Basketball Returns Tomorrow, Playing for the Lottery, Porter’s Player Option, and Other Bulls Bullets

Enjoy this last day of freedom.

The Chicago Bulls start playing basketball again tomorrow, and the shackles of sadness are ready to lock you up.

  • The Bulls might be getting healthier, but their games are getting harder. After a relatively easy four-game stretch out of the break, the Bulls schedule will gradually become more difficult. As records currently stand, the Bulls will have 15 of their 27 games against above .500 opponents, including this ridiculous stretch of games from March 21st to April 8th: Rockets, Nuggets, 76ers, Knicks, Jazz, Nuggets, Suns, Lakers, Clippers. OOF.
  • Now, for all of us out there who are already plowing down Madison Street in our “tanks” – not so fast. While it might be in the Bulls best interest to try and grab one of those top-three lottery odds, pulling it off might actually prove quite difficult. Yesterday, we did a little writing of our own on this topic, and earlier today The Athletic released their NBA Lottery Power Rankings.
  • Roderick Boone ranks the top-10 teams with the best shot at finishing with the highest lottery odds (In case you forgot: 14% for top-3 worst teams, 12.5% for 4th, 10.5% 5th, etc), and the Bulls aren’t in the most ideal position. Boone lists the Bulls 8th behind the Pistons, Hornets, Knicks, Timberwolves, Hawks, Cavs, and Warriors. Somehow, in only a way the Bulls organization could manage, they can’t even lose right.
  • Moving on … From here until, well, it happens, the Chicago Bulls front office shake-up will be the talk of the town. Bulls fans across the globe are crossing their fingers that the Reinsdorfs finally bring in a fresh face to run basketball operations. However, the question now is how much power can this fresh face have if the old face is still lurking in the distance? Rob Schaefer and Tony Gill talk about that more on the latest Bulls Talk Podcast.
  • https://twitter.com/NBCSBulls/status/1230114816943017986?s=20

  • Otto Porter would be a fool not to accept his player option.
  • Plenty of players have opted out of a decent PO to accept longer-term deals, but usually, that comes on the backend of a successful (or at least healthy) season. Of course, Porter has missed 46 games and counting this year (after missing 26 games last season), which gives us no reason to believe he can pull off a multi-year contract that’s worth giving up 28.5 million next season. With that said, the free agent market this offseason is pretty darn week. A team feeling frisky enough to take a chance on a two-way veteran isn’t the most bizarre concept – especially if he finishes the year out strong and healthy – but too many factors seem to be at work against this outcome.
  • Hey, maybe he can go-off upon his return though and spark some last-second interest? Never say never.
  • Jim, did you see Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Beilein stepped down yesterday? *wink wink*
  • With how respected and successful Beilein was at the University of Michigan, I’m honestly shocked his coaching tenure ended up being a complete disaster. I guess it just goes to show, a college coach can always be a gamble.
  • SBNation’s Ricky O’Donnell has brought the heat once again.
  • Overall, this is a great point. Michael Reinsdorf single-handedly has the power to change the Bulls franchise for the better. He could become an instant hero in the eyes of many Bulls fans if he simply listens to their pleas.
  • EVERYONE SEND FRONT OFFICE QUESTIONS!
  • LOL … this might be the only good clip of Boylen coaching.
  • Does Chicago love good basketball? Yes, yes it does.
  • Coby White is a point guard. If you have a problem, take it up with him.
  • Right now, Patrick Beverley represents Chicago better than any Bulls player.
  • written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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