Reports: Availability of Chicago Bulls players for trade closely tracked by New York Knicks

Is a Chicago Bulls trade on the horizon? With the team going just 4-6 in its last 10 games and a disappointing 10-14, other franchises are continuing to take note of Chicago's situation. As the franchise struggles to stay afloat leading up to the return of Lonzo Ball, many have suggested the team call it a season and look toward the future.

If the Big Three of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic is struggling to go .500, the team doesn't have much hope come playoff time. In the last few years, the new front office regime of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley was aggressive in moves early on. In the trade for Vucevic, the Bulls gave up two first-round picks.

They then wound up trading another first-round pick for DeMar DeRozan, leaving the team in a difficult position when it comes to future drafts. With the team struggling and no end in sight, other franchises have begun to monitor the situation in hopes of trading for one of Chicago's stars.

After ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the LA Lakers were interested in trading for some of the Bulls stars, another report surfaced days later. According to Wojnarowski, the New York Knicks are now getting involved in the Bulls sweepstakes, reportedly with interest toward Zach LaVine.

“The Knicks will be watching Chicago," Wojnarowski said. "Is Zach LaVine a player who before the deadline possibly could become available? He certainly isn’t now.”

Will the Chicago Bulls trade? Or will they ride the season out?

Arturas Karnisovas (Sacramento Kings vs. Denver Nuggets)

Going into this year, Arturas Karnisovas made it clear that the goal for this season was continuity. After a successful season that saw the team snap a playoff drought, he believed that the team simply needed to continue to improve. As a result, the Bulls didn't make the blockbuster offseason move many expected.

The team acquired Goran Dragic, a move that gave Chicago more veteran experience, but also contributed to the logjam at the guard position. They also signed Andre Drummond to help bolster the reserves. Although both moves were good signings, they did little to help the team take that next step towards a title.

That is painstakingly obvious now, as the Bulls struggle to pull themselves up to .500. This season could very well see the Bulls fail to qualify for the playoffs unless they miraculously manage to turn things around. Despite many hoping the return of Lonzo Ball will give the Bulls a much-needed spark, the fact of the matter remains that Ball will need time to return to form.

In addition, there has been little reason for optimism regarding Ball's ongoing knee problems. According to coach Billy Donovan, Ball is still unable to ramp up his workouts let alone run in scrimmages. With three missing first-round draft picks in the next few years and their playoff hopes dwindling, time is running out for the Chicago Bulls.