I'm not sure what direction this team is headed in.

[SfBull]

I'm really struggling to understand the direction this new front office is trying to take the Bulls in.

The Billy Donovan hiring signaled that this is not a rebuilding year, but the draft was definitely a rebuild type one. Listen, Williams may turn into a good player, but If we needed someone to contribute right away with a bright future, I really think Deni Avdija would have covered all those bases.

If we aren't rebuilding, then I kind of understand not trying to move Lavine or Lauri, but if we are trying to compete why the hell did we spend money on bringing Denzel Valentine back? Why spend money on a locker room guy in Garrett Temple? I understand the financial and roster limitations, but it's a hard pill to swallow when other teams with similar issues ARE making significant win now moves (Lakers).

Like I said before, I will fully trust this FO for one year before I make any harsh judgments, but man are they really making it hard right now.

It's questionable if drafting Deni would really bring a player ready for making the difference.I think it's just a question of taste.Deni didn't went drafted at#9 for nothing.

[HINrichPolice]

Someone please tell me what our free agency plan is for 2021.

Are we targeted a big name? If so, only Kawhi makes sense to me.

Will we have enough for only 1 max slot? What's the status on Anthony Davis?

If that all fails, what big contracts might we want to take with our cap space the way we got Otto?

I'm confident that the biggest reason Marc Eversley is on board is due to his relationships with players and agents. AK's super bowl is the draft. Marc's super bowl is free agency.

[coldfish]

Someone please tell me what our free agency plan is for 2021.

Are we targeted a big name? If so, only Kawhi makes sense to me.

Will we have enough for only 1 max slot? What's the status on Anthony Davis?

If that all fails, what big contracts might we want to take with our cap space the way we got Otto?

I'm confident that the biggest reason Marc Eversley is on board is due to his relationships with players and agents. AK's super bowl is the draft. Marc's super bowl is free agency.

Based on what I have read, free agency isn't high on the team building list. I suspect they are going to go for an AD situation where a guy who is unhappy gets traded for with a year left on his deal. I wouldn't be surprised to see them sell capspace.

[Indomitable]

Billy Donovan was hired as a long term developmental coach.

I think the plan is extraordinarily simple:
- Have the team play for a half season under Donovan, away from Boylen and see which players get it and which ones don't
- Move the players that don't get it possibly in combination with expiring contracts to build a team
- In 2021, Otto, Felicio, Sato and Thad are all gone, freeing up a ton of capspace. The team will use that and any assets they get from trading unwanted players to improve.

The end goal is to build a team filled with multi dimensional players who have good chemistry while trying to pick up high level talent when the opportunity presents itself.

Regardless, its pretty clear that the first half of this next season is an evaluation period.

You and Doug are my favorite posters for a reason.

[fleet]

KC predicted a gradual roster overhaul and I tend to agree unless we hit really big in next year's free agency.

It’s clear that 2 way player philosophy and ball sharing is the key to figuring out who will be staying. There isn’t much here like that. This year is for evaluating the players true. The ultimate outcomes aren’t very much in doubt though. Once some of these guys get their values up, they will be moved.

[MisterRoy]

Someone please tell me what our free agency plan is for 2021.

Are we targeted a big name? If so, only Kawhi makes sense to me.

Will we have enough for only 1 max slot? What's the status on Anthony Davis?

If that all fails, what big contracts might we want to take with our cap space the way we got Otto?

I'm confident that the biggest reason Marc Eversley is on board is due to his relationships with players and agents. AK's super bowl is the draft. Marc's super bowl is free agency.

Based on what I have read, free agency isn't high on the team building list. I suspect they are going to go for an AD situation where a guy who is unhappy gets traded for with a year left on his deal. I wouldn't be surprised to see them sell capspace.

And this is why I won't be surprised if RWB is on our team soon. Billy will try to sell him on changing his game to include more ball distribution and we'll see what happens.


Sent from somewhere you've never been.

[RSP83]

AK made it clear in the Draft interview that he hopes we never pick this high again. So next year is about trying to win as many games as possible.

Coby / Sato / Arci
Lavine / Temple / Valentine
Otto / PWill / Hutch
Markkanen / Thad
Wendell / Gafford / Korner

I smell trades if we're not winning more games by All-Star break.

[Chi town]

Billy Donovan was hired as a long term developmental coach.

I think the plan is extraordinarily simple:
- Have the team play for a half season under Donovan, away from Boylen and see which players get it and which ones don't
- Move the players that don't get it possibly in combination with expiring contracts to build a team
- In 2021, Otto, Felicio, Sato and Thad are all gone, freeing up a ton of capspace. The team will use that and any assets they get from trading unwanted players to improve.

The end goal is to build a team filled with multi dimensional players who have good chemistry while trying to pick up high level talent when the opportunity presents itself.

Regardless, its pretty clear that the first half of this next season is an evaluation period.

Nailed it.

What could a healthy OPJ get us at the deadline? Late 1st?

If Lauri shows improvement but AK decides he doesn't fit... Solid 1st? Kennard got the 17th pick.

Lavine and WCJ both have 2 years left on deals. Both could get value back. Lavine big time value considering what Jrue got.

[Chi town]

Someone please tell me what our free agency plan is for 2021.

Are we targeted a big name? If so, only Kawhi makes sense to me.

Will we have enough for only 1 max slot? What's the status on Anthony Davis?

If that all fails, what big contracts might we want to take with our cap space the way we got Otto?

I'm confident that the biggest reason Marc Eversley is on board is due to his relationships with players and agents. AK's super bowl is the draft. Marc's super bowl is free agency.

Totally agree on the SB analogy. Well said.

[R3AL1TY]

Should be an assessment year for the new regime to see what direction the roster will go in as far as contracts expiring soon, players who are trade assets, and rookies developing. If the team is far outside playoff reach by the trade deadline, I can see them trading couple of the older vets on the team (Sato, Young, OPJ, Temple) and one out of Lauri, Zach, and Wendell. They probably won't land a big name free agent in 2021 unless AD takes a one year deal in LA to come home. But in 2021, they probably may sign couple key role playing guys or go after a player that turns down their player option.

[TheSuzerain]

Should be an assessment year for the new regime to see what direction the roster will go in as far as contracts expiring soon, players who are trade assets, and rookies developing. If the team is far outside playoff reach by the trade deadline, I can see them trading couple of the older vets on the team (Sato, Young, OPJ, Temple) and one out of Lauri, Zach, and Wendell. They probably won't land a big name free agent in 2021 unless AD takes a one year deal in LA to come home. But in 2021, they probably may sign couple key role playing guys or go after a player that turns down their player option.

So you're saying we're going to suck?

Minor roster changes via trades and no big name free agent = we suck

[R3AL1TY]

Should be an assessment year for the new regime to see what direction the roster will go in as far as contracts expiring soon, players who are trade assets, and rookies developing. If the team is far outside playoff reach by the trade deadline, I can see them trading couple of the older vets on the team (Sato, Young, OPJ, Temple) and one out of Lauri, Zach, and Wendell. They probably won't land a big name free agent in 2021 unless AD takes a one year deal in LA to come home. But in 2021, they probably may sign couple key role playing guys or go after a player that turns down their player option.

So you're saying we're going to suck?

Minor roster changes via trades and no big name free agent = we suck

Yeah, the Bulls may still suck but we'll have to wait and see. The Bulls will likely still be a franchise where a star or two will have to be born out of the draft. Hopefully, one will come from the current roster to go along with Zach's borderline star play.

[kodo]

The direction is 100% clear, we are not rebuilding. None of the moves signal any kind of total rebuild, and ME has directly said this is not a rebuild.

- AK has never tanked, he'll work with low 1st round /2nd round picks and that's what he's most famous for. He's not the exec you hire if you're tanking, and he wouldn't accept an offer like that anyway. The other job he was interviewing for and turned down was Philly, who are not in a tanking phase.

- Billy Donovan is not tanking coach, and like AK he wouldn't have accepted a team trying to lose as many games as possible. People thought OKC last year was going to tank, he pushed them to a 4th seed. OKC is obviously blowing it up this year, and he left of his own accord.

- This draft was a 100% not a rebuild draft. Patrick Williams projects to be a 3&D player and lacks star potential. That's clearly a high floor / low upside pick at #4. If we wanted to gamble on a superstar to create a new team from scratch, this was absolutely not the right pick.

- Temple as our FA signing is just a solid wing defender with no upside. He can do his NBA job competently. A total short term signing.

- None of our players were traded for future 1st round picks like OKC is doing. We haven't traded for any picks at all.

I think it's 100% clear we are not rebuilding for this season.
But I do think nothing can be said for '21-'22, because we have almost no real commitments. It would be easy to hit the nuke button that season. If AK wanted he could just trade Lavine and start with an empty roster, if he wanted.

[fleet]

Should be an assessment year for the new regime to see what direction the roster will go in as far as contracts expiring soon, players who are trade assets, and rookies developing. If the team is far outside playoff reach by the trade deadline, I can see them trading couple of the older vets on the team (Sato, Young, OPJ, Temple) and one out of Lauri, Zach, and Wendell. They probably won't land a big name free agent in 2021 unless AD takes a one year deal in LA to come home. But in 2021, they probably may sign couple key role playing guys or go after a player that turns down their player option.

So you're saying we're going to suck?

Minor roster changes via trades and no big name free agent = we suck

if the last 20 years have taught us anything, it should be to give up the free agent thing. Let it go.

[ZOMG]

They really need to be aggressive in trading for draft pick assets. Our coffers are empty.

The problem with the wait and see approach is that Donovan will probably want to keep the guys who play well, when we really should be selling high on Lauri/Lavine if possible.

We still lack vision/ambition in how we're managing the team and our assets. Seems to me, we are once again treading water which was GarPax's specialty.

So if Markkanen goes permanent FebruLauri and proves himself to be a building block after all, we should get rid of him because... we need some other building block who's probably just as expensive - or worse yet, a dude from the draft who may or may not amount to anything?

Huh?

[PrimzyBulls81]

Yep, its clear right now, it will be evaluation and developement few months, too see what we really have under better coach and supporting staff and where to upgrade later on.

[sco]

Yep, its clear right now, it will be evaluation and developement few months, too see what we really have under better coach and supporting staff and where to upgrade later on.

Right, that's what I'd do if I came into a young team of high draft picks who have been injured and badly coached. I think you do an inventory before you just stick everything out for a yard sale.

[TheSuzerain]

They really need to be aggressive in trading for draft pick assets. Our coffers are empty.

The problem with the wait and see approach is that Donovan will probably want to keep the guys who play well, when we really should be selling high on Lauri/Lavine if possible.

We still lack vision/ambition in how we're managing the team and our assets. Seems to me, we are once again treading water which was GarPax's specialty.

So if Markkanen goes permanent FebruLauri and proves himself to be a building block after all, we should get rid of him because... we need some other building block who's probably just as expensive - or worse yet, a dude from the draft who may or may not amount to anything?

Huh?

Lauri doesn't do the little things and he's poor defensively.

Scoring 20 points on decent efficiency isn't nearly as valuable as this board seems to think it is.

[musiqsoulchild]

Simple.

Develop and possible squeak into the playoffs as an eigth seed.

The proof of this will be in getting an experience PG via trade. If we do that, that's a strong indication that we want to develop but not tank.

[Wingy]

KC predicted a gradual roster overhaul and I tend to agree unless we hit really big in next year's free agency.

It’s clear that 2 way player philosophy and ball sharing is the key to figuring out who will be staying. There isn’t much here like that. This year is for evaluating the players true. The ultimate outcomes aren’t very much in doubt though. Once some of these guys get their values up, they will be moved.

It’s crazy that the idea of having 2-way players is seen as a philosophy around here. We’ve been imprisoned on GarPax Island for way too long.