Bulls2021 wrote:MGB8 wrote:I'm still leaning hard towards a smaller move - mostly given a realistic assessment of who is available and the value of the Bulls' non-core players.
Isaiah Roby to me would be a perfect fit and might be gettable for just Simonovic (given that there is talk that the Thunder won't even pick up Roby's option for next year for roster space, and the fact that they are loaded with smaller 4 / combo-forward types with Bazely, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Kenrich Williams. Dort is almost that kind of guy, too, though really small at 6'3. Though speaking of the Thunder, they just waived Gabriel Deck - and he might be worth a tire-kick, himself.
Anyway, besides Poku and "play-older-than-their-age" 30 year olds Favors and Muscala, the team is severely lacking in size. I could see them being interested in a look-see on Simonovic in return for Roby.
The "bigger" move I'd love would be to see two franchises exchange two rookie 2nd round studs / fan favorites - an Ayo (*potentially plus the Portland pick) for Herb Jones swap. Jones was taken 3 picks ahead of Ayo. He's a year and a half older.
I'm not sure that Jones is actually worth more than Ayo in the long term - but he has an extra year on his contract and his plus minus numbers are fantastic (as opposed to Ayo's, which are bad... but context matters - Ayo on a very good team, Jones on an awful one).
Meanwhile, the Pelicans could really, really use someone like Ayo - their back-court talent is Graham, Hart (who isn't much of a shooter and an over-rated, middling, defender), a poor-efficiency NAW and a haven't shown much of anything yet Kira Lewis. They need the defensive intensity.
In a vacuum, a straight swap makes a ton of sense for the Pelicans given that Herb plays Zion's position, and they also added Trey Murphy as a 3 and D combo forward). Don't know if they'd do that - but I would in a second (and I love Ayo - but needs). I'd think about adding the Portland (late, likely not for a couple of years) first, too. Maybe for a 2nd rounder or two back from NOLA in return for the Portland first going out on top of Ayo.
If any player is gettable straight up for Simonovic, how can they be any good? Simonovic is a guy that may never play another minute in the NBA. He has absolutely no value.
Javonte Green was Boston's trash ... now he's a starter for the Bulls (due to injury, but still).
It's not that Roby is trash - he has a positive plus minus and is efficient and brings both perimeter and rim defense while not being completely awful from 3 (even shooting 50% from 3 as a bailout option this year - 4.4 3pa/36).
The issue with Roby is that he's a 2019 2nd round pick that's in competition for playing time with a 2019 first round pick (Bazely), a 2020 first round pick (Poku), a 2021 2nd round pick who, like many from this year, has massively exceeded expectations (Jeremiah Robinson-Earl) and a couple of bouncy, aggressive, a bit older wings-turned-4s (Kenrich Williams, even the 6'3 Dort).
I also don't agree that Simonovic is trash, per se. He's just not ready to contribute. I actually think he has NBA talent once he gets strong enough and more integrated into the league. Not saying he's starter material or anything, but he has some talent.
The Thunder were rumored to be considering not picking up Roby's last year - again, not because he's *bad* but because there are only so many roster spots and they want to look at other players. Roby's played some more since then, so I don't know if that speculation still holds - or if it was ever accurate. But if it was, then swapping him for a bigger player - a different position - might be something they'd be open to (especially if they had scouted Simonovic and liked him pre-draft - you never know). Or it might take a bit of sweetener - cash and/or a 2nd rounder or whatever.
And the Bulls would get their own look-see on a player who fits the need-profile. Maybe he does nothing and sits behind Green and DJJ and small-guards at the 4. Or maybe, like Javonte, he would over-achieve versus what he was doing before.
