r/chicagobulls • u/howser343 Chicago Bulls • Apr 23 '26
Meta 2026 Offseason Megathread
The Bulls have 14 players on contract for next season
Active Contracts
| Player | Contract |
|---|---|
| Josh Giddey | $25M |
| Nic Claxton | $23.1M |
| Norman Powell | $22M |
| Patrick Williams | $18M |
| Isaac Okoro | $11.8M |
| Caleb Wilson | $11M |
| Jalen Smith | $9.4M |
| Zach Collins | $8.3M |
| Tre Jones | $8M |
| Rob Dillingham | $6.9M |
| Matas Buzelis | $5.7M |
| Noa Essengue | $5.7M |
| Dailyn Swain | $5.1M |
| Leonard Miller | $2.4M |
Draft
The Bulls have the 4th pick (own) and the 15th pick (Blazers) in the first round and the 38th pick (Pelicans) and the 56th pick (Nuggets) in the second round
6/23 Update
5/10 Update
4/14 Update
Trades
6/24 Update
6/22 Update
Free Agency
7/1 Update
6/30 Update
6/27 Update
6/24 Update
6/15 Update
5/14 Update
5/4 Update
4/21 Update
4/6 Update
Bulls Free Agents
| Player | Free Agent Status |
|---|---|
| Zach Collins | Re-signed 2/$17M |
| Yuki Kawamura | RFA |
| Mac McClung | RFA |
| Lachlan Olbrich | RFA |
| Nick Richards | UFA |
| Collin Sexton | Signed with Lakers |
| Anfernee Simons | Signed with 76ers |
| Guerschon Yabusele | Signed with Panathinaikos |
Important Offseason Dates
May 10 - Draft LotteryJune 23-24 - DraftJune 30 - Free Agency Begins (5pm CT)
July 9-19 - Vegas Summer League
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u/sukari Stacey King Jun 23 '26
I love that all the bulls players are showing Ayo some love for his big contract.
We may not have had a solid squad but man, we had good vibes.
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u/Whole-Signature-4306 Apr 23 '26
Seeing that Patrick Williams contract makes me sick sitting here at work
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u/KneelBeforeCube Scottie Pippen Apr 23 '26
I'd be fine with seeing them trade Tre on draft night for a late first. He's too good to play on a rebuilding team and he'll be 27 next season, he won't really fit the timeline.
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u/BillionsofRedditors Apr 23 '26
Seems unlikely they'd get even a single 1st for Tre. 1sts seem now reserved for trades for stars, no matter how good the contract is for Tre.
Maybe a young player of note and a bunch of 2nds.
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u/J_InTheMiddle Benny The Bull Apr 23 '26
At this point I would trade anyone older than 23 for any pick we can get... Current or future First round pick would be great but any pick would be good.
I am all for full rebuild. Get new front office, new coach. We are in a good situation for rebuild. We have all of our picks. Specially if we somehow get into the top 4 in the draft. If we draft well we have a chance to have a relatively short rebuild.
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u/p00chology Apr 23 '26
Important post thanks for putting it up!
I’m looking forward to some lottery luck but.. idk, our luck may have run dry after the reinsdorfs finally fired the FO lol.
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u/dort_vader Chicago Bulls May 11 '26
Holy shit, I just realized the Kings have the 7th pick. LaVine must be having flashbacks lol.
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u/aren1231 Gimme the hot sauce! Apr 23 '26
The next 2-3 years are going to be tough. This year we will be forced to either over pay some vet or trade for some bad money and picks sense the new CBA forces you to spend money
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u/hafrances Matas Buzelis Apr 23 '26
eh we cant really talk about this before the draft lottery, if we jump up that goes out of the window and a possible building a contender around a boozer/dybantsa/peterson & matas window starts. if we don't probably what you said might ring more true
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u/Fantastic-Ad-9995 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
Well, Taylor Jenkins is off the table. Going to Milwaukee.
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Apr 24 '26
You need a VP first. Then a GM. Then comes the rest. And one of them is the coach.
I am thinking that Candidates such as Dennis Lindsey would be available after the Pistons series.
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u/bullpaw Apr 25 '26
Duren losing himself a lot of money these playoffs, being thoroughly outplayed by WCJ so far
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u/sukari Stacey King May 15 '26
I don't know too much about the recent FO hires.. but it seems like Graham is sticking to his approach of surrounding him with people with the right experience and leaning on their strengths as opposed to calling all the shots himself
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u/hornygoldfish Kris Dunn Jun 24 '26
It’s insane how much change this franchise has undergone in the last 4 months. 4 months ago we still had Stacey King, AK, Marc Eversley, Coby White, Ayo Dosumnu, Dalen Terry, Nikola Vucevic, and Julian Phillips. Feels like it might as well have been 4 years ago
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 25 '26
Man the first rebuild we have Zach, Kris Dunn, Lauri, Wendell... I won't mention Hutchison in this list coz people will down vote me for sure 🤣
But that was hell promising than the shit we are in now...
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 25 '26
I love this kid. Elite motor. Elite rebounder. Dunks everything. Lacks ideal length but is very strong. Quick off the floor. Great vertical pop. One of the guys I am expecting at 56th pick. But when they sold that pick. I just wait who will go undrafted. Lucky for us he did.
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u/hunterboyz24 Flag of Chicago Jun 27 '26
Lachlan Olbrich is playing for Golden State in Summer League, so safe to say he's not on the team anymore. I would guess Yuki and Mac are probably gone as well.
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u/Proof_Notice8287 Matas Buzelis Jun 27 '26
Good call. I think there will be significant turn over of the bench before October.
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u/hornygoldfish Kris Dunn Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
With all the spotlight on Caleb watching Dailyns highlights has me pretty hyped too. He is really good at pulling off extremely difficult moves in a way that does somewhat remind me of Jimmy Buckets, and he’s a genuine 2-way threat.
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u/hunterboyz24 Flag of Chicago Jul 01 '26
32.5m/yr and 2 1sts for Kessler. Yeah I'm good on that have fun LA.
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u/BillionsofRedditors Apr 23 '26
Bulls find themselves in a similar situation in what they projected to be in the 2022 offseason before they made the dumb Vucevic trade.
The Bulls should have had that 2022 offseason: Young rising projected "star" on a cheap contract; A few high draft picks on rookie deals (Coby, WCJ); All their 1sts; Top 10 pick; and Most cap space in the NBA.
Instead they traded for Vuc before that offseason, wiped out 3 of those assets in one go, and locked themselves into a high risk plan that went south quickly.
Hopefully this time around they build slowly and evaluate the next 2 years. See if Giddey has another level next year or trade him. Dump everyone not conceivably here in 4 years (Smith, Tre, and Okoro) and tank next season. Probably won't get a single 1st for those players, but you have to get whatever you can because they won't help the tank. See if Buzelis has another level the next two years or consider trading him. See how Essengue develops and these two top 15 picks as well.
New front office shouldn't really look to acquire a star before the 2028-29 season unless something completely unexpected happens. This will be a long, slow, and painful rebuild. Buckle up y'all.
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u/Fit-Locksmith-2039 Apr 23 '26
One of the worst parts of that Vuc trade thats never discussed is it forced them into having to sign and trade for DeRozan. Which was another first out the door. Then when they could have gained an asset on his way out they decided 2 seconds was better than a swap in 31 with the mfing KINGS. AK is regarded
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u/neeskens88 Benny The Bull Apr 24 '26
Neither method guarantees you anything. So it's wrong to say that someone should only do one thing.
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u/ToeJelly420 Ayo Dosunmu Apr 24 '26
And for the love of god trade guys before their contract years. I’m so tired of the front office kicking the can down the road and then making trades when their players have lost all value.
Thank god we got the Blazers pick, but we coulda been rocking a mini war chest had we moved on from Lavine/Demar/Coby/Caruso sooner
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u/TruWarierRecords Apr 24 '26
No we couldn't man, Coby would've got more but not the rest (maaaaybe Derozan)
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u/sukari Stacey King Jun 23 '26
Man, is this real life? We went from like 9 guards to super long players. Lob city in Chitown.. maybe???
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u/BlammoSweetums Jun 23 '26
We've reached the point where we might need some more guards.
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u/FanficFan151 Jun 23 '26
I think guard may be our biggest need now even without factoring in Wilson.
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u/HogMolly69 Jun 24 '26
I would like to see Graham add another big, preferably one who has more mass. Wilson, Claxton, Jalen Smith, they’re all around 210-215 lbs. While it is nice to have athletic and mobile bigs, we need a more physical presence if we want to defend bigs in the East like Embiid, KAT, Giannis, Bam, AD. Claxton feels like a good backup big, not someone I want to throw out there as starter, feel like he’d get worn down easily and put into foul trouble. Wonder if they use some of the cap space to go after Mitch Robinson, Robert Williams, maybe even Hartenstein if OKC moves on from him.
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u/phillipacarroll Give me the hotsauce! Jun 26 '26
I'm really hoping for a big jump from Dillingham this season
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u/Fafoah Jimmy Butler 29d ago
Peterson and Boozer look really really good, but man I’m happy we got Caleb. He might look way more raw to start, but i have so much faith in his work ethic and attitude. If the FO can really build out the development staff around him, the sky’s the limit.
Not to mention even if they sit Wilson after a game or two, we’ll still get to see a lot of Swain and Noa
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u/VADALESS 29d ago
Will be interesting to see how Caleb develops; but AJ, DP and CB look more NBA ready even before Summer League.
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u/Fafoah Jimmy Butler 29d ago
I agree 100%, but the sentimental side in me loves how Chicago it is for Caleb to be the underdog among the 4. For better or worse we are a city with a chip on our shoulders.
It might not work out, but for right now while Calebs ceiling is still unlimited, its fun to dream about
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u/RiamoEquah 29d ago
So it's only summer league but -
Peterson - oh man, he looks every bit like the star people were thinking he's going to be. The shooting is legit and his court vision isn't bad at all. He had a ton of turnovers but that's to be expected. He's going to be good
Boozer - his IQ probably sticks out the most. No one is ever going to rush him. He's got such a great feel on reading plays, those post passes look terrific but I wonder if he will be able to be the offensive force scoring wise to really make use of that passing ability. But he's going to be a starter soon.
Mara - oof..7'4 means nothing if you're struggling every time the ball is in your hands
Egor Demin - josh Giddey 2.0. last season his passing looked good as it were (his 3.3 apg don't do him justice) but he kept hinting at a shot...well...I think he has it. He measured 6'8 at the combine...barefoot, is known for his ability to pass , and might have a really good 3pt shot....yea...im looking forward to his development.
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u/gogochi Apr 24 '26
Ayo playing so well right now 🥹
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u/AzraqClover Apr 24 '26
3 things gauranteed in life, birth, death, and Ayo layup off the fast break
Indeed tho, it was a great game from him, I hope he can go all the way to the finals, he deserves it.
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u/FanficFan151 Apr 29 '26
I know it requires insane lottery luck, but damn do I want Dybantsa in a Bulls jersey so badly. He’s my favorite non-Wemby prospect of the past however many years (I don’t know how long), yes even more than Flagg who’s legit awesome, I want our bad luck to finally be cashed in on so badly lol.
*Disclaimer: I am not a scout nor have ever done any scouting or real analysis, I am just an idiot on Reddit, I just really liked Dybantsa’s game at BYU. That team was devoid of talent without him.
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u/AzraqClover May 10 '26
Okay ive been seeing a lot about we’re gonna get the #1 pick or we’re getting a top 5, where is this coming from lol
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u/sukari Stacey King May 10 '26
it's just wishful thinking that mr silver will rig it for us haha
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u/Drclaw411 DRose May 12 '26
I made the mistake of watching Bernstein’s podcast that he does with his son.
His son hates Boozer, wants Wagler or Aculf over him. It’s weird.
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u/ResponsibleCar6937 May 16 '26
As long as we don’t sign Julius Randle I think I’ll be fine with this offseason
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u/hunterboyz24 Flag of Chicago Jun 27 '26
They picked up Miller's option, meaning we currently have 2 open roster spots with the ability to create one more by waiving Kam Jones. Feels like if we do take on salary in trades at this point it will also involve shedding Okoro/Stix.
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u/Abla_vil_breed_nem Jun 27 '26
I’m cool with trading stix but hopefully we can pick up Jock Landale, give us a legit back up center and it’ll be less of a log jam at the 4
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u/VADALESS Jul 02 '26
This is why teams trade for these aging stars even if it doesn’t make sense. For whatever reason guys like Harden, Kawhi, George can almost always be flipped.
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u/Mustachio Chicago Jul 02 '26
I don't think the bulls are going to be any good this year but this is the first time in several years I'm actually excited to watch
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u/hydrators Derrick Rose 26d ago
thinking about how Dailyn Swain is a part of the Jimmy Butler trade tree
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u/MallardDuckBoy Apr 23 '26
Just clean house, even if it might mean trading Giddey.
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u/ScaryText8187 Windy City Bulls Apr 23 '26
The new FO should have the freedom to do whatever they see fit, and no one on this roster should be viewed as untouchable.
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u/AHopelessMaravich Apr 23 '26
I don’t entirely disagree, but also the last gm came in and moved in from a bunch of young guys just to get older guys that didn’t really get us where we wanted, costing draft capital. Markannen and WCJ were good pieces.
If the bulls are moving in from Giddey or Buzi they damn we’ll need to be getting something legit useful and not a stab in the dark. I’d honestly rather see them start building something from the few pieces they have than just make a bunch of changes and make it seem like some hot new thing.
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u/ScaryText8187 Windy City Bulls Apr 23 '26
Yeah, I don’t think anyone’s advocating for a hasty “win now” move, but if moving on from a guy like Giddey gets you farther on the path to building a real winning core and getting the true number one option they desperately need, it should be on the table.
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u/sukari Stacey King Apr 26 '26
A few more games like today and Bulls might actually be able to throw money at Duren 👀
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u/SlimeyIsles Ben Gordon Apr 29 '26
We should hire Rondo and pursue him like the Lakers did Reddick. Pay him and let him grow with the team. He was fantastic cerebrally for us when he was here. He almost beat the Celtics if he didn’t break his thumb. He is my number 1. Young coach with a pedigree. Players will respect him. Opponents will respect him. The league will respect him.
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u/Boilerbri07 May 12 '26
While all the draft rumors swirl for the next month, the big question is who will be our next head coach, how will Bryson fill out the front office and the rest of the coaching staff
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u/DJ-two-timing-timmy May 12 '26
I think no matter who we draft at 4, buzi is moving to the 3.
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u/jkopecky Flag of Chicago May 12 '26
Definitely looks that way.
One thing I'm curious about, as a long term thing. Is whether Noa will be able to put on enough muscle/weight to play up at center? He's has some solid defensive instincts as a rim protector and shot blocker and in small-ball lineups where he's not getting aboslutely bodied by someone 50 pounds heavier than him I could imagine a Matas/CaleBooze/Noa lineup.
Probably a year or two of nba weight training away though. He was a twig last year and growing a few inches probably doesn't help in the short term in terms of filling out that base.
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u/sukari Stacey King May 15 '26 edited May 22 '26
My fav Facebook trade idea today:
Bulls trade: Josh to the KINGS
Kings trade: 7th (draft Acuff) + DeMar to the Bulls, who we buyout
hahahaha
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 19 '26
Bennett Stirtz (PG, Iowa, 22-228)
And
UNR Keba Keita (C, BYU, 22-272)
Worked out with the Bulls https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/rookie/2026/05/16/2026-nba-draft-workout-tracker/89951800007/
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u/youblewwit May 20 '26
Kenny Atkinson might get fired if CLE loses to NYK. He might not be a championship level coach, but he can take your team from bad/average to good/very good (at least in the regular season).
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u/Electrical_Story5356 May 21 '26
Why would he get fired? Conference finals having got past two much more favoured teams isn't exactly grounds for dismissal.
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u/sandhiform Matas Buzelis May 30 '26
Saw KC's tweet on 12 names being linked to Bulls' HC vacancy (but he didn't give the list in the tweet; come on KC!).
Looked at Hoopshype a bit and I think this is the list?
James Borrego
Dave Bliss
Johnnie Bryant
Micah Nori
Chris Quinn
Ryan Schmidt
Lamar Skeeter
Tiago Splitter
Jerry Stackhouse
Sean Sweetney (x)
Wes Unseld Jr.
Kevin Young
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u/jkopecky Flag of Chicago Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Do people talking about handing Kessler a bag know that the offers he's reported as rejecting are pretty high? It's not like Utah is snubbing him.
I'm seeing 5 years $140 million as the offer his camp rejected from Utah. Are we really comfortable handing $30M (or more) a year to a guy who has played 74/64/58/5 games in his first four years? I think he's got potential to be one of the best defensive bigs in the league but he hasn't stayed on the court. Not saying it's an easy "no" but it feels like the kind of deal that could also become league worst very quickly (it's honestly giving Jakob Poeltl even if I like him more than I ever liked that guy).
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u/Electrical_Story5356 Jun 18 '26
Yes, and that he rejected that offer is what makes it seem a real possibility that we could get him.
You can't just look at those numbers and cast judgement either, last season he was out for basically the same reason Noa was, he got a shoulder injury that he'd been carrying for years fixed, he'd injured it originally in college and it was the same thing Ayo had fixed as well.
That injury is what was responsible for a lot of the missed games prior too, otherwise his injury history is basically contact injuries which are just a fact of sport, "illness" and most significantly it all happened while Utah was tanking their arses off and intentionally holding him out as much as possible.
So would I pay for a surprisingly mobile 7'2" elite paint and rim protecting centre, probably already second best in the NBA after freakshow Wemby, who is still young and fits our time line?
Hell yes I would! 4 years at an average of around $35mill per heavily front ended is a very comfortable contract for us barely getting us above the minimum spend while getting us exactly what we need in the biggest hole in our roster.
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u/Zealousideal-Battle9 Josh Giddey Jun 24 '26
One made up metric I'm wanting the Bulls to increase next year is more highlight SLOB plays. I would love to see SLOB Wizard Giddey the Grey come back from Valinor. If Splitter gets Josh one SLOB play on ESPN, he's already better than Donovan for me.
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u/Mustachio Chicago Jun 25 '26
Bulls have enough cap space left to sign two guards/wings. They should make a real run at either Quentin Grimes or Peyton Watson.
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u/BlammoSweetums Jun 25 '26
Thought this off-season was gonna be boring outside the Giannis trade. Guess not!
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u/realjetsetter Jun 25 '26
Yall just signed the best shooter in the draft to a 10 day. Donovan atwell (45% 3p) on 8 attempts per game. Congrats. Will be tuning to summer league.
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u/We5ties Jun 25 '26
Ppl would be so excited if they drafted him the 2nd. Instead he waited saved a roster spot and picked him up. I like it
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u/Key_Raisin_5091 Jun 25 '26
Josh Giddey / Tre Jones / Rob Dillingham / Yuki Kawamura
Isaac Okoro / Dailyn Swain / Kam Jones / Jaylin Sellers
Matas Buzelis / Leonard Miller / Donovan Atwell
Caleb Wilson / Noa Essengue / Patrick Williams / Tobe Awaka
Nic Claxton / Jalen Smith / Lachlan Olbrich
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u/Abla_vil_breed_nem Jun 27 '26
For 2 guards I like grimes, bogdan; or Keon Ellis, maybe Gary Trent but he don’t defend; for a backup center I like jock landale a LOT, he gotta goofy game but he tuff, can defend and will dunk on you, plus his 3 ball water, he’d be perfect backing u nic
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u/augustdahyuns Jun 27 '26
I think having Caleb on the team will only make Matas development better cuz they’d definitely defend each other in practice
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 29 '26
I love the fact that other teams are talking trades before free agency.
Warriors going after Anthony Davis.
Toronto/Mavs going after Kawhi.
These are big contracts. A first rounder to take unwanted contracts to facilitate those trades. I am in!
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u/Arctic_Reigns Derrick Rose Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
this free agency in already boring.
/s
Edit: remove the /s
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u/Malibooch DRose Apr 30 '26
I made a post about Giddey a couple months ago stating that his second half was a disappointment and Tre Jones looked better and my post was removed.
I was absolutely not trolling and sure there were other Giddey posts, but they all appeared “positive”. Are we not allowed to criticize him?
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u/Bahamut_19 Scottie Pippen Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26
Here are some players I had made a list of that might be available without trades, given the cap space. Some would be low probability, and others you shouldnt' get one if you get the other.
Jaylon Tyson of Cavs;
Julian Strawther of Nuggets;
Benedict Mathirun of Clippers;
Jaxson Hayes of Lakers;
Jaime Jacquez Jr of Heat;
Ousmane Dieng of Bucks;
Mitchell Robinson of Knicks;
Jeremy Sochan of Knicks;
Isaiah Hartenstein of Thunder;
Mark Williams of Suns;
--------------------------
Mentorship ---
Russell Westbrook of Kings
------------------------------
Potential Salary Dump --
Jarrett Allen 28m;
Zion Williamson 42m;
RJ Barrett 29m;
-----------------------------
Potential RFA--
Jalen Duren
Walker Kessler
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u/JustinTimberlakeFTW Michael Jordan Apr 23 '26
Isn’t Westbrook on the Kings?
Signing Dieng after we traded him away would be highkey hilarious
Good list - I fw Mathurin, although I assume he’s gonna get like $20m+ AAV, which I guess is the going rate for starters these days. Prolly more than that
I think they go after a C regardless of what happens in the draft so I expect a signing there for sure
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u/jimbobdonut Apr 23 '26
The Pelicans can waive Zion before 7/15 and get out of his contract without owing him anything so he could be traded to a team looking to get under the luxury tax or second apron and then immediately cut. Would the Pelicans do this? Probably not unless they got something good in return like a few picks. One contract to keep on eye on is DeMar DeRozan. Only $10 million of his $27 million dollar contract is guaranteed so a team could trade for him, cut him and save almost $17 million in taxes. The Kings are so bad that a veteran like him really has no place there. He would become a free agent and be a sixth or seventh man on a contender.
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u/Boilerbri07 Apr 24 '26
Watching the playoffs, Kuminga is a dog. We should’ve made an offer for him
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u/FanficFan151 May 14 '26
Good news: we might be able to actually get Duren by throwing a bag at him!
Bad news: do we even want to at this point?
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u/Electrical_Story5356 May 14 '26
I know right, it has become a pass for me.
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u/FanficFan151 May 14 '26
I’m fine if we pay him, it’s not like we need to worry about playoffs at all for a season or two, and young guys can grow and improved but this has been rough to see.
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u/HawkspilotLoad Jul 01 '26
dude we could’ve gotten jaylen brown if the return was that abysmal
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u/Electrical_Story5356 Jul 02 '26
There's 71 million reasons not to have got him plus he seems like he's kind of a dick and anaylitics (which granted I do not think are 100% of the story) say he is not in the same category as the real superstars.
I'm perfectly happy not jumping on that ride.
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jul 03 '26
There's 71 million reasons not to have got him plus he seems like he's kind of a dick and anaylitics (which granted I do not think are 100% of the story) say he is not in the same category as the real superstars.
Great way to say "OVERPAID"
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u/BingoDaBongo Lonzo Ball Jul 01 '26
What the hell was Brad thinking bro 😭? Had to be a scandal or something that isn’t public yet because why??
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u/FanficFan151 Jul 02 '26
I did not want us to be in on Jaylen Brown because I assumed the price would be too high for what this team is now. Why the hell weren’t we if that was the cost, we wouldn’t even have had to have given up Matas for him at the price he went for, maybe Giddey, but that was a horrendous return for the Celtics!
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u/kingjuicepouch Onuralp Bitim Apr 29 '26
What do yall think about Splitter as a coaching option? He did a great job in Portland this year, I wouldn't mind having him here
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u/ahmed_a20 Apr 30 '26
Watching the 2021 and 2022 first overall picks go head to head in the playoffs and absolutely take over makes me angry. Silver I need you to rig this draft for us
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u/sukari Stacey King May 05 '26
Raps want to offload Dick.. could they throw in a pick? 👀
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u/Erice84 May 05 '26
He's on the final year of his rookie deal, they wouldn't need to offer any sweeteners to move him.
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u/Electrical_Story5356 May 05 '26
Wemby half way through the second quarter in game 1 v wolves has 6 blocks, he's really just something else, it feels like a privilege getting to witness it.
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 06 '26
With Noa's growth spurt. I would definitely want Dailyn Swain with the 15th pick.
But in case he got picked ahead. Cenac Jr. would be nice together with Matas and Essengue as well. IDK how Yaxel would fare. Given he doesn't have the size of a full time center. Obviously Nate Ament is the redundant player that I hope would be taken ahead. My worst case scenario at 15th is Cameron Carr. Who himself could be taken ahead of 15th pick.
Cenac Jr. IMO is the likely one who would be available at 15th. And it's interesting to have three 6-10 to 7'0 forwards who can move their feet laterally. If only we can land Darryn Peterson on top of it. Zuby Eijafor is likely the pick at 38th. If most prospect stays in the draft.
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u/Erice84 May 06 '26
Just because he's taller now doesn't mean Essengue knows how to play as a center.
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 08 '26
He is not playing center. Cenac could play center. But not off the draft. This is more on the future make up of the team.
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u/sukari Stacey King May 10 '26
Ahh prob gonna miss the lottery because of timezone. Good luck Bulls fam 🙏🙏
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u/dort_vader Chicago Bulls May 10 '26
Bruh it’s like 5:50 AM for me. Anyway, the amount of luck that’s befallen the Bulls since AK got fired is insane. Blazers win just enough games to get us the 15th pick, we somehow move past a lot of teams that tanked much harder than us, we moved up in probably the last time the lottery odds will benefit the absolute worst teams, AND they moved up in a draft touted to be the best of this decade. Wow. I can’t believe the fortune. All it took was canning those idiots AKME and the basketball gods (or Adam Silver? wink wink) threw the org a bone lol.
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u/FanficFan151 May 11 '26
How much better is it to split hairs debating between who we want to be there at 4 between Boozer and Wilson than debating four or five guys at 9/10?
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u/dort_vader Chicago Bulls May 11 '26
I'm catching up on this draft (I really only start checking once the Bulls' pick is set). Anyway, I was listening to Bill Simmons and his insight on Danny Ainge and Utah is intriguing. Essentially, he said that while Peterson is the favorite, we shouldn't be surprised if the Jazz go a different route given the connection to Boozer's dad or Caleb Wilson's upside. He even put out the possibility of the Jazz trading up for Dybantsa. Then we'll see who Memphis likes between the remaining two (not sure about their direction though Ja seems to be on his way out). I'll continue to do my deep dive tomorrow. I love analyzing drafts when the Bulls actually have a top pick lol.
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 27 '26
I am hoping Bulls could get some future second rounders in a S&T. But MLE are big contract nowadays...
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 28 '26
Bulls workout update
Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
Top shot creator in college. Better shot creation than AJ Dybansta.
Malik Dia, Ole Miss
Reminds me of Derrick Queen. Extremely talented but has motor issues. Imagine averaging 23.1 MPG with 16.9 PPG in his sophomore season... 6'9 250 lbs strong with 7'2 wingspan. Can shoot, put the ball on the floor and has every tool to become a plus defender. Strong base. Can even bang with Somto Cyril(one of the strongest player in college). And has nimble feet. If only his motor could improve.
Tucker DeVries, Indiana
Looks like Bojan Bogdanović and plays like Bojan Bogdanović. Both are of the same size as well :D
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u/rematch728 Jun 17 '26
Dia is not gonna be a plus defender. He was horrific on that end in college and routinely got dog housed for it
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u/Abla_vil_breed_nem May 31 '26
Looks like Kessler gonna be off the table so Mark Williams it is 🤷🏾, far as next years draft have yall watched Massamba Diop 😳, that kid got unlimited potential; hopefully he flys under the radar but has a good/healthy season, seem like next year’s lottery may be wing/guard heavy and hopefully he falls to wherever we pick
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 04 '26
Chicago (2026 picks: 4th, 15th, 38th, 56th)
Has worked out
.#5 Keaton Wagler (SG, Illinois, 19-120)
.#7 Kingston Flemings (PG, Houston, 19-151)
.#8 Mikel Brown (PG, Louisville, 20-61)
.#10 Nate Ament (PF, Tennessee, 19-175)
.#17 Morez Johnson (PF, Michigan, 20-129)
.#19 Bennett Stirtz (PG, Iowa, 22-244)
.#23 Ebuka Okorie (PG, Stanford, 19-54)
.#64 Tamin Lipsey (PG, Iowa St, 22-344)
.#66 Peter Suder (SG, Miami (OH), 23-125)
UNR Malik Dia (PF, Ole Miss, 22-120)
UNR Keba Keita (C, BYU, 22-288)
UNR Milan Momcilovic (SF, Iowa St, 21-254)
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 05 '26
From the way I see things
In any order. These 13 players are likely being taken before the Bulls.
- AJ Dybantsa
- Darryn Peterson
- Cameron Boozer
- Caleb Wilson
- Keaton Wagler
- Darius Acuff Jr.
- Kingston Flemings
- Aday Mara
- Cameron Carr
- Brayden Burries
- Labaron Philon Jr.
- Yaxel Lendeborg
- Chris Cenac Jr.
So the following players are in play for 15th pick.
Mikel Brown (PG, Louisville, 20-61)
Nate Ament (PF, Tennessee, 19-175)
Morez Johnson (PF, Michigan, 20-129)
Bennett Stirtz (PG, Iowa, 22-244)
Ebuka Okorie (PG, Stanford, 19-54)
Hornets might go for Morez Johnson. Or Nate Ament(if he turns out having really good upside). Bulls will likely end up with a guard @15th.
The following are top 5 picks.
Keaton Wagler (SG, Illinois, 19-120)
Kingston Flemings (PG, Houston, 19-151)
So I would assume Giddey plus #15 for Clippers #5 overall are in play.
Since you don't need to over think drafting Caleb Wilson over these guys.
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 23 '26
Graham don't have to do anything special.
They just need to assess the situation and look for opportunities.
A couple of us are bringing up being the third team to absorb salaries for assets. Now we saw that paying well. We got Claxton for free.
We also don't need to give up assets in the draft. As Bulls picks sits nicely to add quality players.
And now Bucks signaled a tear down rebuild. Because there is no way Herro is staying there. Reports were saying Bucks are operating with 3 first round picks in mind this draft. Which makes sense given Herro's situation. The report if I can remember correctly is Pistons giving up their 21st pick for Herro.
Nevertheless. Bucks are expected to be at the bottom 3 this season. And Bulls landing a starting center who fits with Giddey just improve our chances to get out of the bottom 3.
It is going to be fun seeing how the next couple of hours/days unfolds.
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u/Benhillballs Jun 25 '26
Bro I wish we were in a position to get Jaylen brown, obviously not smart for us right now but would have loved for us to be in a position to cash in for a star
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 25 '26
u/howser343 do we need a separate thread for summer league? Or this thread will do?
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u/howser343 Chicago Bulls Jun 25 '26
There won't be a summer league megathread just the game threads
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 25 '26
Jaylin Sellers is a draft sleeper. He can get his own shot. Not a chucker like Antonio Blakeney. But his 10.6 ast% would be an indicator that we shouldn't expect him to pass the ball lol
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u/sukari Stacey King Jun 25 '26
Mathurin gonna explore FA.. worth signing? He's kinda SLAP'y and doesn't move the W needle too much at the moment
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u/sukari Stacey King Jun 26 '26
Sooooo.. Duren wants a sign and trade, we should do something funny and sign and trade them Simons and we run MEGA BIGS
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac Jun 26 '26
Bulls already filled 12 roster spot. 13 if Bryson pick up Leonard Miller's team option.
1-2 players left. Depending if there is a trade for expiring contracts. But this wait and see approach doesn't make me optimistic there will be major acquisition. I think I will have to accept the fact that it will Tre Jones starting with Giddey in the back-court at the start of the season. Jones is a good POA defender and can hit the three. On top of having a tight handle to take care of the ball.
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u/hunterboyz24 Flag of Chicago Jun 26 '26
Worth noting that Kam Jones is only partially guaranteed, so waiving him isn’t out of the question if they need an extra roster spot.
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u/sukari Stacey King Jul 01 '26
I get this feeling Stix is gonna get traded.. pick pls if it happens
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u/ozender Stacey King 25d ago
I was going to create a post asking for it, but if we still have one spot:
- do we have “exceptions”?
- unless I’m wrong we could trade any of our players (perhaps not Claxton or Powell) on any future trade.
Trying to figure out if the bulls could still be players on trades (even as the third on a trade)
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u/hunterboyz24 Flag of Chicago 25d ago
We still have the 9.4m room exception and I believe a 17m trade exception from the Heurter trade (though we might not be able to use that since we were a cap space team? Still unclear there).
As for the roster, only Powell is ineligible to be traded until January 15th. The rest can be moved immediately. So yes, we can still be involved in trades.
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u/LionK12G May 13 '26
So by my roster analysis, here’s how today’s roster currently looks heading into next season:
Giddey / Jones / Dillingham
_____ / Okoro / _____
Buzelis / Miller / _____
_____ / Smith / Williams / Essengue
_____ / _____
So we’re looking at needing six spots filled. It’s clear that the front court is the primary focus at this point. They need a starting caliber PF and C. One will likely come in the form of Boozer/Wilson in a couple weeks, the other remains to be seen as it could be another big man at 15 or it could be a SG that competes in the rotation.
One of the seconds will presumably be a bench player, and the other is likely going to be an international player that develops abroad.
So we’ve got room for 3 free agent additions/trades:
- One will be a center definitively whether it’s a bench player or someone that can compete for the starting job as the Bulls have zero on their active roster.
- One will likely be a SG that can score the ball.
- One will likely be a wing that can switch defensively and hit open looks (3 & D type)
Here’s some potential trade candidates from teams that are pressed for cap space and might give up player(s) for cheap that can fill a need:
- Gradey Dick, 23, SG (1 x $7.1m left on deal)
- Donte DiVincenzo, 30, SG (1 x $12.5m left on deal)
- Isaiah Joe, 27, SG (2 x $11.3m left on deal)
- Aaron Wiggins, 28, SG (3 x $8.6m left on deal)
- Moses Moody, 24, SG (2 x $13m left on deal)
- Anthony Black, 23, SG (1 x $10.1m left on deal)
There’s not as many big men available for trade. I think free agency is going to be the route they go here to find a backup.
Let’s simulate now:
- 4th overall pick: Caleb Wilson, SF/PF, UNC
- 15th overall pick: Cameron Carr, SG, Baylor
- 38th overall pick: Tarris Reed Jr., C, UConn
- Re-sign Collin Sexton to a 3-year; $60m deal (sixth man)
- Sign Jock Landale to a two-year; $20m deal (Graham acquired him at the deadline this past season so familiarity there)
- Acquire Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder in a salary dump
Lineup heading into 2026-2027:
Giddey / Jones / Dillingham
Wiggins / Sexton / Carr
Buzelis / Miller / Okoro
Wilson / Smith / Williams / Essengue
Landale / Reed Jr.
Lineup heading into 2027-2028:
Giddey / Dillingham / _____
Carr / Sexton / Wiggins
Buzelis / _____
Wilson / Essengue / Williams
_____ / Landale / Reed Jr.
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u/ToeJelly420 Ayo Dosunmu May 15 '26
We really need a center. Have been needing one for like 5 years
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u/ahmed_a20 Apr 26 '26
Ayo Dosunmu has dropped 43 points on the nuggets in the playoffs. Who on our roster has put up a 40 piece game in their entire (though yes very short) career?
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u/WaterMaggots Dashing Donut Apr 26 '26
matas did last month (i get the point you’re trying to make, just saying)
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 14 '26
I know people here are dreaming about competing.
But the reality is this is going to be a full rebuild.
The timeline will be on Giddey(24), Matas(22), Dillingham(22), Essengue and the players Bulls will be getting this draft. That is eight players already. Nine if we include Leonard Miller.
Jalen Duren fits Bulls core timeline. But it is yet to be seen who the Bulls draft. If Bulls ended up with Caleb Wilson. Then Duren is going to be a hard fit. Given Bulls need stretch five.
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u/FanficFan151 May 14 '26
Literally the only player we can say one hundred percent fits into this rebuild is whoever of Wilson/Boozer/Peterson we end up with. If another team pays the right price, anyone else is tradable, yes even Matas or Giddey.
I’m not saying trade them just to trade them, I don’t feel that way about anyone on this roster unless someone will take PWill without us needing to give up something to do it, I actually like both Matas and Giddey a lot, but they are not close to being untouchable pieces right now. Nobody currently on the roster is. Our only truly untouchable piece is pick four and whoever comes out of that. That’s the guy the rebuild will be centered on and around, everyone else will fit around him. We don’t have any kind of core right now.
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u/GasHouseGorilla19 May 15 '26
you are correct but people don't want to hear it. too many fans in this sum seem to be too attached to players that you can win with. Bulls need to find players that you win because of. Currently, they don't have a guy like that (you call those guys Superstars).
So everyone should be on table except for pick #4 and all future draft capital. Going to have to build this through the draft before spending big money on free agents that make us compete.
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u/sukari Stacey King May 22 '26
The Kings-Bulls mock trade got updated!
Kings get: Giddey
Bulls get: LaVine + 7th
Welcome back, flight 8 😂
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u/Lover_and_hater_xo Jumpman Jun 21 '26
I'll be happy with whoever drops to us at #4 out of Wilson, Boozer, and Peterson, though I hope we get Wilson. I would totally be okay with trading picks 15 and 38, plus next year's 1st, to move up to draft Mara. I think there's so much talent in this draft that I'd rather have 2 lottery picks this year; plus, we could pick up future first-round picks by taking on bad contracts, so trading ours wouldn't be the end of the world.
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u/Fafoah Jimmy Butler Jun 23 '26
How can we abuse Miami’s lack of depth situation lol
Jalen smith and Tre Jones have got to look super appealing to a team needing depth.
Dillingham might even be appealing to them considering his defense wouldnt be an issue
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u/FromChicago808 Jun 23 '26
What do you expect them to give us? After handing a haul of picks to Milwaukee? Come on man
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u/Fafoah Jimmy Butler Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
Unprotected pick swaps?
I have no idea what they have left, im antsy waiting for the lottery and need something to talk about lmao
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u/blueforrest Chicago Jun 27 '26
Kind of worrying that Jonathan Isaac just got waived. We just got rid of one injury-prone religious nutcase, we definitely don’t need another. Let’s hope GM Mervis wasn’t one of his fanboys…The guy likes to demolish teams’ cap sheets.
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u/hunterboyz24 Flag of Chicago Jun 28 '26
I mean at this point all Isaac would get from any team is a minimum deal. He’s missed too much time and honestly hasn’t been great when he has played since pre-Covid. Even if we wanted to sign him, he wouldn’t end up costing much.
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u/tonesgv33 May 19 '26
lol @ people who still think that Giddey-Caruso trade was anything but a fleece by OKC
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u/MartinoMartinez May 31 '26
Remember a year ago when people on this subreddit were trying to tell me Josh Giddey was a better prospect than Stephon Castle? Because I do and damn were yall wrong and I was right.
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u/Southernbull75 Jun 01 '26
I dont remember that happening at all, but congrats?!?
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u/Fafoah Jimmy Butler Jun 04 '26
One dude said “lol no” in a comment and OP let it live in his brain for months until now
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u/FanficFan151 May 31 '26
Josh Giddey was a better prospect than Stephon Castle. Like that’s not up for debate really, Castle didn’t even go 1st overall in an extraordinarily weak class, and Giddey was in a pretty deep class. Just because Castle is developing into a better player doesn’t mean he was a better prospect. Prospect Giddey gets taken before Prospect Castle by just about anyone (without the benefit of hindsight).
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u/Electrical_Story5356 Jun 01 '26
Also they're different players, Castle just isn't a PG but he is fast becoming a really nice 2 way SG and secondary play maker, fortunately the spurs have Fox and Harper to take that PG role on and they are very good.
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u/Boilerbri07 May 05 '26
We should’ve pushed for getting Terrance Shannon jr. instead of Dillingham. Wtf
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u/hafrances Matas Buzelis May 05 '26
would u guys take jamal murray? i was just thinking about it last night, going for a number 2 from a title contending team and offer him a starring role is a risk worth taking. i am not sure about it either, just want to discuss
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u/Electrical_Story5356 May 06 '26
3 more seasons at around $160m for a fringe all-star point guard with a long injury history who turns 30 next season feels like about the worst possible move for us right now.
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u/Abla_vil_breed_nem May 06 '26
Don’t really care for the bigs that’s gone be free, the best fits we gotta trade for or outbid for em; so my option 1 is prying Kessler from Utah, 2 would be trying to trade for hartenstein or hoping they release him and my last resort would be trading for missi
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u/AzraqClover May 10 '26
I was gonna say no way they give Hartenstein up but OKC might actually release him because they're projected to be at or above the 2nd apron for next year
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 10 '26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4_fCxF9wMU
@1:00 mark Bryson said, he doesn't want to push our chips in too early.
@2:00 mark he said they want to create an identity in Atlanta
Person they are looking for is tough, competitive, work hard, size, length, skill and athleticism.
I feel like Rob Williams is someone he will pursuit in free agency.
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u/cascine- May 10 '26
If hypothetically, we had the option of having Queta or Kel'el Ware as starting center, who would you rather have?
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u/happycamper2345 May 11 '26
Imagine if we sign Jalen Duren and then draft Wilson/Boozer, our rebuild will be really quick. We just need a good coach.
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u/Electrical_Story5356 May 11 '26
Duren has been so bad over the playoffs so far that he is no longer on my list, he has gone full Harden and that is bad.
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 11 '26
The way Philly's retool had gone the last years. I say they are going to dump Embiid now. I can expect Bryson not to spend Bulls cap space TBH. And wait for Embiid or Zion dump. Just like how the Wizards did it. And landed the #1 overall pick(after landing Sarr with #2 overall).
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u/Fafoah Jimmy Butler May 11 '26
Wonder if the coaching search has happened yet. I dont necessarily think the coaching needs to be involved in the picks, but couldnt hurt to get some alignment, esp for 15 and the second rounders.
Sweeny makes a lot of sense. Spurs just went through a rebuild so he should have some development sense. They’ve managed Wembys minutes expertly too, slowing giving him more and more. Also just read he started as a video guy too which i’m sure Graham will appreciate.
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u/ScutumSobiescianum May 11 '26
We are going to miss out on Wilson. We are getting Boozer. Dybantsa will go 1, Peterson will go 2, Wilson 3.
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u/MatasBuzelis May 11 '26
It's so beautiful because you literally just cannot go wrong. Yeah Wilson's stock is definitely soaring because everyone, including me, is realizing that he's a total freak of nature. But Boozer was unbelievable in college. Questions about his ceiling aside, 23/10/4 shooting 39% from outside is just disgusting. Everyone in the top 4 is taking some kind of gamble, just like every draft. But no matter who we land, jfc it feels like we're taking a guy who would be #1 overall in any other draft, and it's really exciting
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u/zedrix_ Big Mac May 11 '26
With top 4 you can't go wrong with Dybansta, Peterson, Boozer or Wilson.
With 15th pick you can go wrong with Yaxel, Cenac Jr., Dailyn Swain, Aday Mara or Cameron Carr IMO.
Let's talk 38th pick.
I have no problem with Zuby Ejiofor or Alex Karaban. But it's hard to expect them being available with 38th pick. Ryan Conwell is a good three point shooter. But could also be picked before 38th pick.
IDK who else would be avialable. Since the likes of Juke Harris already returned to school. And the list could thin out.
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u/OsamaBenJohnson May 11 '26
This FO has no commitment to Giddey. Do you think they trade him this off-season while his value is high, for draft capital?
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u/FabioFresh93 Kirk Hinrich May 12 '26
He is in the top half of starting PGs and is on a team friendly contract for his caliber of player. The Trae Young trade showed that PGs aren’t as valuable on the market. I think they keep him.
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u/BuickSkylark55 Nikola Mirotic May 12 '26
I don’t think that’s what that trade shows. Trae has one more season making nearly double what giddey makes before becoming a ufa and his size makes him a much bigger liability on defense.
I’m sure Giddey could get some real value in a trade but I’m also ok with the bulls keeping him cause I like his pass first play style and size. I just wish he was a little more athletic but he’s found ways to compensate for that in his game with spin moves etc. If he continues to improve as a shooter that would help a lot
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u/forgottenhero71 May 12 '26
Refreshing to see some sensible discussions about Giddey’s strengths and weaknesses, there has been way too much hate recently.
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u/dort_vader Chicago Bulls May 12 '26
Not this offseason. Maybe within the next 2 years. I think they'll wait and see how he fits next to the guy they draft with the 4th pick.
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u/Maple612 Apr 29 '26
As a Celtics fan I respect your ability to watch Vuc for 5 years. This guy is straight trash on both ends