TORONTO — Arturas Karnisovas actually made time for some casual conversation with the media last week.
A rarity for the Bulls’ executive vice president of basketball operations as he did keep a lot of things close to the vest, but he did promise the roster was headed for some heavy construction into Thursday’s trade deadline and beyond.
Karnisovas hasn’t taken the hard hat off since.
After moving mainstays Kevin Huerter, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White, early Thursday morning hometown kid Ayo Dosunmu was sent to Minnesota with Julian Phillips, while a few hours earlier Dalen Terry was on the move, sent to New York for forward Guerschon Yabusele. More of a bookkeeping move with Terry? Absolutely, considering he was a free agent this summer and the Bulls had no interest in re-signing him.
But it was also a reminder of the failures of the front office, considering Terry was a former first-round pick (18th overall in the 2022 draft) that never turned into what they wanted from the 6-6 guard.
Center Walker Kessler went after Terry at 22nd and could be a target for the Bulls this summer as a restricted free agent.
As for Dosunmu, he had turned into a really solid two-way player since being selected in the second round out of Illinois, but was also an expiring contract. In return for Dosunmu and Phillips, the Bulls will get former No. 8 overall pick Rob Dillingham, along with forward Leonard Miller and four second-round picks.
A source close to the situation said that Karnisovas is still looking to add young frontcourt help, as it’s become very obvious that the new foundation of the team is Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis.
It was only a matter of time before the Bulls moved White, who was part of the team’s third trade in the last 24 hours. White joined Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter, who were traded Tuesday. The deadline is 2 p.m. Thursday.
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Two key players were traded Tuesday, leaving the Bulls small and short-handed. Life without center Nikola Vucevic and guard Kevin Huerter has started.
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Things continue to be fluid as the NBA trade deadline approaches.
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