Lauri to Chi, last try

pipfan · Post #1 » by **pipfan** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 6:44 am

I really think this would benefit both teams. Utah NEEDS a franchise player-this lotto could get it one, and they need to stay in the bottom 8 one more year.
Bulls aren't going to tank, and will have A TON of cap space next year-we're not signing a big FA, so why not use that $ now instead of praying for the benefits of future "flexibility".

Lauri/Anderson to Chi for PWill, Vuc (maybe a 3rd team?), JCarter (buyout?), Noa E, Port pick, Chi's 2026 1st-lottery protected for 2 years, then a 2nd

Utah ensures a bottom 5 finish and prays for lotto luck. Noa could be a nice fit between Ace and Kessler long term. Taking PWill sucks, but he does have talent-maybe a fresh start would help. They also add some more pick capital and free up future $

Bulls go for the 2nd round. Lots of Bulls' fans won't like this, but which player better than Lauri can we get?

Giddey/Jones/Ayo
White/Okoro/Ayo
Matas/Huerter/Terry
Lauri/Phillips/Anderson
JSmith/Collins/Anderson

I'd rather start Okoro and make White a high minute 6th man to balance offense/defense a bit, but Donovan is not that creative. That team could easily win 48-50 games. Lauri's an awesome fit with Giddey

SkyHook · Post #2 » by **SkyHook** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 6:50 am

Last try? Promise? :wink:

Seriously though, this is absolutely horrible for Utah. There's no way they consider this for even a nanosecond.

babyjax13 · Post #3 » by **babyjax13** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 7:25 am

Zero interest in this at all.

babyjax13 · Post #4 » by **babyjax13** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 8:22 am

If the 2026 pick is top 5 protected I feel like this gets a lot closer.

pipfan · Post #5 » by **pipfan** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 10:44 am

Interesting Jazz fans, thanks for the feedback. I like Lauri a lot, but I think his value is pretty low (compared to his talent/potential play) due to his contract and poor, recent NBA play. I would guess most Bulls' fans won't like the deal either.

Post #6 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:40 pm

pipfan wrote:Interesting Jazz fans, thanks for the feedback. I like Lauri a lot, but I think his value is pretty low (compared to his talent/potential play) due to his contract and poor, recent NBA play. I would guess most Bulls' fans won't like the deal either.

The Pat Williams contract as the filler and the heavy protections on both picks make this just so little value toward long term rebuilding. The Noa inclusion helps, but it’s just a weird package where they’re discounted for Lauri’s missed games and higher salary, but also not paid for Pat’s contract to be on the books for a LOOONG time?

ChettheJet · Post #7 » by **ChettheJet** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:43 pm

Ainge waited all this time to get an expiring Vuc, take a gamble on Williams, he's probably got to buy out Carter, the dream of the PORT pick turning into a #15 kid, a protected 1st and last year's project pick. Just how far down the road does he intend to kick the can and hope to keep his job?

It also puts AK in the win right F'n now position because building by giving up his 2025 pick, likely his 2026 pick and the egg in the PORT pick that he's been waiting 3 years to hatch, they won't have future if they don't get to the Finals. Not to mention the remaining 4 rotation UFAs who either need to be resigned or replaced, is there enough money for them?

SkyHook · Post #8 » by **SkyHook** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:45 pm

babyjax13 wrote:If the 2026 pick is top 5 protected I feel like this gets a lot closer.

It's really not.

SkyHook · Post #9 » by **SkyHook** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:48 pm

pipfan wrote:Interesting Jazz fans, thanks for the feedback. I like Lauri a lot, but I think his value is pretty low (compared to his talent/potential play) due to his contract and poor, recent NBA play. I would guess most Bulls' fans won't like the deal either.

That rationale is fine for how the Bulls and their fans value Markannen—I take no issue with it—the problem is that it provides zero incentive for Utah to engage.

pipfan · Post #10 » by **pipfan** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 7:59 pm

SkyHook wrote:
pipfan wrote:Interesting Jazz fans, thanks for the feedback. I like Lauri a lot, but I think his value is pretty low (compared to his talent/potential play) due to his contract and poor, recent NBA play. I would guess most Bulls' fans won't like the deal either.

That rationale is fine for how the Bulls and their fans value Markannen—I take no issue with it—the problem is that it provides zero incentive for Utah to engage.

Maybe the Bulls do top 10 protection-they are the kings of the Playin so maybe it's a late lotto pick
I think Ace/Noa/Kessler could be a very nice front court to build with
They still have Henricks/Sensbaugh/Flip/PWill to back them up long term
Backcourt young guys of George/CodyW/Clayton/Collier to develop

They take another year to develop talent and add a 2026 top 5 pick (plus the other firsts they have). Let's say they score Peterson in the top 3

Now all of a sudden they have an awesome core (assuming Noa/Ace aren't busts) with tons of cap space and a lot of future draft capital to play with

Lauri could easily have a big year and push Utah into the middle lotto, and maybe they even give up a #9 pick?

Finally, there's the bonus of not having Anderson's deal on the books next year-that's a help for their future

Anyway-thanks for the feedback Jazz fans.

SkyHook · Post #11 » by **SkyHook** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 9:51 pm

pipfan wrote:
SkyHook wrote:
pipfan wrote:Interesting Jazz fans, thanks for the feedback. I like Lauri a lot, but I think his value is pretty low (compared to his talent/potential play) due to his contract and poor, recent NBA play. I would guess most Bulls' fans won't like the deal either.

That rationale is fine for how the Bulls and their fans value Markannen—I take no issue with it—the problem is that it provides zero incentive for Utah to engage.

Maybe the Bulls do top 10 protection-they are the kings of the Playin so maybe it's a late lotto pick
I think Ace/Noa/Kessler could be a very nice front court to build with
They still have Henricks/Sensbaugh/Flip/PWill to back them up long term
Backcourt young guys of George/CodyW/Clayton/Collier to develop

They take another year to develop talent and add a 2026 top 5 pick (plus the other firsts they have). Let's say they score Peterson in the top 3

Now all of a sudden they have an awesome core (assuming Noa/Ace aren't busts) with tons of cap space and a lot of future draft capital to play with

Lauri could easily have a big year and push Utah into the middle lotto, and maybe they even give up a #9 pick?

Finally, there's the bonus of not having Anderson's deal on the books next year-that's a help for their future

Anyway-thanks for the feedback Jazz fans.

With the current talent in their backcourt, the chances of a better than bottom four finish are extremely slim even with an All-NBA season from Lauri. Without some serious incentive—that no team should offer right now—I don't see him being available.

babyjax13 · Post #12 » by **babyjax13** » Sat Sep 13, 2025 11:19 pm

pipfan wrote:
SkyHook wrote:
pipfan wrote:Interesting Jazz fans, thanks for the feedback. I like Lauri a lot, but I think his value is pretty low (compared to his talent/potential play) due to his contract and poor, recent NBA play. I would guess most Bulls' fans won't like the deal either.

That rationale is fine for how the Bulls and their fans value Markannen—I take no issue with it—the problem is that it provides zero incentive for Utah to engage.

Maybe the Bulls do top 10 protection-they are the kings of the Playin so maybe it's a late lotto pick
I think Ace/Noa/Kessler could be a very nice front court to build with
They still have Henricks/Sensbaugh/Flip/PWill to back them up long term
Backcourt young guys of George/CodyW/Clayton/Collier to develop

They take another year to develop talent and add a 2026 top 5 pick (plus the other firsts they have). Let's say they score Peterson in the top 3

Now all of a sudden they have an awesome core (assuming Noa/Ace aren't busts) with tons of cap space and a lot of future draft capital to play with

Lauri could easily have a big year and push Utah into the middle lotto, and maybe they even give up a #9 pick?

Finally, there's the bonus of not having Anderson's deal on the books next year-that's a help for their future

Anyway-thanks for the feedback Jazz fans.

I think it would require us to both be high on Noa and low on Hendricks and/or Filipowski to really see the value here. I have to say I don't see either as a clearly better prospect, but I also don't see either as clearly worse. It's not bad to create some competition, but I'd rather find a trade where Hendricks and Filipowski have a clear path to more minutes and the primary return for them isn't someone who is either stunting their development, or having development stunted by being behind two other young players.

I also just was not that high on Noa - he's fine, he was fine where he was picked - but to me, this is basically a guy we didn't get to choose at that spot + a non-lotto first + a likely 2nd round pick + salary attached to players that either don't fit our timeline (Vooch - but he can be flipped) or that just suck and are on the books forever. Something about that deal would really need to change to be attractive.

I also generally agree with Skyhook here that the logic is fine for Chicago and fans of other teams, but that Utah is unlikely to either (a) value Lauri this low, or (b) want this mix of assets (or, perhaps both).