Building the Bulls 2026-2027 Season

[Guru]

This is a good article about Watson and how the Bulls might get him.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/peyton-watson-breakout-nuggets-financial-payroll/r

Why Watson and not Eason?

Eason seems repetitive with our current roster, while Watson seems complementary

[pipfan]

I think Grimes could be a good target-and could start next to Josh. He's a 2 way player, and can shoot

[meekrab]

Ayo would have to really really hate Minneapolis' winter to want to come back to this dumpster fire. He's in the perfect role for him with a good team, he's not coming back to the team that shipped him out for some scratch off lotto tickets.

Nah we'd just have to pay him more. If Minnesota is weary of the tax, it'll be possible to financially pry Ayo away.

They'll be at like ~$170m for just 8 players. Tax starts at $190, 1st Apron is $210.

They paid the tax this year but while remaining below the 1st apron.

Actually typing it all out, might be more difficult than I anticipated. None of their other free agents will likely command any serious money to keep

If they are seriously concerned about the tax they can just salary dump DiVincenzo on someone. He's pretty good but Ayo should eat his minutes and random salary cap team would love to have him.

[Donkedave]

Kevin Huerter $17,991,071. Feb 3, 2027
Mike Conley $10,774,038. Feb 4, 2027
Coby White $1,218,007. Feb 4, 2027
Ousmane Dieng $6,670,882. Feb 5, 2027
Julian Phillips $2,221,677. Feb 5, 2027

Don’t forget the new trade exceptions available when buildings these fantasy teams!

[Guru]

Kevin Huerter $17,991,071. Feb 3, 2027
Mike Conley $10,774,038. Feb 4, 2027
Coby White $1,218,007. Feb 4, 2027
Ousmane Dieng $6,670,882. Feb 5, 2027
Julian Phillips $2,221,677. Feb 5, 2027

Don’t forget the new trade exceptions available when buildings these fantasy teams!

Can you explain how these work more?

[League Circles]

As far as I'm concerned the Bulls already have 8 rotation players lined up for next year not even including their pick, plus a mountain of cap space. I don't want to waste contracts/players of guys I think should play, so I'd be looking very strongly at trading these guys in consolidation trades:

Smith
Patrick
Okoro
Jones

[Red Larrivee]

Kevin Huerter $17,991,071. Feb 3, 2027
Mike Conley $10,774,038. Feb 4, 2027
Coby White $1,218,007. Feb 4, 2027
Ousmane Dieng $6,670,882. Feb 5, 2027
Julian Phillips $2,221,677. Feb 5, 2027

Don’t forget the new trade exceptions available when buildings these fantasy teams!

All of those are going to be renounced in the summer to get our full cap space.

[dougthonus]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

[ghostinthepost1]

Here is my best case scenario Bulls off season.

Step 1. AK gets fired.

Now that that's been taken care of.

Existing Roster

PG: Giddey - Jones - Dillingham
SG: Okoro
SF: Matas
PF: Smith - Essengue - Miller - Williams
C:

Draft

In the best case scenario not only do the Bulls receive the 15th pick via Portland but after years of suffering the ping pong balls bounce just right and we win the lottery. Now entering the draft with the 1st, 15th, 32nd, and 55th picks.

#1 - Cam Boozer, F, Duke - All three of the top guys provide you with an elite level ceiling as scorers but Boozer is also one of the best passing bigs I've ever seen and also elite on the glass. Offensively there's little he can't do on the floor but ultimately he gets the nod at #1 because he's simply a winner.

#15 - Chris Cenac Jr., C, Houston - Doesn’t have ideal center size but will be extremely valuable as a shot blocker and floor spacer in the NBA.

#32 - Isaiah Evans, Wing, Duke - Can't go wrong with a great shooter with size, added benefit of already having experience playing with Boozer.

#55 - Any one really - Its too hard to figure out who'll be available at this pick but the Bulls should still use it to get a long term 2-way guy to develop.

Free Agency

Renouncing everyone's cap holds give us ~70 million to spend. Stretching and waiving Patrick adds an additional $11 million to that, to give us ~80 million to spend before hitting the salary cap.

Peyton Watson (RFA), G/Wing, 23 years old - 4 years $140 million - Efficient scorer with good size and still only 23 years old. $35/year is probably an overpay but that's what you have to do to get Denver to not match.

Walker Kessler (RFA), C, 24 year old - 4 years 120 million - The Bulls have to settle for the 2nd best center on the market with Duren almost certainly getting a max from Detroit. Recent reports say Kessler is looking for something north of $20 million per year, in this scenario the Bulls need to go even over that to ensure the Jazz don't match. One of the best rim protectors in the NBA with an emerging offensive game, would fit great next to Boozer.

Ayo Dosunmu, G, 26 years old - 3 years $45 million - Hopefully he gives us a hometown discount.

Nick Richards, C, 28 years old - 1 year minimum salary - I've liked what I've seen from him so far. Brings good energy and protects the rim, perfectly acceptable 3rd/4th big.

Final Roster

PG: Giddey - Jones - Dillingham
SG: Watson - Ayo
SF: Matas - Okoro - Evans
PF: Boozer - Smith - Essengue - Miller
C: Kessler - Cenac - Richards

Thank you for reading my pipe dream.

[League Circles]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

Nah, I don't see them altering our long term positively.

[drosestruts]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

I love my bounce-back veteran players almost as much as AK loves kicking the tires on a young player that hasn't blossomed.

Cam Johnson, by his own past standards, has had a bad year in Denver.

In Brooklyn a year ago this is a guy who put up 18 points on 63% TS% and whose 3.1 BPM would have led both last years and this year's Bulls teams.

The negatives, as I see them, in varying degrees is:

1. He'll be 30 next year and on the final year of his contract. If he returns to form he'd be expensive to keep. I do think having some veteran players who can contribute on the court is improtant. I previously brought up the impact I believe guys like Tobias Harris and Beasley had on helpinjg Detroit make their jump

2. Cam Johnson is a 3. Buzelis seems to play best at the 3. Smith seems to play best at the 4. So this does lead to a roster crunch. Simpelest guess would be we'd start Johnson and Buzelis together.

Granted if Buzelis is ever going to be as good as we hope he can be, he'll need to be able to swing between both forward positions while being a positive and impactful player.


Players of Johnson's caliber don't often become available as freebies

[Red Larrivee]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

I'd rather pay Watson. Gordon and Johnson are about as good as they'll ever be, and Denver doesn't have any interesting draft capital to trade as incentive for moving big deals.

[dougthonus]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

I'd rather pay Watson. Gordon and Johnson are about as good as they'll ever be, and Denver doesn't have any interesting draft capital to trade as incentive for moving big deals.

Paying Watson may not be a choice though. Say they dump Cam to somewhere else, then they are paying Watson either way. I think there are teams that would just take either of those other players without draft capital moving in.

[drosestruts]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

I'd rather pay Watson. Gordon and Johnson are about as good as they'll ever be, and Denver doesn't have any interesting draft capital to trade as incentive for moving big deals.

Paying Watson may not be a choice though. Say they dump Cam to somewhere else, then they are paying Watson either way. I think there are teams that would just take either of those other players without draft capital moving in.

Strongly agree. Cam Johsnon, when healthy, fits on practically every team in the league (including Denver for what it's worth).

[Red Larrivee]

Paying Watson may not be a choice though. Say they dump Cam to somewhere else, then they are paying Watson either way. I think there are teams that would just take either of those other players without draft capital moving in.

Well, then let's see if they do it. I don't want to help them, and Johnson and Gordon aren't two players I'd use cap space on.

[Chi town]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

I'd rather pay Watson. Gordon and Johnson are about as good as they'll ever be, and Denver doesn't have any interesting draft capital to trade as incentive for moving big deals.

Exactly. 4/120 gets it done and I like that much more than Coby at 25 or Ayo at 20.

Watson has the energy and competitor edge we need in our starting lineup and he has the athleticism and size to go with it.

[Guru]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

That was in the CBS article I shared. Its defintely interesting. I may do Gordon over Cam but thats 37 a year for 3 years.

So I guess the answer is no from me. Too much for Gordan

[Evil_Headband]

Kevin Huerter $17,991,071. Feb 3, 2027
Mike Conley $10,774,038. Feb 4, 2027
Coby White $1,218,007. Feb 4, 2027
Ousmane Dieng $6,670,882. Feb 5, 2027
Julian Phillips $2,221,677. Feb 5, 2027

Don’t forget the new trade exceptions available when buildings these fantasy teams!

All of those are going to be renounced in the summer to get our full cap space.

Perhaps it's improbable, but it's possible the Bulls will operate as an over the cap team. It would certainly be tricky but there are advantages (like maintaining MLE, trade exceptions) in doing so if they can work out some sign-and-trades.

[MrSparkle]

One thing someone tossed out that I thought might be interesting:

Would you take Cam Johnson (1/23) or Aaron Gordon (roughly 3/110) from Denver into salary space, and then they could potentially use the room to resign Peyton Watson?

I'd rather pay Watson. Gordon and Johnson are about as good as they'll ever be, and Denver doesn't have any interesting draft capital to trade as incentive for moving big deals.

Exactly. 4/120 gets it done and I like that much more than Coby at 25 or Ayo at 20.

Watson has the energy and competitor edge we need in our starting lineup and he has the athleticism and size to go with it.

I always thought absorbing “overpaid” but “underrated” (er overly scapegoated) players in the middle of their deals was a sound strategy. Something Bulls never do (more-so the opposite with Vuc and Otto).

Thinking guys like Derrick White, Randle, etc. Zach Randolph if we go way back. So long you’re not giving up any worthwhile asset to absorb that money, to hedge the risk. But like 2Y on a deal like that, it’s a safe means to reclaim good trade value. Denver could really use the TPE. I prefer this to handing fresh 4y deals for middle guys. Not like Gordon will become some bad contract, and Bulls don’t have to marry him for another 5Y.

Anyway, I still don’t know what the plan is, because AK says he’s tired of being in the middle, but the deadline trades imo kept us in the middle. I think they’re praying for some 5-10% odds in the draft and they’ll go for it in free agency.

[Red Larrivee]

Kevin Huerter $17,991,071. Feb 3, 2027
Mike Conley $10,774,038. Feb 4, 2027
Coby White $1,218,007. Feb 4, 2027
Ousmane Dieng $6,670,882. Feb 5, 2027
Julian Phillips $2,221,677. Feb 5, 2027

Don’t forget the new trade exceptions available when buildings these fantasy teams!

All of those are going to be renounced in the summer to get our full cap space.

Perhaps it's improbable, but it's possible the Bulls will operate as an over the cap team. It would certainly be tricky but there are advantages (like maintaining MLE, trade exceptions) in doing so if they can work out some sign-and-trades.

There's no advantages. You don't need trade exceptions when you have a lot of cap space.