? From Bulls's Fan

[pipfan]

Hello Spurs fans,
I've always been a big supporter, back to the DRob days. Loved Duncan and Leonard (with you guys) and Manu was one of my all time favorite non-Bulls

Just wondering-any idea why SA didn't draft Matas? I've questioned this move since the draft. Seems like he'd be an absolutely perfect long term fit at the 3 for you. Now with Fox, even better. I could see your core of
Fox/Castle
Vassell/Castle
Matas/Johnson
Sochan/Barnes
Wemby? You will have 2 picks this draft to go for size

being a contender as early as next year. Any insight? Seems like he'd fit well for you

Also, any interest in Vuc for Barnes this summer?

[mzfk69]

Hell Spurs fans,
I've always been a big supporter, back to the DRob days. Loved Duncan and Leonard (with you guys) and Manu was one of my all time favorite non-Bulls

Just wondering-any idea why SA didn't draft Matas? I've questioned this move since the draft. Seems like he'd be an absolutely perfect long term fit at the 3 for you. Now with Fox, even better. I could see your core of
Fox/Castle
Vassell/Castle
Matas/Johnson
Sochan/Barnes
Wemby? You will have 2 picks this draft to go for size

being a contender as early as next year. Any insight? Seems like he'd fit well for you

Also, any interest in Vuc for Barnes this summer?

To sign Paul and make the Barnes trade, they needed cap space that would be taken up by the 8th pick
And the pick they got from Minnesota was then used in the Fox trade

[G R E Y]

Hell Spurs fans,
I've always been a big supporter, back to the DRob days. Loved Duncan and Leonard (with you guys) and Manu was one of my all time favorite non-Bulls

Just wondering-any idea why SA didn't draft Matas? I've questioned this move since the draft. Seems like he'd be an absolutely perfect long term fit at the 3 for you. Now with Fox, even better. I could see your core of
Fox/Castle
Vassell/Castle
Matas/Johnson
Sochan/Barnes
Wemby? You will have 2 picks this draft to go for size

being a contender as early as next year. Any insight? Seems like he'd fit well for you

Also, any interest in Vuc for Barnes this summer?

Hey, welcome and thanks for your query. Some here were fans of Matas pre draft. I wanted to like him more than I ended up doing. He has the height and body type that will fill in nicely. And I think we may have worked him out, don't recall. But he has not put together enough I guess for us to bite.

Like in upper tier lotto we want two way foundation traits. I have no idea what Matas development has been like, but pre draft he struck me as a raw potential guy who showed flashes now and again but lots of other times it was still a lot of uncoordinated disparate parts needing to be put together. No idea about his D

Not sure of Bulls development either, no offense. Like I was a huge fans of Patrick Williams and thought he should not have gone from a bench role in college to a starter in NBA to justify the 4th pick slot. He may have suffered by the overwhelming role since. Or he's just a guy lacking fire, I can't tell. Matas does not lack fire for sure. And it was so endearing that he loved being selected by his hometown team. Just not sure he justified the 8th slot for us. We are not in a position to draft for position over BPA.

Keep in mind, too, that we packaged the 8th pick for what eventually brought in Fox. So it's either Fox and Castle or Castle and Matas in your hypothetical. Given all things flow from and to Wemby and his growth, the Castle/Fox combo is better suited right now.

We also have picks in more talent laden '25 and '26 drafts and there's only so many rookies we are now bringing in. The two years pre-Wemby we kept all our drafted rookies and played them plenty of minutes but we're at a different stage of our development and can't give three + rookies lots of PT.

Given all of these factors, and that Matas so loves playing for the Bulls, it was the right decision all around.

Vuc for Barnes works in the trade machine. He's a bit more expensive and older but both expire the same year. Not sure how it helps us long term, which is what I think this off season will focus a lot more on. Vuc may be a backup swap plan but not a primary one. His D, age, and long term fit are central factors. Plus we love what vets CP3 and Barnes are providing. How does Barnes-Vuc swap help you if you're going younger in rebuild?

Say, what would you want for PatWill?

[pipfan]

Hell Spurs fans,
I've always been a big supporter, back to the DRob days. Loved Duncan and Leonard (with you guys) and Manu was one of my all time favorite non-Bulls

Just wondering-any idea why SA didn't draft Matas? I've questioned this move since the draft. Seems like he'd be an absolutely perfect long term fit at the 3 for you. Now with Fox, even better. I could see your core of
Fox/Castle
Vassell/Castle
Matas/Johnson
Sochan/Barnes
Wemby? You will have 2 picks this draft to go for size

being a contender as early as next year. Any insight? Seems like he'd fit well for you

Also, any interest in Vuc for Barnes this summer?

Hey, welcome and thanks for your query. Some here were fans of Matas pre draft. I wanted to like him more than I ended up doing. He has the height and body type that will fill in nicely. And I think we may have worked him out, don't recall. But he has not put together enough I guess for us to bite.

Like in upper tier lotto we want two way foundation traits. I have no idea what Matas development has been like, but pre draft he struck me as a raw potential guy who showed flashes now and again but lots of other times it was still a lot of uncoordinated disparate parts needing to be put together. No idea about his D

Not sure of Bulls development either, no offense. Like I was a huge fans of Patrick Williams and thought he should not have gone from a bench role in college to a starter in NBA to justify the 4th pick slot. He may have suffered by the overwhelming role since. Or he's just a guy lacking fire, I can't tell. Matas does not lack fire for sure. And it was so endearing that he loved being selected by his hometown team. Just not sure he justified the 8th slot for us. We are not in a position to draft for position over BPA.

Keep in mind, too, that we packaged the 8th pick for what eventually brought in Fox. So it's either Fox and Castle or Castle and Matas in your hypothetical. Given all things flow from and to Wemby and his growth, the Castle/Fox combo is better suited right now.

We also have picks in more talent laden '25 and '26 drafts and there's only so many rookies we are now bringing in. The two years pre-Wemby we kept all our drafted rookies and played them plenty of minutes but we're at a different stage of our development and can't give three + rookies lots of PT.

Given all of these factors, and that Matas so loves playing for the Bulls, it was the right decision all around.

Vuc for Barnes works in the trade machine. He's a bit more expensive and older but both expire the same year. Not sure how it helps us long term, which is what I think this off season will focus a lot more on. Vuc may be a backup swap plan but not a primary one. His D, age, and long term fit are central factors. Plus we love what vets CP3 and Barnes are providing. How does Barnes-Vuc swap help you if you're going younger in rebuild?

Say, what would you want for PatWill?

Using the Minny pick in the Fox deal helped, but SA has other picks. Matas is looking very good lately-still a bit raw but he plays hard and seems like a great kid. His 3 is getting better by the week. It looks like his ceiling is solid starter at the 3.

As for PWill-he's SO passive. He has some talent, but he's very awkward on drives and his D is just decent. We overpaid him-I was a big believer but he hasn't improved at all

[G R E Y]

Hell Spurs fans,
I've always been a big supporter, back to the DRob days. Loved Duncan and Leonard (with you guys) and Manu was one of my all time favorite non-Bulls

Just wondering-any idea why SA didn't draft Matas? I've questioned this move since the draft. Seems like he'd be an absolutely perfect long term fit at the 3 for you. Now with Fox, even better. I could see your core of
Fox/Castle
Vassell/Castle
Matas/Johnson
Sochan/Barnes
Wemby? You will have 2 picks this draft to go for size

being a contender as early as next year. Any insight? Seems like he'd fit well for you

Also, any interest in Vuc for Barnes this summer?

Hey, welcome and thanks for your query. Some here were fans of Matas pre draft. I wanted to like him more than I ended up doing. He has the height and body type that will fill in nicely. And I think we may have worked him out, don't recall. But he has not put together enough I guess for us to bite.

Like in upper tier lotto we want two way foundation traits. I have no idea what Matas development has been like, but pre draft he struck me as a raw potential guy who showed flashes now and again but lots of other times it was still a lot of uncoordinated disparate parts needing to be put together. No idea about his D

Not sure of Bulls development either, no offense. Like I was a huge fans of Patrick Williams and thought he should not have gone from a bench role in college to a starter in NBA to justify the 4th pick slot. He may have suffered by the overwhelming role since. Or he's just a guy lacking fire, I can't tell. Matas does not lack fire for sure. And it was so endearing that he loved being selected by his hometown team. Just not sure he justified the 8th slot for us. We are not in a position to draft for position over BPA.

Keep in mind, too, that we packaged the 8th pick for what eventually brought in Fox. So it's either Fox and Castle or Castle and Matas in your hypothetical. Given all things flow from and to Wemby and his growth, the Castle/Fox combo is better suited right now.

We also have picks in more talent laden '25 and '26 drafts and there's only so many rookies we are now bringing in. The two years pre-Wemby we kept all our drafted rookies and played them plenty of minutes but we're at a different stage of our development and can't give three + rookies lots of PT.

Given all of these factors, and that Matas so loves playing for the Bulls, it was the right decision all around.

Vuc for Barnes works in the trade machine. He's a bit more expensive and older but both expire the same year. Not sure how it helps us long term, which is what I think this off season will focus a lot more on. Vuc may be a backup swap plan but not a primary one. His D, age, and long term fit are central factors. Plus we love what vets CP3 and Barnes are providing. How does Barnes-Vuc swap help you if you're going younger in rebuild?

Say, what would you want for PatWill?

Using the Minny pick in the Fox deal helped, but SA has other picks. Matas is looking very good lately-still a bit raw but he plays hard and seems like a great kid. His 3 is getting better by the week. It looks like his ceiling is solid starter at the 3.

As for PWill-he's SO passive. He has some talent, but he's very awkward on drives and his D is just decent. We overpaid him-I was a big believer but he hasn't improved at all

True we do have other picks. But that was one of the unprotected ones we negotiated a trade for and so it was one of the seven used in the deal. We didn't touch the most coveted Hawks ones. As i said, we looked at MB and still moved elsewhere. Perhaps we got wind of his preference for another destination, just like Castle who targeted us and Haliburton who wanted Sacramento before. Anyway, lots of talented forwards in the upcoming drafts. Lots more changes yo our roster starting this summer, i believe. Hope Matas is everything you and he hope he will be for the Bulls.

Shame about PatWill. Not the first player to lack a motor or inner drive. Soon he will join the long list of 'what could have been' players. Too bad. Near perfect physical profile.

[imagump1313]

Hello Spurs fans,
I've always been a big supporter, back to the DRob days. Loved Duncan and Leonard (with you guys) and Manu was one of my all time favorite non-Bulls

Just wondering-any idea why SA didn't draft Matas? I've questioned this move since the draft. Seems like he'd be an absolutely perfect long term fit at the 3 for you. Now with Fox, even better. I could see your core of
Fox/Castle
Vassell/Castle
Matas/Johnson
Sochan/Barnes
Wemby? You will have 2 picks this draft to go for size

being a contender as early as next year. Any insight? Seems like he'd fit well for you

Also, any interest in Vuc for Barnes this summer?

I loved Vucevic before he was sent to Chicago. We really didnt have anything Orlando wanted at the time though. That was before Wemby and I dont think Vuc fits the timeline anymore. If we could have gotten him last summer instead of Barnes I would have been all for it. Now I think its a little too late for him to be useful here.

I really liked Matas or Edey instead of trading that pick even if it cost us Paul and Barnes. Paul is great with the younger guys here but if you would have told me with them we would be 23-29 and missing the play-in again anyway I would have passed and taken Edey in a second.