The Chicago Bulls are a confusing, directionless franchise

In the waning hours before the 2017 NBA trade deadline, many expected the Chicago Bulls to commit to a rebuild by trading All-Star forward Jimmy Butler to one of several interested suitors — namely, the Boston Celtics.

Instead, Bulls front office executives Gar Forman and John Paxson traded fan favorite Taj Gibson, the team’s best shooter in Doug McDermott, and their 2018 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return, Chicago received point guard Cameron Payne, swingman Anthony Morrow, and backup forward Joffrey Lauvergne.

Yet the question NBA fans and analysts have asked about the Bulls since the offseason remains: What exactly are they trying to accomplish?

The answer — as well as the team’s sense of direction — is unclear, dating back to the summer when the Bulls traded away Derrick Rose in what appeared to be a much-needed attempt to rebuild, only to sign Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade to form one of the worst shooting backcourts in NBA history.

After trading away Gibson, Forman addressed concerns about the team’s apparent lack of direction and rumors of disharmony within the front office, according to ESPN’s Nick Friedell.

“We’re all on the same page,” Forman said. “We’ve met, we’ve put the plan in place. Obviously any plan, it’s going to be fluid, and there’s going to be different things that arise where you’ll have to make decisions, but without a question we are all on the same page.”

However, In conjunction with their moves this past offseason, the Bulls’ latest trade doesn’t indicate any type of plan.

The 31-year-old Morrow, known throughout his career for his shooting ability, is shooting an abysmal 29 percent from three this season. Conversely, McDermott is a much younger (25) and more confident three-point shooter (37.6 percent), which made him one of the few competent floor spacers on the Bulls roster.

But what makes McDermott’s inclusion in this trade even more confounding is what Chicago originally gave up to acquire him: Two first-round picks and a second-round pick during a draft-night trade with the Denver Nuggets in 2014.

The questionable decisions don’t stop there. The Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson reported that the real prize for the Bulls in this trade was the 22-year-old Payne, who at this stage in his career is known more for his dancing ability than anything he does on the basketball court.

“When Cam came out in the draft, we were very, very high on him,” John Paxson said. “We had some real good discussion about even trying to get him in that draft. We see him as a young guy who will develop and get better.”

Payne’s had a rough season so far, averaging just five points and two assists on 33 percent shooting in the 20 games he’s played after fracturing his right foot before training camp. That’s his second foot injury in as many years.

There’s a chance he turns into a nice player down the line, but there isn’t much room for him to develop in an already-crowded and bricklaying backcourt featuring Rondo, Wade, Michael Carter-Williams, and Jerian Grant.

So why did the Bulls trade McDermott and Gibson and a second-round pick for Payne? Like everything else about the Bulls, the answer to that question is difficult to figure out.

While assessing trades for Butler, the Bulls were reportedly insistent on obtaining rotation players in addition to draft picks, according to NBA.com’s David Aldridge, causing a potential trade with the Celtics to fall through due to Boston’s unwillingness to give up starting small forward Jae Crowder.

But the Bulls’ most recent deal would indicate a youth movement, trading away a quality veteran in Gibson to free up more playing time for second-year forward Bobby Portis, while also bringing in Payne to (hopefully) be their point guard of the future.

If a youth movement is in fact the Bulls’ goal, it’s confusing why they would place such an emphasis on the 26-year-old Crowder in trade negotiations. It makes sense that Forman and Paxson want to max out their return for Butler. But with all the picks and young assets Boston has at its disposal, it’s hard to imagine the Bulls couldn’t have worked out a trade with the Celtics or another team that would’ve allowed a complete rebuild to take place.

And what will become of Butler? There’s still a chance the Bulls move him this offseason or later down the line. Or, maybe they’ll keep trying to retool the roster around him and compete. Who knows. Like Forman said, their plan is “fluid” moving forward.

But as we saw with DeMarcus Cousins, waiting too long to trade a star can lead to a less-than-desirable return package.

Bulls fans have a reason to be frustrated, confused, and even angry at the way their team is being managed. Johnson reported that Paxon echoed Forman’s sentiments, labeling rumors of discontent within the Bulls’ management as a “false narrative.”

It remains to be seen when, if ever, the Bulls will commit to their so-called plan and how they’ll stick to it. For now, we get to watch this unbalanced roster fight to stay in the playoffs while rebuilding at the same time.