Richard Meagher: What to make of Dalen Terry? Bulls picked him at No. 18, last summer, Is he a player that the Bulls can build around? The limited time I saw him I liked what I saw of him. Your take?
Sam: He needs work. Maybe he’ll get it. I heard he’s headed for DeMar DeRozan’s summer boot camp later this month, and will play for the Bulls Summer League team in July. A player can vastly improve in the offseason; the truth is that’s when they do. In-season development is somewhat overrated since teams rarely practice because they prefer to rest the veterans. So guys who aren’t playing often are working out mostly against assistant coaches. Terry never got a chance to really play this season, which I understood since there wasn’t much room for him given the limited rotation and the day to day urgency for at least getting to the play-in round without Lonzo Ball. Unlike, say, Miami, the Bulls regulars didn’t miss games. So there wasn’t as much opportunity. Terry was exceptionally raw even for a two-and-done. His shot by NBA standards was poor, he didn’t handle the ball well enough and didn’t show an ability to run offense. I saw a lot of hustle, but not enough NBA skill yet. That said, he was angry about not playing, which I liked, and which could motivate him to really work at his weaknesses. He seems to have good instincts, hustle and reflexes. If he can just add some reliable shooting, he could find a spot in the rotation with uncertainty regarding players like Derrick Jones Jr. and Javonte Green. This summer will be huge for Terry.
Brian Tucker: After last year’s offseason of stability, I almost forgot how wild offseason rumors can be. They’ve started! And especially since the Bulls have limited cap space, no draft picks, and no desire to rebuild… creative solutions are definitely needed to re-design this team.
I am enjoying all the ideas and rumors swirling about because there’s no way AKME should run it back again even though I can see that scenario playing out too.
Favorite nostalgia move: Sign Rose, as he’s most certainly not going to have his team option picked up by the Knicks.
Favorite underachieving star for star trade: Zach for KAT. I actually think this helps both teams from a roster construction point of view. For the Bulls, this allows a Vooch sign and trade and a different direction at center. Also, DeMar moves to shooting guard and Pat can move to the wing.
Favorite for draft: Zach to Portland for #3. This also could be my favorite for basketball because seeing two gifted scorers like Dame and Zach together would be a treat for fans. A Jerami Grant sign and trade makes sense for Portland, but maybe they’d rather keep him and a trade the combination of Simons/Nurkić, as their salaries match Zach’s. I’m not sure I’d want a long-term deal for Grant anyway. Either way, the draft pick would have to hit big because none of those guys are near the player Zach is.
Another fun star trade I haven’t seen yet, but surely it’s just a matter of time would be a deal for Anthony Davis. Maybe DeMar and Vooch? Davis seems to be getting scapegoated a bit for his cold shooting against the Nuggets. Lakers drama is real this offseason. D’Angelo Russell is the other scapegoat, but that doesn’t excite me.
Sam: Sounds more likely for discussion than destiny. I’ve been among many to suggest adding Rose. We know he sat much of last season, but the indications I get are that he has plenty left. And certainly he is rested. He never caused a problem, suggesting he’d fit off the bench or in a limited role. He still knows how to run an offense and score; he may not play in the air, but he still can beat most anyone off the dribble. The Bulls have had numerous chances to engage the Knicks and Rose and haven’t. I doubt that changes. Back to where it all happened for Zach? I do believe Towns will be traded. They gave too much for Gobert to give him up for not much, and it’s been obvious he and Towns are a bad fit. Minnesota really needs a playmaker, but already has a high scoring two guard in Edwards. So, that doesn’t work. It does seem the Bulls really want to retain Vučević. Probably for some of the same reasons that like Minnesota with Gobert the Bulls invested substantially in Vučević. I actually believe DeRozan and Vučević, both as close to iron men as the NBA has these days, would be better for the Lakers than the inconsistent and oft-injured, if more talented, Davis. My guess is the Lakers will retain Davis. And they say they want to keep most of the role players. We’ll see if they really match big offers. I still believe there will be Bulls change; just can’t figure out what.
Bambi Choy: Caleb Martin has quickly developed during this year's playoffs into not just a role player but a legit starter. Undoubtedly his stock has risen and he'll be untouchable. AKME should think of a clever way to snatch the next best thing from the Hornets, his twin Cody Martin. I remember watching them play in 2018 when Nevada lost to Loyola in Sweet 16. They not only look identical, they're built and play identical. So while Cody remains an insignificant piece in Charlotte, get him before someone else does.
Sam: And Caleb was the other guy, a free agent while Cody was a second round draft pick. Though this is a Miami strength we frankly haven’t seen with many other teams, the remarkable number of undrafted players who have become high level contributors. I’ll admit I didn’t see much from either Martin when Caleb was in Charlotte. Now he’ll have to “suffer” with his $6.8 million for next season before he can opt out. Better keep making shots, which he wasn’t so much doing this season until the playoffs. Cody’s been a poor shooter much of his time with the Hornets, and this season never was able to return after knee surgery. That’s a bad sentence around the Bulls, so I doubt they look in that direction. Though maybe someone strikes gold with him.
Trevor Hoffler: With the vengeful return of parity and the most interesting playoffs in a long time, it has me wondering about how history will look back on the Superteam Era. While I won't deny all the player movement did create a certain level of excitement around basketball to the point that the off-season became more interesting than the regular season, I can already see where that era will be referred to with sort of an asterisk. Yes, LeBron has an impressive amount of finals runs but how many of them after his first Cleveland stint were as impressive as what Jimmy is doing right now? It just doesn't feel the same watching a collective of hall of famers throttle inferior competition over and over instead of getting to the mountain top through sheer force of will and determination. Golden State is obviously not immune to this criticism despite that team mostly being an organic phenomenon. I just can't see where we look back in 50 years and hold the accomplishments of that era to the same level. I know the Celtics pretty much invented the Superteam and history doesn't much mention that much outside of giving Aurbach his flowers, but at least back then every team wasn't trying to do it... i just think it feels cheap by comparison.
Sam: You may be a bit premature here. To quote Bluto Blutarsky, “Nothing is over until we decide it is.” It’s a bit more diluted these days with the stars doing more of the take the money and run stuff because of the huge salaries available when you resign with your own team. But enough of them will continue to be sad and want to be traded that teams will continue to try to recreate those big threes. Phoenix with Durant did, but Chris Paul is looking more ready to collect his pension than rings. The Nets obviously tried, but Kyrie ruins those things. Someone will try to add Lillard. The NBA is trying to limit these combinations with increased luxury tax rules that penalize the high salaries. So it will be harder to do, but teams will continue to figure out ways. What the Miami/LeBron partnership thing did was kick off the era of player empowerment, and that's not changing by the looks of the way the league is heading. As much as you’d like an asterisk for LeBron, nah, he gets to count those two Miami championships. Just not the promised seven.
Brodie Larsh: I think there's a trade to be made by giving DeMar what he wants and sending him to the Lakers. Maybe we could even rope Lonzo into the deal... Demar and Lonzo to the Lakers for Beasley, Vanderbilt, Bamba and D'Angelo (resigned around 15 mil/yr) works financially. It doesn't sound like theres much of a market for Russell after his benching in the playoffs. Bulls add youth, depth, athleticism, and 3pt shooting. Lakers add more win-now talent and scoring, and hopefully get Lonzo back for the post-LeBron Era (or will just have 1 year left after next season), or could use his salary for matching purposes at the deadline.
Sam: The Bulls certainly value DeRozan for his play and his effect with the young players. If there’s a team leader, he’s the one. Though I’d have to consider something like that given the likelihood that Patrick Williams is better at the wing position and the chance to add more defense to support Caruso. Ball likely is untradeable, and I wouldn’t be interested in Russell just as the Lakers seem not to be. He's not really a point guard, but an undersized two. DeRozan is going into his last season and as great as he’s been you also don’t want to lose him for nothing after next season.
John Leichenko: How do the Bulls get Jaylen Brown?
Sam: I’m not a fan of Brown, which likely doesn’t matter much. Certainly not to him. Not because of his disappointing playoffs this season; he did have some big games in last year’s series. And, yes, unlike the Bulls he got there. So that matters. There’s been a deluge of Brown trade speculation since the Celtics Game 7 loss. GM Brad Stevens then came out and said they want him back, but that doesn’t mean much when it may cost $300 million. I’d like one of those sporty Porsche cars. But as it starts at $275,000, I’ll probably look elsewhere. I mentioned a Detroit possibility last week that makes some sense with No. 5, Jalen Duren and maybe someone like Bogdanović. The Hawks, I presume with Trae Young, have been speculated along with the Trailblazers with that No. 3 pick, and some teams with multiple future picks like the Thunder (Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren and a pick?), Pelicans and Rockets. I see Brown more as a star-lite volume shooter who doesn’t shoot or handle the ball as well as, say, Zach LaVine. So I’m not interested if I’m the Bulls. Boston did get to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so it’s not a failure of a season. Brown puts up good numbers and would give a young team some credibility. But he does tend to miss at least 15 games a season. The real reason the Celtics could do something is by making All-NBA, Brown is punching above his weight and entitled to a supermax deal maybe close to $300 million going into his last contract season. Tatum is the better player who they have to extend after two more seasons. No way with the new labor agreement you figure they can commit more than $600 million to those two guys. Teams always need a star player, so someone probably will pay him. It seems like the Celtics have too many other needs to do so.
Michael Murden: When I see a late foul call on a shot I assume what’s happening is that the referee is waiting to see if the shot goes in or not. If the refs always waited there would never be three-point plays, but sometimes the refs do award an and-1 when a players scores and is fouled. How do they decide when to award the free throw and when not? It seems to me that especially late in games calling or not calling the and-1 can be used to manipulate point spreads. Given how the league now has business relationships with gambling web sites does the league need to be more transparent about that aspect of officiating?
Sam: It seems to me the NBA is the most transparent in sports with officiating given their last two-minute reports and the media accessibility to officials after games on any controversial call. But I can see how people might think what you suggest given the expanding relationships with gambling. I don’t like it, but it’s so pervasive in society now with all the gambling apps and the ease of gambling that every league involved with it. We just have to assume they all are doing their due diligence. I don't believe officials are manipulating the spreads. With the way Tim Donaghy has been blackballed from the sport and society, it has to be a frightening object lesson for NBA officials. Yes, there always will be temptations too big to resist. But that’s whether there are gambling apps or not. I believe the officials are trying to judge the flow of the game, though it is judgmental and thus left open for interpretation. I’m confident the NBA stays on top of this as well as they can and I choose to believe the games are honest. Except, you know, when the calls go against your team.
Tim Flynn: I’ll tell you the PG who would be ideal for the Bulls right now, especially for the money — but I don’t see how they could get him since he is the only PG on their team — is Monte Morris. He is the ultimate unselfish team player who has an unworldly career ATO of 5/1, 5.3/1 last year, 48% and 39% on FGs and 3s and a tough defender as well. As much as I hope Coby has a breakout year coming up, I’d trade him for Morris straight up if that deal could be possible.
Sam: I’m not as enamored of Morris as you are since I didn’t see a lot of impact last season with the Wizards, but that may be because he was with the Wizards. He’s got a year left at about $10 million, and change is coming for the Wizards with new management, so you never know. He’s smallish, but he is intriguing to some extent given as you note he’s a good shooter and can run a team. He’s maybe not the Lonzo Ball-type answer, but he is that Tyus Jones-type that many say could help the Bulls at point guard. Though Coby White made a nice leap last season. Perhaps something to consider.
Alexa Andrews: I'm a longtime Bulls fan and wanted to start my question off by commending LaVine for his efforts in making this team as great as possible. I agree with one user who gave him his flowers despite the gut-wrenching play-in loss. But, I'm also curious to know your take on the recent trade rumours circulating LaVine. KC Johnson recently mentioned how [LaVine] is "tired" of being in trade talks, and while I don't blame him (because it can be rather taxing) do you think there's a possibility the Bulls could build around him?
Sam: I don’t see why not because while I hear all this about he’s not a number one — very few are — he fits the precise modern profile of the kind of star you need these days who can shoot, is athletic and can get to the basket for free throws. I believe LaVine can do the things Tatum does; certainly Jaylen Brown. More than Bradley Beal, Jamal Murray (I’ve suggested playing more through Vučević like Denver does with Jokić), and even the way LeBron is a lesser contributor these days. Zach can have a lot of impact. The complication the Bulls seem to be facing is the positions in this so called position less NBA. Billy Donovan likes to play a smallish team, and many teams do that. But Patrick Williams seems to be making it clear he will produce best at the so called wing position, where DeRozan plays. DeMar’s not going to be a sixth man, and Patrick shouldn’t be. I don’t think you can face another season getting away with four guards as the Bulls often did the end of last season. It’s why I’m interested to see what decisions the Bulls make this summer.
Leonard Spale: I have heard no one asking why Brad Stevens didn’t step back into the head coaching position for the Celtics at least on an interim basis for one year instead of rolling out a young unproven name like Mazzulla who really couldn’t command much respect from a veteran group of players some older than him. With a proven team and high aspirations it doesn’t seem out of the question that he would retake the reigns given the untenable circumstances which transpired. Do you have any thoughts or insights on why this didn’t take place or even if it was considered a possibility?
Sam: Easier job, pays the same, less pressure, more job security. For starters. True, ownership, I suppose, could have demanded it. But Stevens never exactly was the inspiring leader type, and there does seem some sort of disconnect with that team. You hear about internal issues, which always are vague, which also is why I’ve always figured they would retain Mazzulla and moreso maybe make some roster changes. Fire (some of) the players. Look, they were fortunate to get by the 76ers, too. Tatum had to have an all-world game and a half. That group seems more like it’s stepping back than forward and needs some change.
Sofia Martinez: Seems like all the teams who are eliminated from the playoffs all have fanbases that have rightfully express their dissatisfaction with a certain player or two (or maybe even the coaching staff, the team as a whole) similar to the Bulls franchise. I was rooting for the Celtics as a Bulls fan and was sad to see Jayson go down the way he did. At the same time, though, I was disappointed that his other teammates (aside from Derrick White) didn't seem to "carry the team" like they should have. Celtics fans have also accused JT and Jaylen Brown of "letting the entire city of Boston down" according to a video from ESPN, similar to how Bulls fans have accused LaVine of letting Chicago down with that play-in game. What do you think the Bulls and other teams could learn from this year's playoffs?
Sam: That Brown and LaVine didn’t let their teams down (at least what I learned). Sometimes you just miss some shots, though that’s been the Celtics’ Achilles heel and why many of us thought they were vulnerable. They seem to believe they have so many good shooters that they just need to keep shooting those threes. Wrong. Bad idea. That’s something to learn. It’s true the NBA basically has become the team that makes the most threes wins the game; so you have to have shooting because most teams will just continue to shoot. But you also have to realize at some point if you’re missing it may not be your night and to try something else. On the positive side, I fear what many teams believe they have learned is maybe they are not that far away in a league with historic parity. Hey, if Miami can be in the Finals…Don’t be fooled. They looked like they dumped most of the regular season with their best players sitting out dozens of games with “injuries.” None of which required surgery, conveniently. And now none of whom have missed any playoff games all of a sudden. I thought the best team in the East was Milwaukee, and I still do. Their management agreed with me, I assume, since they fired the coach two years after winning the title. Better organized, that playoff meltdown should not happen again. If I were the Bulls, that’s the team I’d aim for more than Miami. But what the Heat showed everyone is not to discount them. Ever. Overall, I don't believe players learn from others' defeats; only their own.
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