The Bulls play their 53rd game Thursday night. Their projected starting lineup of Tomas Satoransky, Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. played just the first nine games of the season together, going 3-6.
Like it or not, that's the main reason the Bulls didn’t make any moves as Thursday’s NBA trade deadline passed.
That’s according to executive vice president John Paxson, who expressed long-term belief in Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen, even as he acknowledged the final games the young core plays together — if injuries allow — will be critical for offseason evaluation.