NBA Rumors: Evidence Of Chicago Bulls’ Locker Room Cleansing And Interest In DeMarcus Cousins
The NBA rumors of the Chicago Bulls‘ interest in building a super-team just will not die down. Neither will the Bulls’ interest, courtesy of Hoops Habit, in DeMarcus Cousins. Trading for the All-Star center would put the Bulls right where they want to be as a franchise. It would also complete a cleansing of their reportedly toxic locker room environment.
Can the Bulls pull off a DeMarcus Cousins deal? Like every other team, the Bulls will have to wait out the Sacramento Kings as they decide what to do. Until Cousins is traded to the Bulls, or someplace else, rumors will continue to circulate.
Disregarding any of the NBA gossip, the Bulls have legitimate interest in DeMarcus Cousins. At some point in the near future, the Bulls want to build their own superstar-laden team. With the rise of the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and in previous years, the Miami Heat, the Bulls have desires to do the same.
Six NBA Championships in eight seasons, followed by an 18-year drought has led to the Bulls rebranding themselves once again.
The Derrick Rose era lasted eight years. The Bulls experienced some highlights and lowlights with Rose as the face of the franchise. He had some help with Joakim Noah throughout, and a revolving door of Luol Deng, Pau Gasol, and Carlos Boozer. In terms of status, no player is as regarded as Gasol.
Knee injuries derailed Rose’s career. By the time Jimmy Butler developed, Derrick Rose was not the same player after his injuries, and the Bulls’ locker room became an explosive mess.
According to Blog A Bull, dysfunctional was a common word used when describing the Chicago Bulls’ locker room.
One of the detailed takes on why the Bulls were a mess was reported by Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley was a guest on the Chicago sports talk show, 670 The Score’s Boers and Bernstein Show. The full audio can be found here.
“I talked to several people that have indicated that the best thing that happened to the Bulls, because it could’ve wound up worse, was Joakim Noah going back to New York for his rehab and staying away from this thing. Because he would’ve become a locker room cancer. He had a couple veterans on his side, and I’m telling you right now: if he didn’t get out of town when he did, the little comments and snide remarks to Jimmy Butler…Jimmy wasn’t having any more of those, and you would’ve seen fists thrown.”
Sometimes change is good for everyone. This change will force the Bulls to do what other teams are doing.
The Bulls have normally conducted themselves as a franchise with one face in front. It was no longer about Derrick Rose, but about Jimmy Butler. Now it is about the Bulls adding pieces around Butler to create what the Warriors and Cavaliers have.
In order to build a super-team, the Bulls need to either get lucky with their draft picks and in NBA free agency. The latter will require one of the Bulls’ players to recruit. Jimmy Butler is more than willing to recruit players to the Bulls. That is something Rose would never do.
Jimmy Butler has used his influence for the Bulls to sign Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. Even if they are over the age of 30, the fact that Butler helped the Bulls by recruiting them was huge.
The rising Bulls’ star may not be done selling players on the idea of being in Chicago. Butler is on Team USA in the Olympic Games. As is DeMarcus Cousins.
Demarcus Cousins: "I love @RajonRondo & @JimmyButler is my BOY & they got @DwyaneWade. Chicago is a great city & they got a squad." #Bulls
— Carlos Douglas Jr. (@TheRealC_Los) July 30, 2016
Butler and Cousins have sparked up a great friendship, with no further evidence than this Vine video. It shows Butler and Cousins riding in a car together. Cousins appears annoyed by Butler singing country music.
What can be taken from the video clip is the chemistry they have. It can only further develop if they were teammates.
It is up to the Chicago Bulls to make a trade happen.
The Chicago Bulls have Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis, Jerian Grant, and Doug McDermott to use in a trade. Some combination of two or three of them, along with draft picks, could get something done. Another team could also be added to the trade to add young players. Perhaps a team like the Philadelphia 76ers could get involved. This will take some time.
The Chicago Bulls had to clean house in order to be in the position they are in now. The Bulls are a team in transition, but the arrow appears to be going upwards after a dark season, with toxicity filling up the locker room. Gone for the Bulls is the mentality that one player, and one player only can be the face of the franchise.
The Chicago Bulls want to build a super-team. In order to do so, moving in a different direction was mandatory. Now the Bulls can focus on bringing in other talent. Acquiring DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings is a long shot for now. But all the Bulls have to do is wait out the process. If Cousins lands on the trading block as most people expect, his new best friend Jimmy Butler will help the Bulls bring him to Chicago.
[Photo by Harry How/Getty Images]
