Chicago Bulls: The GarPax era is over, and the future is now

#3: A true rebuild could be on the horizon

The Bulls existed in a frustrating basketball limbo as they remained mediocre to bad the past several seasons. After a stretch of competitive teams led by point guard Derrick Rose in the early 2010s, the team’s losses started piling up.

The Bulls tried to tank in 2017 when the league’s upcoming draft class was thought to be one of the best in years. What resulted was a half-hearted attempt at losing that left the Bulls with too many wins and the 7th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

They used that pick to select center Wendell Carter Jr. It wasn’t a terrible outcome, but seeing players the Bulls missed out on like Trae Young and Luka Doncic shows the tank didn’t result in the team’s intended purpose.

It may not be what fans want to hear right now, but this hiring brings an opportunity for a true rebuild for the Bulls. If it’s done correctly, it could change the course of history for the franchise.

A Chicago Sun-Times report emerged last week that Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen is telling those close to him that he wants out of Chicago if the Bulls don’t make significant changes in their strategy for the future.

If the team’s new executive fires Boylen as one of his first moves, it may be enough to make Markannen want to stay around. If he doesn’t, it’s a perfect opportunity to start a rebuild with a new philosophy.

There are many things up in the air with the Bulls and the NBA in general right now. It’s at least encouraging to know that the Bulls realize they need to move in a new direction.