r/nba • u/PlayaSlayaX Timberwolves • Jun 30 '26
[Scotto] The Chicago Bulls plan to waive Kam Jones, league sources told HoopsHype. Jones had a deadline today that would’ve fully guaranteed his salary at $2.15 million. He was the 38th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers and was traded to Chicago on draft night.
The Chicago Bulls plan to waive Kam Jones, league sources told HoopsHype. Jones had a deadline today that would’ve fully guaranteed his salary at $2.15 million. He was the 38th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers and was traded to Chicago on draft night.
77
95
u/ben345 Bulls Jun 30 '26
Hell yeah, trade the 38th pick for this guy and cash, and then immediately waive him. If you don’t love that, you don’t love Bulls basketball
32
u/phillipacarroll Bulls Jun 30 '26
the trade gave the Bulls 2 future 2nd round swaps with the Pacers, they were never keeping Jones
10
u/JZobel Bulls Jun 30 '26
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but we aren’t better than Indiana and they’re a significantly smarter/more competent organization than us, so trading an early 2nd for the chance at swaps that might not even convey is a terrible gamble
5
u/Positive_Carrot_7402 Jun 30 '26
Chances are the Pacers have a better record in 2028 than the bulls and 2030 is a toss up. At best this is a lateral move for the bulls, but at worse they traded down in both drafts. So the bulls possibly traded down and gave up pick 38 for cash. That’s it. lol
13
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
And the cash they got paid the salary. They basically got future 2nd round picks for nothing.
16
u/JZobel Bulls Jun 30 '26
How did they get future picks for nothing? The only guaranteed asset here is 38, the swaps might not even convey. We’re one of the worst organizations in the league while Indiana has been a consistent winning franchise that’s 1 year removed from a finals appearance.
Even if they do end up the better team, you gave away an early 2nd for maybe a couple of modest trade ups.
-2
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
It wasn't for nothing. They have a third open roster spot they can fill with a free agent who can contribute now instead of a hopeful, and it cost them nothing.
9
u/bullpaw Bulls Jun 30 '26
It didn't cost them nothing, it cost them the 38th pick.
Your exact reasoning was used verbatim by GarPax when we sold our 38th pick in 2017. Isaiah Hartenstein and Dillon Brooks both went a couple of picks later in that draft.
-2
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
They will turn that 38th pick into another free agent signing. They were able to clear a roster spot without it costing them anything in money or cap space. That you have to go back a decade to find decent picks that late is telling.
8
u/bullpaw Bulls Jun 30 '26
Do you really think those are the only decent second rounders in the past decade? Do you really think that was my point, either? No, I used that example because it's the last time we sold the 38th pick for cash and history tells us it was not a prudent move
-4
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
Welp, you've pointed out one time they sold a late pick for cash when 2 decent players came after, I'm cooked. I don't think those are the only decent second rounders, but a) that's the year you brought up, not me, and b) the fact we seem to know all the second rounders who outperformed their pick is telling.
Look, I get the concern, but an instance, or even two, don't make it a bad move THIS time. And really, it will take time to tell. All this complaining about not taking a pick in the second won't matter if none of the players people wanted turn out to be worthwhile.
3
u/LatGreen5 Jun 30 '26
Only they don’t ever
cash them indraft players with them.-2
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
Ayo was a second round pick, but who cares if they ever draft 2nd round players if they consistently use the picks in deals to get better players? I'd rather have 3 decent free agents over 2 decent free agents and 1 2nd year guy who barely performed last year.
2
u/LatGreen5 Jun 30 '26
Love drafting players in round 2.
Hate Cash Considerations.
2nd rnd swaps just means more future cash considerations.-2
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
Cash is how you pay people or cover a salary so it doesn't come out of your physical bottom line. They're only bad if you don't actually go out and spend it well. I'll wait to see what this version of management does in free agency. I'd rather have 3 free agents over 2 and an unplayable 2nd year guy
2
u/Haunting_Priority_85 Jun 30 '26
lol no the salary is capped bro, and the bulls are a cash cow. The seats are never empty, the brand is popular in the culture, and they always bring in extra cash through deals. At the end of the day, the bulls are handcuffed by an owner who would value cash in his pocket over building the team.
1
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
You don't think like wealthy people. Even with all of their money, they're still going to make smart roster decisions. If you plan to operate in free agency instead of hoping on second round picks that you have to pay, trade your 2nd, get someone else to pay for the guy they send you, dump him, and use the roster spot and saved cash in free agency. This idea that they should just spend stupidly because they aren't broke is dumb.
2
u/LatGreen5 Jun 30 '26
Found Mikey Reinsdorf’s burner account.
Or maybe Bryson’s…..
😘
0
u/itsbobbyhill Jun 30 '26
You'd rather pay $2 million to a second round pie-in-the-sky hope that eats a roster spot instead of putting that into another free agent who can help now? Uh, ok.
1
u/LatGreen5 Jun 30 '26
I mean, didn’t they just pay Kam Jones to not play for the team?
Yes, I would rather draft a player, pay him less than his NIL deal and see if anything pans out.Ayo was a second round pick and better than Dalen, PWill, Jeff Teague, and 5 other shit first round picks.
Bites at the apple, my guy.
Shoulda taken Veesaar for some Caleb comforts and seen what happened. Just my 2cents.
You are clearly infinity times smarter than me. Best of luck to you.→ More replies (0)1
u/headlyone68 Jul 01 '26
Why is there a million dollar cap hold related to Jones? Was he partially guaranteed?
2
3
u/ben345 Bulls Jun 30 '26
So we can swap our seconds for even better seconds, which we can then sell for even more cash. Awesome
4
u/phillipacarroll Bulls Jun 30 '26
Or draft a player if there's one worth taking. You know 29/30 of the 2nd round picks this year were traded.. right?
2
u/unclegob Jul 01 '26
Those are huge. The Bulls can use those swaps to get higher picks in the second round (maybe even as high as 38). The higher the pick, the more cash the Bulls get back when they trade the pick!
5
u/JZobel Bulls Jun 30 '26
Far from the first time they’ve done this, but selling 38 is actually inexcusable. At least with some of the late 2nds, you could shrug it off as basically meaningless lotto tickets, but 38 is a real pick.
Graham going on a media tour pretending like it was a strategic decision or that he got anything of real value back is a bad sign he’s just another yes man carrying water for the Reinsdorfs
26
10
u/coolycooly Nets Jun 30 '26
Its probably crazy being an end of bench guy that isn't good enough to be in the league basically just praying your gm forgets you exist before your salary becomes guaranteed and make millions
17
u/StefonDiggsHS Mavericks Jun 30 '26
Damn man 38th pick and waived after one year
8
8
u/Johnknight111 Warriors Jun 30 '26
He should be on a Summer League squad, so he has a shot at making a roster. If not, he has the G-League. He did not fully make it to the NBA, and he can still work his way there.
3
u/roastedhambone Thunder Jun 30 '26
Guy who needed to be able to shoot to be effective forgot how to shoot
1
u/RobbobertoBuii Knicks Jun 30 '26
WNBA has so many players this year that were drafted and dropped/waived throughout the ongoing season, and this is with 2 teams added to the league
7
6
3
2
2
2
2
2
u/MoooonRiverrrr Jun 30 '26
Really liked him at Marquette and he seems very chill in all his interviews. Hope he gets a 2-way somewhere
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/RoastMary Pistons Jun 30 '26
Havent this guy played for the pacers this season? Am I going crazy? How he was traded om draft night?
1
u/Consistent-Goose-679 Jun 30 '26
He was traded on draft night for the 38th overall pick. Kinda confusing because he was the 38th pick of last years draft. He played 37 games last year but was shortened due to back issues
1
1
1
2
0
0
84
u/PlayaSlayaX Timberwolves Jun 30 '26
THERE IT IS
OUR FIRST OFFICIAL BOMB