Report confirms what everybody seemingly knows: Something is amiss with the Chicago Bulls

Trouble is brewing behind the scenes in Chicago

© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

A report from renowned NBA insiders Shams Charania and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic has confirmed what many observers have long noticed–something is off with the Chicago Bulls. The report detailed the trouble brewing inside the Bulls' locker room involving its two stars, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

Trying to turn the season around

It has been a season to remember for the Bulls—but not for the right reasons. The team stands near the bottom of the Eastern Conference at 11-18 and has lost 8 of their last 11 games. According to the report, the team has nearly exhausted every trick in the book, including team and player meetings and changes to the starting lineup, in an attempt to turn things around.

"The Bulls have held multiple team meetings to try to work out their issues, and that has included one-on-one, face-to-face sitdowns between DeRozan and LaVine," the report read.

However, those meetings have done little to keep the Bulls from losing one game after another.

"Their meetings have not led to in-game results so far, with a level of on-court, stylistic tension simply festering throughout the season and being magnified due to the win-loss record," the report continued.

Head coach Billy Donovan is seemingly past the point of having conversations and is imploring his wards to translate all they've talked about on the court.

"We can have all the conversations we want back in the locker room," Donovan said. "But it doesn't make a difference what's talked about back there. When you do talk like that, you need to back it up."

LaVine in the hot seat

Moreover, the report suggests that LaVine feels the most heat and criticism in this situation. According to sources, the Bulls' newly-minted max contract player has not been on the same page with the organization—making his five-year, $215 million deal look like a major mistake. To his credit, LaVine is embracing the adversity as part of what every team in the Association goes through whenever they go through a slump.

All-Star voting is officially LIVE.

Zach LaVine is one of 11 players in the NBA averaging 20-4-4 with 2.5 made threes a game.

Vote now ➡️ https://t.co/FIqGfhqhk6 pic.twitter.com/kGKaIULjaB

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 20, 2022

"I think everybody goes through ups and downs, just like every team does," LaVine said. "Obviously if we're not winning games, not everybody's going to be happy. It's not going to look as good as it was before. It's all glitter and show when you're winning games. But when you're losing games and you're trying to do the same things it's turmoil."