Chicago Bulls: 3 Takeaways from Arturas Karnisovas’s interview

Karnisovas seems to have full faith in the current roster for this season and does not intend to make any moves before the trade deadline.

“I never look at players as trade commodities. Right now, we are focused on winning games. The separation between fourth and tenth place is 1.5 games. So, this group is doing pretty well. I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of sellers. I think we need to focus on our guys and how to get them better,” said Karnisovas via the Chicago Bulls. 

This quote is probably of the utmost importance to Bulls fans. While nothing is guaranteed, rumors for being buyers/sellers at the deadline have come frequently with the Bulls. It seems that Karnisovas is putting an end to all of them, by putting the team’s focus on making the playoffs with the current roster.

A few players like Markkanen and LaVine have been in talks for trades, but one player stands out amongst the rest — Thaddeus Young.

Young has been speculated for trading for assets due to his current high value. Young is averaging 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and a career-high average of 4.4 assists, giving him the name “Thadgic Johnson.” To much surprise, Young is also sporting the 17th best defensive box plus/minus in the NBA, at 1.6 points.

While Karnisovas made the impression that no moves would be made before the deadline, is he right in this instance? Young’s value will never be higher than it is now. Plus, he will most likely not be on the future Bulls team a couple of years down the line. Is it smart to wait and risk Young’s value going down? Probably not. Either way, Young brings major support in getting the Bulls to the playoffs this season, which is Karnisovas’s ultimate goal.