Joseph Austin:
The Bulls have already given their money to DeRozen, Ball, and Caruso. If it happens with LaVine, the Bulls will need to diversify their money. Even though I want to see White traded for a legitimate SF, doing a trade with White and Vooch, might make sense. A trade of White, Vucevic, and a future 1st round pick might be enough assets in exchange for the younger, more all-around big man in Rudy Gobert, and it might appeal to the Jazz?
Sam Smith:
Still hate the Jazz, eh? Hey, they lost the two Finals. We're now about to embark upon trading speculation/fantasy season with all but two teams still unable to trade. But as unfair as it seems, the NBA isn't dedicated to trades that favor the Bulls. I often suggest to consider if you were a fan of the other team. Would you do that? So Gobert—even though I feel he's overrated— is a multiple All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year signed long term (though for a lot of money). For an older center entering his unrestricted free agency season, a guard who struggled coming off the bench eligible for an extension and perhaps some future non lottery pick several years away. Because if the Trailblazers lose Lillard they're out of the playoffs for years to come.
Now, I don't believe you can win a championship or get to the Finals if Gobert is one of your top two players. Though with the money he makes in a small market, I admit there are some Jazz trade possibilities that might not make overall basketball sense. But with the Bulls roster hypothetically taking on that $40 million-plus salary of Gobert's you could be in salary cap hell. For a fourth option? I feel like you can get size and rim protection much more inexpensively. But from a Utah standpoint, given his accomplishments they'd certainly expect more. And now being run by Danny Ainge, who is a notoriously demanding negotiator. Ainge was the guy who basically wouldn't give the Bulls more than Terry Rozier for Jimmy Butler. Not that he was right, but it suggests his negotiating pattern.
Tim Koncel:
It's that time of the year where we can dream about building a super team in Chicago. I like to think we could get the superstar with health/displeasure issues with their other team and it would get better here. With that, who are realistic trade targets? Do you think the Bulls could get any of these players, and who would it take to get them: Ben Simmons, Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson, Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis
Sam Smith:
No, no, no, probably not without maybe giving up DeRozan and Patrick Williams, and no. I can see a Gobert theme developing here with the Jazz perhaps the combination of most disappointing/underachieving playoff/reorganizing team with the two stars who supposedly don't get along. Gobert makes $38 million next season and three after that more than $40 million, which would be too much for me for what he does. I've always felt you drive into his body and he doesn't react that well. Zion's an interesting case due to be paid more than $100 million with rarely having played. The Pelicans probably want to take a look at him first given the public and potential box office interest. It would be too big a risk for me given his injuries and often lack of conditioning. Would he then change for you?
The larger issue may be players are looking around and seeing that the Join-a-Big-Three model doesn't guarantee anything anymore (see: Lakers, Nets, Clippers). And a max deal sounds better than getting yourself traded. Which seems why Lillard and Bradley Beal likely aren't going to be on the market. You interested in Westbrook? John Wall? Kyrie? On the other hand, there are some economic possibilities. With breakthrough guys like Jordan Poole, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane, some teams probably are going to try to mine other sources for an inexpensive gem. So I guess it's possible that a big name hits the market. But I also sense the Bulls are attempting that strategy with at least Patrick Williams and perhaps Ayo Dosunmu. I don't see LeBron letting the Lakers move on from Davis or the Nets from Simmons once he's ready to play.
Richard Meagher:
Can the Bulls get Mitchell Robinson of the Knicks this summer as a FA? He could help shore up the front line, Any chance they could trade or buy in for a second round pick in the upcoming draft?
Sam Smith:
With so few big time free agents that seem on the move this summer, I suspect someone like Robinson will be out of the Bulls price range. Plus, he gets hurt a lot. Which perhaps is karma for taking out Patrick Williams. I think the Bulls can get a Robinson type athletic seven footer with the No. 18 pick. They had success last year in the second round, but don't have their own second round pick this draft. I suppose they could buy one, but not many are for sale these days and it looks like they could have a very expensive summer otherwise.
Michael Worth:
Watched some Jabari Smith highlights and he is pretty smooth. Has quick moves and nice handles. He does need to bulk up. If I am Magic I go with him and build around him and Wagner. Make Suggs the backup and get a vet PG in there.
Sam Smith:
Jabari Smith seems to be something of a consensus safe top pick in a draft without one. They seem ready to move on from Mo Bamba, so some have suggested they'd take Chet Holmgren to play a modern stretch four with former Bull Wendell Carter since Holmgren might have the higher ceiling. Given, you know, he has trouble bumping is head. As I've noted, I'm not a fan of the big, skinny types. Though Holmgren's no Bol Bol. Orlando still has Jonathan Isaac recovering for two years. With Franz Wagner, Smith would be another athletic wing in perhaps a Celtics like situation with Wendell to bang around and they still have a Bulls No. 1 coming next year. It's tough to dig out with so many young guys. You have to hit with one guy. Which is why the Bulls rebuild phase didn't work. They never really got lucky in the draft. Consider the difference for the Bulls if teams didn't jump them in the lottery who then had chances to draft Luka, Ja and Zion.
Homer Sayson:
Is it true that the Bulls are interested in 7-foot-3 Filipino center Kai Sotto. A story in New York said the Bulls are giving him a workout.
Sam Smith:
Well, the Bulls need a seven footer backup big guy. I don't know much about him playing in Australia. He's mostly mentioned in the mock drafts as a second rounder, so I suspect the Bulls at No. 18 would likely go for someone projected higher. He seems like the sort of guy who if he slips through you'd like to bring to Summer League. Can't teach size, and all that, and one of the Bulls' biggest needs is big.
Mike Sutera:
Gross with all the threes in Game 1. And maybe less Iggy for the Warriors. And more Poole. Give some minutes to GP for energy.
Sam Smith:
I suspect we'll see Payton in Game 2 with the Warriors giving up 64 points in the second half with Tatum not able to make a shot. Steve Kerr is an adjustments guy. I keep dismissing the Celtics since I most remember them from coming apart against the Bulls, though it was early in the season. It was a heck of an offensive game for the Finals. I'm also not one so thrilled to watch 86 threes going up, but it should send a loud message to the Bulls for next season. That game and really most of the playoffs. The team that made the most threes generally has won. I'd hoped the NBA would not continue to come to this, but at some point I guess you have to give in. The Bulls last in the league by a lot in three pointers attempted may just point to the biggest need for next season if the team has a chance to seriously compete. As much as we celebrated DeRozan's game, the Bulls will have to find more shooters. Who are willing to shoot. Management after the season vaguely mentioned needs like interior size and defense, perhaps point guard insurance, though Ball supposedly has been progressing well. But the way so many of these playoff games have been decided suggests there's an obvious priority the Bulls badly need to address.
Stephen Zwick:
I like Mark Williams. He fits the Bulls need for a back-up 5 and rim protector. But I don't think he'll slide to 18 where the Bulls pick. Also not sure that Mark Williams is worth trading whoever the Bulls select at 18 and Coby to the team that selects Mark Williams. Walker Kessler seems NBA ready and serviceable but doesn't provide much flexibility and seems more suited for the way the NBA use to be played. So I'm a little more intrigued with another Williams... Jaylin Williams. He's got good size and is a high energy player somewhat in the mold of Bobby Portis (another Razorback) or Christian Wood. JWill is not as big as the other two I noted above, but seems a bit more flexible (can play the 4 or 5) and better suited to today's game. He can also hit 3s though needs to improve his percentage. His 3-point percentage though is better that Walker Kessler's. JWill is known more for his D than his offense, but looks like there's more upside potential particularly on O with JWill than with Kessler.
Sam Smith:
Or Daniel Gafford? Hey, whatever became of him with the Wizards? I've mentioned targeting a seven footer, but in the NBA these days like Boston with Horford and Robert Williams, with defense and some athletic ability (Kevon Looney) you can get by if you have enough skill. Yes, and shoot a lot of threes. Every team tries to make changes to improve, but given the Bulls roster situation it seems most likely they'll "run it back," as they said after the season, in the context of they were around first and highly competitive until all the injuries, and basically lost their best defenders in Williams, Lonzo Ball and Caruso. So perhaps they don't need change as much as continuity? And then someone from the draft, presumably a tall man, to be able to come in and support the defense. Oh, right, and shooting.
Mike Queen:
Did Darvin Ham take the worst job in the NBA: An aging LBJ, a brittle Davis, a poor shooter and angry Russ, no youth, no draft pick, no cap space?
Sam Smith:
But nice views. No big deal. Hardly anyone will know he's there as we get back to a season of: WWLDN, What-will-LeBron-do-now? And is the championship window closed for good? Hint: Yes. Unless he wants to come off the bench for Darius Garland's Cavs? Is Bronny in the draft yet?
Peter Toluzzi:
I was intrigued by comments last week about DeMar playing more with the reserves. I clearly remember the year before last, after the Vooch trade, the Zach and Vooch pick and pop was unstoppable early and often, and seemed to fuel Vooch's confidence in his shot. I'd like to see Billy Donovan make more use of them both early in the game, and that leaves DDR in a less star-studded scoring role... until the 4th quarter... but I challenge opponents to stop all three when they're on. The trick seems to be to get Vooch in closer to the basket early. I hope the coaching staff will come up with some plays this summer that feature both Zach and DDR in motion; iso ball is the least exciting to watch.
Sam Smith:
The star to the support role is an intriguing subject, and perhaps could be the sort of innovation that could change some traditional thinking in the NBA. Or not. As I wrote last week, I don't expect it to happen whether it's because DeRozan would resist or the coach and management would fear alienating one of the best players in the league, perhaps fearing sending the wrong message to him and maybe others. But it does in some sense come down to the lack of pace and ball movement that accrued to the team as the season went on. I believe the conventional wisdom will be that the loss of Lonzo Ball changed the dynamic. And then no fault of his, but Ayo was not a true point guard and became to push the ball and attack. There was a stretch of games when he moved to point guard when teams began to trap and pressure and the Bulls gave up some late leads. After that, Ayo became more cautious on offense and thus the offense slowed considerably and produced a lot of dribbling. The ball was mostly walked up and then handed to DeMar or Zach with substantial time off the clock, and the team didn't really have sufficient time to run enough offense. Presumably the thinking is with Lonzo and his ability to outlet, push the ball and look ahead there will be a lot less forced isolations. I think it also will help Vucevic to have a point guard pushing the ball, though he seemed to prosper most in pick and roll with Dosunmu generally on the wing or interior rather than at the top of the key or free throw line.
Matt Cooney:
Watching these playoffs through the conference finals, especially in the East, makes me realize how far this Bulls team needs to go. The physicality – 1 through 8 – and the ability of three or four teammates on the floor willing to score – have been very impressive. Karnisovas's season ending news conference essentially said, "we need a little bit of everything." Maybe some prayers for good health and a few key free agents will put us in the top four next year. And give these guys a couple of years together. Billy did an outstanding job managing the limited resources he had, but next year Billy will need to work on DeMar to get him to distribute shots more.
Sam Smith:
I believe they can address some of the issues around the margins, as media suggested and the phraseology Karnisovas seemed amused about. After all, you can't acquire a player and tell him he's there for the margins. I think the Bulls can get an athletic big man reserve at No. 18 unless they find some talent who skipped through. As Miami has demonstrated, there are shooters out there who did slip through. One tough part will be the toughness. That's where the Bulls seemed lacking. Perhaps skill can carry you through the regular season, but you need to be more physical for the playoffs? Though the Nets aren't. And they'll be picked toward the top again. Or just that the Bulls toughest guys were all hurt? One draft name who often comes up around the Bulls selection is Ohio State's E.J. Liddell, a smallish tough, physical forward in the Draymond Green/Paul Millsap mode, who can make opponents seem marginal.
Bill Kochneff:
Perhaps Jimmy Butler shouldn't have made that last 3-point attempt. However, no one from the Heat made any of the top three all-NBA teams this year. Yet, they were arguably the best team in the division and certainly one of the top five in the league. Jimmy Butler was unquestionably the leader on the team and had an outstanding year. If I were a voter, I would have voted for Butler over DeRozan, and I'm a Bulls fan. You'd think that his overall skills would be worth at least a third team selection. Why on earth, given the makeup of all the NBA teams, was Butler not on at least the third team? Do the voters really think that the main reason the Heat did so well was due to coaching or the rest of the team?
Sam Smith:
Jimmy missed too many games, 25. Availability is a big ability in the NBA these days, and it sounds like the league is getting ready to enforce it in the postseason voting. The media likes to make the All-NBA the best players, but Durant also shouldn't have made it playing just 55 games. Same for LeBron. After all, LeBron did not qualify for the scoring title not playing enough games. The same should relate to postseason honors, especially since most players have bonuses in their contracts for the awards. You can't give awards to guys who don't play.
Yes, Jimmy is better than DeRozan, but you have to also reward attendance with so many NBA players taking so much time off and thus making a mockery of the regular season. After all, people pay a lot of money. It's a problem. So is it also suspicious with Jimmy since in the playoffs he could play so much and in that last game never come out? Or just how tough he is? I will compliment Jimmy on being the rare NBA player who isn't complaining about every foul call. Heck, I'd give him a postseason award just for that.
OK, the shot. Bad idea. The three to basically end the conference finals was the wrong shot, but not that he took it. We often condemned LeBron for not wanting to be in that position and take that shot and instead make the "right play." Your best player needs to take those shots. It's just with Jimmy on the move (I can't recall seeing him make a three that way) and Horford backpeddling, it seemed ideal for a drive and foul three-point play. Or at least a tie and overtime at home. You know Boston in full collapse mode wasn't making a shot after that. Or winning in overtime. But consider the narrative we have now and what a few seconds difference would have meant to how we view Boston if either the three went in or Jimmy got the three-point play? That's why players and teams who don't win titles aren't losers as much as guys who just happened not to win.
John Leichenko:
I have always maintained that Butler will hit the game-tying shot, not the game-winner. He needs to be the 2nd probably 3rd option on a really good team. The problem is, he could be on a team w/Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, and still think he should take game winner.
Sam Smith:
That's not all bad. You want guys who want those shots. Unless they miss, of course.
Longgiang Le:
Do you think Jimmy is honestly a Hall of Famer? I think he could be if he keeps this up for a few more years.
Sam Smith:
I actually have to agree, and he may have done enough already given the Hall of Fame bar isn't that high these days. No offense to Tim Hardaway going in this year, but Jimmy has about as many All-Star and All-NBA appearances and is a far better two-way player with his defense. It's truly a remarkable run for not only the No. 30 draft pick by the Bulls, but an actual journeyman considering his journey around the NBA.
I still get the occasional sentimental "if we still had Jimmy" plea, though that's no longer the NBA. Because I'm sure the Spurs wish they still had Kawhi (Toronto, too), the Pacers with Paul George, the Heat with LeBron (and Cavs), the Warriors with Durant (Ok, maybe not anymore). But free agency, and good for the players and jersey sales people if not the home fans, has altered team makeup. Remember, Jimmy wanted his coach with Thibs and moved on from there, by the way leaving two young All-Stars in Towns and Wiggins, and then could have played with Embiid and moved from there. Sometimes it's the fourth house that works best. Or fourth spouse. I guess Jimmy had some knee issues, but he's also a little like Longfellow's little girl, "When she was good, she was very good indeed; But when she was bad she was horrid." Before those amazing Games 6 and 7 playing 46 and 48 minutes and totaling 82 points, Jimmy averaged nine points over three games shooting 10 for 40 as the Heat lost two of three to let Boston back into the series. Not Hall of Fame stuff, which always made you scratch your head about Jimmy. Or should I say, future Hall of Famer Jimmy Butler?