davell

I really do think we need to trade Niko ASAP, if we've got a shot at a top 5 pick. Hell, even staying in the top 10. If you can do that, you've got Lauri, Dunn, LaVine, and Portis to build around. With Nwaba being kept hopefully. Trade off Niko, plus Lopez, Grant, and Holiday, if you can. Leaves you with that group of 5, plus Felicio, unless you can unload his contract in one of the deals. You'd have our own 1st, plus the Pelicans 2nd, plus any picks and players you've added to the mix. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/top-25-nba-free-agents-of-2018-super-class-features-lebron-pg-13-westbrook/ You'd need a rim protector and a 3, along with bench guys. Again, I don't think we're a factor for the top end of the FA class myself. But, with our cap space, I'd love to try and pry Capela away from Houston. Which may be possible, with them needing to keep Paul and trying to nab Lebron. I can see us going with a very young team and trying to let them grow together for a year or two, before they've got a shot at actually contending. Again, it'd take hitting on a top 5 pick and being smart with cap space. Plus the continued development of our current group. I think that's a better play than holding onto Niko and trying to build with the 3 bigs shooting 3's as well as any other group out there. I can see the merit of trying to go that way, but I think taking assets for Niko and the higher pick is the best play for us. If you can add Capela to Lauri, Dunn, LaVine, Portis, Nwaba, picks thru trades, and our own pick.....It'd give us something pretty damn fun to watch while they develop into a playoff team.....

Do any contenders have a mid first rounder cuz he's not waiving his no trade for a bottom fringe playoff team. And in a bit of excellent news, just saw a KC article that says Niko ONLY has veto power if we don't pick up the second year option. We can pick it up at any point and he can't do anything. So, I guess we market him both as an expiring and as a guy with an extra year and see which nets us the best offer.

Do any contenders have a mid first rounder cuz he's not waiving his no trade for a bottom fringe playoff team. Just the NJ pick, as mentioned. Don't see Cleveland giving that up for Niko. My guess is we'd trade him for a late first, with a decent youngster attached. Or more, if you take on a bad contract.

SSR and IMB are right, the Bulls can't even tank right. But, you can't expect to have Dunn and Lauri progress AND to finish bottom 5. Its kind of an either/or. But, trade Niko and at least let's see how close to 5 we can get.

In some cases, I think we may be looking at multiples.... Trade for Machado, sign Reed, plus a cheap starter to compete with Monty Trade for Archer, sign Reed, replenish what we lost in trade Trade for Yelich, sign Cobb, replace traded parts Sign Cobb and Reed Sign Yu and be done I think these are kind of our general options. Guess I should add trade for Colome and sign one of Yu, Jake, or Cobb as an option, since its in Levine's latest article as a possibility.

By the way, its not in respect to the rest of the league. Its the 10% you mentioned. Plus, the pairing up of guys. Plus, the rep that may or may not actually be a factor. Just don't see us pulling the elite. And grabbing the Boozer type isn't going to do anything but put us back where we were. We ARE in a position to try and grab an RFA though. Haven't looked closely at who all is there, but structuring a deal for one of them could be interesting. Canela or Hood maybe? Not sure who else is out there, other than Jabari.

I have no idea what Niko is at this point. I'm definitely not dealing him for an expiring. Either get value or hold him. If he regresses, he's still got value as a one year guy or as a guy you can release, for a bad contract after the season to teams.

Is Jimi a Niko autocorrect? Because none of those other guys is really driving these wins. I mean at best they are ensuring really bad players don't see the floor, but I'm not entirely convinced some of those bad players wouldn't look better on this current iteration of the team. Niko is kind of the big question though. You either don't think he factors into future plans at all and want to try and salvage the tank, or figure this was kind of the potential that was always there and he either fits in a future rotation or at worst is more attractive as a trade piece for a star than as a trade piece in a dump. Yeah, it was Niko. Those guys aren't bringing much back on their own. But, its possible to get a young guy that's not performed yet, or a pick attached to a bad contract, or possibly even a package of 2 of that group, not including Niko, that conceivably brings back a super heavily protected 1st or something of use in the future. Grants a decent backup PG. There's teams in need there. Holiday could be a decent scorer on a bench for a team in need. Lopez is a solid enough big guy. An injury could put him in demand possibly. I don't trade any of them just to trade them. If you get a 2nd for Grant or Holiday, depending on where its at, I'd move them. Or a youngster. I could be convinced to move Lopez for an expiring. Its not ideal, but its freeing up time for Lauri and Portis. Niko too, if he's not dealt. He's the wild card though. I don't move him unless you get a 1st or a relatively good prospect in return. The NYP had a blurb about Hernangomez for him. To me, I'd be tempted, but think you could possibly get a future 1st or heavily protected one this year, in a deal for him with the Knicks. Again, I figure the main value of that group is probably sending multiples for a bad contract, plus stuff.

Honestly, I'm just glad the Bulls are even worth discussing on some level this year.

I am basing everything on the assumption that we're staying under the LT this year, but expect to flirt with 40 over it next year. If not, then it probably becomes a singular FA of any consequence this year. Meaning that I'd expect us to go over next year, but maybe not destroy it.

True. At least with him and Jake, it gives us an extra 1.5 or so to the pool. Add in the overage and those 2 picks could conceivably wind up as an impact 2 mill type that dropped for demands.

Eh, sure, it CAN happen.....But, you've got a horrible rep to deal with currently. Trading Jimmy hurts you somewhat too. You've got guys pairing up for super teams. That hurts. You've got a young roster that isn't attractive for immediate contention if you're getting a single guy.(at least for THIS upcoming year) And you've still got GarPax running the show. Who couldn't close when they had 2 guys who were elite at the time, to add around. Might not be 100% impossible, but the odds definitively aren't good. They ARE increasee with the addition of another elite youngster though. were jimmy and rose ever elite at the same time though? legitimately asking. rose hasn't been peak rose for a long time now. i think if enough of these guys continue to show promise the order is: try to package a few of them and picks for star #1, and hopefully that star is enough to attract star #2 via free agency. I was meaning Noah. Maybe using "elite" was too strong of a word with him. But, he was a great second piece, for trying to lure LeBron and Co.

just curious but why do you keep ignoring lavine, especially with how high you seemed to have been on him? just his contract status? I think Dunn and Lauri have eclipsed him from a potential standpoint at this stage. If LaVine comes back healthy, its gravy, in my mind. Not really trying to exclude him honestly lol. The trade has worked out so well, maybe its in the back of my mind, its not even possible to get THAT lucky lol? Contract status doesn't really matter to me, we still control him. He's a wild card though, for sure. If he IS a true factor, it does change the outlook going forward.

Eh, sure, it CAN happen.....But, you've got a horrible rep to deal with currently. Trading Jimmy hurts you somewhat too. You've got guys pairing up for super teams. That hurts. You've got a young roster that isn't attractive for immediate contention if you're getting a single guy.(at least for THIS upcoming year) And you've still got GarPax running the show. Who couldn't close when they had 2 guys who were elite at the time, to add around. Might not be 100% impossible, but the odds definitively aren't good. They ARE increasee with the addition of another elite youngster though.

Two trades? Whoops. I got mixed up with the mention of the other names. I don't really like Cobb at all as his AAV creeps toward Darvish's. If he's as cheap as we were talking before, then whatever. Personally, I don't think their AAV's wind up THAT close. My guess at this point is 4/70 on Cobb and 5/140 for Yu. I'd still take Yu in that scenario myself.

By the way, I agree with Raisin and Imb. The Bulls aren't getting an elite FA. You're stuck hoping Dunn and Lauri are All Stars in the future. That could happen and you could trade for a 3rd though. Is that enough to be a true contender? Maybe. And it's going to require best case scenarios for Lauri and Dunn too. Finding a way to a top 5 pick, maybe top 6, IS still the best outcome most likely. Just don't think it'll happen at this point. Really need to move Niko, Holiday, Grant, Lopez, and absorb a bad deal. See what happens to the record by doing it. You've got 19 games left to play before the deadline. If you win more than 6 or 7 of those, the top 5 pick is going to be extremely hard to get for sure.

Yelich/Cobb seems like the best option of those IMO. Love Machado. Love Archer. But Yelich and Cobb under control for 4 years + potential to go after Harper >>> That's obviously hugely dependent on what it'll take to make two likely very costly trades. I'd much rather just sign Darvish. Two trades?

In some cases, I think we may be looking at multiples.... Trade for Machado, sign Reed, plus a cheap starter to compete with Monty Trade for Archer, sign Reed, replenish what we lost in trade Trade for Yelich, sign Cobb, replace traded parts Sign Cobb and Reed Sign Yu and be done I think these are kind of our general options. Yelich/Cobb seems like the best option of those IMO. Love Machado. Love Archer. But Yelich and Cobb under control for 4 years + potential to go after Harper >>> If you do that, its a two pronged effect too. Lets say it costs Almora and Happ, plus minor leaguers for Yelich.....Leaves you with an OF of Schwarber/Yelich/Heyward in 2018. It gives you Schwarber to trade for cost controlled pitching, if you get Bryce. If he has a good year, there's our super team....

In some cases, I think we may be looking at multiples.... Trade for Machado, sign Reed, plus a cheap starter to compete with Monty Trade for Archer, sign Reed, replenish what we lost in trade Trade for Yelich, sign Cobb, replace traded parts Sign Cobb and Reed Sign Yu and be done I think these are kind of our general options.

Its horsefeathering weird. I have been pro tank, wanting to trade Jimmy, tank for a few years..... First site of being potentially average and its kind of an unexpected fun. I DO want one of the elite guys at the top of the draft. But, there's a part of me that stupidly thinks Lauri and Dunn can both develop into All Stars and we find a FA that actually would sign in Chicago..... Gun to my head, I hope we trade Niko soon. But, I'm not thinking that it'll happen, because he needs to produce for another 15-20 games before I'd think a team could conceivably give up a mid to late 1st for him. In typical Bulls fashion, they're not even tanking right. But, it is kind of fun, even if its going to hurt longterm probably. A lot of tanking teams were just left with a bare cupboard. Maybe the Bulls cupboard wasn't as bare as they thought. I'm not even that high on him, but you failed to mention Lavine too. Even Niko, although older since he came into the league at 22, is still just a 4th year player. Even if they could somehow go back to sucking, it's clear this team isn't primed for a Philly or mid-aughts OKC type multi year tank. So the Bulls just have to let the chips fall where they will, even if it means winning games with their young guys. The key is they will have to find that FA prize, and within a couple years find also that magical consolidation trade. If those two things don't happen, then be prepared to blow up a perennial 4-5 seed type 04-05 Bulls team before locking in a bunch of nice role players and fringy all stars into bloated contracts. Honestly, the cupboard wasn't bare because they hit on the Jimmy trade. Getting Dunn and Lauri is why the cupboard isn't bare. Hell, if they had did it a year earlier, Dunn was going to be the main piece, but without much else, since LaVine was the hangup. By waiting a year, they watched Thibs destroy Dunn's value, get LaVine because he got hurt AND snagged Lauri. I hate giving those guys credit, but they played that one right for sure. Obviously, they've got plenty of time to screw this up(and will) going forward. But, they started off right. Which is more than I thought they'd do.

If you try and project who we can deal, it comes down to Grant, Holiday, Lopez, and Jimi for me. You're not exactly getting a ransom for any of that group obviously. But, we've got the ability to absorb 15 mill extra in bad contracts too. So, its definitely possible to add a couple of future 1st rounders. The issue from a tanking perspective is you've got LaVine to take over for Holiday. Which is an upgrade. You'll get Payne as the backup PG, which helps with the tank though. If you deal Lopez and Niko, you've opened up more PT for Portis. Which probably doesn't get you more losses either though. He's really developing fast right now. This doesn't even account for any players you get in return. I'm guessing this is a 30 win team. More if they hold onto this group and everyone stays healthy.

Loved Wade. Thank you for a dann good year. But glad we didn't do that.

Its horsefeathering weird. I have been pro tank, wanting to trade Jimmy, tank for a few years..... First site of being potentially average and its kind of an unexpected fun. I DO want one of the elite guys at the top of the draft. But, there's a part of me that stupidly thinks Lauri and Dunn can both develop into All Stars and we find a FA that actually would sign in Chicago..... Gun to my head, I hope we trade Niko soon. But, I'm not thinking that it'll happen, because he needs to produce for another 15-20 games before I'd think a team could conceivably give up a mid to late 1st for him. In typical Bulls fashion, they're not even tanking right. But, it is kind of fun, even if its going to hurt longterm probably.

I'm thinking it'd be more like Happ, Almora, Alzolay, and Caratini. Even then, I'm not sure someone else doesn't it.

Oh, they definitely got lucky with the trade. Lauri has immense potential. Dunn looks like a future AS. We haven't even seen LaVine and we don't need him to even be part of this core going forward, to feel great about the trade. Its still GarPax though. I have zero confidence in them luring a big FA, especially without more of a core than what we've got currently. We do NEED one of those top 5 guys. Maybe 6. I just don't see us able to get one of them though. No idea who all gets moved in the next month. And I honestly don't think I can even get pissed, if they try and hold most of this group together for the rest of the year.