The Chicago Bulls have now lost five of their last six games.

@ Pacers – 129-113 L
vs. Wizards – 138-105 W
vs. Kings – 124-119 L
vs. Pelicans – 119-113 L
vs. Hawks – 110-94 L
vs. Hornets – 125-123 L

Is the tank officially on!?

• While the Chicago Bulls remain No. 10 in the Eastern Conference, there is no doubt this last week has helped them significantly when it comes to keeping their 2025 first-round pick. The Philadelphia 76ers are only 1.5 games behind them and have very little incentive not to push for the postseason. Especially if the Bulls make the moves many want/expect at the deadline, they should have a good shot at improving their lottery odds and swapping places with Philly sooner rather than later.

• With that said, this is the Bulls we’re talking about! They are just as capable of losing four in a row as they are winning four in a row. Plus, it’s not as if Philly has a cupcake schedule on the horizon. The 76ers struggles could very well continue ahead of the trade deadline, as nine of their next ten games will come against teams currently above .500. Joel Embiid has also been ruled out for at least the next 7-10 days as he deals with swelling in his knee. So … there are no guarantees that the Bulls find themselves out of the Play-In mix any time soon.

• We also can’t expect Billy Donovan to throw in the towel. He is one of the many reasons I had major concerns about the Bulls genuinely pursuing a youth movement. As much as it feels like he should be, Donovan is not a developmental head coach. He told everybody this when he got up and left the OKC Thunder as they headed toward a rebuild. The head coach doesn’t see adversity as a learning opportunity but rather a reason to double down on his veteran talent. It’s why we have seen Lonzo Ball begin to close games and the Bulls’ youngsters struggling to clock meaningful minutes.

• To be clear, I don’t necessarily blame Billy Donovan for this mindset. He is a win-now head coach and always has been. This is more on the front office for tasking him with something that he just isn’t comfortable doing. If Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley still believe he is the man for the job, they have to give him no choice but to put on his development hat. Instead, they have continued to provide him with a roster of capable veterans.

• With that said, four minutes for Matas Buzelis in a game against the 14th-seeded Charlotte Hornets is absurd for multiple reasons. The Chicago Bulls could have legitimately used his size and aggressiveness on the glass, as the Hornets won the second-chance points battle a staggering 26-15. He is also this team’s leader in total blocks! It sure felt like his instincts could have come in handy while we watched the Hornets score 64 points in the paint. Most importantly, however, Charlotte is a team with a lot of athleticism and length at the wing! The Bulls should want to use this as a learning experience and see how their high-upside youngster matches up against that kind of talent!

• At least the Bulls got some more tape to send over to the Warriors last night! Nikola Vucevic absolutely dominated a decent Hornets frontcourt, shooting 17-25 from the field on his way to a season-high 40 points! The most impressive thing about his performance is that he drained only two threes. Pretty much everything came in the paint, as he made the Hornets’ drop defense pay with his floating jumper and nailed some nasty hook shots over seven-footer Mark Williams. The closer we get to the deadline, the more I feel like someone will fork over a first-rounder for this guy. He’s been that good.

• Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale pitched a trade idea that involves the Bulls, Pelicans, and Pistons. In his scenario, Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig head to the Pistons along with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The Pelicans receive Simone Fontecchio, Tim Hardaway Jr., Marcus Sasser, and a 2025 second-round pick. Finally, the Bulls receive Brandon Ingram, Wendell Moore Jr., and a 2027 second-rounder. Thoughts?

• A part of me believes the Bulls should be able to get more for LaVine, especially during a season where he very well could be named an All-Star reserve. His scoring numbers have been among the league’s best, and we’ve also watched him play a much more consistent all-around game. At the same time, the Bulls have to get the ball rolling eventually. Taking back Brandon Ingram would be an easy way for them to open up significant financial flexibility and control their own destiny. They avoid taking on bad money and can potentially add more assets in the offseason by helping the talented wing facilitate a sign-and-trade. Again, considering how well LaVine is playing, I’m sure some would be very frustrated with this deal. But I could probably talk myself into it pretty quickly … as long as the Bulls don’t talk themselves into re-signing Ingram over the summer.

• The Lonzo vs. LaMelo series is now tied 2-2. Lonzo Ball spoke with CHSN after the game about matching up against his little brother.

• Angel Reese helped the new Unrivaled Basketball League tip off their inaugural season on Friday night. Competing in the second-ever game, she scored 10 points with 12 rebounds and 4 assists in a tight loss to the Vinyl. The Chicago Sky star showed a little of what she must be working on this summer with a mid-range jumper to get things started …

• If you didn’t tune into last night’s action on TNT, I would actually highly recommend it. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the 3-on-3 format, but the pace was incredibly quick and the caliber talent on the floor definitely stood out. The first game finished with a dope pull-up game-winner by Skylar Diggins-Smith …

• As the Blackhawks look to keep building, Tab takes a closer look at where the NHL salary cap is headed.

• The Bears reportedly called the Steelers about trying to trade for head coach Mike Tomlin. Luis has more on the shocking report.
• CubsCon is underway in Chicago, and Brett is on the grounds sharing plenty of thoughts. Follow along!