5 Bulls Who Won't Return Next Season

The 2023-24 NBA season has been nothing short of disappointing for Chicago Bulls fans. The Bulls struggled throughout the majority of the year and even though they're on track to make the Play-In Tournament, that's hardly anything to be proud of given that they now have eight 40-loss performances in the last nine years.

If the Bulls want to return to their glory, an offseason overhaul is needed. Between several players hitting free agency and the team needing to move on from a handful of underperformers, there's a good chance that several familiar faces won't be around in Chicago next season.

Here are five Bulls who likely won't return for the 2024-25 NBA season.

1. Zach LaVine, SF/SG

A lot of Bulls fans would be shocked if Zach LaVine survives the summer in Chicago.

After all, it looked like there was a good chance that LaVine was going to be traded this season. Although the veteran wing has three years (and a player option) remaining on his five-year, $215 million contract, the Bulls' slow start to the year had fans and experts alike theorizing that Chicago would love him for a massive haul to help with a rebuild.

A trade never happened, though. Just as talks heated up ahead of the trade deadline, the Bulls announced at the start of February that LaVine was undergoing season-ending foot surgery, thus squashing any potential deals in the process. The 29-year-old veteran finished the year with 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and .452/.349/.854 shooting splits across 25 games.

But just because the in-season trade opportunities died doesn't mean a deal is off the table. NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson reported in March that "the Bulls will look to trade LaVine again this offseason." A delayed deal might be for the best given that interested suitors should have more flexibility in the offseason.

LaVine has provided Chicago with plenty of memorable moments over the last seven seasons, but all good things must end if a new era is to begin.