RealGM

16 Apr, 2025


Hello and welcome to the ELEVENTH team eliminated, the Chicago Bulls as of a few minutes ago losing in the 9/10 Eastern Conference Play-in game to the 10-seed Heat.

[author's note: had this one locked and loaded before the play-in game]

Previous Threads:


Time of death: April 16, 2025
Record at elimination: 39-43 (0-1 in play-in)
Head coach: Billy Donovan

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/chicago-bulls/yearly


Contract summary:
Lonzo Ball – 2/20 remain, TO yr-2
Vucevic – extension eligible or 21M expiring
Patrick Williams – 4/72M remain, final year 18M PO
Kevin Huerter – extension eligible or 17M expiring
Zach Collins – 18M expiring next season
Coby White – extension eligible or 12M expiring
Tre Jones – UFA
Jalen Smith – 2/18M remain
Ayo Dosunmu – extension eligible or 7.5M expiring
Jevon Carter – extension eligible or 7M PO
Talen Horton-Tucker - UFA


Rookie Scale/minimums (varies on 2-4 years remaining):
Josh Giddey – extension eligible or RFA market/offer sheet
Matas Buzelis – 3yr remain
Dalen Terry – extension eligible or 5.3M QO
Julian Phillips – 2 years remain final year 2.4M TO


TW
EJ Liddell
Emanuel Miller
Jahmir Young


Dead-cap – ~9M off the books this season, NONE retained next season.

25-26 Capspace – 1st apron team, hard-capped. Has 30M+ room until the 1st apron.


PICKS for 2025 draft:
CHI 1st
SAC 2nd



A SMALL SEASON REVIEW:

https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/chi/chicago-bulls

The Bulls have hovered below-.500 for much of the year, however prior to the play-in game, Chicago's form improved to string together multiple win streaks of 3+ games. A stark change from the first 2/3 of the season where many times wins and losses were alternating. There have been some nice games for the Chicago team to date, BOS, NYK, MIL, DEN, and LAL (which was a half court game-winner from Giddey). And of course some rough losses and some in a string of by +10 points before the ASB. Finally to close out the season, the Bulls were down big to the Heat in the play-in game, and never really found its footing to make a comeback.

As we’ve noted with the Kings and Spurs, the Bulls were part of 2 separate trades with those teams during the course of the year. Gone are the duo of DeRozan and LaVine. Chicago got its 1st Round Pick back from the Spurs in the LaVine deal which helps considerably because it will be in the Lottery. Only Patrick Wiliams is locked up, with 4-more years on his kind of pricey 18M/per deal, but Giddey’s upcoming contract could change that.

Also, the Bulls have the ability to flip a lot of the roster after NEXT season as many of their current players will be expiring contracts next season if not extended.

One thing is for sure, the Bulls can decide which way they want to go – trade lots of expirings and do a hard reset, because this could be a perfect year to do so if heavy-long-term salary isn’t retained. Or they could place faith in their current roster which did play better after LaVine was traded, and see what marginal moves can improve the team.

Buzelis played in 77 games and much better near the end of the year – 8/3/1 averages. Coby White topped 20PPG, Giddey played at triple-double adjacent level in his contract year, and Vucevic had a resurgent 18p/10r. Lonzo played in 35 games, and 20MPG. There are some picks, there are some contract questions to answer, and possible trade markets to explore.... how do you think Chicago will move forward and how do you rate their season ? Coaching ? GM ? Giddey big time future with CHI or is he fools gold ? And finally - Bulls fans, who you do want in the draft ?

Lakers rn

I voted for fire the GM and team performed better than expected. I didn’t vote for what to do with the coach because that should be up to the new GM and I didn’t know to vote for treadmilling or improving because they’re a treadmill team, but White, Giddey, and Buzelis all improved and are young.

What the Bulls really need is a rim-running center who can anchor a defense. Maybe we can trade Vuc for one or draft one.

The Rein$dorf$ con$ider this $ea$on a big $ucce$$ a$ the team avoided the luxury tax and on$e again topped the league in attendan$e and played a home po$t-$ea$on game.

They'll keep the whole front office because they're doing exactly what's expected of them, sell tickets and stay out of the luxury tax. Roster changes will be minimal because why do any real work when you can draft an athletic tweener wing with no basketball skills in the lottery, shove money at your new star PG, mumble some crap to the media about injuries and how you're proud of the guys for fighting and then take a long summer break?

Bulls going to go all In for Zion In the offseason

.

Upperclass wrote:Someone said it in another thread.. but Flagg has to be headed to Chicago.. The fit is absolutely perfect with Giddey and far better than anyother imo.

please god, no.

FO has to go....had plenty of time to build a team and have not done so. Took far too long to blow up the Derozan/Lavine/Vuc trio, which was NEVER going to work come playoffs.

Not a fan of Billy Donovan at all, but not sure on replacement options.

I think post Lavine trade, the team has exceeded expectations.

Giddey, Matus and Tre Jones are all keepers. Coby White can stay, but I think he should be 6th man. Collins has been solid as a back up big.

Getting a rim protecting C that has the ability to run and play 25+ minutes a night has to be a priority. Vuc has to go

And don't do any swing for the fences trades for superstars on big money who are constantly injured (Zion).

Build the team progressively. With Giddey and Matus being so young, there's time. With the right pieces, this can be an exciting young team, which will attract FA's

Coby White has 1 season left at $13M and then he'll def demand a near max money, and under current CBA it's an awful decision (for a team), so they should trade him for a team that at least will value his 1 low salary season left. I mean, can you replace 95% of what he does with someone like Sexton? (too bad he has 1y left as well, but you got the point)

No superstar in the line-up. So find someone available, i guess.

Damn. I was really expecting a championship with our new top five superstar Josh Giddey.

I guess we just need a number 2 for him, maybe Jokic or someone else.

It's not that hard to implement a high octane offense in the current NBA when it comes to the regular season.

But when the game slows down, you need a capable defense to help you once that offense is game planned and focused against.

Bulls have suffered from that last night, and with this current crop of players they'll continue to do so.

They'll double down on this group and will hope for internal development, don't think anything will change, and I doubt they'll make the playoffs again anytime soon.

bledredwine wrote:Damn. I was really expecting a championship with our new top five superstar Josh Giddey.

I guess we just need a number 2 for him, maybe Jokic or someone else.

It won’t be as funny once he’s paid north of $30MM/yr.

lethalizer wrote:It's not that hard to implement a high octane offense in the current NBA when it comes to the regular season.

But when the game slows down, you need a capable defense to help you once that offense is game planned and focused against.

Bulls have suffered from that last night, and with this current crop of players they'll continue to do so.

They'll double down on this group and will hope for internal development, don't think anything will change, and I doubt they'll make the playoffs again anytime soon.

…not just the regular season, but the end of the regular season when many teams are hard-tanking, injured, resting.

State of the franchise is just sad and pathetic. So many Bulls fans falling for this absolute fools gold late season run.

Wingy wrote:

bledredwine wrote:Damn. I was really expecting a championship with our new top five superstar Josh Giddey.

I guess we just need a number 2 for him, maybe Jokic or someone else.

It won’t be as funny once he’s paid north of $30MM/yr.

I've learned to laugh at everything. I sincerely don't care.

I like defense, competitiveness and heart. I'll support teams and players that have 2+ of those.
And that starts from the top, or at the very least, GM.

With Giddey, Matas and White playing well down the stretch I voted improving team even though they went from having one of the bleakest futures to merely below average. The front office is still pretty bad and I could take or leave Donovan but their play down the stretch is probably enough to keep them around for at least one more year to see if they progress, nobody should be upset if they cleaned house though. Even if trading for Giddey and drafting Buzelis were good moves over the past year the decisions to not immediately extend Josh and trade Lavine for a pick that ended up conveying anyways were poor. Vuc has one more year on his deal so they'll probably keep him around (his spacing is helpful for the young players on offense I think) but finding his successor will be key

Saints14 wrote:With Giddey, Matas and White playing well down the stretch I voted improving team even though they went from having one of the bleakest futures to merely below average. The front office is still pretty bad and I could take or leave Donovan but their play down the stretch is probably enough to keep them around for at least one more year to see if they progress, nobody should be upset if they cleaned house though. Even if trading for Giddey and drafting Buzelis were good moves over the past year the decisions to not immediately extend Josh and trade Lavine for a pick that ended up conveying anyways were poor. Vuc has one more year on his deal so they'll probably keep him around (his spacing is helpful for the young players on offense I think) but finding his successor will be key

Giddey wanted a Suggs/Quickley type deal. 5 years 150M. I don't like the front office, but not giving in to his demands when we have the leverage was the right call.

We got our pick back in the Lavine trade, so it won't be conveyed to the Spurs.

I was disgusted by their playin effort. Win or die game, and they barely jogging, find me bigger defensive liability in this league than VUcevic, that guy is freaking horrible. Even their crowd was pathetic, from a get go it felt like they are playing in open gym, its a single elimination game. Such a dreadful non atmostphere in that building last night, after watchin Euroleague play in games or even Warriors play in game, where crow was alive, wow, I was disgusted. Vucevic just has to go, he is beyond bad, Giddey, White and Buzelis are the only keepers on this team.

The Reinsdorfs don't like to spend and they don't allow tanking. That's true and it handicaps the team. But that doesn't excuse the bulls total mediocrity. There are franchises that have had similar barriers to success and still did better.

Fire the GM.

UcanUwill wrote:I was disgusted by their playin effort. Win or do game, and they barely jogging, find me bigger defensive liability in this league than VUcevic, that guy is freaking horrible. Even their crowd was pathetic, from a get go it felt like they are playing in open gym, its a single elimination game. Such a dreadful non atmostphere in that building last night, after watchin Euroleague play in games or even Warriors play in game, where crow was alive, wow, I was disgusted. Vucevic just has to go, he is beyond bad, Giddey, White and Buzelis are the only keepers on this team.

I noticed this too. The contrast with Sacramento was stark. Kings fans were way, way more engaged with the team. Even when Sacramento was down 25 they'd stayed in it. Chicago seemed totally dead which is odd because Chicago is a very good, American sports city.

That crowd was Miamiesque.