NEWSLETTER
Have you ever watched your friend do something particularly idiotic?
You know, like stick a whole chunk of wasabi in their mouth or do an impromptu striptease at the bar or allow another friend to kick them in the groin region? We’re talking stupid enough things that might appear funny on the surface but quickly result in you begging them to stop so they don’t truly embarrass themselves.
Yeah, so that’s how I feel looking at this trade proposal from ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill & Max below:
This is completely hypothetical, but who says no? pic.twitter.com/vbvhZSWaDY
— Keyshawn, JWill & Max (@KeyJayandMax) May 11, 2022
• Someone should have stopped the social media manager and producer from allowing this to enter the universe. Everything about this trade is simply geared to give LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers help. Not only would Arturas Karnisovas likely hang up the phone faster than Sonic the Hedgehog can do literally anything, but I wouldn’t be too surprised to hear the New York Knicks do the same.
• Still, the deal is especially ridiculous for the Bulls. Perhaps the thought process here is that they would at least get something if LaVine requested a sign-and-trade, but that something being two contracts the Knicks likely want to get out of is downright silly. Fournier is owed $36.9 million over the next two seasons with a team option for $19.0 million in 2024-25. He averaged just 14.1 points last season, which was his lowest since the 2014-15 campaign. He also shot 38.9 percent from behind the arc, which happens to be his worst mark since 2018-19.
• As for Julius Randle, he followed up an All-Star season with a stat line that shrunk in almost every single category. He shot just 41.1 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from downtown and turned the ball over more than ever before. How much is this man owed over the next handful of years? Well, Randle inked a four-year, $117 million extension last offseason that goes into effect this upcoming season. So that means the Bulls would be tied to his AAV of nearly $30 million until the 2025-26 season.
• I’m not even going to go into Randle’s fit on this transition-heavy team or the fact that the Bulls also seem to be trading a pick away in the same deal they are losing LaVine. The trade proposal isn’t worth any more of my time, but I do think it serves as another good reminder that many bizarro trade ideas are headed our way over the next couple of months. I suggest picking up meditation. Maybe even download the Calm app (#NotASponsor).
League Executives Believe Zach LaVine “Could be in Play” This Summerhttps://t.co/MJmvcRoNJi pic.twitter.com/9z650uFsRn
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) May 10, 2022
• Is it also kind of a reminder of what the Bulls could have been?
Jimmy Butler's play in this series is a reminder of what the Philadelphia 76ers could have been https://t.co/Ecu04UispJ
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) May 11, 2022
• To be clear, I don’t regret the Jimmy Butler trade or anything at the moment. So many years have gone by, and I don’t believe the previous front office finds nearly as much success with Butler as the Miami Heat have. At the same time, the Butler trade remains a worthwhile topic since the Bulls could technically lose the best asset they retrieved in that trade this offseason. Indeed, if LaVine walks this summer and Chicago gets basically nothing in return, that trade might officially go down as a lose-lose for both sides.
• Are we sure this wouldn’t just turn into a boxing match?
It’ll take them 6 days to finish this game. pic.twitter.com/lHDkcTe1UH
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) May 11, 2022
• Removing MJ from the equation, what 1v1 matchup between an old Bull and current NBA star would you like to see? Scottie Pippen vs. Kawhi Leonard would probably be beautifully ugly. Two of the best perimeter defenders to ever touch the court, I’m sure that would be a super hard-fought matchup. Artis Gilmore vs. Rudy Gobert could be an oddly exciting and physically demanding matchup. What about Tonk Kukoc vs. Pascal Siakam? I don’t why, but that one seems kind of interesting to me. I’m sure there are a lot of fun ideas I’m totally missing, so please feel free to drop those in the comments.
• Lowkey, the soccer-like overreactions to fouls have actually been super annoying during these playoffs.
https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1524344657026723841?s=20&t=NEOapJ5-heRWhiQHcRAK6Q
• He’s not wrong.
“Everybody acts tough when they’re up”
– Luka
pic.twitter.com/Q1y1hQusjm— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 11, 2022
• RIP to an NBA legend.
Bob Lanier, an eight-time NBA All-Star and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has died. He was 73. https://t.co/yXsZ7LAnGR
— ESPN (@espn) May 11, 2022
