Cross One Option Off the List, Buying Bulls Stock, Who Will Return Next Year? And Other Bulls Bullets

As we watch more and more teams join the Chicago Bulls on the couch, the more important the information shared in the post below will become:

รขโ‚ฌยข The best part of the offseason is all that extra time we have to balloon our optimism to an unhealthy level. With the Chicago Bulls cracking the playoffs for the first time in five years, it’s going to be easier than ever before to convince me they can accomplish big things in the season to come. However, I also recognize that this must come tied to a smart offseason game plan. The Bulls simply don’t have a ton of assets at their disposal, and the front office has to continue to demonstrate the level of aggressive creativity that got them to this improved point in the first place. I expect some of that aggressive creativity to be used to find a more reliable wing defender and 3-point shooter. Unfortunately, one of the names I had in mind quickly came off the board.

รขโ‚ฌยข We talked plenty about Robert Covington this season. The 31-year-old forward has become the epitome of a reliable 3-and-D role player in recent years. The Clippers acquired him alongside Norman Powell from the tanking Trail Blazers at this season’s trade deadline, and my hope was they could look to retain Powell and let Covington walk this summer. Instead, they inked him to a two-year, $24 million extension – keeping him alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as they hope to re-enter the title race next season.

รขโ‚ฌยข Look, I’m not heartbroken over this or anything, but it did serve as a good first reminder of how the next couple of months will go. As we rattle off a bunch of potential fits for this Bulls team, it’s more likely than not those fits end up elsewhere. It’s why Arturas Karnisovas stressed the importance of having a long list of alternatives at his end-of-season press conference. The Bulls have to be prepared to strike out on a couple of free-agent targets, especially when we consider the asset pool they have available to them.

รขโ‚ฌยข Keith Smith is right. Enough money to ink a legitimately impactful rotation player, the MLE for Chicago will be the most important piece to the puzzle this offseason.

รขโ‚ฌยข As we begin to increasingly consider free agents for the Bulls to pursue, we should probably address the potential free agents on the Bulls existing roster. Obviously, we all know Zach LaVine is headed toward unrestricted free agency, and I think we can safely say the organization’s goal is to re-sign him. But can we say the same about any of the other names? I expect both Matt Thomas and Tristan Thompson to be elsewhere next season. As for Troy Brown Jr., I could envision the team extending him his qualifying offer, but I’m not so sure they would work that hard to retain him if another team tried to pry him away. We might be able to say the same about Derrick Jones Jr. While he will be an unrestricted free agent, I do have to imagine conversations will be had about keeping him aboard. The problem is the Bulls likely aren’t in place to heavily compete with other suitors, as substituting Jones’ roster spot with more size or shooting could be the preferred move.

รขโ‚ฌยข Tony Bradley could also become a free agent, but he does have a $2.0 million player option to pick up. Considering he played very little this season and the market around him could be questionable, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see him stick around. And, to be honest, that’s kind of a bummer after we watched him struggle to carve out a role for himself this year.

รขโ‚ฌยข Brian Windhorst and his ESPN colleagues sat down to talk about which teams with a first-round exit have the most valuable stock. Near the end of the discussion, Windhorst turned everyone’s attention toward the Bulls, which sparked a debate about just how highly we should view this team moving forward.

รขโ‚ฌยข Tim Bontemps seemed to suggest we’ve seen the ceiling on this Bulls team, which he believes is a repeated first-round exit and a No. 5 or No. 6 seed. Windhorst pushed back on that narrative pretty strongly: โ€œIโ€™m not sure if all of those are true,” Windhorst said after Bontemps listed several teams he believed we better than Chicago. “And if the Bulls are far healthier and they add another piece – which they could – I know theyโ€™ll be better because they were better โ€ฆ Itโ€™s a hot take to say if that team is healthy they’re not the six seed? I donโ€™t think thatโ€™s a hot take.โ€ Preach, Windy! Look, I recognize the Bulls have a long way to go to reach contender status, but I don’t understand putting a strict cap on what they can accomplish. They showed enough to make us believe a healthy team can compete at a convincing level; they just need to ensure that a couple of injuries don’t completely derail that.

รขโ‚ฌยข CHICAGO SKY BASKETBALL IS BACK! TIME TO REPEAT!

https://twitter.com/chicagosky/status/1522561821646934016?s=20&t=t8lhGg5ZO4dq8GufX5VZdQ

รขโ‚ฌยข Let’s play two (tomorrow)!

รขโ‚ฌยข In case you missed it, Tab Bamford joined Bleacher Nation to takeover Blackhawks duties! He’s a great dude with great content!

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Chicago Cubs
Michael Cerami
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Let’s Look at the Cubs Payroll and Roster Implications of Signing Alex Bregman

Based on some scattered quotes from ownership โ€” as well as where Jed Hoyer's front office wound up last season โ€” our initial expectation for the Cubs 2025 payroll was right around the first tier of the luxury tax threshold (up to $241M this year). But then, around mid-winter, those expectations changed. Supported by their cost-saving activity in free agency and especially trade, some new reporting/speculating led us to believe that...

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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Another Ranking Places the Cubs’ Farm System Close to the Middle of the Pack Going Into 2025

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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Bader and PCA, Pham and Pirates, No Festa Forever, Brasier and Berti, Rays Stadium, and Other Cubs Bullets

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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MLB Rumors and Pete Alonso

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Chicago Cubs
Michael Cerami
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The Cubs Have a New Full-time Backup to Jon Sciambi on Marquee (And I’m Very Here For It!)

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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Alex Bregman

Obsessive Alex Bregman Watch: A Couple Pundits Guess the Cubs Are the Favorite

Take these only for what it's worth, as we're all able to do some speculating. But Jon Heyman is inarguably plugged in, and Matt Spiegel does hear things. So there might be some meat underneath. A little. Don't go too far with it. But I'm obsessing, so I'm sharing. First, Jon Heyman would peg the Cubs as the favorites on Alex Bregman right now if he had to choose: Jon...

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Chicago Cubs
Michael Cerami
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The 2025 Cubs Spring Training Broadcast Schedule Is Here

Although most of the team is already at camp, the Chicago Cubs are the first organization to require pitchers and catchers to report (this Sunday, February 9). Eleven short days after that, the Cubs will play their first Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. And one day after that, they will play their first Spring Training game at Sloan Park, which will also be broadcast on Marquee Sports...

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Chicago Cubs
Michael Cerami
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The Latest Set of Playoff Odds Are Not NEARLY As Bullish on the 2025 Cubs

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Chicago Cubs
Brett Taylor
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Nico Hoerner is Throwing!

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Jalen Carter vs. Patrick Mahomes, Tyrique vs. Terell, Warren, Old Faces in New Places, and Other Bears Bullets

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Chicago Bears 2024 Exit Interviews: Terell Smith

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Jaquan Brisker Says He is Cleared to Return to Football Action

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Deadline Day(!), Please Keep Making Moves, Lonzo Ball Stays, Buzelis’ First Start, and Other Bulls Bullets

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NOT DONE YET: Lakers Trade a HAUL to Hornets for Big Man Mark Williams

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Pelicans Send Brandon Ingram to Raptors in ANOTHER Big Deadline Trade

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Chicago Bulls
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Box Score & Player Grades: Timberwolves 127, Bulls 108 โ€“ February 5, 2025

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Chicago Bulls
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Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls

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Chicago Bulls
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TRADE: Warriors Acquire Jimmy Butler from Heat, Sign Him to an Extension (Bulls Impact)

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NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Durant Doesn’t Want To Leave … But Does That Matter? Warriors New Plan, More

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The Blackhawks lost a hard fought game to the Oilers in overtime last night. They showed a lot of mettle, battling back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to tie the game late. But a bad penalty in overtime cost them the second point in the standings. The result of the game last night isn't much of a concern if we're honest. What is a major concern is...

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Chicago Blackhawks
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Chicago Blackhawks
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New NHL Players Poll Offers Interesting Results

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Chicago Blackhawks
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The Blackhawks are back in action tonight with Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in town. Based on practice the last couple days, it appears Craig Smith will return to the lineup and the Blackhawks will hope to rekindle the magic he had with Lukas Reichel and Pat Maroon on a line together. Which means Colton Dach will be the odd man out. Again, based on practice the last couple...

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Chicago Blackhawks
Tab Bamford
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Frank Nazar Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Prospect Pool Climbing Rankings

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Chicago Blackhawks
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Kevin Korchinski 2025 AHL All-Star Game MVP

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First off today, happy birthday to Savoir-Faire, Denis Savard. Savvy turns 64 today. His 1,096 for the Blackhawks still rank fourth in the history of the organ-I-zation, trailing only Stan Mikita (1,467), Patrick Kane (1,225) and Bobby Hull (1,153). I will note that his long-time winger, Steve Larmer, still ranks fifth (923). That duo, with Al Secord on the other wing, was dynamite in the 1980s and a big reason...

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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Deadline Day(!), Please Keep Making Moves, Lonzo Ball Stays, Buzelis’ First Start, and Other Bulls Bullets

*walks into bunker, turns on megaphone, blares air horn* UP AND AT 'EM, CADETS! MAN YOUR STATIONS, CADETS! SOUND THE ALARM! TURN ON SHAMS CHARANIA'S NOTIFICATIONS! TRADE DEADLINE DAY IS HERE! While I've done no research to back this up,...

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The nice thing about my job is that I can be brutally honest about the fact that I barely watched this game. To be clear, I was firmly planted in front of my television and ready to watch Anthony Edwards...

TRADE: Warriors Acquire Jimmy Butler from Heat, Sign Him to an Extension (Bulls Impact)

The Golden State Warriors have landed Jimmy Butler. After months of reports about the organization wanting to upgrade Stephen Curry's supporting cast, the franchise has made a move for one of the hottest names on the market. According to Shams...

BREAKING: Chicago Bulls Sign Lonzo Ball to Two-Year Extension (UPDATED: Good or Bad Move?)

The Chicago Bulls have reportedly reached an extension with Lonzo Ball on the eve of the NBA trade deadline. Amid ongoing trade rumors surrounding the veteran point guard, Chicago Sports Network's K.C. Johnson was the first to share that Ball...

Matas Buzelis Earns First Start Following Career-High Night

Rookie Matas Buzelis has finally found himself on head coach Billy Donovan's good side. After scoring a career-high 24 points on a perfect 10-10 shooting against the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, Buzelis has earned the first start of his...

Pre-Gaminโ€™: Bulls at Timberwolves (7:00 CT) โ€“ Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

It's Matas' team now. https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2025/02/05/gs-nikola-vucevic-wire/ Game Info Chicago Bulls (22-29) at Minnesota Timberwolves (27-23) โ€“ 7:00 p.m. CT on Chicago Sports Network (TV) andย 670 The Scoreย (Radio) Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Ayo Dosunmu Josh Giddey Patrick Williams Nikola Vucevic Minnesota...

NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Durant Doesn’t Want To Leave … But Does That Matter? Warriors New Plan, More

We're less than 24 hours until the NBA Trade Deadline, and the two biggest fish on the market are still out there! Will Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler get dealt? Will they be swapped for one another? Can the Warriors...

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Avalanche vs. Flames Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames face off on Thursday at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, and the sportsbooks prefer the away team (-162) over the host (+136).Watch the NHL on Fubo!Avalanche vs. Flames Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Avalanche (-162)Underdog: Flames (+136)Total:...

Maple Leafs vs. Kraken Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs travel to face the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, and are -162 favorites on the moneyline, with the home team at +136.Watch the NHL on Fubo!Maple Leafs vs. Kraken Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Maple Leafs (-162)Underdog: Kraken (+136)Total:...

Canucks vs. Sharks Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Thursday, February 6, 2025

The oddsmakers really fancy the visiting Vancouver Canucks (-198) over the San Jose Sharks (+164) when they face off on Thursday, February 6 at 10:30 PM ET.Watch the NHL on Fubo!Canucks vs. Sharks Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Canucks (-198)Underdog: Sharks (+164)Total:...

Trail Blazers vs. Kings Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Portland Trail Blazers (22-29) will look to extend a five-game win streak when they host the Sacramento Kings (25-25) on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at Moda Center as just 1-point favorites. The contest airs at 10:00 PM ET on...

Nuggets vs. Magic Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Denver Nuggets (32-19) are favored (-7.5) to build on a four-game win streak when they host the Orlando Magic (25-27) at 9:00 PM ET on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at Ball Arena. The contest airs on ALT2 and FDSFL....

Obsessive Alex Bregman Watch: Still Holding Out for Maximum-Length Deal?

It has felt for a few days like maybe there was a thaw coming in the Alex Bregman/Scott Boras demands for a maximum-length deal in order to finally put pen to paper in free agency, but maybe that was just...

Another Ranking Places the Cubs’ Farm System Close to the Middle of the Pack Going Into 2025

The tale is not as old as time, but it's as old as this prospects rankings season goes: the Chicago Cubs' farm system stepped way back over the last year, for reasons good and bad, and now ranks as closer...

Top Player Prop Bets for Rockets vs. Timberwolves on February 6, 2025

You can find player prop bet odds for Alperen Sengun, Anthony Edwards and others on the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of their matchup at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday at Target Center.How to Watch Rockets vs. TimberwolvesDate: Thursday,...

Top Player Prop Bets for Trail Blazers vs. Kings on February 6, 2025

Player prop bet odds for Deni Avdija, Domantas Sabonis and others are available when the Portland Trail Blazers host the Sacramento Kings at Moda Center on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET.How to Watch Trail Blazers vs. KingsDate: Thursday, February 6,...

Top Player Prop Bets for Lakers vs. Warriors on February 6, 2025

LeBron James and Stephen Curry are two of the top players with prop bets for the taking when the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors square off at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday (tipping at 10:00 PM ET).How to...

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