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There is no shortage of questions from André Drummond and Lonzo Ball, so is it March or February? Oh wait. You ask the questions here.
Is Andre Drummond the type of center the new regime desires or is Wendell Carter Jr. the long-term answer in their eyes? Is Carter a center in this league? If his 3 point grows to be 35% more, is he a better power forward than Lauri Markkanen? Lauri has matured offensively, but her defense is lacking due to her slowness. — Hugh OD
The scuttlebutt around the league is that Drummond is heading for a buyout and will sign with a contender for the remainder of the season. I don’t see him as a target of free will for this regime.
I also don’t see Carter becoming a 35% 3-point shooter, which is why I have always focused more on him as a center. He might be undersized, but his defensive instinct and length still provide rim protection. And he’s done a better job of avoiding trouble this season.
Is Lauri Markkanen part of the trade bloc? If not, then who of the Bulls that isn’t called Zach LaVine is there? — Gio A.
Management have offered Markkanen a long-term extension before the season, but at a number of his own. It seems clear that the philosophy for moving forward is to let next summer’s tight free agent market price Markkanen and then determine if there is a long term adjustment based on that number.
But the job of any leader is to have a dialogue with all the teams about any player. I mean, Jerry Krause almost traded Scottie Pippen twice. That’s what executives do. As previously reported here, the only player tied to this regime is his first draft pick, Patrick Williams. That said, the feeling around the league of the people I talk to is that it would take a monumental bid to get LaVine from the Bulls. As in: Yes, you listen if there is interest. But LaVine is having an incredible season. Management sees it.
What do you think of the Bulls who don’t sign Markkanen to an extension? Also, can we see the Bulls making a trade before the deadline? — Ruben B.
Well, they tried. But management set a figure they were comfortable with and dropped it when the two sides were separated by around $ 4 million in the first season of a long-term deal. It is certainly their right. At the time, I wrote a column detailing the inherent risks of not reaching an expansion. Namely, with the drying up of a class of free agents and many teams projected to have a large salary cap space, the tight free agent market could be lucrative.
But I always say: I’m a beat writer. I would be a terrible GM. Given that Markkanen has suffered an unnatural and unfortunate injury yet again, who can say how much he will be worth next summer? He certainly got off to a very good offensive start. Either way, the Bulls hold the right to match any offer sheet it may receive. You can understand why management took the position they took.
As to whether or not the Bulls are trading, I’m going to be more focused on Thad Young. It will certainly be in demand. Now, it’s too valuable to trade it just to trade it. But if the right offer comes along, I don’t think you can lose sight of the big picture – which is a great asset for a young team – just to see slight short-term success.
That said, making the playoffs would certainly provide valuable experience for some young Bulls players. And Young’s play, which was at such a high standard and fun to watch, would help make that happen. So stay tuned.
Lonzo Ball-to-the-Bulls rumors are heating up again. I like the fit from a basketball perspective. He is the first pass orchestrator that the team needs. And his size allows him to start with Zach LaVine and Coby White. But why would AKME want to trade for a guy now that we could sue in FRG? Or worse, why trade for a guy you could lose for nothing if another team comes up with a crazy bid sheet? — Nick P.
For starters, you only make this deal if you’ve reworked the channels to know you’ll hit an expansion this offseason. And I think Ball fits. Although at this point any true playmaker would be fine. (That’s not Coby White’s hate! He’s young and developing and a nice play to have. I just don’t think he’s a real playmaker.)
But I am with you: why give up an asset for someone you yourself could sue in restricted free agency this summer? There will also be other playmaker opportunities this offseason, including in the draft.
Do you have any idea what AK / Marc / Billy sees as the future of Patrick Williams in terms of positioning? I know that modern basketball is evolving into a game without position. But I loved the lineups with Pat at 4 and just a real big one. — Sean
These worked. And finally, I think Williams is more of a power forward than a small forward. But you’re right: he can play in any lineup due to modern basketball’s trend for positionless play and his defensive versatility. When we asked management, Donovan and even Williams about where he stood, each said something like “he’s a basketball player”. So this is it.
What are the five main players they will build around and how long will it take to take care of the rest? — Irv K.
Two seasons after John Paxson took over from Krause, only Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry remained of the team he inherited. Soon after, these two players were traded.
Translated: This list will be significantly different in two to three seasons. If I had to guess I would say Williams, LaVine, White and one of the Carter / Markkanen will still be there.
I think this season is a clear proof that Zach LaVine has to be a central part of this organization moving forward as they continue on the path to building a championship contender. That being said, what can you see this front office potentially doing this offseason to slowly start building this competitor? Are there any big potential moves on the horizon? A lot of big name free agents have left the board, so I was wondering what exactly could even be done. — Elbron O.
Keep hitting on draft picks. Early feedback from Williams suggests management is 1 to 1 in this department.
Use the salary cap space wisely. Even if you don’t get a Superstar in the offseason, you can improve the roster and build assets to make it attractive for future possibilities and / or in a better position to trade for a star.
Here’s one thing you constantly hear about Artūras Karnišovas from people who have known him for a long time: He has a strong vision of how he wants to build a team. I would look for it to start to take shape this offseason.
Who is the most underrated Bulls player you’ve covered in your career? It can be skill-based or impact on / off the pitch. — Matthew A.
Arbitrarily, I set 200 games played as my minimum. There are 68 players in franchise history who have played that many. Coincidentally, Dennis Rodman missed one.
It’s obviously completely subjective, but I limited my choices to Carlos Boozer, Robin Lopez and Jud Buechler. I don’t neglect Andres Nocioni or Taj Gibson because I feel like they always received the proper love. I would probably throw BJ Armstrong in this conversation too, but I didn’t cover the first team of Three Bogs.
Boozer for me has always suffered from the perception of being the consolation prize of not landing the Big Three who went to Miami. But he was a relentlessly positive, enduring teammate once he got past his rough start of tripping over a duffel bag and breaking his hand, and although Tom Thibodeau doesn’t always come close to him because of the defense, Thibodeau appreciated it.
I would probably go with Lopez. I know people liked him, but I still think he was underrated. His screen-adjusting ability, boxing, and flawless attitude, first as a team, really improved some tough times. Plus, he was funny as hell.
Not including anyone who played on any of the Bulls Championship teams, who would be your top two Bulls players by position from 1998-99 until today? (Ex. Toni Kukoc cannot be included since he played in championship teams). Each player must have played at least one year with the Bulls. When creating this team, the chemistry of the court is not taken into account. Here are my choices:
5- Joakim Noah / Pau Gasol
4- Brand Elton / Taj Gibson
3-Jimmy Butler / Luol Deng
2-Zach LaVine / Ben Gordon
1-Derrick Rose / Kirk Hinrich
Close the omissions for second place in their positions: Boozer, Chandler, Mirotic and Nocioni. — Jay E.
I like stuff like that. I think you are close to almost all of this. I would probably prefer Deng to Butler. This is mainly because of longevity but also a bit of personal preference because Deng played in this 2004-05 team which was one of the most formative experiences of my career and also released the franchise. discomfort. Butler will probably have the most dynamic career in the end. But Deng has been so, so solid for so long and obviously maximized it with two All-Star appearances while playing for Tom Thibodeau.
The only other problem is the forward power position. Brand has averaged a double brace over his two seasons, including as a rookie, which is crazy and why he shared Rookie of the Year with Steve Francis. But he’s only been with the Bulls for two seasons. Does Boozer’s longevity in very good teams place him at No.1 and propel Brand to No.2 and Gibson to No.3? It’s a fun debate.
Thanks for all the questions. See you soon.
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