Bulls not going to make moves thinking making a run this season

Derrick Rose is done for the year and when he went under the knife the Bulls championship dreams for this year went under as well.

Does it have to? Can the Bulls retool and make a run this year?

No.

I’ve been asked that a couple times (via email and on a sports talk radio show) and the answer is no for a couple of reasons. For one: Who you going to get that can replace what you expected out of Rose anyway? Miami isn’t trading LeBron James, the Clippers are not sending you Chris Paul. There aren’t guys like Rose around the league you can just go get — and even if there were what the Bulls would have to give up in a trade for one would gut the roster.

Second, the Bulls are not going to go that direction anyway. They are thinking long term. Look at what GM Gar Forman told Sam Smith a Bulls.com about making trades.

“It’s still too early in the process and we’re not going to make any rash decisions. We feel there is a bright future ahead and we believe we are positioned well. Look, we fully expect Derrick to come back 100 percent for next season. This basically was a freak injury. This was not due to the ACL or some fatigue of other factor. We have a young nucleus of veterans basically in their 20’s; we have multiple draft picks, including a pick from Charlotte in one of the next three drafts; we have the rights to Nikola Mirotic, who has been the best young payer in Europe the last two years. I know people get tired of hearing it sometimes, but we also have the possibility of flexibility in free agency this summer or next. So we feel we are in a good position, and we will be getting Derrick back.”

Joakim Noah gets it, too, as he told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Asked after the 89-83 overtime loss Monday against the Jazz if he thought rebuilding was a viable option for the front office, Noah said, “I think it’s possible. I mean, yeah.’’

Chicago has Luol Deng in the last year of his deal and they will listen to offers — they are not going to get anywhere near equal value (and stop dreaming of a lottery pick in this draft), but they could get a couple nice young pieces. You can combine that with Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler who are locked down (Butler is still on his rookie deal), plus Rose and the guys Forman talked about… you have a core.

Then if you amnesty Carlos Boozer you might make a run at free agents this summer such as Pau Gasol, Zach Randolph (if he opts out), Danny Granger and others. Or you can hold that cap space another year and chase the 2015 class led by Kevin Love (if he opts out as expected)

The Bulls have options and flexibility going forward — they are a couple smart moves from retooling as a contender.

Well, smart moves and Rose staying healthy.