Ateeq Ahmed: It’s June, so you know what that means, flowers and love in bloom, and Ask Sam is back. At least through the NBA draft, this year for two days June 26 and 27 because the NFL draft goes on for at least a week and the NBA got jealous that all those people hung around to see Eastern Kentucky offensive lineman. The NBA doesn’t allow team web sites to publish in free agency, so Ask Sam will return to the golf course after June 28.
Some articles I read have Buzelis falling to 11 and Bulls picking him. That would be something if it happens. He’s tall and can shoot. His overall offensive game is good. I know he’s very young and would also be a project but the possibility is very intriguing. He’s a Chicago kid. Also reading a few things that have Bulls selecting Tidjane Salaun. He’s big at 6-9. Have you heard anything about him?
Sam: Since I never much get to see these guys play while watching the NBA all winter and only see them post season in the YouTube highlights, they basically all never miss and look like a cross between Magic Johnson and Kevin Durant in the highlights. Those two fit a profile the Bulls could use with size and athleticism and perhaps a fit at the empty “power” forward position. The two questions I’d have is both still are teenagers, and the way the Bulls seem to be operating lately there isn’t much space for kids with this latest competitiveness mantra. It also seems unlikely both, especially Buzelis, would be available at No. 11 according to most of these early mock draft projections I’ve seen. Though this will be a difficult draft for front offices since there seems to be the most uncertainty since the 2013 draft when Anthony Bennett went No. 1 and the only All-Star from the lottery was Victor Oladipo, who was picked as a reserve twice before injuries basically short circuited his career. The first non lottery selection was Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 15. This draft seems better than that one, and I believe the Bulls can get a productive and contributing player at No. 11, if not a core star. Which would be good enough for now. I’ve mentioned a few times if the shooter from Tennessee, Dalton Knecht, fell I’d take him to at least fill a vital need with perimeter shooting. Even if the guy doesn’t project as an All-Star. The biggest mistake executives often make with the draft is trying to land that surprise star, like Antetokounmpo, because that basically guarantees your tenure for at least the next five years. Sure, hitting big can make a team like with Giannis or Luka. Though your job is supposed to be helping your team improve, even slightly; not your own job prospects. I haven’t seen many of these guys play regularly other than Zach Edey, who interestingly seems to be gaining interest in the first round. I was curious to see him given his size in light of Wembanyama, but he looked too slow for the NBA. And maybe a second round pick; now he seems to be moving to the edge of the lottery. To me the Bulls have other greater needs than a gamble on him. Some of the players who seem to be coming up most often in the Bulls range are Knecht, Ron Holland, Robert Dillingham, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, Jared McCain, Stephon Castle, Nikola Topić, Devin Carter, Kel’el Ware, Kyle Filipowski and Tyler Smith. The question is whether they can hit on the right one. I usually can’t judge until I see them play against NBA players.
Peter Toluzzi: It’s so clear that DeMar is in the way of Patrick Williams’ development at small forward; that we can get more for Zach by bringing him back first – Zach / Coby / Ayo / PW enough to cover the guards and small forwards and get full playing time, and even possibly Lonzo returning to make trading Zach more attractive later. In the meantime a sign and trade for DeMar can bring us the young bruising big body or two we need now and in the future. But the front office apparently won’t budge from unloading Zach ASAP and building a statue for DeMar, who may well have earned it, but who would also love to earn a ring or two. Any strength in the Org’s taking the current approach?
Sam: That’s mostly what’s been speculated, but we don’t know their approach yet. They did say they recognized what they had wasn’t working; no one, at least in management, suggested what they think will work. We assume that’s what these two months are for. So I guess it’s good we’ve had no white smoke yet. What I wouldn’t mind seeing is a version of what Jason Kidd suggested the other day about the reason the Mavericks are in the Finals. Not to suggest the Bulls are at that level since they don’t have a Luka, and it’s difficult to find one. Kidd noted the Mavericks were bouncing along actually reasonably well, winning 43 games and then 42 and then 52 and even to the conference finals. But what they recognized was they knew they were on a hamster wheel to a form of mediocrity, that they could make a case for being truly competitive. But they knew they weren’t ultimately. So they threw a season to intentionally miss the playoffs. They took a risk with a risky Kyrie, but that also enabled them to get into a good draft lottery and then be in position to make some deals to change their roster, that a small step back—a rebuild wasn’t necessary—was worth it to take a larger step forward. It seemed apparent to everyone with management’s post season comments that the Bulls are on that fence. Next season is considered a deep draft with perhaps a franchise changer at the top. So maybe you can get something and a pick for DeRozan, who seems to have the most value in a sign and trade. Then as you note you can build back LaVine’s value and maybe even collect another draft pick and perhaps a nice supporting player for Zach, and then get a good look at Patrick Williams. And the Bulls do have some core players with Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, and probably Alex Caruso. That still looks like a competitive enough team for next season. But then you also are putting yourself in position for the future to address needs, and there are several, among them youth, size, athleticism, shooting, toughness, and maybe ten you can turn around a new core within a year. And without Zach and DeMar and one season left for Vučević you could have substantial salary cap room with just a one season hiccup going forward? Hey, it’s an idea.
Mike Sutera: Have the Chicago Bulls made a draft night promise? Supposedly it’s Devin Carter of Providence.
Sam: Don’t discount the pre-draft promise. They got Chandler Hutchison that way and I heard he was the next Scottie Pippen. I make no apology for having no idea who these guys are, and actually had never heard of Carter until I began seeing these promise stories. He sounds like he could be a good player, but he also sounds like an Alex Caruso type. Which if it’s true maybe it means the Bulls are going to make some deals and maybe cash in Caruso. Which would be interesting for actually trying to remake the roster. But if there’s something to it and the Bulls are interested—this is a big eye of the beholder draft with the best players maybe not selected in the top 10—then my alarming thought would be, what, another guard? But maybe there are plans for DeMar, Zach, Alex; decisions, decisions, decisions.
Mike Queensworth: Projected top-10 NBA draft pick Nikola Topić has a partially torn ACL, his agent confirmed to ESPN. Topić is at the NBA’s Draft Combine in Italy, where he went through the NBA’s medical examination. Bulls take him?
Sam: He’s been projected for one of those two top eight Spurs picks, and maybe now is looking like a Michael Porter Jr. repeat. Do you risk it for the high ceiling and likelihood you won’t see him for a year or maybe two? Worked for the Celtics with Larry Bird, and with the 76ers with Joel Embiid. But is he that level of prospect worth the risk for a Bulls franchise that not only needs talent, but needs it now. And gives everyone hives when ACL is mentioned. Topić is 18, but seems maybe to have star potential with size at 6-7 or 6-8 and maybe even projecting as a point guard. My initial response is this Bulls team following Zach LaVine’s ACL recovery and followups and Derrick Rose doesn’t want to go anywhere near ACL, partial or not. Which part? But this Bulls franchise also doesn’t project to having a transcendent star on the roster, which the way the playoffs go requires certainly one big time and likely two. So if the Bulls are not looking like a contender next season maybe take a shot at a star potential you normally wouldn’t get at No. 11? That’s the best part about media/public versus the guy in the arena. They have to make the choice; everyone else gets to second guess it. The latter pays a lot less, but is never wrong.
Mark Schweihs: Will you explain the concept that suggests, “he was signed because we didn’t want to lose him for nothing…”? This is applied, for example, when major stars like Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine and others are re-signed. Yet, in many cases, the franchise ends up providing valuable assets to get other teams to take them off their hands. I’m a big LaVine fan, but Isn’t it true that the Bulls should have never re-signed LaVine?
Sam: Not if they didn’t want him. It seemed like at the time coming off consecutive All-Star appearances and an Olympic gold medal, averaging more than 25 the past two years and efficiently shooting more than 40 percent on threes, LaVine in his late 20s should have been everything a team asks for. After all, read that profile and not know the name—and know there hasn’t been discipline or attitude issues—and say you don’t want that player? There’s been injuries for Zach and who knows exactly what’s happened between he and the team. But the sides seem to have drifted to this point where it seems inevitable he won’t be with the team long. I’m not fully sure why. It’s fairly obvious why teams do what the Bulls did, that it’s bad business to lose a highly valued player for nothing. It’s why teams generally match all restricted free agent contracts even when they don’t like the player like with the Suns and Deandre Ayton and the Pacers. I assume the same if Patrick Williams gets an offer. Because you can then get something in trade, and also teams like to send a message to the league that they don’t want teams trying to poach their players. So I understand the signing. But if there was pause, the route probably was a sign-and-trade at the time. Maybe it just hadn’t reached that point yet. Of course, we still don’t know if there will be a trade, and things do change quickly in the NBA.
Randall Sanders: I read a report that Lonzo Ball is running & dunking. The report also stated that Ball feels he’s at 70% In terms of his recovery. Is that true based on what you know or have heard?
Sam: No one has any idea, and while Ball has been positive in some of these podcasts he’s been on, which makes sense and I assume that’s where this comes from, there’s no way we’ll get honest information if only because of medical privacy laws. The test will be training camp to see if he actually can play, and if he can at what level. Let’s also remember that when Ball was at his best in that brief start to the 21-22 season, he still was averaging 13 points and five assists and was the Bulls fourth best starter. So this is not Michael Jordan returning in 1995. Let’s mot expect a savior. Everyone connected with the Bulls is rooting for Ball because despite the family questions when he was coming out of college, he’s been a very popular teammate and gracious person. But there are two issues. The main one is by the time the season starts he’ll have not played in almost three years, which is almost unprecedented in NBA history for a high level return. And he basically had an experimental surgery without much evidence of after effects. So even if he ca play, is he a 15 or 20-minute player? And since he left, the Bulls strength has been at guard, where they have Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso. And you figure at least one between DeRozan and LaVine will be around, and there’s still Jevon Carter with a few years left on that free agent contract and Dalen Terry. So how and where does Ball fit? And given a lack of team shooting, the Bulls could draft a guard with the No 11 pick. So you’d love especially for him to be able to return and make it a miracle story. But I’d be less counting on it and just hope for a pleasant and unexpected surprise.
Wayne Warner: Is there a scenario where Bulls do a significant reset of their roster and still be below the cap?
1) 76ers don’t get Paul George so they go with 2nd choice LaVine. Since 76ers have cap space then Bulls don’t need to take $43 million of salaries back
2) Use bird rights to do sign & trade DeRozen & Drummond to an over the cap team
3) Match any offer for Patrick Williams to have him return.
Sam: It’s probably a dream scenario for the Bulls assuming all the LaVine trade speculation to trade him into cap space and thus not have to take back salaries. Though the names that have mostly come up in 76ers rumors as alternatives to Paul George have been Jimmy Butler (trade), Brandon Ingram and Donovan Mitchell. And the latest rumors included Klay Thompson signing as a free agent. As we’ve discussed and has been mentioned, the concern with Zach is less his lay than the three years left on the contract totaling more that $135 million. And then coming off surgery, albeit minor, and not having seen him play the last half of the season gives teams pause and produces the speculation the Bulls would have to include a sweeter if they want to trade him this summer. Which is why bringing him into next season makes the most sense. But the Bulls may not want the distraction of all the media questions about trade from the day camp opens. The 76ers have said they intend to try to retain Kelly Oubre, which might diminish their interest in LaVine. Though being a fan of LaVine, I feel like whoever gets him if it comes to that will be getting a better player than widely regarded. I expect the Bulls to match on Williams unless he gets a huge offer, and at least for now the indications are less that LaVine stays than DeRozan. We all assume Drummond takes a bigger free agent deal where he may be able to start.
Riaz Ahmad: How desperate are AKME to dump Zach LaVine? Interesting trade idea with Brooklyn I saw: The deal would send Ben Simmons, a 2027 first-round pick (via PHI; top-8 protected) and a 2027 first-round pick (via PHX; lottery protected) to Chicago for Zach LaVine. Simmons would likely make a few token appearances in 2025 and then be shut down due to back issues. The 1st rounders probably won’t amount to much. But it gets the Bulls under the luxury tax if they resign DeRozan, and get out of LaVine’s contract. The only certainty I can somewhat glean from AKME is they don’t want LaVine back. Not sure how Brooklyn feels about LaVine overall, assuming they are even OK with taking a chance on a guy who was injured for most of last year.
Sam: It does seem like if the Bulls are anxious to make a move this summer it may have to be something like that where they take back a contract another team doesn’t want like Simmons’, but for a shorter duration since it expires after next season. It’s tough to read the Nets amid the conflicting rumors/speculation that both had them interested in trading for the No. 3 pick or adding to its core with players like LaVine. They’ll be a mystery team to watch.
Ryan Carpel: What about trading down and drafting Bronny James in the first round? Then signing LeBron James? What’s there to lose Lebron and Bronny would be fun to watch and might make the Bulls legit contenders. And, from what I can tell Bronny could be a clone of JR Smith.
Sam: As I recall, LeBron had enough of JR. I’m not as sanguine about Bronny’s prospects as an NBA player. But, I know, coming off heart issues and all and playing for a bad team can make you look bad. But there’s many other issues which suggest it’s better to run away from this crazy idea as quickly as you can. This draft James Jr. and dad will join him scenario seems doubtful. It seems unlikely LeBron would leave LA. Hey, he turned down the chance before to be in Chicago, and that was to play with Rose, Noah, Deng and Dwayne Wade. And though LeBron still is playing at an amazingly high level, with Anthony Davis he still was a seventh place team. And he will be 40 in December. I know the Bulls seem to operate short term, but that would be ridiculous. There’s a larger issue that suggests to me the mess of having James Jr. on your team will fall to the Lakers. You think there’s jealousy about Caitlin Clark? Wait ’til all this media is around every day asking about James Jr., and if he’s on your team without LeBron there’ll be LeBron on Twitter second guessing the coach about not using him or using him the wrong way. And even if he’s playing with dad, is dad making the decisions? LeBron already basically runs the organizations he plays for. Now his kid, too? Sports teams go to great lengths to avoid distractions and especially excessive media coverage. So you want to bring in what seems like marginal NBA talent who will be the subject or more media curiosity than you best players? Bad, bad idea. Though he does seem like a nice kid. Reminds me some of Michael Jordan’s kids who showed grace living in that amazing superstar shadow.
Dustin Chaviano: I heard after the Nuggets were eliminated and Michael Porter didn’t really show up for that series, they would be looking to move him. The article said they needed more reliable shooting, a backup center, and more defense. My original idea was a deal built around Lonzo’s expiring contract and Alex Caruso, but what about a double sign and trade of DeMar and Drummond? Nuggets get a veteran leader in DeMar who can still knock ’em down, plus a strong backup center in Drummond, both players thrilled to join a contender. Bulls Starting lineup could be Coby, Zach (I still want to keep him), Patrick (finally at small forward), Porter a floor stretching PF, and Vuc in the middle. In another vein what do you think it would take for Chicago to get Julius Randle from the Knicks? I for one think we need to dump everyone and blow it up, but since that doesn’t seem to be the MO of Bulls management, I’m thinking of clever additions that could improve the team, without possibly costing a lot. With the belief that Donovan Mitchell wants to be a Knick, and New York needing to clear cap space, is it possible to get Julius using Lonzo’s expiring contract and minimal additional assets? I know this isn’t the league it was 10 years ago, but I feel like we’re lacking that strong post presence. A lineup with Coby, Zach, DeMar, Julius, and Vuc would be very balanced and very fun to watch.
Sam: I don’t believe the Nuggets are ready to move on from Porter, but I’d be more concerned about his heath than I would Zach’s. One of the reasons the Nuggets could even get him in the draft was his congenital back problems. And while he played a lot this past season, he missed two of his first four NBA seasons with back surgeries. That’s a heck of a financial risk to take if a big part of the issue with LaVine is the amount of his contract. There’s also the Porter family. That has to have an effect on him. He seems OK, but with one brother banned from the NBA for gambling and another recently going to prison and a third recently arrested, maybe all that, understandably, was too much family stuff behind the scenes. Which may be why he had problems in playoffs. I’ve never been much of a Randle fan, which I don’t think matters much to the Bulls. I can see him being on the market the way the Knicks transformed their offense around the Villanova threesome, especially because Randle shoots so many threes and is maybe 6-7. The Knicks have long denied any interest in LaVine, and I don’t see anyone taking on Ball’s money since if he does try to play, which he insists he will, then the insurance money covering his contract stops immediately and then you may have to pay a guy for not playing. I do see Minnesota trying to move Karl Anthony-Towns given their luxury tax situation and the ownership morass, but they’d have to be reducing payroll.
Rocky Rosado: I am in “hoping mode” that Arturas Karnišovas and Marc Eversley will have an epiphany and realize that we need to commit to a blow up and rebuild this roster. I think re-signing DeMar DeRozan to a 40 mil per year would be… bad. This is not a team that can afford to lock into a contract like that for a 35 year old veteran no matter how likeable. Here are some moves that make sense to me:
Zach LaVine to ORL for Jonathan Isaac, #18 pick
Nikola Vučević, Alex Caruso to OKC for #12 pick
Lonzo Ball, Portland’s Protected 1R pick to UTAH for #32 pick
Javon Carter, Torrey Craig, ’28 2R pick to GSW for Gary Payton Jr.
Draft-
#11 – Reed Sheppard, PG/SG, Kentucky
#12 – Kyle Filipkowski, PF/C, Duke
#18 – Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana
#32 – Ulrich Chomche, PF/C, Nba Academy Africa
Free Agent Targets:
SG -OG Anunoby – 4 yr/$150 mil
SF – Patrick Williams – 3 yr/36 mil
C- Nicolas Claxton – 4 yr/$100 mil
Roster:
C- Nicolas Claxton, Kel’el Ware
PF-Jonathan Isaacs, Kyle Filipkowski, Ulrich Chomche
SF-Patrick Williams, Julian Phillips, Dalen Terry
SG-OG Anunoby, Ayo Dosunmu, Gary Payton Jr.
PG- Coby White, Reed Sheppard
Sam: Well, you are working hard. Sorry, this management has made it clear they never will do anything like the 2017 rebuild. Though if you were going to take that sort of route, based on what all the people who do watch college and other pre-NBA ball say, this is not the draft to invest your future in. Though that Orlando deal might be something. I can see the Magic needing another reliable scoring option the way their season ended, and they can take on some salary. Isaac’s had a major injury history, but he’d be worth a look and mostly is a part time player for them, anyway.
Martin Skelly: I see there’s a lot of speculation about the Hawks and the No. 1 pick.
I really think the Bulls should get in on the action. From the look of it Atlanta would probably ask for more but as a basic structure how about LaVine for the No. 1 pick? We could throw in things like the Portland pick and maybe some other things, I personally would attach Caruso but surely something could get done. Murray and Zach would work well together (plus they are friends) and they could combine it with whatever they ask for from the Trae deal. The Bulls can then go for Alex Sarr who would fit in seamlessly to the team and give them exactly what they need. Coby, Ayo, Williams, Craig, Sarr. That’s a nice young team going forward and still have Vooch to mentor Sarr. I’d like to see build around the younger players.
Sam: Lot of issues there which make it all unlikely. The Hawks with Trae Young can’t take on Zach’s money. There’s been speculation about Zach for Young, but I doubt the Bulls would have interest having Coby White and with Young considered a coach killer, ball dominant and making at least as much as LaVine for as long. The Hawks have been maybe the most underachieving team in the league for the last few years, and most expect a lot of changes, or at least attempts to try. The larger issue is the No. 1 pick even in what’s considered a mediocre draft. You can’t go back to your fan base, which usually loves the draft more than its team unless the team is very good, and say we’re getting a player a losing team doesn’t want for the prize of the NBA draft. Even in weak drafts, teams generally don’t give up the No. 1 pick. It’s rarely happened in decades. I doubt it’s happening this year.
Simon Mabille: Which was the most traumatic for the Bulls (both the franchise and its fan base)? The 1998 offseason, which abruptly put an end to a decade of success but as we know was unlikely to lead to banner number 7? Or Derrick Rose’s injury against Philadelphia, which abruptly prevented us from another decade of success and possibly would have led to banner number 7?
Sam: I know the urban legend still hangs on about how management robbed the team of a chance for No. 7, which I eagerly dispute. Though only because I know the facts, as troublesome as that is to more entertaining conspiracy theories. By the way, I never get all this American mania with conspiracy theories. Who have you ever met, at least in sports, smart enough to pull one off. And they’re usually brighter than the people in government. Mainly, Jordan sliced open his finger during the lockout and needed surgery and probably couldn’t play. That might have been a setback. Phil, by the way, had been making it clear all 1997-98 season the run was done. Last Dance? Rodman went to the Lakers and blew them up; you may recall by the end of the 1997-98 season he was taking weekends in Vegas and Toni Kukoc was starting for him. Pippen got huge money and blew up the Rockets, Longley, Kerr and Buechler all got long term deals and mostly fell out of the rotations immediately. Case closed. Rose’s injury was the worst thing I saw during a basketball game. You knew immediately as the arena hushed that we’d never see that again. Derrick played again, of course, and had some good seasons and made some big shots. But that burst and explosion that we’d never seen before—and no one had—from a true point guard was gone. And he was just 24 at the time. I was certain that Bulls team was better than LeBron’s Heat, which didn’t have as long a run as the post signing rallies suggested. I was certain that Bulls team with the size, depth, toughness and coaching would have won three or four titles. I know we only assume what happened was meant to happen, but no one event changed the arc of a franchise more than Rose’s injury. So, yes, B.
Chris Moore: Not Bulls related but the WNBA already uses a smaller ball in acknowledgement that women are simply genetically smaller on average, so why not take the next logical step and use a lower rim like 9ft or something similar based on the average height difference? Dunking is the quintessential basketball highlight. The game would be far more entertaining and surely more fun for the athletes. A win-win on business and player side. Many people have surely thought about it before, why do you think it’s not happening? It doesn’t seem like any “game purist” faction could be stopping it.
Sam Smith: I haven’t given it much thought, actually. And I don’t get much excited for dunking, and not only because I never could. I know most fans are, so actually I’m surprised the NBA doesn’t give three points for a dunk since they for some reason give 50 percent more points for a jump shot that’s three feet longer. You know that’s coming along with a four-point shot at those green circles we see in the three-point contest. I weep for the NBA. Anyway, can you imagine the jokes. I assume a lower basket would be rejected with rancor especially at a time WNBA players demand equity in pay, travel, etc, and hey we’d like to lower the basket like the sixth graders. Yeah, that should go over well. And it seems with increasing interest in the league they appear to have some other issues to deal with. By the way, when we weren’t looking how did the Chicago Sky become the 1980s Pistons?
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