The Bulls have tried to survive this season by spreading the point guard duties around as much as possible.

Coby White began the season carrying the responsibility to initiate the offense, but he struggled enough that the Bulls moved him off the ball more frequently before eventually moving him to a reserve role. Zach LaVine has taken a step forward as a playmaker, but he’s also turning the ball over more frequently than he has since his rookie year. Thad Young’s passing ability as a center has helped along with veteran guard Tomas Satoransky since the two moved into the starting lineup five games ago.

“The position has really been done by committee, to be quite honest,” coach Billy Donovan said after Sunday’s 100-86 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

That perhaps explains why the Bulls found themselves in the midst of more trade rumors about New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball. According to The Ringer, the Bulls are one of the teams attempting to pry Ball from the Pelicans.

The report also indicated skepticism around the league that the Pelicans would trade Ball, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, before Thursday’s deadline, but the Bulls and Atlanta Hawks have been in conversation with them.

Satoransky played well Sunday with eight points, nine assists and three steals, but White was a nonfactor off the bench. He played just 17 minutes with seven points and four assists and received barely more playing time than Ryan Arcidiacono, who had nine points and two assists in 15 minutes.

With the bounce-back win over the lowly Pistons, the Bulls were 19-22 and in 10th place in the Eastern Conference entering Monday night’s game against the Utah Jazz at the United Center, with 2 1/2 games of cushion between them and the fading Toronto Raptors, who have lost eight straight. And looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, the Bulls appear to be operating as if they intend to be buyers at the deadline this week.

“(Vice president of basketball operations) Arturas (Karnisovas) is always going to look at how he can continue to help the group, how can he help them get better,” Donovan said. “I like our guys, they work hard, they’re unselfish, they’re coachable, they want to do the right things, they want to get better, but there’s no question there’s times where we’ve struggled back there at that position.

“That has happened, but I’ve always said this about Coby — he’s a fighter. He’s always trying to figure things out. Sato is a competitive guy, so is Arch, and I think those guys are investing a lot, so I’m happy with the job those guys are doing. Can we all be better? Absolutely, but I appreciate the way those guys are sacrificing, trying to make the team better.”

Point guard has been a glaring issue for the Bulls all season — they turn the ball over more frequently than any other team in the NBA — but the last few games exacerbated the issue. Turnovers were a major reason the Bulls blew back-to-back double-digit leads against the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets, repeatedly flummoxed by full-court presses that generated turnovers.

When the Pistons were attempting to mount a comeback Sunday, they started upping the pressure on the Bulls ballhandlers.

Satoransky’s addition to the starting lineup has helped a little, but it hasn’t been a complete fix. He has the skill set of a traditional point guard but has been mostly a backup and spot starter in his career for a reason.

Judging by the Bulls being involved in another rumor about interest in a point guard, perhaps it is a strong indicator the team’s new executives believe they need a true playmaker.

“I definitely feel comfortable with this system,” Satoransky said.

“Offensively, it allows you a lot of cutting, a lot of movements. I feel the best when we keep that energy with the ball.

“That’s why it was very tough also for me, the way we lost the last two games, because for most of the part, those games we did a good job. We started well, we had the lead, but we blew up the lead and we (got) down on ourselves. That’s why it was tough for me, but we just have to continue to get better. When adversity hits in that second half, we’ve got to be ready for it and play smart.”