Chicago Bulls 2017-2018
I'm okay with it. Jimmy was never gonna be the centerpiece of any potential championship team in Chicago. He's a key piece but not a centerpiece player. If you're gonna rebuild the team around guys like LaVine, Dunn, and Markannen, this move had to be made.
I agree. Obviouly I was not in the room where it happened, but I have to wonder if the deal could have been made to get the #7 pick while keeping the #16 pick.
Shane Walsh
aka "Captain Oblivious"
- Cynthiana, Kentucky
This Deadspin article and the first two comments sum up my feelings perfectly....
http://deadspin.com/is-that-really-all-the-bulls-could-get-for-jimmy-butler-1796364570
http://deadspin.com/is-that-really-all-the-bulls-could-get-for-jimmy-butler-1796364570
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
At least they are rebuilding now instead of being mired in mediocrity. However their coach still is bad.
Nick Freidell, who covers the Bulls, summed it up for me: " this fan anger is going to quickly turn into apathy."
IMO, apathy is much harder to recover from than anger. Angry fans might keep season tickets or keep watching in hopes of a turn around. Fan apathy will take years to turn around. Years of winning big, not just middle of pack, make the playoffs and hope.
IMO, apathy is much harder to recover from than anger. Angry fans might keep season tickets or keep watching in hopes of a turn around. Fan apathy will take years to turn around. Years of winning big, not just middle of pack, make the playoffs and hope.
I don't know enough about the players they got in return but you generally do not trade a player of Butler's proven quality for a bunch of unknown commodities when the player you are trading is still young and does not carry any baggage. The Bulls appear to be on a long, slow slide under GarPax, making it difficult to stay invested.
I'm okay with the players they got. Kris Dunn played better in the second half of his rookie season. He was a top 5 pick last year, it would appear he's trending up, just slower than you'd expect for a top 5 guy. If the bulls keep rondo around, I don't think him learning from rondo is the worst thing in the world.
LaVine: he's hard to pinpoint cause he got hurt. You never know how an athletic freak will respond to an ACL. However, if he loses an inch or two off his vert he will still be fun to watch. The thing that I read yesterday that really surprised was how well he was playing offensively before the injury. He was almost a 40/50/90 guy with 39 from 3, 48 from the field, and 88 from the line. He was going for 20+ a game, and he's only 22. If wade sticks around, and is willing to mentor, that could be very good for us down the road.
Markennen: I love the pick. I think he could grow into a poor mans dirk. But I have an irrational affinity for big men who shoot 3s.
My only real blah for the deal is that I wish they could have kept the 16th pick as well.
Can't believe how much the Purdue PF fell and the Ok St PG. I think those are steals.
Agreed on pretty much all of this.
Dunn it's hard to be sure what he is exactly as Thibs usually doesn't give a lot of playing times to rookies. LaVine is the bigger question mark with coming off the ACL injury and also being in the last year of his deal. While he's a great scorer, especially if you need points late, he's not gonna stuff the stat sheet with things like rebounds or assists.
Markennen was considered one of if not the best shooter in this draft class. Drafting him will essentially make Mirotic expendable at this point as well.
From what I heard the Bulls are going to try to bring Mirotic back. I really think the Bulls should have been able to get more for Jimmy. I, personally, really would be hesitant in trading for a player coming off an ACL. I agree Thibs doesn't play rookies much, so Dunn is a ? Like the Markennen pick, but he will have to learn to guard.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
For some ungodly reason I watched the last 15 minutes of the Bulls-Warriors game last night. Wow. I'm not sure there are enough mops in Chicago to clean up that mess. Both Tim Floyd and Mayor Fred Hoiberg went straight from ISU to basketball hell.
Illiniaaron
- Geneseo, IL
Ok now that the Bulls are on fire, how many think they should try to trade Mirotic before deadline, or is this team better than everybody thought and they should just let these guys play?
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
If the Bulls receive a FMV offer, they should move Niko. All about timing, nothing to do with the player.
On one hand, it would be a shame not to see what this team can do once LaVine gets back from injury.
On the other hand, they're 5 games out of the playoffs with three or four teams ahead of them. If they "go for it," they would probably struggle to make the 7 or 8 seed only to get bounced in the first round by Boston or Cleveland if they do. With pretty much everyone of value on the team besides Dunn and Markanen a free agent after either '18 or '19, it would make sense to get what you can. Don't give people away, but take fair offers.
On the other hand, they're 5 games out of the playoffs with three or four teams ahead of them. If they "go for it," they would probably struggle to make the 7 or 8 seed only to get bounced in the first round by Boston or Cleveland if they do. With pretty much everyone of value on the team besides Dunn and Markanen a free agent after either '18 or '19, it would make sense to get what you can. Don't give people away, but take fair offers.
Ryllini
- Lombard
This is a tricky situation the Bulls are in. Unless you can get picks for Niko, you don’t move him. Problem is, a contender will more than likely want him and what would that get you? A mid-round pick at best?
Lauri is an absolute baller and I think him and Niko are a nice pair, even though they often aren’t on the court together. The NBA draft is a crap shoot, but it looks like there are 5 players that are organizational changing players, Bamba and Bagley being two. With the way they are winning, probably aren’t going sniff a top 3 pick.
I think the NBA is much like MLB, you are either all in or not. I believe baseball teams have adjusted to that theory much faster than NBA teams. I believe that to be true, because if you look at the teams that has completely sold out in a good way to win, Cubs, Houston, Minnesota, Philly, Atlanta, CWS, Miami and so on makes baseball all that much more competitive to where you have 20 or so teams competing for 10 playoff spots and the others strategically placing themselves for the future. Only the 76ers have bought in to that theory and they will be a force to be reckoned with. I think NBA owners and GM’s aren’t as smart and really buy into the that they will find that franchise changing player or taking players with a star name and a terrible contract,instead of building the smart way.
I love the NBA and in my opinion offer the best story lines throughout any season, but I do think these players are soft and want to play with what they perceive to be the best and chase championships instead of building a championship team, looking at you KD. I think that is rubbing off on Baseball, looking at you Stanton.
Lauri is an absolute baller and I think him and Niko are a nice pair, even though they often aren’t on the court together. The NBA draft is a crap shoot, but it looks like there are 5 players that are organizational changing players, Bamba and Bagley being two. With the way they are winning, probably aren’t going sniff a top 3 pick.
I think the NBA is much like MLB, you are either all in or not. I believe baseball teams have adjusted to that theory much faster than NBA teams. I believe that to be true, because if you look at the teams that has completely sold out in a good way to win, Cubs, Houston, Minnesota, Philly, Atlanta, CWS, Miami and so on makes baseball all that much more competitive to where you have 20 or so teams competing for 10 playoff spots and the others strategically placing themselves for the future. Only the 76ers have bought in to that theory and they will be a force to be reckoned with. I think NBA owners and GM’s aren’t as smart and really buy into the that they will find that franchise changing player or taking players with a star name and a terrible contract,instead of building the smart way.
I love the NBA and in my opinion offer the best story lines throughout any season, but I do think these players are soft and want to play with what they perceive to be the best and chase championships instead of building a championship team, looking at you KD. I think that is rubbing off on Baseball, looking at you Stanton.
ILL in IA
- Iowa City
You can't look at just the value a trade brings back for Niko. His trade value is a later in the first round pick. At best you get back another Niko with the pick from who you draft. The true value comes from tank mode when you move Niko. The losses that come with that and the potential to getting a top 5 pick. The top of this draft is stacked. If they can get a pick in the top 4, the value of moving Niko has worked out.
Ryllini
- Lombard
You are absolutely right and why I said it is tricky. The value is in tank mode, but this team is showing no signs of going that way, especially in the East. I fear the Bulls are going to wait too long and pile on too many wins to even sniff a top 5 pick, we get a mid to late round first rounder for Niko, and we are shot again for next year.
Starting this weekend, the Bulls will have a new flagship radio station. WSCR, 670 the Score, will be the new radio home for the team starting with this Saturday's game at the Clippers.
The team had previously signed a multi year deal with WLS-AM 890 prior to last season but a recent bankruptcy court ruling involving WLS' parent company, Cumulus Media, led them to nullify contracts the station had with both the Bulls and White Sox.
The team had previously signed a multi year deal with WLS-AM 890 prior to last season but a recent bankruptcy court ruling involving WLS' parent company, Cumulus Media, led them to nullify contracts the station had with both the Bulls and White Sox.
I'm surprised the Bulls and White Sox do not have to pay to be broadcast.
Bulls sending Mirotic to New Orleans for Omer Asik, Tony Allen, Jameer Nelson and a 1st round pick. The Pelicans' first round pick is top 5 protected this year, top 8 in 2019, and unprotected in 2020. The Bulls are also sending a 2nd round pick that they had previously gotten from the Pelicans back to New Orleans and will have the right to swap 2nd round picks with New Orleans in the 2021 draft. The Bulls are reportedly planning on waiving Allen but will keep Nelson for the time being.
I'm surprised that the reaction I've seen hasn't been more uniformly favorable. The unseen part of this trade are the losses that will come as this team goes full tank. Add a first round pick that could find its way into the lottery... I'll take it.