Shams: Lonzo for Okoro

[DuckIII]

How would you or others compare his defense to that of Ayo or Ball against opposing 2s and 3s? I was looking for a big upgrade there. Ayo is fine on D but not really a game changer and undersized when guarding 3s. Ball is very good but unreliable from a durability standpoint, and Okoro is way younger. If it's truly a defensive upgrade from Ayo I like the move a lot.

I have Ball as a better defender of 2's and 3's because he is truly elite (but not durable at all), Ayo's defense (maybe hindered by injury or bulking up too much?) has really slipped since his rookie year to what's I'd call average (near Giddey's improved level), so I have Okora as above him. What I think will make a difference this year is having two guys who can give us very good POA defense in Okoro and Jones. IMO, Billy should be smart enough (not likely) to manage their minutes based on which position (PG for Jones/SG or SF for Okoro).

I now think Okoro will be the most likely player to be our 5th starter. I think the deliberate targeting of him for valued Lonzo suggests that along with the reports of trade talks for Ayo. At the moment I've got to think frankly Ayo would be battling Huerter for a rotation spot.

I've got these guys all as locks for the rotation:

Coby
Jones
Okoro
Giddey
Patrick
Matas
Essengue

Plus two centers really only leaves one rotation spot open, most likely for Ayo or Huerter.

We’ll see how it goes. To me there was never any way that all three of Coby, Ayo and Tre will be on the roster in November. And given how AK operates it’s hard to imagine Coby is the one he’ll trade. Since the Jones announcement, I don’t work Ayo into the roster. I assume he’ll he traded.

[Chi town]

The most smoke is around Ayo being traded per KC.

According to Cowley Tre is Billy’s guy. He loves him. Billy loves to play small. I could see Tre starting and Okoro being our first guy off the bench. I’d prefer Okoro to start and play bigger.

[burlydee]

Defensive highlights…. maybe not special… but good!

Watch on YouTube

In a lot of these highlights he's guarding Dame, Edwards, Brunson - i.e. the best perimeter player on the opposing team. Its the exact same role Caruso had. I think the trade will ultimately turn out good for the Bulls. The roster lacked this type of guy. Ayo and Terry have just not consistently performed the last two seasons.

[League Circles]

I have Ball as a better defender of 2's and 3's because he is truly elite (but not durable at all), Ayo's defense (maybe hindered by injury or bulking up too much?) has really slipped since his rookie year to what's I'd call average (near Giddey's improved level), so I have Okora as above him. What I think will make a difference this year is having two guys who can give us very good POA defense in Okoro and Jones. IMO, Billy should be smart enough (not likely) to manage their minutes based on which position (PG for Jones/SG or SF for Okoro).

I now think Okoro will be the most likely player to be our 5th starter. I think the deliberate targeting of him for valued Lonzo suggests that along with the reports of trade talks for Ayo. At the moment I've got to think frankly Ayo would be battling Huerter for a rotation spot.

I've got these guys all as locks for the rotation:

Coby
Jones
Okoro
Giddey
Patrick
Matas
Essengue

Plus two centers really only leaves one rotation spot open, most likely for Ayo or Huerter.

We’ll see how it goes. To me there was never any way that all three of Coby, Ayo and Tre will be on the roster in November. And given how AK operates it’s hard to imagine Coby is the one he’ll trade. Since the Jones announcement, I don’t work Ayo into the roster. I assume he’ll he traded.

Yeah, although AK has shown that he'll be excessively patient in waiting for a dream trade even for a guy he wants to get rid of. Ayo and Vuc are definitely the most likely to be traded imminently, but Okoro etc aren't enough of sure things to just dump Ayo for the sake of it. We're in enough of a roster, playing time crunch that he's probably waiting for an Ayo+Vuc for upgrade trade, which probably won't materialize.

[DuckIII]

Defensive highlights…. maybe not special… but good!

Watch on YouTube

In a lot of these highlights he's guarding Dame, Edwards, Brunson - i.e. the best perimeter player on the opposing team. Its the exact same role Caruso had. I think the trade will ultimately turn out good for the Bulls. The roster lacked this type of guy. Ayo and Terry have just not consistently performed the last two seasons.

Terry sucks.

Ayo played the last 2 years with a fractured shooting shoulder. Also he had a good season 2 years ago, so not sure why you included that one.

It’s hard to imagine Ayo not being traded, but it’s taking on the feeling around here like it’s not a big deal. It is. He would have been perfect for how we want to play now and no one ever seems to mention that he had a down year because his freaking shoulder was broken. If we don’t get at least one first for Ayo it will be a massive fail.

[Red Larrivee]

Terry sucks.

Ayo played the last 2 years with a fractured shooting shoulder. Also he had a good season 2 years ago, so not sure why you included that one.

It’s hard to imagine Ayo not being traded, but it’s taking on the feeling around here like it’s not a big deal. It is. He would have been perfect for how we want to play now and no one ever seems to mention that he had a down year because his freaking shoulder was broken. If we don’t get at least one first for Ayo it will be a massive fail.

I don't know if it's unpopular, but I think trading Ayo will be a mistake. He seems like a player we could re-sign pretty easily and he fits into a variety of lineups. Re-signing Coby seems to come with more question marks, so I don't get why he's not the one we're shopping more.

[burlydee]

Defensive highlights…. maybe not special… but good!

Watch on YouTube

In a lot of these highlights he's guarding Dame, Edwards, Brunson - i.e. the best perimeter player on the opposing team. Its the exact same role Caruso had. I think the trade will ultimately turn out good for the Bulls. The roster lacked this type of guy. Ayo and Terry have just not consistently performed the last two seasons.

[burlydee]

Terry sucks.

Ayo played the last 2 years with a fractured shooting shoulder. Also he had a good season 2 years ago, so not sure why you included that one.

It’s hard to imagine Ayo not being traded, but it’s taking on the feeling around here like it’s not a big deal. It is. He would have been perfect for how we want to play now and no one ever seems to mention that he had a down year because his freaking shoulder was broken. If we don’t get at least one first for Ayo it will be a massive fail.

I don't know if it's unpopular, but I think trading Ayo will be a mistake. He seems like a player we could re-sign pretty easily and he fits into a variety of lineups. Re-signing Coby seems to come with more question marks, so I don't get why he's not the one we're shopping more.

Its all about the contract. He's extension eligible now. I'm not of the opinion you have to trade him. I'm surprised we haven't heard more about a new contract however. If we can get him for $11 -14 million, that seems like a good number.

[DuckIII]

Terry sucks.

Ayo played the last 2 years with a fractured shooting shoulder. Also he had a good season 2 years ago, so not sure why you included that one.

It’s hard to imagine Ayo not being traded, but it’s taking on the feeling around here like it’s not a big deal. It is. He would have been perfect for how we want to play now and no one ever seems to mention that he had a down year because his freaking shoulder was broken. If we don’t get at least one first for Ayo it will be a massive fail.

I don't know if it's unpopular, but I think trading Ayo will be a mistake. He seems like a player we could re-sign pretty easily and he fits into a variety of lineups. Re-signing Coby seems to come with more question marks, so I don't get why he's not the one we're shopping more.

It would depend almost entirely on comparing the relative returns. But my gut tells me Coby is the guy to trade. No way AK thinks outside the box like that though. And frankly I can’t say one strategy is clearly right and the other is clearly wrong. Especially not knowing what their respective trade returns would look like.

[NecessaryEvil]

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[NecessaryEvil]

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[Chi town]

Telling which clips team chooses to show of Okoro in his welcome video.

Savage they show him dunking past Zach.

https://youtu.be/fkP0R8nHfWc?si=siy0c1zMQvMQLtNR

[Dominator83]

Read on Twitter

Just need Jay Williams there to complete the trifecta. I know his occurred off the court, but still.

[HomoSapien]

I'm starting to be a little more optimistic about this move. Outside of Buzelis, last year we really didn't have a lot of athletes on this team. Okoro is a guy who can run with Giddey and catch a lob. It's also nice to have someone that flexes after every dunk. We need more bravado on this team. Others have mentioned that he's the type of player who will benefit from a fast-paced system. I'm willing to buy that theory. In recent years, we've seen some recent first-round picks go from bust to figuring it out in Aaron Nesmith and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Hopefully, Okoro can follow suit.

[Indomitable]

Telling which clips team chooses to show of Okoro in his welcome video.

Savage they show him dunking past Zach.

https://youtu.be/fkP0R8nHfWc?si=siy0c1zMQvMQLtNR

So hin yanking on three guys at once was not the clip.

Him going over Tatum. People need to move on. You guys act like disgruntled ex's

[ChiTownHero1992]

The more I watch of Okoro the more i'm warming up to him, obviously not a star or influential piece to the puzzle but serviceable and young but already 5 years in the league as a Vet. I liked his game at Auburn too, but never fully watched him in Cleveland other than when they played the Bulls. Defense looks good, a non-threat on offense imo but wont really need to be with GIddey, Coby, Matas, etc

[rosenthall]

I'm starting to be a little more optimistic about this move. Outside of Buzelis, last year we really didn't have a lot of athletes on this team. Okoro is a guy who can run with Giddey and catch a lob. It's also nice to have someone that flexes after every dunk. We need more bravado on this team. Others have mentioned that he's the type of player who will benefit from a fast-paced system. I'm willing to buy that theory. In recent years, we've seen some recent first-round picks go from bust to figuring it out in Aaron Nesmith and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Hopefully, Okoro can follow suit.

I agree there is sneaky upside to this move.

I think this team is a great fit for Okoro and he has a good chance at being an impactful, big minute rotation player. Not sure how good he can really get because I haven't watched him play much, but he wedges in nicely between Coby and Giddey.

[Muzbar]

Everyone stop trying to make me like this trade... I don't, I think... maybe.

Fine, I'll give Okoro a chance.

He can't be worse than Pat or Terry right!?

[Jcool0]

Everyone stop trying to make me like this trade... I don't, I think... maybe.

Fine, I'll give Okoro a chance.

He can't be worse than Pat or Terry right!?

From 2023 season to 2024 his MPG dropped 8.2 and then from the regular season to the playoffs it fell another 4.2 MPG. In his final playoff game with Cleveland he had 2 points & 1 steal in 16 minutes and they lost 114-105.

[DuckIII]

He can't be worse than Pat or Terry right!?

In the sense that Pat gets healthy and stops being timid, sure he could be. Which would be great. I certainly don't count on Pat for anything going forward, particularly with the additions of Noa and Okoro. I'm sure he'll get some entitlement minutes regardless, because the FO will want to show he's competent in an effort to trade him, but I don't include him in my rotations anymore. You can't pencil him in, and you can't take his presence into consideration when making roster moves anymore. Which AK evidently realizes, given the roster moves he did make.

But, despite there being some disagreement on this that I won't bother with debating, Pat is a talented NBA player who - unlike someone like Terry - has the physical components to be an effective, flexible player. Ideally he comes back and finally has some sort of a chip on his shoulder, and he and Okoro push each other.

I'm not predicting this. Last year - regardless of his injury situation - comprehensively disproved my Pat hypothesis. I have zero optimism. But if Okoro improves as a Bull and Pat emerges as a solid 3-d guy, our prospects for both competing and rebuilding improve considerably.

You then have some really interesting trade pieces leading up to the deadline (unless traded prior) in Ayo, Coby, Okoro, Pat, Huerter, Tre, etc. Now you are starting to look at a stable of secondary pieces that perhaps can be consolidated into a mobile, defensive 5, or more draft assets, better shooting, etc.