The Bulls surprised everyone at the trade deadline by adding Another center to the roster instead of moving one. With Zach Collins aboard, the Bulls now have three big men—Collins, Nikola Vucevic, and Jalen Smith—battling for playing time. While depth is usually a good thing, this might be a headache for Billy Donovan to balance development, trade value and team chemistry.
Why Zach Collins is a problem
Zach Collins, acquired in the Zach LaVine deal, isn’t a throw-in piece. The 27 year old has shown he can play. Over his last three games with the Bulls, Collins has averaged 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists. Including a monster game against the Clippers where he went 21 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists.
Collins is younger than Vucevic and on an expiring deal next season so he’s an interesting piece for the Bulls to evaluate. Do they want to build up his trade value or keep him around? Collins has earned minutes.
The Nikola Vucevic dilemma
Vucevic, the Bulls’ veteran center, has been a mainstay in the lineup for years. But at 33 years old his long term fit with a rebuilding team is in question. The Bulls didn’t trade him at the deadline so they’ll have to play him to maintain his trade value or use his experience to mentor the young players.
But Vucevic’s calf soreness has opened the door for Collins to play. If Collins keeps playing above expectations it’s going to force the Bulls to make a tough decision: bench Vucevic or stunt Collins’ growth.
Jalen Smith’s Part in the Puzzle
Jalen Smith, the youngest of the three at 24, signed a three year deal this offseason and has been good in limited minutes, 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 15.0 minutes. As a player with upside the Bulls should want to see what he can do with more minutes.
But with Collins and Vucevic also needing minutes, Smith’s development may take a backseat unless Donovan gets creative with his rotations.
Billy Donovan’s Dilemma
Donovan now has to figure out how to distribute minutes among three bigs. Here are his options:
- Bench Vucevic: While extreme, this would allow Collins and Smith to get more reps and potentially boost their trade value or development.
- Two-Big Lineups: Try Collins and Smith together, though both are more natural fives.
- Rotate Based on Matchups: Use each player situationally, but this could lead to inconsistent roles and frustration.
With the Bulls out of the playoff picture, wins and losses don’t matter as much. But how Donovan handles this will have long term implications for the rebuild.