Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts

Should the Bulls pursue a trade for Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul?

Oklahoma City Thunder v Houston Rockets - Game Five Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images

both players are available

A bomb dropped on the NBA just a week before the 2020 NBA Draft with the news that Russell Westbrook wants a trade from the Rockets. While the general assumption was that James Harden would also ask out, he’s supposedly committed to Houston for now. There have already been a few teams thrown around as Westbrook suitors, including the Knicks, Clippers and Hornets.

But what about the Bulls?

Chicago is in a spot where everything should be on the table. There’s a new front office and coaching staff in place, and this franchise has accumulated decent young players but is still seeking a legitimate star since the Jimmy Butler trade.

Russell Westbrook would certainly bring star power to Chicago. However, that star is fading now that he’s 32 years old and has undergone numerous surgeries throughout the years. He can still put up big numbers, averaging 27/8/7 this season while really finding a groove before the NBA went on hiatus.

But the flaws were all there to see during the playoffs in the bubble. To be fair, Westbrook did get COVID-19 before coming to the bubble, and suffered a quad injury during the early portion of the restart. But even taking that into consideration, his outside shooting is a train wreck and his decision-making, especially late in games, can be costly. He’s often prone to major lapses on defense. These have been issues in the playoffs in his career, but it’s becoming more evident now as his physical advantages deteriorate.

Adding Westbrook in a vacuum might seem like a no-brainer, flaws and all, but bringing in a 32-year-old who relies so much on his speed and athleticism with three years and over $132 million left on his contract left is dangerous.

Russ also supposedly wants to go back to a role similar to what he had with the Thunder, which implies that he wants to go back to being The Man. New Bulls coach Billy Donovan let Westbrook do what whatever Westbrook wanted after Kevin Durant left. That led to historic amounts of triple-doubles but three straight first-round exits. Would Donovan want to go through that experience again, but this time with an older version? I have my doubts.

Still, say the Bulls do explore this. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry suggests trading LaVine and Otto Porter Jr. for Russ, leading to this scenario:

Contractually, by swapping Porter and LaVine for Westbrook, the Bulls would easily cover Westbrook’s $41 million 2020-21 salary, and their clean books going forward makes the remaining two years more palatable than it might appear at first glance.

Assuming either Young or Tomáš Satoranský wouldn’t be involved in a potential deal, the Bulls could create more cap space by trading them. Both have cap-friendly, partially guaranteed deals in 2021-22, which could make them more attractive thus easily movable. A potential Lauri Markkanen extension — assuming he’s still around — would kick in for 2021-22 and cut into that space. A potential Wendell Carter Jr. extension would then balloon the Bulls’ books in 2022-23, the final year of Westbrook’s contract.

But that’s potentially three good years with a nucleus of Westbrook, Markkanen, Carter, Coby White, Daniel Gafford and this year’s No. 4 overall pick. There are worse ways to retool.

Honestly, I don’t like the idea of including LaVine in a Russ trade. Russ is a bigger star with bigger numbers, but for how much longer? LaVine is on an affordable contract and still improving. He may not ever be a legitimate alpha dog, but Westbrook isn’t really one either at this stage and trending down. Porter would obviously have to be included in any deal to make salaries match, but though he has his injury issues he’s still an impactful player when healthy.

Even if you swap out LaVine for lesser stuff, I’m still not crazy about adding Westbrook to this team. I could probably be talked into it simply for the excitement factor, and he would make the Bulls better, but that contract is scary and I have my doubts about how much he’d help the rest of the core. I also don’t know if an aging Russell Westbrook is much of a draw for other stars in the future.

If the Bulls want to make a big trade for a star point guard who has played for Billy Donovan, I would turn to Chris Paul first. It sounds like both L.A. teams, the Suns, and the Bucks should be going hard after him. So it’s unlikely, but it wouldn’t hurt the Bulls to take a look.

Yes, Paul is even older than Westbrook at 35 with his own share of shortcomings and injury issues. But Paul’s massive contract is a year shorter (overall two years, over $85 million). Plus, Paul proved last season how his game has aged gracefully, reliant more on savvy and guile than brute force and athleticism. The Point God is still a wizard with the ball in his hands and a clutch performer [remembering all too well...-yfbb], thanks in large part to his mid-range prowess and ability to manipulate defenses.

If you want a deeper dive into the possibility, check out Mark Karantzoulis’ persuasive read over at BullsHQ. It’s easier to see Paul boosting the Bulls’ young core in the coming few years, and he’s already a mentor for Coby White. Again, like Russ, there would be risks involved. I’m also not trading LaVine in a trade for CP3, and the Bulls should be wary of what kind of draft assets to include in a deal.

But maybe Arturas Karnisovas would! Who knows? Nobody seems to know what the Bulls are doing right now. I don’t ultimately anticipate the Bulls pulling off a trade for either of these players, but we shouldn’t rule out anything with this new front office in charge.



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Cash Considerations Podcast: 2020 NBA Draft Preview

plus other rumors!

Cash Considerations welcomes Ben Pfeifer of the Prep2Pro NBA Draft Podcast to preview the 2020 NBA Draft. Before diving into the Bulls, we discuss some of the biggest rumors leading up to the draft next week, including Chris Paul and the Suns, Jrue Holiday and the Hawks, and what’s happening with the Rockets. (Note: this was recorded before news broke of Russell Westbrook wanting out.) We then talk about Deni Avdija, LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes and more as Chicago goes into the draft with picks 4 and 44.

Cash Considerations is part of the Blue Wire sports podcasting network. The pod can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play.



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SB Nation Blogger Mock Draft: The Chicago Bulls select Killian Hayes 4th

Ratiopharm Ulm v MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg - EasyCredit Basketball Bundesliga Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

here’s why I had the Bulls taking a lead guard

Our sibling sites across SB Nation completed their annual NBA Blogger Mock Draft this week. We couldn’t make any trades, and instead had to wait for the first three picks to be selected and assess my options.

The first three selections were the ones most expect in this range: Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, and LaMelo Ball. If Ball and Edwards were on the board at No. 4, I would have taken either one.

In terms of the draft strategy, I tried to employ the one which Arturas Karnisovas hinted that his Bulls would do on lottery night, simply going with the best player available. But I did also factor roster fit into the equation, and thus avoided big men.

After some consideration of taking guys like Deni Avdija, Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Vassell, and Isaac Okoro, I decided to draft point guard Killian Hayes.

Chicago’s roster has young talent but still needs a lot of work. While Zach LaVine and Coby White surely can score, the Bulls are still looking for a prospect who can get others involved as well. Hayes can be that type of player.

Although he only played ten games for German club Ratiopharm Ulm, his stats looked decent: 17.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, plus shot 39 percent from deep on 5.5 attempts per 36 minutes. At 6’4” and a 6’8” wingspan, Hayes has good size for a point guard and defensively can get his hands in passing lanes. And it doesn’t appear that his size will hinder his ability to stay in front of other guards, and it benefits him when switching.

But Hayes’s bread and butter is on offense. Hayes is one of the best passers in this draft class and has superb court vision, something none of the guards that the Bulls currently have on their roster have to that level. His playmaking would be a big boost to the offense, certainly aiding three-point shooters like Lauri Markkanen.

Hayes’s presence would even help LaVine and White as Hayes could take some pressure off both as an offensive creator. Although Hayes shot only 45.5 percent from the field last season, he can get to the rim and make tough finishes even if defenders are there.

As shown above, Hayes can swerve in a flash and get by defenders with ease. Below, he shows that followed by a pull-up jumper.

Overall, having Hayes would open a lot of potential for Chicago’s offense. There are some solid individual offensive players on the team but they need someone to be the lead guy. Hayes has the potential to be just that. His scoring will force teams to pay attention to him on drives and when he gets into the lane. It will open up scoring opportunities for others and when other guys are getting easier shots, the offense flows a lot better.

However, there are flaws that he needs to improve in his game as well. Hayes had the ball in his hands a lot in Europe which may not always be the case in the NBA. So it’s on him to prove he can be productive off the ball as well. He also needs to become a better decision-maker and make fewer risky passes, as he averaged 4.4 turnovers per 36 minutes last season. Sometimes the safer play is the right decision and he will have to learn how to take care of the ball better in the NBA.

Hayes is just 19 and there will be growing pains. However, there is a lot of upside with this pick. He showed in Germany last year that he has the potential to be a solid player in the NBA. The Bulls have more than just one pressing need in this draft, and need to acquire as much talent as they can get at the moment. Hayes was the best player on the board at number four and his fit with Chicago made it an even easier selection.



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BullsHQ-Cash Considerations 2020 NBA Draft Crossover Podcast

Chicago Bulls Introduce Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley Photo by Chris Ramirez/NBAE via Getty Images

Jay and Ricky join Mark to talk draft

On a new episode of BullsHQ, host Mark Karantzoulis (@mkhoops) is joined by hosts of the Cash Considerations podcast, Jason Patt (@Bulls_Jay) and Ricky O’Donnell (@SBN_Ricky), to discuss the upcoming NBA Draft.

In this Bulls podcast crossover, Mark, Jason, and Ricky discuss:

- The mystique surrounding the Bulls, Arturas Karnisovas, and what the team will do at the draft

- Reports from ESPN’s Jonathon Givony that the Bulls may be interested in trading for the No. 1 pick in the draft

- The perceived risks in drafting either LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards

- If there is anything Karnisovas could do on draft that should give Bulls fans pause, and so much more.



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Yes, there are Bulls and LaMelo Ball rumors now

UCLA v USC Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

According to ESPN, yes they could.

Think of LaMelo Ball in Chicago Bulls red and black...

If he’s there at the Bulls 4th pick, he’ll be selected according to the ‘feeling’ of NBCSportsChi’s KC Johnson. Furthermore, according to ESPN Insider Jonathan Givony, the Bulls are on a short list of about three teams that could be looking to move up in the draft to get dibs on the youngest Ball brother’s talents.

It may require that, as our Ricky O’Donnell has LaMelo Ball #1 overall:

LaMelo Ball blossomed into the top overall prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft by showcasing his special combination of physical and creative gifts during a season abroad playing in the Australian-based NBL. Ball has tremendous size for a lead guard at 6’7 paired with ultra tight ball handling, boundless vision, and the confidence and skill to throw any pass. If Ball’s creation ability is the foundation of his game, he also has room to grow as a scorer and defender. Ball struggled to score efficiently in halfcourt sets in Australia and has faced warranted criticism about his shot selection. At the same time, Ball displays impressive natural touch on floaters around the basket, and could ultimately develop into a quality shooter in part because he already has so many reps taking deep pull-up threes off the dribble in game action.

Ball is still growing into his gifts as one of the youngest players in this draft class, but his talent is worth betting on. Nothing changes the trajectory of a team like adding a star-level offensive creator, and no player in this class has a better chance to one day fill that role than Ball. If he isn’t a perfect present day fit in Minnesota, the thought of what he could one day become is too much to pass up

Givony also reveals in the article that many teams believe that Ball will go No. 1, and if for some reason he doesn’t hear his name first in the draft he’s a lock to still go in the top three.

Some of Ball’s strengths are redundant with Coby White and Zach LaVine and there surely isn’t nearly enough possessions in a single game to satisfy all three shot-happy players simultaneously. Meaning something has to give. Part ways with LaVine your best player in hopes that he’s all peaked out right now and Ball will become a younger, much better version of LaVine for the Bulls? Start Ball at point guard and relegate White to sixth man duties? Or get rid of LaVine, develop White into your long-term point guard and play Ball off the ball or vice versa?

A lot of unanswered questions the Bulls are trying to figure out to help guide their draft strategy.

Obviously, trading up means parting ways with your own assets. In a podcast with Zach Lowe, Givony suggests that the Bulls like Lauri Markkanen better than Wendell Carter Jr. so maybe the former Duke product becomes the worm you dangle to secure that No. 1 pick?

There’s inherent risk in trading up, especially for a seemingly boom-or-bust prospect like LaMelo Ball.

But who really knows? Just a few weeks ago, we were telling you all about how the Bulls were locked in on Deni Avdija and if not him Tyrese Haliburton. Our latest mock draft roundup had the Bulls picking everybody from Avdija to Killian Hayes to Obi Toppin.

Unpredictability is part of the fun of the draft. Until Adrian Wojnarowski tweets out the picks 20 seconds before they actually air them on the ESPN draft special, we will never know for certain.



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Cash Considerations Podcast: New Bulls assistants and Ricky’s new mock draft

draft in less than two weeks!

Jason and Ricky react to Billy Donovan hiring Maurice Cheeks and Josh Longstaff to his Bulls coaching staff. We then go over Ricky’s new mock draft at SB Nation and discuss some of the recent rumors from around the NBA.

Cash Considerations is part of the Blue Wire sports podcasting network. The pod can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play.



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The Bulls will be back in December

2020 Chicago Bulls Mini Camp Photo by Joe Pinchin/NBAE via Getty Images

the players approved a return plan on Thursday

While there was some player pushback about the start of the 2020-21 season actually happening in 2020 just two months after the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign, the financial realities pointed to them ultimately agreeing to the quick turnaround. Sure enough, NBPA reps voted Thursday to approve the NBA’s proposal of a 72-game season beginning on Dec. 22. The season is slated to end before the Olympics in July.

Here’s the brief statement:

As mentioned, there are still financial details to figure out as part of an amended collective bargaining agreement. With no fans or limited fans in the stadiums due to the ongoing pandemic, the league will still be looking at major revenue losses, so there are negotiations involving the amount of the players’ salaries held in escrow and spreading out their losses over multiple seasons.

Starting in December and getting in Christmas Day games as opposed to waiting and starting on MLK Day (Jan. 18) and playing a shorter season helps bring in more money. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports this plan “is worth between $500 million and $1 billion in short- and long-term revenues to the league and the players.”

Despite the revenue losses, it’s looking like the salary cap will stay flat for this offseason, with potential for growth in future seasons:

With the season now set to start on Dec. 22 and training camps expected to open on Dec. 1, the NBA will have to rush through its offseason. The 2020 NBA Draft is set to take place on Nov. 18, and then free agency will open shortly after that. Trades will be allowed once a formal agreement between the NBA and NBPA is reached, which is expected next week. This certainly makes for a crazy month ahead of the new season.

The Bulls haven’t played a game since March, so they’re surely anxious to get underway with this new regime. It also looks like they’ll have an increased chance of making the playoffs, with talk of a play-in tournament that features seeds 7-10 in both conferences.

With this fresh Bulls start upon us, I’m certainly excited to see what they have in store for us.



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Bulls’ Billy Donovan reportedly adds Maurice Cheeks, Josh Longstaff to coaching staff

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Billy D’s coaching staff is taking shape

New Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan recently cleaned house on the coaching staff, letting go of Roy Rogers, Nate Loenser and Karen Stack Umlauf. Chris Fleming survived the purge, and now Donovan is building out his new staff.

The first news on Monday morning came in the form of Bucks assistant Josh Longstaff coming aboard:

Shortly after this report came the bigger news of Maurice “Mo” Cheeks coming over to the Bulls from the Thunder:

There had been plenty of speculation about Cheeks following Donovan to Chicago. Cheeks was on Donovan’s staff for all five seasons in OKC, and he’s a Chicago guy who was a star at DuSable High School.

Cheeks spent 15 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Sixers (won a title in 1983), and was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player. Upon retirement in 1993, he immediately joined the coaching ranks. He spent a year in the CBA before joining the Sixers as an assistant in 1994. He was there until 2001, when the Sixers’ run to the NBA Finals helped him get the Blazers’ head coaching job.

Cheeks spent three-plus seasons in Portland before getting fired in the 2004-05 season. He returned to Philly in 2005 but this time as the head coach, also spending three-plus seasons there before his dismissal in 2009. He then went to OKC for an initial assistant stint under Scott Brooks, then coached the Pistons for 50 games in the 2013-14 season, then ultimately returned to the Thunder with Donovan in 2015.

The 64-year-old has a head coaching record of 305-315 in the regular season and 5-11 in the playoffs. While he hasn’t had much success as a head coach, his rapport with Donovan and wealth of experience should be a plus on the bench for this Bulls team.

As for Longstaff, he has a good amount of experience for being just 38 years old, and he has a player development background. He coached in high school coming out of Bryant University before joining the Thunder in 2010, so his time overlapped with Cheeks on Brooks’ staff. Longstaff held roles as a player personnel coordinator, video coordinator, player development coach and video analyst in OKC.

Longstaff was then hired by the Knicks for a player development coaching role in 2014, and he became close with Kristaps Porzingis:

As Mayberry notes, Longstaff also has experience as a G League head coach with the Hawks’ Erie BayHawks, spending one season there in 2017-18 after he officially became a Knicks assistant coach in 2015-16. The BayHawks went to the conference finals under his direction. Longstaff followed Mike Budenholzer to the Bucks in 2018.

Given Longstaff’s work with Porzingis, it’s only natural to assume the Bulls will have him work closely with Lauri Markkanen, assuming he’s still on the roster next season. The Bulls need a lot of player development work in general, so Longstaff will be playing a key role on this staff. Also, he’s totally recruiting Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Bulls.

In addition to Cheeks and Longstaff, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week that Sixers assistant John Bryant is joining Donovan’s staff. NBC Sports Chicago says “his duties aren’t yet defined.”



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A look at how the Bulls may be looking at drafting a point guard

2020 Chicago Bulls Mini Camp Photo by Joe Pinchin/NBAE via Getty Images

What’s the Point?

Ever since the trade of Derrick Rose, the Bulls have embarked on an unsuccessful quest to find their next point guard of the future.

Michael Carter-Williams, Jerian Grant, Cameron Payne, Isaiah Canaan, Kay Felder and Kris Dunn weren’t it. Maybe Coby White is it, but it’s far too early to tell.

Are the Bulls going to try to address this issue again in the draft this year? According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, “the Bulls may be looking for a lead playmaker”.

LaMelo Ball likely fits that job description if he drops to No. 4. Frenchman Killian Hayes, North Carolina Tar Heel Cole Anthony, and Iowa State product Tyrese Haliburton are all projected to go in the vicinity of the Bulls No. 4 pick.

We talked about Haliburton in a recent post because Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Wasserman reports the Bulls have expressed interest in selecting him.

The most recent point guard rumor out of the mill is from Wasserman again.

Most mock drafts have the Alabama product as more of a late-lottery talent. So, just like we talked about with Haliburton, if the Bulls are interested in him maybe this is a scenario where they trade down.

Here’s Ricky O’Donnell on Lewis Jr:

Lewis might be the fastest player in the draft with the ball in his hands. The 6’3 point guard is a blur in transition, where he graded out in the 79th percentile of points per possession in the country. Lewis is also a capable shooter who hit 36.4 percent of his threes and graded out in the 86th percentile of spot-up opportunities. He’s a solid if unspectacular passer at this point in his career and will badly need to add strength to his skinny frame. The biggest point in Lewis’ favor might be his age: he was the youngest sophomore in the country this season after playing his freshman year as a 17-year-old.

What the Bulls Have:

Kris Dunn is a fabulous defender.

He’s tough as nails, puts immense pressure on opposing ball handlers, and finished second in the NBA in steals per game last season.

The problem is for everything he contributes defensively he gives a lot of it back on the offensive side of the ball. He’s also a restricted free agent this year meaning the Bulls have to decide whether or not to pay him.

The best version of Dunn probably isn’t good enough to be a starting point guard on a championship-caliber team based on what we’ve seen in his four-year NBA career.

Outside of Dunn, they have Tomas Satoransky who is locked up for two more seasons in Chicago and then Mr. Intangibles Ryan Arcidiacono.

All these guys have strengths that fill at least one need on the team, but unless something dramatically changes these guys aren’t the “point guard of the future for the Bulls.”

Frankly, Satoransky was a bit underwhelming last season after several solid seasons with the Washington Wizards and after a 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup campaign where he averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 assists per game with the Czech Republic national team.

Where Does Coby White fit in?

In a COVID-shortened, injury plagued, loss-happy season Coby White’s electrifying scoring was one of the few highlights for this Bulls team.

As a rookie, the North Carolina product exploded for over 30 points in three games, had nine games where he piled up 25 points or more, and drained at least five 3-point field goals on seven occasions.

The million dollar question though: will he evolve into a microwave scoring sixth man in the mold of Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams or can he become a lead guard that makes everybody around him better as well?

With the caveat being that it was his rookie season, the percentage of Bulls field goals that were assisted last year was 4.5 percent lower when he was on the floor than when he was off it and his assist to turnover ratio was 2.7 assists to 1.7 turnovers.

Do the Bulls trust that the 20-year-old will evolve into their point guard of the future? The answer to that question could determine how the Bulls approach this draft. KC Johnson at NBC Sports Chicago offered the tepid rumor:

given the amount of leaguewide talk that the Bulls are focused on solving point guard, it’s sounding like the new regime ultimately views [Coby White] as more of a scoring guard.

Indeed, we’ll know a lot more after the selection is made. It could be a simple as needing any talent and taking the best player available, but it’s unavoidable to take a look at their latest top-10 pick and not think how it impacts the last one.



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Cash Considerations Podcast: B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman talks 2020 NBA Draft

good draft insight

Cash Considerations welcomes Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman to the pod to talk all things 2020 NBA Draft. Jon reveals what he has been hearing about the Chicago Bulls as the draft approaches, and we go over a bunch of the top prospects and potential second-round sleepers.

Cash Considerations is part of the Blue Wire sports podcasting network. The pod can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play.



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NBA Draft Rumors: Bulls could go after Deni Avdija if he’s available at No. 4

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade v Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv - Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Photo by Marko Metlas/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

rumor season continues unabated

Even with over three weeks left until the 2020 NBA draft, could the Chicago Bulls already have their minds set on who they will take with their No. 4 pick?

Per Bleacher Report draft writer Jonathan Wasserman.

The Bulls figure stay put at No. 4 if they believe Deni Avdija will be there.

This makes sense.

Like most NBA teams, the Bulls need another wing player. Otto Porter Jr. is a solid pro, but unfortunately has been injury prone in his time with the Bulls (he only played 14 games last season) and is coming up on the end of his contract. There’s a good chance when/if the Bulls get good, he will no longer be in the picture. Chandler Hutchison has the advantage of being young on his side, but he hasn’t done anything to indicate that he can be a starting wing on a championship-caliber squad.

Enter Avdija, the 6-foot-9-inch Israeli prospect with positional versatility, defensive chops, and who has been playing professionally for three years already at just age 19.

Here’s a quick scouting report from NBA.com writer Eric Fawcett.

Take every stereotype you might have about a European prospect and throw it out the window.

Israeli-born Deni Avdija is the biggest-name international prospect in this year’s NBA Draft and he’s accomplished that title by playing an American-style game. Defensive toughness, determination on the glass, and of course-swagger.

Later in the scouting report, Fawcett does note that Avdija’s jumpshot hasn’t been great. He hit 28 percent on 3-point field goals last year in Euroleague and shot at a Shaq-like clip of below 60 percent from the free-throw line as well (Shaq diesel only shot above sixty percent for an entire season once during his career, crazy right?).

Avdija also got stuck with the age-old label that’s plagued all white players coming over from Europe: from an athleticism standpoint can they compete at the NBA level?

Wasserman’s piece on Avdija contained one other nugget that is notable.

Rival teams have told Bleacher Report they think Chicago could be interested in Tyrese Haliburton.

(cue the Iowa State jokes.)

A cursory look at some of the latest mock drafts reveals most of the experts believe Haliburton will fall somewhere between the No. 6 slot and the early teens. Of course this is pure speculation, but if the Bulls want Haliburton maybe it makes sense to at least try to trade down.

The buzz word in Haliburton’s scouting report is efficiency. In his sophomore season at Iowa State, he shot the 3-point ball at a nearly 42 percent clip, his overall shooting percentage was above 50 percent (he’s a point guard!), and he averaged 6.5 assists per game to just 2.8 turnovers. Here’s our guy Ricky O’Donnell on Haliburton:

NBA scouts wanted to find out if Haliburton could maintain his excellent efficiency while going from reserve to featured star as a sophomore at Iowa State. For the most part, he did exactly that. A skinny 6’6 point guard, Haliburton has proved to be an excellent spot-up three-point shooter (42 percent) and an advanced passer (35.3 percent assist rate). Just don’t ask him to single-handedly create offense in the half-court. Haliburton is not the type of guard who breaks down the defense off the dribble and puts consistent pressure on the rim, meaning he’ll likely be at his best as a secondary ball handler. Add in his terrific defensive instincts — his 3.8 steal rate ranked top-40 in America — and Haliburton looks like a nice complementary piece if not exactly a future star.

The deadline for the first pick of the Arturas Karnisovas regime continues to inch closer. Trading up, trading down, staying at No. 4 and picking a slew of different guys have all been speculated as possibilities. The uncertainty is part of the fun as we draw closer to finding out who will be the next guy to wear Bulls black and red.



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In a ranking of the NBA’s top 125 players, the Bulls roster barely shows up

Chicago Bulls v Atlanta Hawks Photo by Jasear Thompson/NBAE via Getty Images

the young core more fits into ‘tears’

The dregs of the NBA offseason is a prime time for player rankings. The Athletic’s Seth Partnow put a bit of a different spin on it, instead putting the top 125 NBA players into five tiers.

Partnow makes it very clear that this massive endeavor is not meant to be an absolute ranking of players. Instead, he looks at a number of different factors to put these players into these tiers that are “intended to reflect value towards winning a title next season.”

Furthermore, Partnow uses some advanced metrics to determine an estimated wins total over three regular seasons and how much that production is worth in terms of salary over that time frame:

I started with a few holistic metrics, multi-year versions of Regularized Adjusted Plus/Minus and Player Impact Plus/Minus, adjusted up or down based on contextual factors, playoff performances and insights from knowledgeable people in a variety of media, public analytics and team-side roles. But ultimately, it was primarily my best judgment weighing those factors and inputs.

If you want to see his full methodology, check it out here.

Again, the tiers are “contract-agnostic” with certain special factors taken into account like age, injuries, fit, playoff performance, and more.

So, how do the Bulls fare in this exercise? not great. Only two members of the entire roster show up in this list of the top 125 players, and they’re both in Tier 4 (roughly top-80).

These two players are Zach LaVine and Otto Porter Jr.

At this point, LaVine is widely considered to be the Bulls’ best player, but his teams have never won anything in his career and he personally never is reflected well in terms of analytics. LaVine shows up in Tier 4B, in a sub-tier of ‘Offensive Lead Guards’ alongside Caris LeVert, D’Angelo Russell, Lou Williams and Spencer Dinwiddie. Out of these guys, though, LaVine comes in last in terms of estimated wins (5.9) and production value ($18.86 million) over the next three years.

LaVine has obviously improved his game over the years in terms of scoring and playmaking, and I think he’s underrated by these metrics and in general. But it’s fair to doubt his ability as a lead offensive initiator, and the defensive issues have been there all along. I think LaVine would ultimately serve best as a high-end No. 2 or No. 3 guy on a contender, but right now he’s the Bulls’ top gun.

As for Porter, he’s also in Tier 4B, but in the ‘Shooter’ category with Bojan Bogdanovic, JJ Redick and Joe Harris. Unlike Lavine, with Porter the advanced metrics love him. He clocks in at 20.4 estimated wins for a $65.41 million value over three years, which is the best among this group.

That seems crazy after what actually happened this past season, but Partnow addresses why Porter grades out so well:

Otto Porter Jr. might be a surprising inclusion here, but he is among the more underrated deep shooters in the league, with the versatility to knock down both open spot-ups and more difficult shots off movement. In fact, according to the Second Spectrum data shared with The Athletic by a league source, Porter is the all-time leader (post-2013) in 3-point shooting off of movement, slightly ahead of and in the company of Redick, Kyle Korver, Klay Thompson, Duncan Robinson and Davis Bertans. In fact, the main thing keeping Porter from being much higher on the tiers (he’s 11th in 3-year RAPM and 31st in 3-year PIPM among active players) is his consistent inability to stay on the floor, averaging fewer than 1,500 minutes over the past three seasons as he’s dealt with a variety of injuries.

Of course, that last bit is key. Porter’s injury issues nuked this past season and have been lingering for a while, so it’s hard to feel confident about his production moving forward given the injury history. I still think the Porter trade made sense, but it’s currently looking like a backfire.

Looking at the Bulls as a team compared to the rest of the NBA, they’re one of just three teams with only two players in these rankings (Cavaliers, Timberwolves). The Knicks and Hornets bring up the rear with just one player apiece.

There’s reason to think the Bulls are in somewhat better shape than this suggests. The Jim Boylen factor has to be taken into account, and there are young players on the roster who could develop with better coaching from Billy Donovan and better availability, though we can’t count on either of these things.

Ultimately it’s clear the Bulls have a simply-identified need: a lot more talent. Producing that is way less simple, let’s hope Arturas Karnisovas and Co. are up to the task.



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Is it worth it for the Chicago Bulls to trade up in the 2020 NBA Draft?

Chicago Bulls Introduce Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley Photo by Chris Ramirez/NBAE via Getty Images

Recapping the recent comments about moving up from #4

The Chicago Bulls are sitting in an interesting spot within the NBA Draft order with the fourth overall pick.

If a top-3 touted prospect such as LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards fall, Chicago will be right there with a chance to take them. The next group of guys like Killian Hayes, Deni Avdija, Devin Vassell, and Isaac Okoro will have a few options still on the board if the Bulls stay put.

As of late though, there has been a lot of talk about moving up. Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports recently told K.C. Johnson on a podcast that the Bulls may pursue jumping into the top three (via )

“I think [Karnišovas] might move up, because I think No. 1 with Minnesota and No. 2 (with Golden State) is going to be readily available,” Haberstroh said. “I would be surprised if you didn’t see Charlotte (at No. 3) or Chicago move up in the draft.”

To complement this rumor, there have been rumblings regarding both the Timberwolves and the Warriors about trading down. have been rumored to being open to moving down.

It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that if Chicago were to move up, they would have to give up one of the guys in their young core (Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., Coby White) in order to make this deal happen. It would be a very bold move by Karnisovas to move one of the younger players on the Bull’s roster but it would also truly signify the start of a new era of management in Chicago.

But nobody knows if the Bulls are super high on any of the top prospects in this year’s class. Zach Lowe of ESPN recently talked about Chicago on his podcast and had this to say about the Bulls chances of jumping into the top three (via):

I don’t think the Bulls are paying that price. When I stumbled upon that and started surveying people around the league, my talking it through with them is that’s a lot to pay to move up two spots. Unless you just love somebody, but I don’t think Chicago loves somebody,

Back on Lottery night, Karnisovas said this about their current position.

If the Bulls are not sure any of those guys at the top of the draft board can be a future superstar , they shouldn’t do a deal. You shouldn’t give up picks and players to draft a guy in the top three unless you are convinced they can be that type of player.

We are less than a month away from the 2020 NBA Draft and that means the rumor mill will start picking up, with both legitimate insight into the Bulls plans yet also smoke screens. We can’t say which angle of trading up or down fits quite yet.



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Cash Considerations Podcast: The 2020 NBA Draft is a month away

draft update!

With the 2020 NBA Draft just a month away, Ricky and Jason look at the latest mock drafts and rumors swirling around the league. We discuss the Bulls’ top draft options and react to speculation about a possible trade up.

Cash Considerations is part of the Blue Wire sports podcasting network. The pod can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play.



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Remember Chandler Hutchison?

NBA: Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

A closer look at the potential role of Chandler Hutchison could play as he heads into his third year with Chicago

There’s been major organizational change from the Chicago Bulls during this extended offseason, so it’s not entirely surprising that there is a lack of interest surrounding Chandler Hutchison, who is now entering his third season in the NBA.

The upcoming season will be an important one for him as he has a team option on his contract next summer. Hutchison has a lot to prove when it comes to how valuable of a player he can be for Chicago moving forward. Picking up his option would indicate the Bulls still have faith in him developing into a decent role player for the future. There is still time for him to grow his game but there is a lot to work to be done.

If there is one side of the ball where Hutchison needs to improve on the most, it’s the offense. Last season saw an uptick in scoring and shot attempts as compared to his rookie year. Hutchison averaged 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds, but still struggled when it came to offensive efficiency. Although he did improve his true shooting percentage from 50.1 to 52.1, it was still below the league average. His three-point shot continued to be ineffective as he shot 31.6 percent on just 1.4 attempts per game. With a three-point attempt rate of just .217, defenses are going to continue to play off Hutchison and dare him to shoot it from downtown. He came out of college being a decent three-point shooter, averaging 38.4 percent in his senior year, but the shot just hasn’t adjusted in the NBA.

Advanced metrics don’t grade too kindly to Hutchison’s offensive game. He finished with an offensive box plus/minus of -2.7 and had an offensive Player Impact Plus-Minus rating -2.28 in 2019-20, second-worst on the Bulls.

However, he has excelled when it comes to scoring near the hoop. Last season, Hutchison shot 60.7 percent at the rim and it was the area of the court where he took the most attempts. Scoring inside the paint looks to be a place where Hutchison can be effective offensively. He has shown the ability to take a defender off the dribble into the lane and score. Last season he averaged 5.6 drives per game (via NBA.com’s tracking data), fifth highest on the Bulls. Hutchison needs to work on getting better at scoring when he gets into the lane. He shot only 44 percent on those said drives so getting better at this facet of the game needs to happen. Getting into the lane isn’t the problem with Hutchison but he needs to be able to score on those said drives or draw a foul to get himself to the free throw line.

At 6’7 and with a 7’1 wingspan, Hutchison can use his length to leap up and slam the ball home when given the space. He can also move off the ball into the lane for an opportunity at the rim. There have been flashes of these moments from Hutchison. Next season, if he ever finds himself guarded against a smaller opponent, taking them off the dribble to the hoop has to be an option for him. The lack of a shot will hurt him as defenders will be waiting for him to drive but he’s shown that he can score despite contact and defenders around him. But if he can be a consistent presence around the rim when given the opportunity to drive, it could really help his offensive game.

Hutchison needs to make significant improvements to his scoring heading into next season. He hasn’t been great on that end of the court yet there are pathways in which he can become at least a satisfactory offensive player. Becoming at least an average scorer in the paint efficiency-wise is a start.

His defense, however, has gotten off to a better start so far in his career. He looks to be a much better stopper than a scorer. Last season he finished with a positive defensive PIPM (0.01) and certainly has the tools and skillset to be a plus defender in the league.

With his wingspan, Hutchison can swarm defenders and cut off passing lanes as well. There are times where he sticks his hands out to deflect a pass and force a turnover. It can lead to easy points on the offensive end for Chicago.

He does well to stay in front of his man, especially opposing wings where his size helps. Hutchison can guard multiple positions, a real positive on a Chicago team that is desperate for perimeter defenders. He can guard some small ball fours, which will help the new head coach when it comes to lineup combinations. The best-case scenario for Hutchison on defense is eventually becoming a guy who can guard an opponent’s best wing player every night.

Staying healthy should also be another goal this season for Hutchison. Sadly, he’s struggled to play consistent minutes and that’s due to injury. Hutchison has played a combined 72 games so far in his career. Before the shutdown, he was ruled out for the season after having surgery on his right shoulder. Earlier this month, Hutchison himself said he was healthy and ready to go.

The future of Hutchison in Chicago is one of intrigue. He has played limited minutes but in those times, he has shown some upside. He is a good defender and someone who can get into the lane for a dunk. However his shooting needs major fixing and the injuries have raised cause for concern. The projection for Hutchison coming out of college was that he could be a recent role player for Chicago and that’s still on the table. But the injuries have hampered his progress and with a $4M team option coming up, the pressure is on for him to have a solid season.



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Chicago Bulls mock draft roundup: end-of-season update

EuroLeague: Valencia Basket V Maccabi Tel Aviv Photo by Ivan Terron/AFP7/Europa Press Sports via Getty Images

we’re about a month away from the draft

The 2019-20 NBA season is finally over nearly a full calendar year after it began. Due to the unique circumstances, we have to wait a bit longer than usual after the conclusion of the season for the draft, which is still over a month away on Nov. 18. But with the season now over, that means it’s time to update mocks for the 2020 NBA Draft as teams get ready to make their final preparations.

We rounded up a handful of mock drafts from right after the Bulls getting awarded No. 4 pick at the NBA Draft Lottery in August. LaMelo Ball, Deni Avdija, Killian Hayes and Obi Toppin all popped up as Bulls picks. It’s no surprise that some of these names pop up again in the latest mocks.

Deni Avdija

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has the Bulls taking Deni Avdija, which isn’t a change from his last mock. Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo also has the Israeli forward to Chicago. Both Vecenie and Woo reference Arturas Karnisovas’ track record with international prospects, with Woo writing that Avdija is “widely thought to be in play for Chicago at No. 4.”

Avdija’s versatility as a 6-foot-9 forward is certainly intriguing. Any Luka Doncic comps are nonsense, but Avdija’s playmaking ability at the forward spot would be welcome. He needs to improve his jumper and his ceiling might be a bit limited, but his floor might also be a bit higher than some others.

In terms of his fit with the rest of the Bulls’ young core, Vecenie offers up a nugget of reporting about Karnisovas’ mindset:

Regardless, he actually fits really well with this roster. The Bulls could use someone with the frontcourt ball skills of Avdija, as Lauri Markkanen is more of a shooter, and Wendell Carter is more of a screen setter and dribble handoff guy who can make smart reads. If the team believes Avdija could play some 3 and handle the secondary ballhandler responsibilities, I’d love his fit next to Coby White as well, given that White is much more scoring-inclined than the typical guard.

Having said that, Karnisovas is being very methodical in his decision-making to start his Bulls’ career. He’s evaluating everything step-by-step. Sources around the league are unclear on if he’ll decide to ride with this core through the early part of the season or decide to start reshaping it in this offseason with some moves.

This uncertainty tracks with how Karnisovas seems to operate. He has kept his cards close to the vest so far, and this is no different.

Killian Hayes

SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell put Killian Hayes to the Bulls in his post-lottery mock, and we did a deep dive on Hayes on a recent episode of Cash Considerations. Given the Bulls’ need for playmaking, Hayes makes sense as a potential lead creator.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor agrees (he has Avdija going No 2). In fact, KOC has Hayes as his No. 1 prospect in the entire draft, though he acknowledges that the “heavy interest” in Hayes is in the mid-lottery. If the Bulls do draft Hayes at No. 4, KOC thinks there would be more changes coming on the horizon for the roster.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman doesn’t have a new mock out yet, but he referenced a possible Bulls/Hayes connection when talking about the Timberwolves’ desire to trade out of the No. 1 pick:

Obi Toppin

Wasserman claimed Wednesday that Obi Toppin may be the “most popular prospect in this draft” after asking around the NBA. The explanation:

The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry expressed his support for Toppin to the Bulls in a piece about best fits at No. 4, and CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish has Toppin heading to Chicago in his most recent mock.

The Dayton product is an explosive scorer who would certainly be exciting to watch on the offensive end. There are concerns about his age (22 already) and defense, but apparently people around the league aren’t too worried about it.

A Toppin selection certainly feels like it would be the end for Lauri Markkanen, but that obviously shouldn’t stop the Bulls from taking him if they actually do like him. The Bulls need to take the best talent available and figure things out from there.



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Cash Considerations Podcast: Billy D makes moves as 2019-20 NBA season finally concludes with Lakers title

the season is finally over

Jason and Ricky start this episode by discussing Billy Donovan letting go of a number of Bulls assistants from the previous regime, and we even give Jerry Reinsdorf some credit. We then shift the conversation to Jimmy Butler’s heroic performance in the NBA Finals before talking about the Lakers, LeBron James and the ongoing GOAT debate. We conclude with a look ahead at what comes next for the NBA.

Cash Considerations is part of the Blue Wire sports podcasting network. The pod can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play.



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Billy Donovan is cleaning house

Oklahoma City Thunder v Chicago Bulls Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

multiple assistant coaches reportedly let go

There are several NBA coaching searches still ongoing, and that also impacts the assistant coaching ranks. Perhaps with that in mind, the Bulls under newly-hired head coach Billy Donovan have reportedly made it known that they’re getting a new coaching staff:

Billy Donovan called multiple assistant coaches Monday morning and informed them they won’t serve on his first staff as Bulls coach, sources told NBC Sports Chicago.

Gone — at least — are Roy Rogers, Dean Cooper and Nate Loenser, sources confirmed. The Bulls just picked up an option for the 2020-21 season on Loenser’s contract, and Rogers had just finished the first of a three-year deal.

No word yet on the lead assistant, Chris Fleming. Though he and Bulls VP Arturas Karnisovas do have a prior working relationships and it’s not uncommon for a front-office selection on the bench (they don’t have to be outright spies), maybe Billy Donovan set as a condition of his coming aboard that he gets to pick the whole staff.

As for who’s gone, Dean Cooper was somewhat of a Jim Boylen ally, whereas Loenser an Iowa State crony. Rogers, like Fleming, was a preseason hire that was relatively expensive and independently acclaimed.

I don’t know the contract statuses of Donovan’s former staff in OKC. There is the possibility that an assistant there will be elevated to head coach. I’ve heard rumors that former head coach Maurice Cheeks would come with Donovan (he’s been there all of Donovan’s 5 seasons in OKC) but that may be entirely due to the anecdote that Cheeks hails from Chicago.

This is a sign though that the Bulls won’t be keeping along guys just because they’re under contract. Unless you’re in the scouting department like Jim Paxson and Brian Hagen, what are they still doing here?

UPDATE: a bit later the Bulls officially announced the news, annoyingly delivered via screenshots from beat reporters.

Additional in there is news that Karen Stack Umlauf was also let go. Umlauf has been with the Bulls since the dynasty days, moving from the back office to the coaching bench shortly after Boylen assumed the head role.



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Bulls finished their 3-week minicamp, was it eventful at all?

Chicago Bulls Introduce Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley Photo by Chris Ramirez/NBAE via Getty Images

we’ll see what happens next

This 2019-20 NBA season is finally about to come to an end in the Disney bubble, and the Bulls just wrapped up their three-week minicamp in their own mini-bubble in Chicago. As one of the “Delete Eight” teams not invited down to Florida for the NBA restart, the Bulls had the opportunity to get together for workouts so they could have some league-sanctioned activity after so much time away since their season ended in March.

The Bulls had to take plenty of their own COVID-19 precautions in their mini-bubble, which the Chicago Tribune’s Jamal Collier documents here. Off the court, the Bulls made sure to push their social justice messages and got to do some team bonding both in the Advocate Center and away from it:

Fun and games aside, the Bulls got some important work done on the court and in terms of the future of their franchise. They made a splash by hiring Billy Donovan as head coach, and while he didn’t join the team in Chicago, he gave an early glimpse into how he’ll run his new squad.

In addition to Donovan, the Bulls hired a new athletic trainer in Todd Campbell in their quest to avoid the litany of injuries that befall them every season. New GM Marc Eversley recently addressed the Campbell hiring and a number of other topics, including the state of the roster, how he’ll work with EVP Arturas Karnisovas and Kris Dunn.

Dunn was the lone Bulls player not to attend the minicamp. Here’s what Eversley said about Dunn’s absence, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago:

“I think Kris decided not to participate because he’s not healthy. He’s on the road rehabbing by himself, which we fully support. Whether he’s going to be with us going forward is a decision we’ll make when we get together post-bubble and start talking roster construction. Obviously, he had a great year. He’s a terrific defender. When he gets back to health, hopefully he’ll come back to being a full participant in the gym and workout right before free agency.”

Johnson says Dunn’s knee injury actually is healed, but with his free agency coming up, he likely didn’t want to risk anything.

As for other players on the roster, we got to hear from key core guys like Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Coby White. White was named to the All-Rookie Second Team early in the minicamp and got a special gift from the Bulls:

White — who interviewed with the media before the hiring of Billy D — also talked about his desire to start at point guard next season.

Via Sam Smith of Bulls.com:

“I think moving forward my primary position is point guard,” said the 6-4 White, now with a thick, though not quite Hardenesque beard. “But I also can play off the ball because I can score and shoot it so well. So I think that this past year showcased that I can be a point guard, but I can also play off the ball at times when I need to. I think my goal for next year is to be better than I was last year. And who doesn’t want to be the starting point guard in training camp? That’s my goal, that’s what I want to achieve. I’m just going to keep working towards that to get that achievement for myself.

“I feel like at times I was overlooked,” White admitted. “But I feel at times I didn’t play up to my expectations. Not making the Rising Stars (All-Star weekend) game was also fueling my fire. But I feel the ones who did make it deserved it and deserved to be part of the game. That game kind of helped me. It was a wake-up call. After that, I kind of took it how it was and just continued to get better and continued to do what I do. As the season went on, I felt like I got better as a player.”

White is hoping to join LaVine in the starting backcourt. LaVine is naturally excited to have Donovan in town after butting heads with Boylen, though the shooting guard took the high road with Jimbo and thanked him for his time after he was fired.

Still, LaVine took a subtle jab at Boylen’s offense as he talked about playing for Donovan:

“I feel like it’s going to be a lot better for guys, especially for me, if you have that part of your game now and you can use all your tools. You know, instead of almost playing with one hand behind your back and if you get to the midrange you’re not supposed to shoot a shot that’s open. Don’t pass up on the best shot,” LaVine said. “Now, I’m not saying that we should be taking strictly midrange jumpers. I know he don’t think that either. But if it’s a good shot, you should take it and you shouldn’t feel bad about it either.”

Markkanen is another guy looking forward to playing in an offense more tailored to his strengths. The Finnish big man claimed he “didn’t really have a reaction” on the “weird day” Boylen was fired, and he likes what he has heard from Donovan about how he’ll be used:

“I do think I can be more productive, more versatile than I was last year,” Markkanen insisted. “Not all times, but there were times I felt like I was just used as spacing the floor. But I think just talking to Billy I’m really confident this year just by (our) one conversation how he uses players to their strengths. Just getting me into actions, coming off ball screens, and he talked about posting up right away. Just being involved. He kind of asked me where do I want the ball and what do I want to do with it. So I’m excited to work with him.”

Markkanen is facing crucial times ahead. He’s eligible for a contract extension this offseason ahead of his fourth year in the NBA, but it seems more likely that he’ll be playing a prove-it campaign. He says he wants to be in Chicago for the long haul after there were rumors of his unhappiness throughout last season.

For what it’s worth, K.C. says Markkanen and White came up as players who impressed in this mini-bubble, but this should obviously be taken with a grain of salt given the level of play. Eversley admitted there was plenty of sloppiness.

Even so, it was good for the team to get back out there. Also, at least these dunks look cool:

Now, we wait and see what comes next for the Bulls. The draft is scheduled for Nov. 18 and then free agency is supposed to happen soon after that. Next season? Totally up in the air. There’s still a lot to figure out, and it’s looking like a January or February start.

Until next time:



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