NEWSLETTER
Finally deciding what new car to get = fun.
Actually buying that new car = never fun.
I actually feel like I got pretty lucky since there was no haggling this time around. But the amount of time we just sat waiting for who knows what was absurd. Like, I swear everyone who works at a dealership gets sick enjoyment out of just watching people wait. Even worse, our beautiful new ride was just sitting right outside the window in front of us the whole four hours. We just wanted to sniff that new car smell and hit the open road. Ugh. Whatever. At least our baby is home with us now.
• You better not say his name. You better not say his name. You better not say his name. Ope, you said it.
Who is the next big-name NBA player that will be traded? Our @basketbllnews writers shared their thoughts: https://t.co/RSFHtXEkTF
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) May 29, 2021
• Ethan Fuller from Basketballnews.com threw out LaVine’s name in the roundtable discussion above as a possible trade candidate. To be clear, this does not come as any kind of report but rather a speculative guess based on LaVine’s current situation. Not only has he reached a new peak value after a career season and first-time All-Star nod, but he is on a ridiculously valuable $19.5 million expiring contract next season. Fuller said teams should be picking up the phone to ask about his availability, and I expect many of them probably will. After all, we know this has happened plenty over the last couple of seasons, but the organization has never entertained offers. And I expect Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley to have that same response when they pick up calls this summer.
• While LaVine’s Chicago future may have been slightly in question at the beginning of the season, the front office showed us exactly how they feel about the 26-year-old on March 25th. With the acquisition of Nikola Vucevic – a versatile big man who fits great alongside LaVine on paper – Karnisovas told us that he views LaVine as a cornerstone. Then, there is the whole concept of winning now (er, rather, soonish). The front office has labeled this a “retooling” above all else, and the goal certainly seems to be a playoff-caliber play moving forward. Trading LaVine would only send this organization backward. In fact, considering most packages that deal player of his kind center around draft compensation, moving LaVine would most likely signal a full-blown rebuild. Everything about that seems to be the opposite of what this FO and Billy Donovan want to do.
• No one can blame Fuller for throwing LaVine into the ring, though. When an elite player on the brink of his prime has never sniffed a winning season, it’s not hard to believe that player might want to hunt more immediate success. LaVine has the talent to be a high-level contributor on a truly competitive team. The same can be said for Bradley Beal, and it’s why he has been a speculated trade candidate for years. So while I don’t think LaVine is going anywhere, I can’t fault anyone for mentioning the possibility. He will be an unrestricted free agent after next season, one that either has zero playoff berths or just one. The chance of him wanting to find a more immediately gratifying home is … well … not zero percent.
• Thaddeus Young is always one hell of an interview. The veteran forward joined Julie Stewart-Binks on FuboTV’s “Drinks With Binks” to talk about his other endeavors, his long career, the Bulls’ future, a whole lot more.
• We learned earlier this year in a conversation with NBC Sports Chicago that he considered retirement last season under Jim Boylen and GarPax regime. Young addressed this again in his talk with Binks, and he went on to (once again) praise all the changes the organization has made:
“The communication level is just at an all-time high. Yeah, we didn’t make the playoffs, but Arturas and Marc and Billy, they conversate with me all the time about the direction of the time [and] what I think. They ask me my perspective on what I think about the team and what I think about the players on the team and how do we get better. Then, in practice, I’m being listened to like I’m a 14-year vet. I felt like my first year there, the previous season, I wasn’t being listened to. I was being put in the same boat, as though I was a rookie or a second-year player.”
• Even if Young were to end up playing elsewhere in the near future, having this perception of the organization is key. Good word of mouth has not necessarily been this organization’s M.O in previous years, so a very well-respected veteran like Young talking so highly of the organization could go a long way. Word spreads fast around the league, and I don’t think it’s crazy to believe some quality role players/veterans could have a new interest in signing with the franchise. Yes, at the end of the day, winning will be the most influential factor, but a healthy improving environment can be a good sell.
• Nikola Vucevic also had a great interview on Terrence Ross’s podcast. We learn that Vooch is a major geek, and it’s awesome.
Nikola Vucevic Talks Warm Welcome to Chicago, His Love For the Bulls Intro, and Morehttps://t.co/rhOaJfJMdZ
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) May 28, 2021
• He may not one of Milwaukee’s big stars, but his absence could have a bigger impact than the Bucks would like as the playoffs go on.
Significant blow for DiVincenzo and Milwaukee. He played a major role as starting guard on the title-contending Bucks, averaging 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season. https://t.co/Bp3gS4UJiU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 28, 2021
• RIP to the big man.
Former NBA player Mark Eaton, a one-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, has passed away at the age of 64. Eaton played 12 seasons with the Utah Jazz from 1982-1993.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 29, 2021
• The GOAT continues to GOAT.
Michael Jordan and Nike’s Jordan Brand will give $1 million to Atlanta-based Morehouse College's journalism and sports program.https://t.co/O1HVPQ42eF
— Axios (@axios) May 29, 2021
