DETROIT – Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas left the team on the road to return to Chicago after the Boston game.
General manager Marc Eversley bailed after the win in Toronto, returning to the war room at the Advocate Center and missing the 127-119 loss to Detroit on Sunday.
All signs – and whispers – continue to point to the Bulls front office understanding that standing pat for yet another trade deadline could lead to a major setback in their attempt to get out of the mud of mediocrity, with the growing feeling around the team that roster changes are coming by Thursday.
According to one Bulls player, this trade deadline feels different, and that comment was made before the bomb that shook the NBA universe cratered the ground late Saturday night when news broke that the Mavericks had sent Luka Doncic and a package to the Lakers for a return package that included Anthony Davis.
Two future Hall of Famers switching uniforms, as well as now opening up another option for the Bulls (21-29) to make a deal.
In trading Davis, the Lakers have left a hole at center and do have the pieces to acquire Nikola Vucevic, who has been on the trade block since the summer. Just what Karnisovas & Co. need, as the more suitors in the growing Vucevic sweepstakes, the better deal they can try and put together.
Vucevic, who put up his first triple-double of the season against Detroit (20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) has already been linked to Golden State and Phoenix, while teammate Zach LaVine is also on the Warriors’ radar with Milwaukee lurking in the shadows.
But as the Doncic-Davis trade showed, no one on any roster is untouchable these days. Lonzo Ball and Coby White could also be shopped by Thursday’s deadline.
“I went early to bed, I’m 34, you gotta go to bed earlier,” Vucevic said, when asked when he heard about the Doncic deal. “I woke up and I had like 50 messages. I was like, ‘Oh, where am I going.’ “
Once Vucevic realized he hadn’t been the one that was traded and the magnitude of what actually went down, of course he knew he was again going to be linked to the Lakers through the rumor mill.
“I don’t play the linked game much,” Vucevic said. “I don’t really get involved with that much. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a more interesting answer. You never know, things happen, but I don’t think anyone in the world knew this trade was going to happen besides (Mavs exec) Nico Harrison and (Lakers exec) Rob Pelinka, and it happened. I’m focused on what I can control.”
Like the game he had against the Pistons in which he hit 8-of-10 shots, including 4-of-6 from three-point range. A second straight stellar game from the big man, and the timing couldn’t be better with the craziness that this week could bring.
“I was in bed sleeping,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan admitted, when asked when he heard about the Doncic deal. “I didn’t hear about it until I was walking down to get a cup of coffee and someone told me about it.
“I was surprised, very much so.”
Donovan, who talks to Karnisovas almost daily, had not heard from his executive before the Pistons game, so couldn’t thoroughly answer if the Dallas-Lakers deal did change the landscape for Vucevic or any other Bull to be dealt.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt our organization, front office, like every front office, everybody is trying to figure out what can they do?” Donovan said. “The other thing too is you’re trying to make deals that make sense and are good for your organization. Whether it’s moving on players, acquiring players, all those things. I have not heard any more about it.”