RealGM

Bulls send Vuc to Char
Bulls send Pwill, JCarter, Port 1st, Bulls’ 2026 unprotected 1st to Utah
Bulls get Lauri

Char sends PatC/GWilliams or JGreen to Utah, plus Char sends a few 2nds
Char gets Vuc

Utah sends Lauri to Chi
Utah gets PatC, JGreen, PWill, Port 1st, Bulls’ 2026 1st (unprotected) and JCarter (buys out) plus some 2nds from Char (or maybe their future 1st they have from a bunch of teams-it’s projected to be a late 1st)

Char BADLY needs a center-Vuc is expiring and plays nightly
Utah moves on from Lauri and full tanks 2025-26. They add a possible good 1st, plus the Port pick and saves a ton of future $
Bulls go for it in the weak East-I think this could be a 2nd round team
White/TJones/Ayo
Giddey/Okoro/Ayo
Matas/Huerter/Terry
Lauri/Noa/Phillips
Collins/JSmith/Lauri

That’s a huge, balanced lineup that could win 45-50 games. Lauri needs to play with a guy like Giddy. Maybe they start JSmith (better spacing)

Okogie was already waived on July 15th. He's currently a FA.

mg wrote:Okogie was already waived on July 15th. He's currently a FA.

Thanks, didn’t know
Had to add JGreen (I think he’s hurt) or GWilliams-Char has to add a few 2nds or maybe that bad 2026 1st they have, since they save $ next year, and Utah doesn’t save $ this year

i don't really care if it takes 2 or 5 2nds to make this happen, i'm in

The Bulls, however, should not entertain this. there is no way they're not tanking

HornetJail wrote:i don't really care if it takes 2 or 5 2nds to make this happen, i'm in

The Bulls, however, should not entertain this. there is no way they're not tanking

Bulls won’t tank-we are Playin bound again, almost for sure. Lauri could push us up to a 5 or 6 seed and maybe we sneak into the 2nd round

I think if Char gets Vuc (much needed) and moves Green/PatC (saving $ this year, and Green’s deal next year) they should put in the 2026 worst 1st they have from Mem/Orl/Wash/Suns. I know fans might not like it, but the savings, and getting Vuc, could add up to a pick. Maybe Utah sends them a 2nd

Bulls get Lauri
Char gets Vuc and 2027 Clipper 2nd from Char
Utah gets PWill, PatC, JGreen, JCarter (buyout), Bulls’ 2026 1st unprotected, Port 1st (lotto protected thru 2028) and the worst of the 2026 Mem, Wash, Suns, Orl 1st

Is this fair?

No, no and no.

No chance in hell should the Bulls (or any team) give up unprotected firsts for Lauri.

He struggles to stay healthy and had one good season, he pushes the Bulls nowhere.

Dez wrote:No, no and no.

No chance in hell should the Bulls (or any team) give up unprotected firsts for Lauri.

He struggles to stay healthy and had one good season, he pushes the Bulls nowhere.

Two good seasons.

I would take an unprotected pick and bad salary from Chicago for Lauri. I think there is a chance they make the playoffs woth him, but it is still a team that seriously lacks talent, so I would assume that is a pick on the 10 to 14 range again.

pipfan wrote:Bulls send Vuc to Char
Bulls send Pwill, JCarter, Port 1st, Bulls’ 2026 unprotected 1st to Utah
Bulls get Lauri

Char sends PatC/GWilliams or JGreen to Utah, plus Char sends a few 2nds
Char gets Vuc

Utah sends Lauri to Chi
Utah gets PatC, JGreen, PWill, Port 1st, Bulls’ 2026 1st (unprotected) and JCarter (buys out) plus some 2nds from Char (or maybe their future 1st they have from a bunch of teams-it’s projected to be a late 1st)

Ainge wouldn't take Golden State's offer of Moody, multiple 1sts, multiple pick swaps, and multiple 2nds, yet he'd accept this offer of Williams' bad contract, Connaughton's effectively dead money, a blah-tier role player in Green, Portland's entirely lottery-protected 1st, Chicago's probable mid-tier 1st, and some 2nds? I find that very unlikely.

WAY too good for Utah...
Not close to the correct value

Absolutely from Charlotte

babyjax13 wrote:I would take an unprotected pick and bad salary from Chicago for Lauri. I think there is a chance they make the playoffs woth him, but it is still a team that seriously lacks talent, so I would assume that is a pick on the 10 to 14 range again.

It’s clearly a gamble for Chi, but we’re losing PWill and his terrible deal, plus finally moving on from Vuc.
I think White/Giddey/Matas/Lauri/JSmith is a good starting 5. They can play fast and shoot lots of 3’s
The bench would be TJones/Ayo/Okoro/Huerter/Noa/Collins, with Phillips/Terry as deep bench

That’s a good team, above .500 for sure, and no one over 28. If Matas improves a lot, we could make some noise

pipfan wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:I would take an unprotected pick and bad salary from Chicago for Lauri. I think there is a chance they make the playoffs woth him, but it is still a team that seriously lacks talent, so I would assume that is a pick on the 10 to 14 range again.

It’s clearly a gamble for Chi, but we’re losing PWill and his terrible deal, plus finally moving on from Vuc.
I think White/Giddey/Matas/Lauri/JSmith is a good starting 5. They can play fast and shoot lots of 3’s
The bench would be TJones/Ayo/Okoro/Huerter/Noa/Collins, with Phillips/Terry as deep bench

That’s a good team, above .500 for sure, and no one over 28. If Matas improves a lot, we could make some noise

I do not think it is much better than what Utah had two seasons ago, if at all.

babyjax13 wrote:

pipfan wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:I would take an unprotected pick and bad salary from Chicago for Lauri. I think there is a chance they make the playoffs woth him, but it is still a team that seriously lacks talent, so I would assume that is a pick on the 10 to 14 range again.

It’s clearly a gamble for Chi, but we’re losing PWill and his terrible deal, plus finally moving on from Vuc.
I think White/Giddey/Matas/Lauri/JSmith is a good starting 5. They can play fast and shoot lots of 3’s
The bench would be TJones/Ayo/Okoro/Huerter/Noa/Collins, with Phillips/Terry as deep bench

That’s a good team, above .500 for sure, and no one over 28. If Matas improves a lot, we could make some noise

I do not think it is much better than what Utah had two seasons ago, if at all.

conference/playoff competition is much easier

Godaddycurse wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:

pipfan wrote:It’s clearly a gamble for Chi, but we’re losing PWill and his terrible deal, plus finally moving on from Vuc.
I think White/Giddey/Matas/Lauri/JSmith is a good starting 5. They can play fast and shoot lots of 3’s
The bench would be TJones/Ayo/Okoro/Huerter/Noa/Collins, with Phillips/Terry as deep bench

That’s a good team, above .500 for sure, and no one over 28. If Matas improves a lot, we could make some noise

I do not think it is much better than what Utah had two seasons ago, if at all.

conference/playoff competition is much easier

For sure, but I do not think it is so bad as to project the resulting Bulls team as a likely playoff team. It is more likely a play in team, and I do not think it is a clear favorite to make it out. It is hard to win when two of your starters are not really starting caliber [yet] like Smith and Buzelis.

I would prefer that the Bulls make a run at Walker Kessler (23 years old). Younger guy who actually belevies he is tall and acts like it, Not sure what would get it done but the age would fit the timeline and would not impact the development of Buzelis (20) and Essengue (18)

Moon wrote:I would prefer that the Bulls make a run at Walker Kessler (23 years old). Younger guy who actually belevies he is tall and acts like it, Not sure what would get it done but the age would fit the timeline and would not impact the development of Buzelis (20) and Essengue (18)

I honestly think I’d go for both of Utah’s good players if Chicago really is committing to Giddey/Coby.. add a first to the OP for Kessler.

jayjaysee wrote:

Moon wrote:I would prefer that the Bulls make a run at Walker Kessler (23 years old). Younger guy who actually belevies he is tall and acts like it, Not sure what would get it done but the age would fit the timeline and would not impact the development of Buzelis (20) and Essengue (18)

I honestly think I’d go for both of Utah’s good players if Chicago really is committing to Giddey/Coby.. add a first to the OP for Kessler.

Not sure if the bridges are fully burned between Lauri and the Bulls but I could get behind this. Giddey / White / Buzelis / Markannen / Kessler would be something.

meekrab wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:

Moon wrote:I would prefer that the Bulls make a run at Walker Kessler (23 years old). Younger guy who actually belevies he is tall and acts like it, Not sure what would get it done but the age would fit the timeline and would not impact the development of Buzelis (20) and Essengue (18)

I honestly think I’d go for both of Utah’s good players if Chicago really is committing to Giddey/Coby.. add a first to the OP for Kessler.

Not sure if the bridges are fully burned between Lauri and the Bulls but I could get behind this. Giddey / White / Buzelis / Markannen / Kessler would be something.

Bench offering pretty good defense/spacing with Collins, Jalen, Patrick, Okoro, Ayo.. think it would work pretty well honestly.

I still don’t love the idea of Chicago just not taking a tanking season and trying to build around Giddey/Matas.. But I know that’s not what the team wants.

That feels like a very light offer for Lauri, especially after what Utah was turning down last summer. One 1st that's probably out of the lottery (though unprotected so it has some upside). Bunch of 2nds (or maybe a non-lottery 1st). A 2 year bad contract and a 4 year bad contract. If the money coming back was just EC filler it would make sense but especially with the Pat Williams contract I think they'd need more.

Granted, obviously there are some who are lower on Chicago (and thus higher on the pick value) then me. I'd have this Chicago team solidly 6th in the EC with some upside to 4th/5th (Atlanta and Detroit not that far above them). Of course I have Chicago as-is (assuming Giddey's resigned eventually) in a large group from 6-12 in the EC and I'd generally favor the healthy low-upside teams in that group (Chicago, Toronto, Miami) over the injured teams (Boston, Indy, Mil, Philly).