Evaluating historical outcomes

I’m thinking about the outcomes for the Bulls and their playoff chances in the early 2000s. In 2000-01, for instance, the 8th seed in the East, the Pacers, had 41 wins, but that was a weaker conference. The coaching situation under Tim Floyd wasn’t great, impacted by poor ownership decisions as well. I wonder if Jerry Krause would have traded Elton Brand if he had added Tracy McGrady, especially since he was fond of high school players. There are many “what-ifs”!Analyzing team dynamics

I'm considering the Bulls and their roster with the possibility of signing Tracy McGrady. They had Ron Harper and a young Jamal Crawford, which could complement McGrady's playing style. I think this signing would likely accelerate their rebuild and return them to the playoffs earlier, but true title contention seems tough given management issues and competing teams like the Nets and Pistons. Without a second star, they'd probably max out at a 45-50 win team, unless they kept Elton Brand and added players like Ben Gordon and Luol Deng later.Exploring the Bulls' options

I remembered that Brad Miller joined the Bulls in 2000 via sign-and-trade from the Hornets, staying until 2002. So, I’ll include that in my analysis. My goal is to outline a few points: the context of the team, a plausible "what-if" path, obstacles they faced, and a verdict on their rebuild success. A successful rebuild could mean making the playoffs within two years and reaching a 50-win team, although title odds would remain low without another star. I’ll provide some rough scenarios based on potential win additions with different outcomes.