While the Chicago Bulls are far removed from playoff contention, there are a handful of former Chicago players still alive in the tournament. Among them is Kevin Huerter, who was a part of a midseason trade package that helped Chicago shed a contract that has continued to age poorly even in the final year of the deal. The guard is a $17.9 million cap hit and has quickly shown the Detroit Pistons why the Bulls were so anxious to turn the page, even during a contract year.
Huerter is currently dealing with an injury and sat out the final three games of Detroit's series against the Orlando Magic. It doesn't seem a coincidence that these final three games, the Pistons have overcome a 3-1 series deficit and appear to be a better team with Huerter off the floor.
This was after the guard offered anemic shooting numbers, going 2/7 in the early portion of the series and clearly playing his way off the floor. For the Bulls, it is reinforcement that the franchise made the right decision, turning the page and moving away from a player who no longer factored into the team's future.
With that said, Huerter's struggles serve both as a reminder of the solid move the Bulls made to pivot away, as well as the clear lack of direction of the franchise. Chicago has made an effort to move away from expensive veterans and put itself in a future place of flexibility.
Kevin Huerter's Playoff Failures Serve as Reminder of Bulls Upcoming Changes
This is reflected both in the move away from Huerter as well as recent franchise trades of DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. Chicago is entering a new era that fans hope brings about a clear identity and a return to relevance that has been lacking for much of the last decade.
Looking at Huerter's playoff failures isn't just about one deal that the Bulls won, but a signal of something deeper. The move showed a franchise that is tired of embracing mediocrity and spent this past season building a roster that lends itself to future flexibility and a needed reset.
The Bulls are clearly pushing in a new direction and are already seeing the benefits, with former players pushing their respective teams no closer to their hopes of relevance. Whether it is the Kings and their duo of former Bulls, Huerter and the Pistons, or the Celtics and Vucevic, you can see how Chicago has put itself in a far better position and is pushing losing players behind them.
With that said, this isn't to say that the road ahead is easy, with plenty of moves still needed to embrace youth and part ways with failing pieces. However, Huerter's struggles serve as a reminder that change has already begun, and even in what feels like another long offseason ahead, the Bulls finally appear to be unwilling to accept failure and searching for meaningful change.
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