Chisoxfn

I've said it many times on this site, but it is absolutely true. The lack of action in baseball will ultimately be the death of it (not really the death but will send it into a major downhill spiral). People can argue me all they want but it is 100% factual. I don't want to watch a game where everything is going to be a walk, strikeout, or homerun. Yes, I'm exaggerating but my enjoyment of baseball has declined over the past 5-7 years (and it isn't because the White Sox stink). The lack of action is a major problem. For those of you using football as an analogy...it would be as if football you either had a 3 and out or a long touchdown and like 85% of the time it was just a 3 and out with minimal action.

I didn't like the Butler trade but it is done. Of course I wouldn't have traded Butler and I'd be sitting here this year and would have had the franchise positioned to make major free agent offers (whether they worked or not who knows). Heck, I don't even know what the Bulls evaluations were on Lauri and whether they could have moved up to get him a year ago had they kept Jimmy Buckets, etc? All of those things are hard to say...I was a believer that we had a star signed to a fair deal and were in position to have a lot of cap flexibility and could have been players. I also am (and was) a huge believer in Buckets being the type of guy who can legitimately recruiter players. Heck, for all I know we could have ended up acquiring Kyrie Irving last year (not saying we had all those assets but maybe Kyrie forces a deal to Chicago vs. Boston (because of his tightness with Buckets). Nothing I can predict and I'm not going to waste anymore time discussing it. What is done is done and I hope the front office maximizes the opportunities they have from here-out.

I just am not that worried about his shot. He has a beautiful shot and I think it had a lot more to do with rhythm and in-game repetition. His jumper had only improved every year prior to injury and form, etc, looks very good. Shot selection was poor...stamina wasn't great (no surprise coming back from injury) and thus you aren't getting your legs underneath you...his timing finishing around the basket was off (again not unexpected). I guess I expected a lot of rust so wasn't that shocked. To me the big thing was he looked explosive and quick and he still played with an edge (was aggressive...even though he didn't finish...which gave me confidence of his "mental" edge). Defensively he isn't a good player so that is one where I think it is a matter of how much the coaching staff and how much he's willing to put in that work (he has all the tools to be a quality defender (if not a good defender) but he's got to put in the time, focus and energy.

Steve, you are bouncing from two different points of view. On one hand, I agree if they truly soured off of 24 games if their conclusions are based upon on the court performance (when you knew darn well last year would essentially be a lost year). On the flipside, if you have soured because you acquired him and now have major concerns due to work ethic or other unknowns, I suppose I could see that (I don' t think this is the case, but I could buy into it) or if for example he was reinjured or you had other injuries. However, if all they are doing is posturing to save cash, well, than I see that as par for the course of any front office and doing what Gar & Pax should be doing. In general when I read this report, it very much read to me very much as public posturing around his new contract. With so few teams having big money cap and him having a limited sample size post injury, I still believe he will get an offer much lower than posters on this forum are indicating. However, if he gets a full max offer, if you don't believe he is close to a full max player, than you are going to have to make a move away from Lavine.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/the-bulls-gar-forman-and-john-paxson-are-on-the-clock-and-hopefully-hype-free/ Thought this was a solid read from Cowley. And this is coming from someone who Cowley once called a nerd who lived in a basement...or something along those lines).

I loved the ref in the Brazil - Costa Rica game. Called a fantastic match and was so animated when players dove to ensure everyone knew to "play on".

Very interesting name; would be a great get.

What team "gave away" first round picks? I don't recall any deals where a team "bought" a first round pick?

They aren't "tanking" persay, but they aren't going to be that good. And lottery odds are much different anyway. Decent size shift (downward) related to the odds of the worst 5 or 6 teams. I think the price Dallas paid was steep. Obviously they got there guy and are happy but I still think we are in that asset accumulation phase. I also just need to make my point...welp back to NBA hell. Stupidest phrase on the planet. So sick of that crap. I will never endorse a franchise that wants to run a model like the Sixers (suck forever and forever until maybe you get lucky and have a few year run, no thanks). I'd rather employ a Rockets like strategy of be as damn good as you can each and every year and be creative in how you take big swings and retool over time. The reality is, unless you are lucky enough to have one of the top player in the world, you are probably not regularly playing and/or winning championships. Just look back over history. Either we get ridiculously lucky and get the next #1 player via the draft or we draft just really well and have a quality team and hope you can lure major free agents to push you over the topic. All strategies are unlikely but you try to be as good as you can be to enable the best free agent push possible. The reality is there is usually just one team in the league that truly "wins" the big FA signing/crop so everyone else loses.

What "star" was sitting there at 7? Maybe one was, maybe it wasn't. maybe there is a star sitting at 22 or 30 (who eventually emerge). Carter Jr. was the best available player (adjusting for potential medicals) on the board. We absolutely could have missed out on a star, but I don't see how they flat out ignored ceiling to go floor with this draft pick. Porter has talent and if people believed in his medicals he is going way above 7. The fact that he hasn't, means there are real reasons to be concerned about his medicals (and I can't flaw the Bulls for passing on that).

Cause he does a lot of things well, does not mean he has a low ceiling. He's just less "raw"...doesn't mean he isn't talented. Carter Jr is an athletic big who is extremely long. He doesn't jump out of the building but his wingspan is legit impressive and he will be an imposing defender. Not super quick but still solid speed that should play in pick n roll defense and a very efficient scorer, etc.

Carter Jr also is a nice fit, imo, next to Lauri. Only guy I'd rather have had (at this position) would have been Ayton or Bamba. I also would have ranked it Ayton, Doncic, Bamba, Carter (on my draft board). I think Jackson is overrated and I wouldn't have drafted Trae Young above the others.

I fully agree with you; So solid across the board from a skills perspective with the ability to be an excellent defender and a really strong / quality scorer. I think his upside is far greater than others think. He is the exact type of player that gets "undervalued" in the draft. He's also extremely intelligent!

Still time for the team to get both, however, players like Porter don't fall this far without there being some legit smoke behind medicals. Its one thing for a player to fall because teams undervalue their skills, etc, or overvalue "potential and athleticism" but in terms of injury / medical, I have a harder time bagging on a team when evidently the whole league is coming to that same conclusion (risk / reward isn't there). Now with a second 1st round pick, becomes much more worth it.

Carter it is. I am absolutely okay with this....but now lets move back up and get Porter Jr (and take the injury risk).

Damn...I'm on a delay and didn't realize Bamba went. Was hoping we'd grab him. Now I presume it is Carter or Porter.

Wow - This is shaping up interesting. I'm hoping our guy is there at 7 and we can jump back up for one more guy in the top 10. Would be huge.

I would really be surprised if we passed on Doncic.

Jackson is pretty high on my list of guys I don't really get that jazzed about. I just think he is so over-hyped compared to a lot of other players and could very much see him being the most likely to bust (alongside Porter (due to injury) or Trae).

Really sorry to hear that Rock. Very much hope we see a cure for it emerge (and sooner rather than later). Such a horrific disease.

Portis and Denzel have value...but not for a lottery pick? Portis especially (albeit he's about to get a more sizeable contract). For a team wanting to contend and move up, Portis is a darn nice bench piece.

I always remember when we bought Phoenix's pick (I think it was Phoenix pick) and acquired Luol Deng. Those were the days...back when teams would literally give away lottery picks for a few million. Now the going rate is 3.5M for a 2nd round pick. I am curious if we will acquire a 2nd round pick (use that "goodwill" Gar/Pax referenced) in what is a deeper draft where we might be able to obtain a 3-D guy (with all the depth, would seem like a good year to buy a 2nd round pick...if we can't "buy a lotto pick through a salary relief deal"). Philly & Denver are two interesting teams to watch, given the assets they have and in Denver's case some of the potential guys they might want to move. Even the Bucks, with Delanova (or however you spell it?) where they might dangle their pick in a deal. Probably more of a trade down...but heck, I'd be game if it allowed Bulls to move up a number of slots. I still go back to the fact that news and smoke on the Bulls has been so quiet that it really seems like they are putting out this mass marketing campaign to downplay any possible options so that nothing blows up on there face. Meanwhile, I have to think they are being a lot more aggressive than we all think (just careful in managing expectations). The LA Lakers are the flipside of that (which somewhat scares me) as the whole freaking city of LA thinks they are getting a big 3 this year (LBJ, George, and Leonard). And at a minimum LBJ + another big name.

Wait...how would we get 10 from Philly? Philly looking at a salary dump? Or even add a 2nd pick in general? Can't see anything other than a salary dump (which I'm definitely okay with).

I'm with Badger in that I'm a pretty big fan of Carter. Would love it if we could get wing + Carter (or Bamba).

I wonder if we could acquire Fultz? Not sure what it would take as the assets would have to help Philly move up in the draft (since supposedly they are looking to) but could be an interesting option (they have a lot of cap space so not sure if they would deal Fultz for combination of assets + us absorbing cap space?