves extremely fast. Teams value players one moment and don’t the next, and the Chicago Bulls’ trade deadline was a prime example of that. If the Pelicans don't get active this offseason, they are trending towards a scary future.