The Chicago Bulls had the opportunity to nab a top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft but decided against a move.
Will Gottlieb, NBA insider for CHGO Sports, reported on Monday that the Chicago Bulls passed up on multiple trade offers for Alex Caruso before the 2023-24 NBA trade deadline, including an offer that featured a top-10 pick in this June’s NBA Draft.
Gottlieb wrote that “the Bulls took calls on Caruso, but never made them. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bulls have received offers from multiple teams, consisting of multiple first-round picks. One of those deals included a pick in the top-10 of the 2024 Draft, the source said. The Golden State Warriors were among teams who made a strong offer for Caruso, multiple sources confirmed.”
Why did Chicago effectively remove Caruso from the trading block during last season’s deadline, when his trade value was at its absolute peak? Gottlieb has revealed the reason being that Bulls executive Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley received a command from ownership to push for a playoff berth. Gottlieb reported that “there was a mandate from the Reinsdorf’s to fight for the Playoffs. That, no doubt, impacted the front office’s decision-making when it came to pulling the trigger on any Caruso deal.”
Caruso, 30, still possesses decent trade value, especially coming off a season in which he appeared in 71 games and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Still, Caruso’s trade value has diminished from its state four months ago, when Caruso could have provided a suitor with two remaining playoff runs on his current deal.
If Karnišovas and Eversley decide to field calls for Caruso this summer, it is unlikely that they will be receiving offers in the realm of a top-10 pick.
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