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The Chicago Bulls kept their roster virtually intact last offseason even after they hired Arturas Karni ovas and Marc Eversley to run the front office. The inaction by the new regime was an opportunity to use part of the 2020-21 season for what Karni ovas called an evaluation period before he fully imposed his imprint on the team.

If the Bulls‘ bold actions at the trade deadline are any indication, however, this roster could look dramatically different to start next season.

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Karni ovas indicated in May the team could have a plethora of roster spots available depending on which direction they go this summer. And after missing the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, the Bulls are under pressure to produce a winner. It could take some creativity considering they don’t have a first-round pick in Thursday’s NBA draft — and the next first-rounder they could trade is a 2026 pick.

Still, the Bulls should be one of the league’s more intriguing teams this offseason, which kicked into gear fresh off the completion of the NBA Finals with a trade between the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Here’s a look ahead at the Bulls offseason.

The draft

The 2021 NBA draft is Thursday, but the Bulls do not have a first-round pick.

They traded their selection to the Orlando Magic as part of the midseason trade to acquire Nikola Vucevic, a gamble they assumed would result in a playoff berth. Instead, the Magic own the No. 8 pick and, barring a trade back into the first round, the Bulls won’t be on the clock until the second round at No. 38.

But help still could be on the way.

Marko Simonovic, last year’s second-round pick, appears likely to join the roster. His agent posted a picture of them to Instagram earlier this month with the caption “One way ticket to Chicago.”

Simonovic, a 6-foot-11 center who was selected No. 44 overall last season, already has been working out at the Advocate Center, according to NBC Sports Chicago.

“He’s in our plans for sure,” Karni ovas said at his end of season news conference.

Zach LaVine’s contract extension

The Bulls can engage in talks with guard Zach LaVine, who will enter the final year of his contract in 2021-22, about a potential contract extension on the first day of free agency.

But even if the two sides want to stay together long-term — and all indications are that they do — an extension this winter doesn’t appear to make much sense for either side.

First off, LaVine would be leaving a lot of money on the table. He is eligible for a four-year, $105 million extension based on his last contract, which would be far below his market value for a 26-year-old player in his prime coming off a breakout career-year. If he waits until next season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, he could earn more than $200 million.

LaVine seemed clear after the season that he expects to get paid: “I definitely want what I deserve, and whatever that is, I’ll have it coming to me.”

Paying LaVine now also makes little sense from the team perspective, aside from providing assurance LaVine will be around long-term. An extension would eat up a good chunk of the Bulls’ available cap flexibility this summer, limiting their chances to improve the team.

Lauri Markkanen’s qualifying offer deadline — and future

The Bulls have an upcoming Saturday deadline for Ryan Arcidiacono’s team option ($3 million) and whether or not they extend qualifying offers to Javonte Green and Lauri Markkanen.

Tendering Markkanen a qualifying offer is, perhaps, the easiest part of the decision for his future. It’s a one-year, $9 million deal that allows Markkanen to become a restricted free agent, giving the Bulls the flexibility to match an offer sheet or find a trade partner. Remember, Markkanen was the centerpiece of trade talks at the deadline with the Pelicans for guard Lonzo Ball, although New Orleans also wanted draft picks in return. Perhaps those talks could be revived.

Markkanen, 24, put together a career year offensively in 2020-21, shooting a career best 48% from the field and 40% from 3, but also had a career-low 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds as his playing time dwindled coming off the bench. This season also exposed more of his limitations — mainly defensively and staying on the floor — and he is not a tight fit next to Vucevic in the frontcourt.

Markkanen says he still sees himself as a starter, but it’s unclear whether that role would exist for him in Chicago.

Decisions on partially guaranteed contracts for Tomá Satoransk and Thad Young

Thad Young and Tomá Satoransk played huge roles last season and Sunday will be a key date on whether they have a future with the team in 2021-22.

Both Young and Satoransk are on partially guaranteed contracts, but they will become full guarantees if they are not waived or traded. If the Bulls need to open up the cap space required to add significant free agents, they are almost certainly going to have to part with one — or both — of these players (and likely Markkanen too).

These decisions could predict how the Bulls plan to attack free agency.

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A potential path forward could be emerging in a trade. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated as part of a free–agency show with Zach Lowe that Satoransk was “generating a lot of interest” around the league.

“I think especially very good teams see him as a guy who can just fit in and play a role,” Wojnarowski said.

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