Major changes for Bulls won't happen anytime soon

The Chicago Bulls have gone just 5-11 since defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 2. But aside from the recent swap at point guard -- Michael Carter-Williams taking the place of Rajon Rondo -- there probably won't be any significant changes to the lineup. Associated Press

Maybe 2017 will be better for the Bulls.

The year ended with the Bulls in a tailspin. They've gone 5-11 since beating Cleveland on Dec. 2.

It's also been a week of change and theoretical change. Coach Fred Hoiberg started Michael Carter-Williams at point guard for the first time in Saturday's loss to Milwaukee. Meanwhile, an espn.com story claimed Hoiberg has the hottest seat in the NBA, which means he'd be the coach most likely to be fired.

These topics can be addressed in detail, but the main theme here is change will come slowly for the Bulls. They seem likely to make some sort of deal before the Feb. 23 trade deadline, but a lack of desirable trade commodities will make the task difficult.

Let's start with Hoiberg. The Bulls' disappointing performance after a promising start could merit hot-seat talk, except Hoiberg is in the second year of a five-year, $25 million deal.

It's hard to imagine a scenario where Hoiberg doesn't start next season as head coach of the Bulls. His agent knew he had leverage when the Bulls fired Tom Thibodeau and negotiated a favorable deal.

But the Bulls' problems are more about the roster than Hoiberg. The Bulls are in dire need of a third star to complement Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, along with more experienced -- or at least more reliable -- bench players and some outside shooters.

Rajon Rondo seemed to be a questionable fit when he signed with the Bulls last summer. There's no question he's had some impressive games this season and with Rondo at his best, the Bulls are tough to beat.

But he was mostly quiet in December. In the six games before the demotion, Rondo shot 23.3 percent from the field, averaging 3.8 points and 6.7 assists. Hoiberg thought Carter-Williams could bring some energy to the start of games and it worked against the Bucks. The Bulls led 11-1 early before fading badly in the fourth quarter.

One question to be answered is whether this is the end of the Bulls' Rondo experiment or Hoiberg is hoping time on the bench will help him refocus. A two-game benching seemed to ignite Nikola Mirotic.

If Rondo doesn't get consistent playing time again, a trade seems far-fetched. After uneven stints with Dallas and Sacramento, the Bulls were one of the few teams to chase Rondo in free-agency. Why would any team want him now?

Salary is also an issue. Rondo makes $14 million this season and the Bulls would have to take a similar number back in a trade. Rondo's contract for next year is worth $13.4 million, but only $3 million is guaranteed. It doesn't seem likely Rondo will play for the Bulls next season, so a release is conceivable.

An ideal swap for the Bulls would be some of their younger bench guys for a more reliable scorer off the bench. Maybe it's possible to pry someone away from a team that's not in playoff contention.

As the roster stands now, it's hardly a formula for success. The Bulls were counting on Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott turning into top-line NBA players and it hasn't happened. Then there are too many younger guys who aren't ready to contribute consistently on a playoff-caliber team. Carter-Williams is in his fourth season, so he's a little ahead of the curve.

Some have wondered about the Bulls' plan last summer. That's pretty simple, the top priority is to keep the United Center full, so the Bulls jumped at the chance to sign Wade, a marketable star, and hoped to be a playoff contender.

Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has little interest in blowing things up for a high draft pick, because that could mean five or more years of fielding a terrible team. Remember 1999-2004.

But the Bulls might have some hope of signing a decent free agent in 2017 to join Butler and Wade, then rebuilding the bench with some older players. For now, there aren't many changes to make, besides the starting point guard.

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