Shorthanded Bulls Limp Towards The NBA Trade Deadline

GOOD MORNING, CHICAGO FANS

It’s February already?!

Cubs moving trucks are heading to Arizona, the Super Bowl is almost here, and the NBA Trade Deadline is quickly approaching. With everything moving so fast and the Bulls and Blackhawks stacking up losses, we needed a bright spot. What a week for Chicago’s own, Ayo Dosunmu!

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

L - WILD 4 BLACKHAWKS 3 (F/SO)

PERPLEXING PERFORMANCE

• Hawks let a 3-0 lead slip away despite controlling the game in each period

• Hawks won the shots on goal (32-23) and faceoff (58.5%) battles

• Teuvo Teravainen scored in his 1st game back from injury

L - PENGUINS 6 BLACKHAWKS 2

THE FORGETTABLE PAIR

• Artyom Levshunov and Wyatt Kaiser were on the ice for 5 goals against in an ugly performance

• Hawks played well in the 1st period, scored first, and didn’t allow a shot on goal for an 11 minute stretch

• Hawks gave up after a few goals against and were outshot 44-20

L - BLUE JACKETS 4 BLACKHAWKS 2

RALLY RE-COYLE

• Hawks had plenty of chances after going down 3-1 but couldn’t capitalize. Bedard missed a wide open net in the 3rd!

• Charlie Coyle scored a hat trick for the Jackets

• Bedard and Nazar each scored as their line continuously drove play

STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐ Connor Bedard

2 goals and 2 assists (4 points) on 13 shots

PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥 Connor Bedard stop-and-goal

Assigned Nick Lardis to the AHL, called up Sam Rinzel from the AHL

Bedzar line?! Jeff Blashill chose the nuclear option, like the Kane and Toews days, and put Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar on the same line to see if the Hawks could generate more offense. Even though they lost all 3 games this week, the line combination was very successful, and they should continue to improve their chemistry moving forward. Keep them together!

Artyom Levshunov did not play on Friday and is taking a “reset” break per the coaching staff. They want him to focus on foundational aspects of his game that have slipped in recent weeks.

Power play is now 0 for its last 26!

Patrick Kane now has the most points by an American-born player in the history of the NHL!

Only 2 games remain until the 3-week Olympic break!

SCHEDULE 📅 M/W

CHICAGO BULLS

L - LAKERS 129 BULLS 118

TURN BACK LE-CLOCK

• LeBron James (24p) looked like his younger self during a 20-point 1st half

• Bulls had 10 turnovers in JUST the 2nd quarter and 15 total

• Luka Doncic (46p/12a) lit up the scoreboard with a season-high 8 3PTs

L - PACERS 113 BULLS 110

INDY-OWNERS

• The 12-win Pacers beat the Bulls for the 3rd consecutive time this season after a ridiculous 26-9 run to end the game

• Matas Buzelis (20p/8r, 7/11 FG, 3/4 3PT) was efficient all night and scored 13 points in the 1st quarter

• Okoro, PWill, and Huerter combined for 9 points in 57 minutes of playing time

L - HEAT 116 BULLS 113

COLD OPEN

• Bulls played sloppy basketball in the 1st of 3 matchups vs. the Heat

• Bulls shot 39% from the field, had 16 turnovers, and only scored 38 points in the paint

• Ayo Dosunmu (23p/7r/5a) singlehandedly willed the Bulls back into the game with 15 4th quarter points and high energy defense

W - BULLS 125 HEAT 118

AYO DOS IT ALL

• Ayo (29p/8r/9a) shot 9/9 and scored 23 points in the 2nd half to lead a shorthanded squad missing Giddey, Vooch, Coby, Jones, and Smith

• Yuki Kawamura made his Bulls debut! He scored 6 points and gave them a huge spark off the bench

• Bulls shot 20/40 (50%) from 3PT, Heat shot 13/47 (28%) from 3PT

L - HEAT 134 BULLS 91

SOUTH BEACH ROCK BOTTOM

• Bulls shot season-lows 32% FG and 15% 3PT (6/41!!!!)

• Bulls scored 13 points in their lowest-scoring quarter of the season

• Incredibly ugly +/- numbers from the starting lineup: -32, -37, -37, -42, -46

STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐ Ayo Dosunmu

20.2p/5.6r/4.2a per game, 54.2% FG

PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥 Ayo Dosunmu out of bounds save

🚨 Acquired F Dario Saric, a 2027 2nd round pick, and a 2029 2nd round pick in a 3-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers 🚨

Cleveland acquires: G Dennis Schroder, G Keon Ellis, F Emanuel Miller (from Bulls)

Sacramento acquires: F De’Andre Hunter

The Bulls are finally valuing 2nd round picks?!!??

After years of selling 2nd round picks for cash or throwing them into trade packages to acquire veteran players, the Bulls surprisingly entered the “third party broker” conversation prior to the trade deadline. Thanks to a trade exception they received in the Zach LaVine deal, they were able to use salary cap leverage to take on Saric and the extra draft picks.

Saric is a 9-year veteran who only appeared in 5 games for the Kings this season. He may not even play for the Bulls if their big men get healthy soon. He could be a waivers candidate as it seems like he was simply added to the deal to get his salary off of the Kings’ books.

With the deadline coming this week, it’s refreshing to see Arturas Karnisovas pick up the phone and do something beneficial for the organization. Let’s see if they make any other moves that align with this approach!

Waived G Jevon Carter after the Kings/Hawks trade to make room for Saric on the roster. Although Carter and Torrey Craig were a massively underwhelming free agent class for the Bulls in 2023, Carter was a great professional and teammate over the last few seasons. Chicago’s own was an important veteran for this young squad, and I hope he lands in a great situation elsewhere.

Matas Buzelis will participate in the NBA All-Star Rising Stars game for the 2nd straight year but turned down an invite to redeem himself at the Dunk Contest. He is prioritizing the team and making sure he can physically handle their dense schedule.

Coby White moved into 2nd place for 3-pointers made in Bulls franchise history

NBA Trade Deadline ➡️ Thursday @ 2pm

SCHEDULE 📅 T/TH/SAT

CHICAGO BEARS

OFFSEASON

Assistant GM Ian Cunningham is leaving the Bears to become the GM for the Atlanta Falcons

• Well-deserved promotion for Cunningham who has been interviewing for GM positions for years and is well respected around the league

• Will work for and with Ryan Poles’ good friend Matt Ryan from his Boston College days

• Who will wear weighted vests and have daily meetings with Ryan Poles now?!? And who will stop him from trading up too much on draft night??? Curious who his new right-hand man will be.

• Bears will reportedly NOT receive the 2 3rd round draft picks typically given to teams who see a minority coach or executive promoted on another team because Matt Ryan is technically the highest decision maker in their football operations hierarchy

Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle is leaving the Bears to become the Offensive Coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens

• Takes advantage of an OC position where he can call plays AND coach an MVP in Lamar Jackson (who is the same age as Doyle - 29 years old!)

• Simultaneously tough to see Doyle go with the hope of continuity after a single season with the Bears and glad to see Bears coaches are actually coveted by the rest of the league. This is the benefit of having an offensive minded head coach - OCs can come and go.

• Withdrew his name from the Philadelphia Eagles OC search before interviewing with the Ravens

Nahshon Wright was named to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement!

Joe Thuney is a finalist for the NFL’s first ever Protector of the Year award

Signed DL Jamree Kromah to a futures contract

2026 NFL Salary Cap is projected to be between $301.2M and $305.7M, which is over $20M higher than in 2025. Poles will have plenty of available space to make roster changes.

The 4 Bears Pro Bowlers will compete in the Pro Bowl Games tomorrow night!

CHICAGO CUBS

OFFSEASON

Signed OF Dylan Carlson to a minor league contract

• Switch-hitter who should be in the mix for the 4th outfielder spot

• Has spent most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals (2020-2024)

• Started his career with a great 2021 (18 HR, .780 OPS, 3.2 WAR) but has struggled at the plate ever since

Signed RHP Trent Thornton to a minor league contract

• Career 4.38 ERA in 7 seasons with the Blue Jays and Mariners

• Impressive 3.61 ERA and 3.47 FIP in 72.1 IP in 2024

Seiya Suzuki will play for Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic

Anthony Rizzo will reportedly be a part of NBC’s baseball broadcasts this season. Must-watch TV!

SAY WHAT?

A CITYWIDE SALUTE

Jason Dickinson

Dickinson has unfortunately dealt with a number of injuries this season, but his time with the Blackhawks has been a success. He turned into a vocal leader, provided strong two-way play from the center position, and helped bridge the roster into this new era. He knows he may leave town at the Trade Deadline, but he’s able to look past that and appreciate his teammates here. Read more below:

MILD TAKE

The Bulls need to make at least 2 more trades.

I’m so used to the Bulls doing nothing each year at the trade deadline. They didn’t trade away or for any basketball players between 2022 and 2024 because they thought they had a top-tier roster.

After acquiring Josh Giddey, trading away DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, and swapping Lonzo Ball for Isaac Okoro, it seems like AK has finally accepted trades as a viable avenue for shaping his roster. Last week’s trade only confirms that he is open for business.

If we are to believe they won’t just stand pat anymore, then this deadline should lead to a flurry of moves for the Bulls. They have 5 significant contracts coming off the books after this season (Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, and Ayo Dosunmu), and there’s no way all of those players are in their future plans. If they can acquire draft capital or some other asset for them, they should take advantage of the opportunity.

AK also loves trading for young (and experienced) players as they continue to evolve their roster into a high pace youth movement, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they target someone they like instead of just selling pieces.

Their team building plan always changes, but whatever their intentions, there is no reason to sit on their hands this week.

HITTING THE LINKS

Kevin Fishbain - What the Bears’ continuity on the offensive line means for Caleb Williams in 2026 (The Athletic)

Mark Lazerus - How a move to center unlocked Oliver Moore — and the Blackhawks lineup (The Athletic)

Dan Pompei - After Charles Tillman transformed football, he joined the FBI. Then the immigration raids started (The Athletic)

WGN News - Antwaan Randle El talks Bears, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, DJ Moore & Caleb Williams (YouTube)

TWO MINUTE WARNING

Thanks for reading! Make sure to break out your Caleb Williams jersey during the Super Bowl!