The buy-in didn’t come easily for the Bulls.
That was evident when coach Billy Donovan first introduced his changes to the offense in the preseason, and it had become crystal clear by the time the Celtics humiliated the Bulls in late November, dropping them to 5-14 on the season.
Growing pains were on the verge of turning into flat-out dysfunction. Credit veteran DeMar DeRozan for making sure that didn’t happen and Donovan for staying the course.
But now comes a crucial time in the season for the Bulls. They have 15 games left before the trade deadline Feb. 8 and will be in a softer part of their schedule.
Realistically, there might be eight or nine more victories to cash in on before final decisions have to be made on the trade front.
The danger is this: What if the front office again decides to chase fool’s gold?
Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have done it before, opting to err on the side of ‘‘continuity’’ at the trade deadline last season and again during the offseason. Would they jump back into those waters for a team that was, say, 25-27 and sitting in a solid play-in spot?
Hopefully lessons have been learned.
This is where things get tricky, though. Guard Zach LaVine’s return to action Friday after missing 17 games with an injured right foot couldn’t have gone any better. Sure, the victory was against the lowly Hornets, but LaVine — who came off the bench because of a minutes restriction — looked committed to what the Bulls were doing in his absence.
LaVine’s three-point shot was still off — it has been all season (a career-low 33.1%) — but his five rebounds, four assists and effort on defense were much more important than his 15 points. The ball moved when it got into his hands, rather than bogging down.
That was important for the Bulls to see but even better for NBA scouts to witness. Multiple outlets, including the Sun-Times, have been reporting for weeks that there is no trade market for LaVine. Even the desperate Lakers reportedly are having reservations, given the max-contract deal the Bulls gave LaVine before last season.
This is only the second year of the five-year deal, with LaVine making $40 million this season, $43 million next season and $46 million in the 2025-26 season before a $49 million player option in 2026-27. By that time, LaVine will be 31.
LeBron James likely will be long gone from ‘‘The Lake Show’’ by then, but Anthony Davis will be guaranteed $62 million that season, Austin Reaves will have a $15 million player option and Jarred Vanderbilt will be owed $12.4 million.
The idea of paying $111 million for two players — LaVine and Davis — who aren’t the most durable around won’t leave much room for roster flexibility for a franchise that often likes to reinvent itself on the fly.
So despite what LaVine and his representatives want, ending up in Los Angeles isn’t a sure thing.
That doesn’t mean the trade market won’t change in the next month, however. Keep an eye on the Kings and Warriors as they battle with inconsistency and tough roster decisions. Then there’s always the unforeseen injury that might happen to a team with aspirations of making a deep playoff run.
In other words, a quiet market today might become loud tomorrow or in the coming weeks.
The best thing LaVine can do until then is what he did Friday against the Hornets, which is continue to buy in.
