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Billy Donovan reveals the Chicago Bulls are looking at what their options are in the buyout market

The Bulls may be getting some reinforcements soon.

Stephen Beslic

© Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
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After failing to do anything at the trade deadline last week, the next opportunity for the Chicago Bulls to bolster their roster for the stretch run is through the buyout market. Bulls coach Billy Donovan recently shared that the team’s front office is looking at what options are available to them.

Initial plans

The Bulls are in dire need of extra bodies. With Zach LaVine no longer available for the rest of the season and no timeline for a return for Patrick Williams, Chicago’s lack of players is becoming a major issue. The team has relied heavily on their starters, with DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White playing big minutes every night. Adding a veteran player through the buyout market could provide a much-needed boost for the Bulls as they aim to secure a spot in the playoffs.

"I think they’re definitely exploring that," Donovan said, referring to the team’s upper management led by chief basketball exec Arturas Karnisovas.

"I think in those buyout markets, my guess would be that there’d be conversations by Arturas Karnisovas and Marc (Eversley) with representation of those players of what they’re thinking.

And generally, if there’s someone who has an interest or they feel like it would be a good fit, they’ll bring me in, and we’d probably get on the phone with the player. But as of right now, nothing has moved forward in terms of any plans."

Not as easy as people may think

Contrary to popular belief, getting a player from the buyout market isn’t as easy as just picking up the phone and making a deal. It involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work, negotiations, and decision-making from upper management.

"In those situations, sometimes you have to talk to the player or representation about what the role or expectation is," Donovan said.

"You may have a team that says, ‘Listen, we’re going to start you and play you 30 minutes.’ And another team may see, ‘We see you coming off the bench playing 18.’ And the guy may want to play more. So there are a lot of variables that go into the buyout market and what guys are looking for."

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Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.

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