Indiana Pacers division rival offseason check-in: Chicago Bulls

The Bulls appear to be changing directions

Oct 30, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jevon Carter (5) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Smith (25) defends in the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers largely ran it back in the 2024 offseason, which was a theme in their division. But one Central Division rival drastically changed directions this offseason, and it should benefit Indiana in the short term.

The Chicago Bulls look much different than the team that existed in the Windy City three months ago. Star guard DeMar DeRozan is gone — he was shipped to the Sacramento Kings for Chris Duarte and second-round draft picks. Alex Caruso was sent away as well — he went to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade that netted the Bulls young guard Josh Giddey.

Those two moves, combined with Chicago's choice to draft Matas Buzelis with the 11th overall pick and their decision to sign former Pacers big man Jalen Smith to a three-year contract, show a new focus for the Bulls. They are younger and trying to build a long-term winner.

Chicago has finished with a winning record just once in the last eight seasons. They have won one playoff series since the start of the 2013-14 campaign. Pivoting toward a younger team that can grow into something better makes much more sense for the franchise, and they appear to be headed down that path.

"In terms of ‘youth movement’, per se, I would say that we had a lot of experienced young guys that are moving in the right direction," Bulls Executive VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas said, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO.

Between Buzelis, Smith, Giddey, Patrick Williams, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu, the Bulls have built a decent base of players born in the 2000s. That doesn't even account for Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips, two top-35 picks in recent drafts who are inexperienced, or Duarte, who is older but still on his rookie deal.

The Bulls are clearly heading into a rebuild, or perhaps a retool. It was time — their last era didn't amount to much. And being a worse team (without DeRozan, Caruso, and Andre Drummond) will help the Pacers — Chicago beat Indiana three times last season thanks to their defensive style.

Yet Chicago still has some questions to answer. What are they going to do with some other former All-Stars who were key figures of their recent teams? Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic remain on the roster, as does Lonzo Ball who seems to be recovering from injuries. Are those players in the team's short-term plans?

They probably should be. They are all talented, and the last time those three hit the hardwood together, the Bulls were pretty good. But if the team is good, they would have a worse 2025 draft pick during a time in which they appear to be shifting toward youth. They'll have to strike a tricky balance between the present and the future this season.

Long-term, the painful decisions the Bulls had to make this offseason should be beneficial. But right now, as the Pacers are trying to improve and pick up more wins, seeing a division rival get worse in the near term is a sigh of relief.

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