Off season Ideas

[leo921]

What I would like to see happen but doubt it will

Reset plan

Let DDR leave as a FA
Resign Williams for 4 yrs
Trade Lavine for Simmons and best picks possible, probably some 2nd rd picks
At pick 11 all of the top guys will be gone Sarr/Risacher/Buzelis/Cody Williams. Castle/Dillingham are good but we have Ayo/Coby dont need them and dont want Knecht (older guy who finally starting play well) Holland ( cant shoot just very athletic).

We should draft Tyler Smith from Gleague. 6'11 stretch 4 who can shoot 3s and block shots. Needs to work on his defense but I believe that will come in time.

I know everyone is going to complain about Simmons but im looking at the contract and what it can do for us vs the player.
Simmons is a 40m expiring contract. With his contract we can do 1 of 2 things.

1) DDR 28m gone off cap, Simmons 40m and Ball 21.4m are off the cap next season. The Bulls will now have cap space and Vuc with 1 yr and 20m left on his contract. Bulls now have cap space and flexibility for trades.

or

2) We now have the best assets for any team looking to trade a star. A 40m expiring contract, Caruso (star role player) and Port Pick as well. That is a great package for any team having to trade a star due to cap issues or afraid of losing star to new contract.

Our team becomes

Ayo/Ball/Carter
Coby/Caruso
Williams/Terry
Smith/Phillips/Simmons
Vuc/Drummond

yes that team wont be making the playoffs and will be focusing more on player development and the draft but we need to start over and our 25 pick is top ten protected. The 25 draft is supposed to be good so we should focus on our younger players and getting draft picks

[MrSparkle]

Dog, here’s what’s gonna happen:

Bulls draft some guy we never heard of at #11, say he’s gonna contribute immediately, but he’s going to play 214 minutes for Billy next season.

They resign Demar for 130/3 and call it a win.

They let Drummond, Craig and Pat walk, or Pat takes the QO.

Javonte is our 2nd major resign ($2m).

They say Lonzo and Zach returning healthy are their real free agent pickups.

[LateNight]

Dog, here’s what’s gonna happen:

Bulls draft some guy we never heard of at #11, say he’s gonna contribute immediately, but he’s going to play 214 minutes for Billy next season.

They resign Demar for 130/3 and call it a win.

They let Drummond, Craig and Pat walk, or Pat takes the QO.

Javonte is our 2nd major resign ($2m).

They say Lonzo and Zach returning healthy are their real free agent pickups.

The oracle has spoken

[Dan Z]

I'm all for moving in a new direction, but is your plan to trade for a star (Simmons contract/Caruso/Portland pick)? If so, who? I also don't think those assets are enough for a star (based on previous trades around the league).

As for the rest of it....sure. Unfortunately I don't see the front office doing anything other than keep the continuity going.

[ChettheJet]

There are a lot of ways to play this off season, any could be very right or very wrong.

Unless his people want him with a team that has a pick and/or young talent to send back I am ready to let Demar go and get cap space. That could allow them to sign a FA or take a player back in a trade into that space
I am willing to sign Patrick for 4 years if the intention is to start him at the SF, otherwise there's no point to even thinking about keeping him to come off the bench.
I'm almost willing to keep Lavine. I'm not giving him away for 2nd round picks, not taking Ben Simmons without a gun to my head. I'm willing to sit down with Zach and find out if he's willing to take a step back from dominating the ball, get into the passing offense that wins with 28 assists and put the effort in on rotational defense.
I want to get as much as possible for Caruso because a) they can't keep playing him at the 4 size is needed, b) it is a bad bet that he isn't get injured and miss extended time, 3) he's probably at his max value, 1st team all defense again, best 3pt shooting of his career and friendly expiring contract, 4) Ayo has stepped up on defense, Coby has improved on defense, Javonte could apply his hustle, defense and shooting as a guard, if Terry and Carter return they can fill out the back court. All of them make Caruso expendable.
I have this fear that Vucevic is going to ask to be traded and with his tenure they would have to try to accommodate him. He never seems to be very happy and a big part of that is having Green and Caruso as the PF for the last 2 years. It puts a lot on him to be the only rebounder on the floor. What I see so often is, if Vuc switches to stop a drive to the basket and the shot misses it makes him look good, BUT with the next guy being Caruso, White, Green, DeRozan who aren't big enough or in position the taller guys on the other team get the rebound and put back. Man that's got to be frustrating to play the right defense but the other team scores anyway and his +/- goes down through no fault of his own.

One thing I don't want to do is go into next year with too many guards again. On the even remote chance that Lonzo Ball can play I want him in there and not at the expense of size up front. If Lavine and White start with Ayo and Javonte behind them I'd like to have a backup SF who could also backup the SG, maybe that's Lonzo or somebody new.

I'm working on a list of who it would be nice to end up with, you have to wait to see who flops in the playoffs, who could be traded, if teams draft replacements for current players and who gets bought out, released or not guaranteed.

[Dan Z]

There are a lot of ways to play this off season, any could be very right or very wrong.

Unless his people want him with a team that has a pick and/or young talent to send back I am ready to let Demar go and get cap space. That could allow them to sign a FA or take a player back in a trade into that space
I am willing to sign Patrick for 4 years if the intention is to start him at the SF, otherwise there's no point to even thinking about keeping him to come off the bench.
I'm almost willing to keep Lavine. I'm not giving him away for 2nd round picks, not taking Ben Simmons without a gun to my head. I'm willing to sit down with Zach and find out if he's willing to take a step back from dominating the ball, get into the passing offense that wins with 28 assists and put the effort in on rotational defense.
I want to get as much as possible for Caruso because a) they can't keep playing him at the 4 size is needed, b) it is a bad bet that he isn't get injured and miss extended time, 3) he's probably at his max value, 1st team all defense again, best 3pt shooting of his career and friendly expiring contract, 4) Ayo has stepped up on defense, Coby has improved on defense, Javonte could apply his hustle, defense and shooting as a guard, if Terry and Carter return they can fill out the back court. All of them make Caruso expendable.
I have this fear that Vucevic is going to ask to be traded and with his tenure they would have to try to accommodate him. He never seems to be very happy and a big part of that is having Green and Caruso as the PF for the last 2 years. It puts a lot on him to be the only rebounder on the floor. What I see so often is, if Vuc switches to stop a drive to the basket and the shot misses it makes him look good, BUT with the next guy being Caruso, White, Green, DeRozan who aren't big enough or in position the taller guys on the other team get the rebound and put back. Man that's got to be frustrating to play the right defense but the other team scores anyway and his +/- goes down through no fault of his own.

One thing I don't want to do is go into next year with too many guards again. On the even remote chance that Lonzo Ball can play I want him in there and not at the expense of size up front. If Lavine and White start with Ayo and Javonte behind them I'd like to have a backup SF who could also backup the SG, maybe that's Lonzo or somebody new.

I'm working on a list of who it would be nice to end up with, you have to wait to see who flops in the playoffs, who could be traded, if teams draft replacements for current players and who gets bought out, released or not guaranteed.

I can imagine Zach saying yes too all that stuff (in bold above) and then when he plays he's the same player we've seen for years (this is in 10th year in the league. I doubt he'll change at this point).

I also don't think we'll have cap space if DDR leaves, but I'm not 100% sure about that (if we do I doubt it's much).

[patryk7754]

if i'm not mistaken, we do not have our 2025 1st, so there really is no point of resetting. They way I see it, we run it back with the current roster or make a major play in the trade market. Running it back is the most likely path taken.

If we do run it back I would like us resigning our FAs to one year deals. If it looks like the team will be a 8/9/10 seed once again, sell at the deadline for picks and fully blow it up in the offseason.

If we make a big play for someone via trade, I think the ideal package would be White, Vuc, and POR pick (as a starting point). I think our best bet would be going after an upgrade at PG. Sounds like Young and Murray will be gettable this offseason. Depending on how the playoffs go, I wouldn't be surprised of Fox and Garland are made available, for the right price. If Garland becomes available, Mitchell will probably also be on the table, as well. Then there's always going to be a couple of random players that are at least going to be talked about as being traded (Julius Randle?) Ultimately, I think our best shot to upgrade the roster is by doing so via PG and Murray is probably the easiest to acquire.

If we do make a big time trade for a backcourt player, I would like to focus on defense in FA. Nic Claxton and Jalen Smith would be my top choices in FA. If we can't afford both, I'd probably opt to resign Drummond and sign Smith. I would also like to bring back Derrick Jones Jr and Mason Plumlee (assuming we don't sign Claxton) to minimum contracts.

with our draft pick, I think the SF out of Tennesse makes a lot of sense. Great size and can score. can be a really good guy off the bench.

Unlikely, but if DDR is willing to take a 6th man role with the bulls then I would bring him back. Kinda like Westbrook.

Murray/Carter
Lavine/Ayo
Caruso/Damar/Rookie
Smith/DJJ
Drummond/Plumlee

[HearshotKDS]

Dog, here’s what’s gonna happen:

Bulls draft some guy we never heard of at #11, say he’s gonna contribute immediately, but he’s going to play 214 minutes for Billy next season.

They resign Demar for 130/3 and call it a win.

They let Drummond, Craig and Pat walk, or Pat takes the QO.

Javonte is our 2nd major resign ($2m).

They say Lonzo and Zach returning healthy are their real free agent pickups.

Taurean Prince signed as the starting PF to replace WIlliams and Craig.

[jnrjr79]

if i'm not mistaken, we do not have our 2025 1st, so there really is no point of resetting. They way I see it, we run it back with the current roster or make a major play in the trade market. Running it back is the most likely path taken.

If we do run it back I would like us resigning our FAs to one year deals. If it looks like the team will be a 8/9/10 seed once again, sell at the deadline for picks and fully blow it up in the offseason.

If we make a big play for someone via trade, I think the ideal package would be White, Vuc, and POR pick (as a starting point). I think our best bet would be going after an upgrade at PG. Sounds like Young and Murray will be gettable this offseason. Depending on how the playoffs go, I wouldn't be surprised of Fox and Garland are made available, for the right price. If Garland becomes available, Mitchell will probably also be on the table, as well. Then there's always going to be a couple of random players that are at least going to be talked about as being traded (Julius Randle?) Ultimately, I think our best shot to upgrade the roster is by doing so via PG and Murray is probably the easiest to acquire.

If we do make a big time trade for a backcourt player, I would like to focus on defense in FA. Nic Claxton and Jalen Smith would be my top choices in FA. If we can't afford both, I'd probably opt to resign Drummond and sign Smith. I would also like to bring back Derrick Jones Jr and Mason Plumlee (assuming we don't sign Claxton) to minimum contracts.

with our draft pick, I think the SF out of Tennesse makes a lot of sense. Great size and can score. can be a really good guy off the bench.

Unlikely, but if DDR is willing to take a 6th man role with the bulls then I would bring him back. Kinda like Westbrook.

Murray/Carter
Lavine/Ayo
Caruso/Damar/Rookie
Smith/DJJ
Drummond/Plumlee

Re: the bolded, the 2025 pick stays with the Bulls if it's in the top 10. It then rolls over to 2026 and 2027 with top-8 protection if it hasn't conveyed. If it hasn't conveyed by then, it becomes a 2028 2nd rounder.

So, there is plenty of reason not to run it back with an aging veteran core with a low ceiling.

[patryk7754]

if i'm not mistaken, we do not have our 2025 1st, so there really is no point of resetting. They way I see it, we run it back with the current roster or make a major play in the trade market. Running it back is the most likely path taken.

If we do run it back I would like us resigning our FAs to one year deals. If it looks like the team will be a 8/9/10 seed once again, sell at the deadline for picks and fully blow it up in the offseason.

If we make a big play for someone via trade, I think the ideal package would be White, Vuc, and POR pick (as a starting point). I think our best bet would be going after an upgrade at PG. Sounds like Young and Murray will be gettable this offseason. Depending on how the playoffs go, I wouldn't be surprised of Fox and Garland are made available, for the right price. If Garland becomes available, Mitchell will probably also be on the table, as well. Then there's always going to be a couple of random players that are at least going to be talked about as being traded (Julius Randle?) Ultimately, I think our best shot to upgrade the roster is by doing so via PG and Murray is probably the easiest to acquire.

If we do make a big time trade for a backcourt player, I would like to focus on defense in FA. Nic Claxton and Jalen Smith would be my top choices in FA. If we can't afford both, I'd probably opt to resign Drummond and sign Smith. I would also like to bring back Derrick Jones Jr and Mason Plumlee (assuming we don't sign Claxton) to minimum contracts.

with our draft pick, I think the SF out of Tennesse makes a lot of sense. Great size and can score. can be a really good guy off the bench.

Unlikely, but if DDR is willing to take a 6th man role with the bulls then I would bring him back. Kinda like Westbrook.

Murray/Carter
Lavine/Ayo
Caruso/Damar/Rookie
Smith/DJJ
Drummond/Plumlee

Re: the bolded, the 2025 pick stays with the Bulls if it's in the top 10. It then rolls over to 2026 and 2027 with top-8 protection if it hasn't conveyed. If it hasn't conveyed by then, it becomes a 2028 2nd rounder.

So, there is plenty of reason not to run it back with an aging veteran core with a low ceiling.

Well then f it and go get Cooper Flagg....but we will definitely run it back and hope to win the play in once again

[League Circles]

I like something a bit more like this:

In general, be as good as we can be while minimizing future salary commitments and player-role commitments.

Trade ideally Vuc, Caruso and Carter for Simmons.

Sign Demar to whatever it takes to get him to agree to a 1+1 (team option) deal up to the max if needed.

Sign Williams to a 1+1 deal as well, also with team option for the 2nd year.

Re-sign Drummond.

Draft Ware or a similar guy at #11.

C: Drummond, #11
PF: Simmons, Phillips
SF: Demar, Patrick
SG: Zach, Ayo
PG: Coby, Ball

[patryk7754]

I disagree with the idea that Lavine needs to be dumped. He's way to talented. Give how similar their careers have been and their offensive talent levels are almost identical, I think its reasonable to get something relatively close to what the Wizards got for Beal. Wizards got:

Chris Paul
Landry Shamet
Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick, via Pacers)
2024 first-round pick swap
2024 second-round pick
2025 second-round pick
2026 first-round pick swap
2026 second-round pick
2027 second-round pick
2028 first-round pick swap
2028 second-round pick
2030 first-round pick swap
2030 second-round pick

I wouldn't expect that much but at least a 1st and 2 swap options (plus a few 2nds). Some teams that I think we could get that from are:

Lakers
Kings
Mavs
Warriors
Knicks
Nets
Rockets
Magic
Atlanta


Given Lavine's Contract, it won't be easy for each of the teams I mentioned to make an offer but I think the ideal team would be the Lakers. they will probably be most willing to make a move and by the second swap, they could be a bottom five team. It should be via a three-team trade.

Lakers get: Lavine
Blazers get: Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent
Bulls get: Robert Williams, Matisse Thybulle, 2025 Lakers 1st, 2027 swap via Lakers, 2029 swap Via Lakers, and multiple seconds via Lakers


Trade 2: Three team with Rockets and Mavs
Mavs get: Vucevic
Rockets get: Gafford and Caurso
Bulls get: Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams

Trade 3:
Nets get White
Bulls get Schroder and 1st

For 2024 FA, sign Keegan Murray

Shroder/Carter
Ayo/
Murry/Thyblle
Sengun
William

Draft Cooper Flagg with our 1st.

Our Roster for 25/26:
Carter
Ayo
Murray
Flagg
Sengun

Then, in the 2026 offseason, we trade all the assets we've accumulated from this offseason's blow up for Anthony Edwards (who has demanded a trade to bulls) and Sign SGA to a max as he opts not to accept the supermax from the Thunder

SGA\
Edwards
Murray
Flagg
Sengun

[sco]

I like something a bit more like this:

In general, be as good as we can be while minimizing future salary commitments and player-role commitments.

Trade ideally Vuc, Caruso and Carter for Simmons.

Sign Demar to whatever it takes to get him to agree to a 1+1 (team option) deal up to the max if needed.

Sign Williams to a 1+1 deal as well, also with team option for the 2nd year.

Re-sign Drummond.

Draft Ware or a similar guy at #11.

C: Drummond, #11
PF: Simmons, Phillips
SF: Demar, Patrick
SG: Zach, Ayo
PG: Coby, Ball

Using Caruso to get rid of Vuc seems like a poor use of his value. I'm fine trading him but only for assets that have a real chance to be starters (either picks or young guys with potential). I feel like a team with Demar and Caruso is going to be decent, but if you are trading one, keeping the other seems like a waste. Moreover, next season, with our (top 10 protected IIRC) first on the line, being mediocre seems like a bad idea. Either get better or worse seems like the right move.

Dumping Vuc's and Carter's salary are bad ideas, but IMO, 2025 cap space isn't going to improve our trajectory.

[patryk7754]

I like something a bit more like this:

In general, be as good as we can be while minimizing future salary commitments and player-role commitments.

Trade ideally Vuc, Caruso and Carter for Simmons.

Sign Demar to whatever it takes to get him to agree to a 1+1 (team option) deal up to the max if needed.

Sign Williams to a 1+1 deal as well, also with team option for the 2nd year.

Re-sign Drummond.

Draft Ware or a similar guy at #11.

C: Drummond, #11
PF: Simmons, Phillips
SF: Demar, Patrick
SG: Zach, Ayo
PG: Coby, Ball

Using Caruso to get rid of Vuc seems like a poor use of his value. I'm fine trading him but only for assets that have a real chance to be starters (either picks or young guys with potential). I feel like a team with Demar and Caruso is going to be decent, but if you are trading one, keeping the other seems like a waste. Moreover, next season, with our (top 10 protected IIRC) first on the line, being mediocre seems like a bad idea. Either get better or worse seems like the right move.

Dumping Vuc's and Carter's salary are bad ideas, but IMO, 2025 cap space isn't going to improve our trajectory.

I think if we do go rebuild mode our plan should be bad enough to tank for Flagg next season and then the following offseason have enough cap to sign FAs as that seems to be the best FA class in the next few years. So our goals should be

2025: Tank for Flagg
2026: have max(ish) cap space

[League Circles]

I like something a bit more like this:

In general, be as good as we can be while minimizing future salary commitments and player-role commitments.

Trade ideally Vuc, Caruso and Carter for Simmons.

Sign Demar to whatever it takes to get him to agree to a 1+1 (team option) deal up to the max if needed.

Sign Williams to a 1+1 deal as well, also with team option for the 2nd year.

Re-sign Drummond.

Draft Ware or a similar guy at #11.

C: Drummond, #11
PF: Simmons, Phillips
SF: Demar, Patrick
SG: Zach, Ayo
PG: Coby, Ball

Using Caruso to get rid of Vuc seems like a poor use of his value. I'm fine trading him but only for assets that have a real chance to be starters (either picks or young guys with potential). I feel like a team with Demar and Caruso is going to be decent, but if you are trading one, keeping the other seems like a waste. Moreover, next season, with our (top 10 protected IIRC) first on the line, being mediocre seems like a bad idea. Either get better or worse seems like the right move.

Dumping Vuc's and Carter's salary are bad ideas, but IMO, 2025 cap space isn't going to improve our trajectory.

I think Caruso's (trade) value is wildly overestimated by the Bulls and their fans. Yes his on court value is high, when healthy, but I don't think we can get something important for him. 2025 cap space might not have great prospects, but beyond that Coby and Ayo will likely be making a lot more money so a FA window may be closed for years to come. Also, Ayo and Patrick are likely to replace Caruso's role very well. Do we really want to (and believe we can) re-sign Caruso?

[DropStep]

...I think its reasonable to get something relatively close to what the Wizards got for Beal. Wizards got:

Chris Paul
Landry Shamet
Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick, via Pacers)
2024 first-round pick swap
2024 second-round pick
2025 second-round pick
2026 first-round pick swap
2026 second-round pick
2027 second-round pick
2028 first-round pick swap
2028 second-round pick
2030 first-round pick swap
2030 second-round pick

I wouldn't expect that much but at least a 1st and 2 swap options (plus a few 2nds). ...

I had it in my head they got less than Paul, Shamet, 6 seconds and 4 swaps, so thanks for the refresher. Those swaps could all be garbage, but, six years in the future from an old Suns team, who knows?

But, Coulibaly shouldn't be in there. He came over in a separate trade where the Wiz rerouted a couple of second rounders plus Jarace Walker. Seems like a quibble, but a top 7 draft pick in the same year as the trade (not 47 years in the future) isn't chicken feed, if we're trying to use it to forecast a Lavine trade. That pick would probably have been single best asset in the haul, if they could have gotten it.

[DuckIII]

Dog, here’s what’s gonna happen:

Bulls draft some guy we never heard of at #11, say he’s gonna contribute immediately, but he’s going to play 214 minutes for Billy next season.

They resign Demar for 130/3 and call it a win.

They let Drummond, Craig and Pat walk, or Pat takes the QO.

Javonte is our 2nd major resign ($2m).

They say Lonzo and Zach returning healthy are their real free agent pickups.

That is waaaaaaaaaay more of a plausible outcome than it should be.

[sco]

Dog, here’s what’s gonna happen:

Bulls draft some guy we never heard of at #11, say he’s gonna contribute immediately, but he’s going to play 214 minutes for Billy next season.

They resign Demar for 130/3 and call it a win.

They let Drummond, Craig and Pat walk, or Pat takes the QO.

Javonte is our 2nd major resign ($2m).

They say Lonzo and Zach returning healthy are their real free agent pickups.

That is waaaaaaaaaay more of a plausible outcome than it should be.

I agree that this is pretty likely, too SMH.

I think the money choices will be interesting. I think they'll have trouble coming into next season below the tax line. That said, they'll have the season to work it down.

IMO, barring winning a round of the playoffs, the FO needs to make a decision to prioritize continuity vs. young player development and giving themselves a chance to keep their 2025 (top 10 protected - IIRC) pick. The better long-term move would be to get whatever value we can from Caruso and Demar. I disagree with trying to dump Zach in the offseason while his value is so low, and maybe letting him run as the #1 option next season revitalizes his value at the deadline or at the end of the season.

[drosestruts]

There's a lot of potential paths based on a number of variables - some which are and are not fully within the Bulls' control.

DeRozan has said all the right things about wanting to return during the season, as you expect and pro would. But we'll see what happens this offseason - does he want to return or does he wants to find his way to a contender? If the latter, what contenders are interested in him? What are our sign and trade opportunities?

Zach is another big variable - is there a market for Zach? Does that market provide enough value to the Bulls? Reports are their asking price has been very high in the past? Has that come down?

What will be the market for Patrick Williams? If a team comes in with a big offer sheet do we let him walk or try to work a sign and trade?

These are, to me, some of the bigger variables to what direction we go this offseason.

From there we branch off into a lot of possibilities.

One thing I would like to see is a real effort to actually build a complimentary team. I think AK did a lot a few years ago in acquiring talent for the sake of acquiring talent. I think we've seen that some of these pieces don't fit well together (Zach and DeMar) and that some of these pieces have rapidly declined (Vuc) and then less in our control, some of these pieces were lost to injury (Ball).

Let's not acquire talent for talents sake. Let's holistically build a team.

[Michael Jackson]

I
Lakers get: Lavine
Blazers get: Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent
Bulls get: Robert Williams, Matisse Thybulle, 2025 Lakers 1st, 2027 swap via Lakers, 2029 swap Via Lakers, and multiple seconds via Lakers

Lakers can't trade their first until 2029 because of pick swaps.