Bulls vs. Magic roster preview: 2 games against their rebuilding bizarro franchise

there is off-court drama, but the schedule doesn't stop

The Zach LaVine trade drama went into overdrive yesterday, and in today’s shootaround he did not deny this was a trade request.

LaVine also, correctly if not totally emphatically, said there’s a game tonight against the Orlando Magic that he’s going to try and play well in and get a victory. Winning solves all…and there is little hope this team will go on some huge win steak.

Especially tonight with DeMar DeRozan out of action due to a personal absence.

The Orlando Magic are a speculated trade destination for LaVine, but only because they are young and cap flexible and need backcourt scoring. I don’t think they actually want to accelerate their team building, at least not using a player of LaVine’s caliber.

This was one of the more interesting roster snapshots I’ve done. So many homegrown players, and yes: I’ve determined the acquisition of Franz Wagner is their own draft scouting, even though it was conveyed as a future pick in their sold-spectacularly-high deal of Nikola Vucevic to the Bulls:

I’m making some educated guesses on the rotation. Gary Harris hasn’t played for a few games but was starting before he got hurt and was replaced by Anthony Black (not the more established Cole Anthony).

These are two bad shooting teams. The difference may be in:

• Turnovers, where both teams are good at forcing them but the Bulls are also good at preventing their own.

• Offensive Rebounding, where the Bulls have really plummeted in securing their own defensive boards and the large Magic front line is good on both ends.

Kind of a weird and fun schedule quirk, as the Bulls next game after tonight is a rematch, also at home, on Friday night.

Injury Report: See above for the Magic.

For the Bulls, Alex Caruso has been upgraded to still ‘Questionable’ after missing the last 2 games. With DeRozan also out for tonight (he’ll reportedly be back Friday) it’s really crucial that Caruso is available.

Schedule factor: Magic on a road back-to-back, lost in Brooklyn last night. Bulls last played in Milwaukee two nights ago, though this is is their 3rd game in 4 nights.

Betting line: Bulls -130 to win. Implied final score: CHI 109, ORL 106

Game Time: 7pm central

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