2025 Bulls Offseason Discussion Thread

[RiDLer80]

I don't believe that trade was offered for Coby.

The source is Locked on Bulls?

 

[zack54attack]

I dont know if I believe they turned down two first rounders for Coby.

 

[clonetrooper264]

I dont know if I believe they turned down two first rounders for Coby.

I don't believe that offer was real for a second. I know that was a popular rumor, but I have a very hard time believing any Bulls player is worth 2 1sts to another team right now

 

[clonetrooper264]

Alright so post draft this is what the current situation is looking like, keeping in mind we're just at the tip of the iceberg theoretically.

Bulls have just moved on from Lonzo, at least starting to address the PG overflow that we knew was going to have to go somewhere. They've acquired a few defense first players with questionable offensive skills. And then we have this random 2nd round Aussie guy who's probably going to be irrelevant.

Roster as of today, as far as I know is
PG - Giddey (presumably re-signed), Ayo, Young (TW)
SG - Coby, Huerter, Terry
SF - Okoro, Phillips
PF - Buzelis, Wiliams, Essengue, Olbrich (TW)
C - Vucevic, Smith, Collins

Then technically their FAs going into this FA period will be:
Carter (PO, most likely picked up)
THT
Tre Jones
EJ Liddell (RFA/TW)
Emanuel Miller (RFA/TW)
Giddey (RFA, presumably re-signed)

As expected, there's not much room for FA moves here as the roster is already basically full. Of course, maybe a Vuc trade changes that, maybe Coby gets moved, who knows? But as it is, with the assumption that Carter and Giddey are both returning, there's already 15 roster spots taken and 2 of 3 two way spots.

On paper, naturally this roster looks like it should be terrible, but they outperformed those expectations last year as well, so it's probably more accurate to say that this looks like a 39-43 team that will lose in the play in to the Heat. If Vuc is actually able to be moved, you do kind of have a decent amount of youth and athleticism that COULD be interesting, but it's hard to really call anything on this team interesting anymore.

Theoretical strengths: 4 POA defenders in Ayo, Okoro, Essengue, and Williams that in theory can guard most players for a stretch, maybe Buzelis ends up being another plus defender. Length is pretty present across the board, Giddey, Williams, Phillips, Buzelis, Essengue, Smith, Terry, and Okoro are all fairly long players for their heights (ie they have a good wingspan) and have good positional size. Most of those players are also fairly good athletes, maybe Giddey being the only one who doesn't jump out at you as actually being athletic, and Williams just being underwhelming in every basketball facet you remove them from the list. Ayo, Coby, Huerter, and Collins are all a decent size for their position as well and are decent athletically in their own right. All this points to again being able to play at that same frenetic pace that they played at last season, they should be a good transition team and probably will generate a fair share of highlights in that realm. There is also potential for smart off ball movement leading to Giddey finding players for easy dunks/layups.

Plenty of weaknesses of course: lack of shot creation outside of Coby...no one is really going to get their own shot like that. Lack of foul drawing outside of Coby, expect Bulls to be near the bottom of FTAs again this year. Inconsistent 3pt shooting again, there are plenty of shooters on the team, but they're pretty much all streaky, plus now there's additional players who will add more variance to that streakiness. They'll look great in some games, terrible in others, and that's about par for the course. Plus there's generally questionable half court offense, which at least doesn't look as static as it did in the DeBallZach days, but is still very reliant on Coby or Giddey in the pick and roll/pop game exclusively. Once the ball starts moving around it will look good at times, but it's very dependent on Coby and Giddey creating for others. Defensively, I imagine the team will still be a mess. While there are additional defenders on the roster, who knows how much time they will get. The main offensive pieces of this team are still mostly below average or worse defenders, though I will give them credit they do at least try. The team will be entirely dependent on how many steals they generate to look competent offensively and unless Vuc is off the floor a lot this season, there's still minimal rim protection (Matas can only do so much).

Time will tell how the new pieces fit in the scheme of things. It does seem like there's a bit of a shift to a lengthy athletic type of player based on recent acquisitions (ie Matas, Essengue, Okoro who isn't that lengthy, but is athletic, and Giddey who is lengthy, but questionably athletic). In theory this fits a sort of positionless basketball mold with a very swtichable defensive scheme, but the actual pieces in this mold are all mostly underwhelming.

 

[Scoot26]

Sign James Wiseman.

We need all the 2020 draft busts.

 

[zack54attack]

The Kuminga rumors legit?

 

[SilenceS]

All kind of rumors of Myles Turner being on the move, Scottie Barnes, plus

 

[RiDLer80]

Alright so post draft this is what the current situation is looking like, keeping in mind we're just at the tip of the iceberg theoretically.

Bulls have just moved on from Lonzo, at least starting to address the PG overflow that we knew was going to have to go somewhere. They've acquired a few defense first players with questionable offensive skills. And then we have this random 2nd round Aussie guy who's probably going to be irrelevant.

Roster as of today, as far as I know is
PG - Giddey (presumably re-signed), Ayo, Young (TW)
SG - Coby, Huerter, Terry
SF - Okoro, Phillips
PF - Buzelis, Wiliams, Essengue, Olbrich (TW)
C - Vucevic, Smith, Collins

Then technically their FAs going into this FA period will be:
Carter (PO, most likely picked up)
THT
Tre Jones
EJ Liddell (RFA/TW)
Emanuel Miller (RFA/TW)
Giddey (RFA, presumably re-signed)

As expected, there's not much room for FA moves here as the roster is already basically full. Of course, maybe a Vuc trade changes that, maybe Coby gets moved, who knows? But as it is, with the assumption that Carter and Giddey are both returning, there's already 15 roster spots taken and 2 of 3 two way spots.

On paper, naturally this roster looks like it should be terrible, but they outperformed those expectations last year as well, so it's probably more accurate to say that this looks like a 39-43 team that will lose in the play in to the Heat. If Vuc is actually able to be moved, you do kind of have a decent amount of youth and athleticism that COULD be interesting, but it's hard to really call anything on this team interesting anymore.

Theoretical strengths: 4 POA defenders in Ayo, Okoro, Essengue, and Williams that in theory can guard most players for a stretch, maybe Buzelis ends up being another plus defender. Length is pretty present across the board, Giddey, Williams, Phillips, Buzelis, Essengue, Smith, Terry, and Okoro are all fairly long players for their heights (ie they have a good wingspan) and have good positional size. Most of those players are also fairly good athletes, maybe Giddey being the only one who doesn't jump out at you as actually being athletic, and Williams just being underwhelming in every basketball facet you remove them from the list. Ayo, Coby, Huerter, and Collins are all a decent size for their position as well and are decent athletically in their own right. All this points to again being able to play at that same frenetic pace that they played at last season, they should be a good transition team and probably will generate a fair share of highlights in that realm. There is also potential for smart off ball movement leading to Giddey finding players for easy dunks/layups.

Plenty of weaknesses of course: lack of shot creation outside of Coby...no one is really going to get their own shot like that. Lack of foul drawing outside of Coby, expect Bulls to be near the bottom of FTAs again this year. Inconsistent 3pt shooting again, there are plenty of shooters on the team, but they're pretty much all streaky, plus now there's additional players who will add more variance to that streakiness. They'll look great in some games, terrible in others, and that's about par for the course. Plus there's generally questionable half court offense, which at least doesn't look as static as it did in the DeBallZach days, but is still very reliant on Coby or Giddey in the pick and roll/pop game exclusively. Once the ball starts moving around it will look good at times, but it's very dependent on Coby and Giddey creating for others. Defensively, I imagine the team will still be a mess. While there are additional defenders on the roster, who knows how much time they will get. The main offensive pieces of this team are still mostly below average or worse defenders, though I will give them credit they do at least try. The team will be entirely dependent on how many steals they generate to look competent offensively and unless Vuc is off the floor a lot this season, there's still minimal rim protection (Matas can only do so much).

Time will tell how the new pieces fit in the scheme of things. It does seem like there's a bit of a shift to a lengthy athletic type of player based on recent acquisitions (ie Matas, Essengue, Okoro who isn't that lengthy, but is athletic, and Giddey who is lengthy, but questionably athletic). In theory this fits a sort of positionless basketball mold with a very swtichable defensive scheme, but the actual pieces in this mold are all mostly underwhelming.

Yeah, we have a bunch of long players but most of them are BUMS. I don't care about Terry, Okoro, Williams, Phillips. Smith is fine off the bench, but he's not a starting championship player.

Coby should honestly be a 6th man. If he's our best shot-creater/shot maker then we're in a bad spot.

This team still lacks 3-point shooting in today's league. Unbelievable.

Also, no size to speak of--especially if/when we trade Vuc.

We gotta pray Matas takes a huge leap, Giddey continues his upward trajectory and Essengue develops in 2-years or so.

This team is in a HORRIBLE position. I am so down on what we're doing. Doesn't really seem to be plan.

 

[clonetrooper264]

Yeah, we have a bunch of long players but most of them are BUMS. I don't care about Terry, Okoro, Williams, Phillips. Smith is fine off the bench, but he's not a starting championship player.

Coby should honestly be a 6th man. If he's our best shot-creater/shot maker then we're in a bad spot.

This team still lacks 3-point shooting in today's league. Unbelievable.

Also, no size to speak of--especially if/when we trade Vuc.

We gotta pray Matas takes a huge leap, Giddey continues his upward trajectory and Essengue develops in 2-years or so.

This team is in a HORRIBLE position. I am so down on what we're doing. Doesn't really seem to be plan.

The plan is butts in seats. The beatings will continue until morale improves. This team is nowhere close to a championship team, and has no pieces that would be a major producer on one (ie a #1 or #2 option).

 

[clonetrooper264]

Somewhat surprising, Bulls first FA signing is Tre Jones. Team friendly 3 years/24M. Jones signing in a vacuum is decent, as he did play much better after coming to Chicago than he did with San Antonio, but because it's the Bulls, it's just a move that likely gives them an excuse to be hamstrung later. Though this is a very moveable contract, if we had a competent FO.

Would not be surprised to see Ayo traded down the line, if not this offseason...once again the backcourt remains crowded

 

[clonetrooper264]

The Kuminga rumors legit?

I have a lot of doubt about it myself, unless the Warriors hate Kuminga that much that they'd really S&T to the Bulls for Vuc and filler

 

[clonetrooper264]

Nets trading for MPJ also rules them out of the non-existent Josh Giddey sweepstakes. Bulls have all the leverage in the world to not overpay Giddey, but watch them do it anyway.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1939808727160561831

 

[Scoot26]

Pwill is basically Felicio

 

[bamainatlanta]

I don't believe that offer was real for a second. I know that was a popular rumor, but I have a very hard time believing any Bulls player is worth 2 1sts to another team right now

Bane is roughly the same dude and got 4 1sts.

 

[bamainatlanta]

All kind of rumors of Myles Turner being on the move, Scottie Barnes, plus

Buck’s got him and waived Lillard which means they are running it back with Giannis. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked to be moved. They still aren’t contenders even in the East.

 

[clonetrooper264]

Emanuel Miller wins the last two way spot I guess (as presumably Jahmir Young and Lachlan Olbrich will be the other two). Bulls announced today that Miller was re-signed to a two way contract

 

[bamainatlanta]

So I guess the Bulls just decided to sit this offseason out for the most part. I guess that's better than them f'ing it up even more.

 

[Scoot26]

So I guess the Bulls just decided to sit this offseason out for the most part. I guess that's better than them f'ing it up even more.

Not much different from past several seasons.

 

[knoxville7]

Bane is roughly the same dude and got 4 1sts.

no, no he isnt