The Chicago Bulls chose to maintain their roster status quo ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, marking the third consecutive year the organization has refrained from making significant moves.

In a video call with reporters shortly after the deadline, Bulls vice president Artūras Karnišovas reiterated his satisfaction with the team's recent performance and emphasized his commitment to preserving competitiveness. Although the Bulls are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 24-27, Karnišovas expressed a strong desire for the team to stay competitive and aim for a playoff spot.

"We would take a step back, which we don't want," Karnišovas said during the call. "We want to stay competitive. We have an obligation to this city to stay competitive and compete for the playoffs."

Karnišovas acknowledged the competitiveness within the conference, with many teams making trades to improve their standings. He stressed that although the NBA focuses on results, it's too early to determine success with 30 games left in the regular season for the Bulls.

"It's a result-driven business, and I get it," Karnišovas stated. "But at this point, it's very early to say what's success, what's not success. We have 30 games to go. We'll see what this team can do."

The Bulls have stood out as the only team not to engage in trade activity during the week leading up to the deadline for the past three seasons. Despite speculation swirling around key players like Zach LaVine, who was limited by injuries and subsequently underwent foot surgery, the Bulls remained steadfast in their commitment to their current roster.

While the Bulls explored potential deals involving players such as Andre Drummond and Alex Caruso, they ultimately prioritized retaining talent to bolster their aspirations for a playoff push rather than seeking draft picks or future assets.

"We are better with Zach on the team," Karnišovas affirmed, addressing LaVine's significance to the organization.

Karnisovas also expressed a desire to retain DeMar DeRozan, praising his contributions both on and off the court. "I love DeMar," Karnišovas remarked. "He's huge for this team, for the city, for the organization. He's been great for our young guys, has been our closer."

Reflecting on his tenure with the Bulls, Karnišovas acknowledged the team's aggressive roster overhaul in 2021 but emphasized the current core of players as the foundation for competitiveness. Despite external calls for a rebuild, Karnišovas reiterated his confidence in the existing group to deliver results on the court.

"A shakeup doesn't guarantee your success," Karnišovas said. "Words like rebuild and all this stuff is thrown around, I think this group gives you the best chance to compete."

Yesterday’s Best

CHICAGO BEARS

• Cole Kmet was playing with a broken forearm in the Bears season finale but should be fine for training camp.

• There’s a very good chance that the next Bears stadium (wherever and whenever) will have a dome.

• Officially, official! Devin Hester, Steve McMichael, and Julius Peppers are heading to Canton!

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

• Corey Crawford finally opened up about his decision to retire from the NHL.

CHICAGO BULLS

• Artūras Karnišovas raved about how competitive the Bulls are after they did nothing at the trade deadline on Thursday.

• Eli has more on the latest day of nothing from the Bulls …

• Matt has the details on every deal that did take place on Thursday ahead of the NBA trade deadline:

CHICAGO CUBS

• Baseball could be at the 2028 Summer Olympics and it could feature MLB players.

• The Cubs 2024 promotional schedule is here!

What’s on deck?

The Blackhawks host the New York Rangers tonight at 7:30 PM CT. You can catch the action on NBC Sports Chicago.