Chisoxfn

I literally LOLd. This can't be true, can it? Is it more that they just want to essentially make the rest of their decisions without any further bias (i.e, just quiet time for them to relax because they have enough input)? I have largely wondered that at this point, what more are you going to identify on individual players given all the scouting that is done leading into the draft? At what point do you end up making worse decisions because you over-think / over-analyze. Did Mayock and Gruden actually let go of all the scouts? Essentially becasue they are all former McKenzie guys?

Big Hurt with Walt Hrniak.

This team is kind of fun.

Ok - So your delusional scenario is win lottery, get Zion, max out Klay. Trade Dunn and other parts (maybe future pick) for a PG. I figure Ball running the floor would be pretty with those other guys.

My completely delusional and dream Bulls off-season. Start first by winning lottery. Draft Zion. Acquire Lonzo Ball (for Dunn and other spare parts). Shed salary and find a way to have space to offer and sign Kawhi or Durant to a max deal. I dont' know who they have to trade but I'm going to assume they could find a way to make space. My thoughts are if the Bulls land Zion, its ups their cache and gives them an ability to sign one big name max guy. Probability 0.01%. Alternative scenario is Kyrie or Klay as the max guy. If you get Kyrie...no Ball trade. If it happens, it may not be the perfect team design but you would have a team that would have a lot of interchangeable parts that I think fits in the new NBA. They would be a very long and athletic team, with a variety of guys who can defend multiple positions, most notably Porter and Kawhi. The key to all of this is winning the lottery as without that I presume the Bulls aren't going to have enough cache this year to pull a Durant or Klay or Leonard. Wendell Zion Lauri Kawhi Porter Lavine Ball

Jrue Holliday makes the team better, but him and Porter are just one too many good but overpaid players to have, imo. Than again, you never know where you could flip said player when you ultimately need to take another step forward. Its just a lot of money to have tied up to a guy who isn't top 10 at his respective position (albeit he's right on that border and has had his own health issues in the past).

Some reports out there that the Bulls have talked to the Lakers about Ball (or vice versa). I've long said that Ball would be a very good fit for the Bulls and worth the risk. His value is at an all time low given the fact that he hasn't stayed on the court. That said, point guards take time to develop and I've watched enough of him to think there is some big upside still there. His vision as a passer is elite and defensively he has the ability to be the same. The jumper may not come around but he was never that bad of a shooter in college so despite his form I think he has a better ability to at least be able to hit a spot up 3 and if you combine that with his ability to get in the paint and create, that should work. I'm thinking Dunn plus future picks or something and it gives the Lakers extra cap space. Lakers probably don't do it, but you never know.

Very entertaining first episode. Got a lot of the pleasantries (and initial drama) out of the way and should set-up for a very exciting and thriller remainder of the season.

One of my quotes (of many) since I was very adamant at how foolish it was to trade Tatis (at the time). They can't just sign a million of them. They have a limited pool and limited resources in these areas and a farm system that has lacked. What I'm saying is you can't write this guy off because he is so young that he's more likely to bust. Initial reports have been very encouraging and he's the type of kid who has the talent to emerge as one of the better prospects in the system with time. This could be an impact player. Yes, I said could, but when you are trading a guy who could be that for a guy who another team had to eat half his contract and is only slightly better (at his current clip) than your other options at the respective position (while actually still costing a decent amount of financial flexibility), I say that you shouldn't give up that type of piece for said player.

Separately...I tip my cap to two legends, Dirk and Wade, on outstanding careers (even if Wade's run with Bulls was sub-par).

Next on the news....Lakers give Jerry West blank check to lead the reorganization of their front office. Of course they'll have to outbit Ballmer, but the brightest executive in professional sports (Jerry West) is a free agent. Basketball savant. Too old to run day to day of being a president but still the exact mind any owner would want on payroll.

Lakers front office is a real train-wreck. Total dumpster fire. This has nothing to do with Bron. Unless it is because we are blaming Bron for the Lakers not being world champions this year. Magic never wanted to put in the work necessary to be a president, but always wanted the glory to go with it. This just wasn't what he signed up for and now that things are getting hard I think he just realizes that it isn't for him. They also have the worst GM in the game as well. Literally no front office in the game wants to work with Pelinka...Magic had to do all the negotiations given how much the rest of the league despises their current GM. They do have LBJ though so that still puts them in a favorable position.

I hope if Moncada proves himself that Sox are committed to giving him a long term extension. Man I wish all of these extensions were lining up with having Manny on roster but either way good to see Yoan starting red hot!

Taxes alone take half so add agent and spend and I’m going to guess a lot less.

I don’t think his family has life changing money.

He had one mediocre season out of three and was coming on at the end of the year. I feel this is absolutely stupid. This ranks right up there with the Robbie Gould release (and Barf replacement). If you were going to get nothing why not keep him. This is essentially a seventh round pick. Awful move. Worse when you consider the team acquiring him is a contender in the NFC. All that said...I get it and Nagy obviously didn’t want him.

He had something bugging him a few weeks back as well. I really hope everything is alright.

Alright Hawkeyes.

I hope the Bulls can identify role players and groom guys, but I think they've done a decent job when you look at Arc, Harrison, and Seldon. All of them have their limitations and none are starters, but they all have shown an ability to be solid role players / bench guys.

One reminder (albeit you'd have to ignore age) is a lot of NBA point guards took a few years before they actually transformed their games.

Just new name for the d league. And if bulls are relying on the guys in the d league emerging they are hosed.

So we are blaming O'Donnel for the Bears kickers missing their field goals?

Out of curiosity, why the fire Boylan thread now? Did something happen against the Kings? If not, hasn’t Boylan done a decent job the past month or so. Look at the development of Lauri and especially Lavine over second half of the season (As an example). Not saying Boylan is the second coming either (don’t think we have seen enough of a sample to conclude on that) but I’ve seen far worse coaches.

Now this I like. I said all along, with where the Bears were, I wanted them to wade in the weeds.

Yeah - Why take that risk now vs. a couple years from now stepping up the game and getting a few more years (where you are more confident in the risk profile). It would be another story if this was like a 10 year deal at $100M. This just seems too much, unless he is rounding up from like $75M and we are talking an 8 yr deal of $75M (and he's just grossly rounding that up to $100M). 8/75YR's I could probably get on board with. Albeit, going that long you are taking real risk (given just how little he's played at the big league level).