More than a week has passed since the NBA trade deadline sent shockwaves across the league, and few franchises embodied the chaos quite like the Chicago Bulls, who positioned themselves squarely at the center of the frenzy.

When the dust finally settled, Chicago had executed seven trades, parted ways with eight players, welcomed seven new faces into the locker room, and secured nine second round picks in what became one of the most aggressive midseason overhauls in recent memory.

At first glance, the sheer volume of activity suggested decisive leadership and a clear pivot in direction.

However, with the All Star break offering time for reflection rather than reaction, the conversation has shifted from shock to scrutiny.

The immediate adrenaline of deadline day has faded, replaced by deeper analysis of what those transactions truly signify for the franchise’s trajectory.

Chicago Sun Times reporter Joe Cowley revisited the whirlwind and delivered a blunt assessment, assigning executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas and the Bulls a D plus grade for their efforts.

It was not a flattering evaluation, and the reasoning behind it speaks to larger structural concerns rather than isolated roster tweaks.

Cowley described the deadline performance as barely passing, suggesting that while Karnišovas displayed a coherent concept, the execution arrived at least a full season too late.

Timing, according to Cowley, is the central flaw.

He argued that the Bulls’ approach reflected a reluctant embrace of what he characterized as a “soft tank,” a gradual retreat from competitive integrity that lacked both urgency and boldness.

That critique centers on Chicago’s decision to finally part with franchise staples such as Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, and Nikola Vucevic, players who had long represented continuity amid organizational uncertainty.

In exchange, the Bulls received a collection of draft assets and rotational guards including Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, and Rob Dillingham, additions that appear more lateral than transformative.

While none of those players lack talent, the swaps did not dramatically alter Chicago’s competitive ceiling.

The core criticism is not that Karnišovas failed to act, but that he waited too long to do so.

By retaining Dosunmu, White, and Vucevic deep into their contract cycles, their market value naturally eroded.

Across the league, executives are reluctant to surrender premium assets for players facing uncertain long term futures.

The looming possibility of free agency tends to suppress bidding wars rather than ignite them.

Thus, Chicago entered deadline negotiations with diminished leverage.

Cowley’s evaluation underscores that reality, framing the Bulls’ maneuvering as reactive rather than proactive.

“In total, it amounted to seven trades, a whole bunch of second round picks and a two month tryout for newly acquired guards Jaden Ivey, Rob Dillingham, Collin Sexton and Anfernee Simons,” Cowley wrote, capturing the temporary feel of the acquisitions.

The phrase “two month tryout” resonates because it encapsulates the uncertainty surrounding the roster’s identity.

Instead of committing to a clear rebuild or doubling down on competitiveness, Chicago appears suspended between both paths.

The accumulation of nine second round selections does provide modest flexibility.

Second round picks can serve as currency in future deals or offer opportunities to unearth undervalued contributors.

However, the absence of even a single first round pick in return for established starters has become the most difficult element to defend.

From a macro perspective, the Bulls essentially exchanged expiring contracts for more expiring contracts.

That dynamic reinforces the perception that the franchise delayed inevitable decisions until asset depreciation became unavoidable.

In professional sports, hesitation often proves more costly than miscalculation.

Karnišovas faced undeniable pressure entering the deadline.

With the Bulls hovering in the middle tier of the Eastern Conference and lacking a sustainable path toward contention, incremental adjustments no longer sufficed.

Ownership expectations, fan impatience, and locker room morale all converged to create a moment demanding action.

In that context, standing still was not an option.

Yet decisive movement alone does not guarantee strategic clarity.

The Bulls’ immediate post deadline stretch offered flashes of intrigue from new additions.

Simons displayed shot creation bursts.

Sexton injected tempo and aggression.

Dillingham showcased youthful upside.

Losses that followed also subtly improved lottery positioning, lending credence to the idea that Chicago may quietly benefit from slipping down the standings.

But stepping back reveals the broader issue.

The return package lacks cornerstone certainty.

Rebuilding teams typically prioritize first round capital as the foundation of long term flexibility.

Without it, Chicago’s path to elite talent acquisition becomes narrower.

Cowley’s D plus grade therefore reflects dissatisfaction not with movement itself, but with its delayed timing and limited upside.

The Bulls appear to have chosen the road of partial retreat rather than a full scale reset.

Such a strategy can succeed if internal development accelerates or if lottery luck intervenes.

However, it also risks prolonging mediocrity if neither scenario materializes.

Karnišovas’s tenure has often been defined by calculated patience.

In some cases, that patience preserved optionality.

In others, it reduced leverage.

The trade deadline magnified that tension.

For Chicago fans, the emotional component compounds the analytical critique.

Dosunmu and White were homegrown success stories.

Vucevic represented veteran stability.

Their departures mark the symbolic end of an era that once carried postseason promise.

Now, the franchise stands at a crossroads once more.

The All Star break has provided distance from the initial whirlwind, but clarity remains elusive.

If the Bulls convert second round capital into meaningful contributors or package those picks in future deals for higher value assets, this deadline may eventually look more strategic than superficial.

If not, Cowley’s D plus will feel less like a harsh verdict and more like an accurate snapshot of transitional uncertainty.

Ultimately, the criticism circles back to timing.

In the NBA, opportunity windows open and close swiftly.

Chicago chose to act, but only after leverage waned and alternatives thinned.

Whether this midseason pivot becomes the first step toward renewal or simply another detour in a prolonged rebuild will define how history judges Karnišovas’s gamble.