2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Well, again, I think that our chances of competing this season are extremely slim without a couple big trades going down, which would need multiple players and both firsts going out.
Even then, it’s still going to be extremely hard for this team to even make it out of the West.
I’m not willing, and more importantly, I don’t think Rob is willing to give away players plus both firsts to gamble on that tiny chance turning into a Chip.

 

Yeah, it's a no-brainer. I tried to talk myself into Kessler, but the only thing I could come up with is him being a great replacement for AD if he is eventually traded. That solves problems for more the future then the present though.

 

In basketball years, especially for a big, it’s considered “old.”
If I’m forced to pick between only giving up seconds for a Vucevic and a first plus seconds for a Kessler, I’m going with the young dude every single time.
I’m not interested in any older players that aren’t going to be with the team in a couple of seasons from now unless it’s my very last option.

 

Vucavic career per 36 minutes: 19.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 3FG/ 3.0 3PA ! 3 PT volume significantly higher the past 7 seasons. I am surprised by his high steals rate for a big.

 

man I've been one of the highest on Rui in this forum since he joined, but the fact is he hasn't improved much apart from his 3pt shooting since he joined, and I don't think he has the tools to even be a reliable bench scorer, when he constantly shies away from creating his own shot.

Rui's ceiling is what it is, a decent role guy and 3pt shooter, but I'll argue that we upgraded with DFS, so his skillset is largely redundant to us atm.

if we can turn his salary slot into a starter, any starter that improve us, doesn't even have to be Vuc, we should 100% do it

 

Well, based on some of the folks here and AD, we should run back the title type of team. Dwight and Javale weren't shooters either, so Vuc isn't really replicating that model.
In fact, I can't remember when did AD play with a shooting center? Not in LA at least, and even NOLA I remember Valanciunas and Hayes.

I think Vuc for Rui and 2nds is a good deal anyway. But I don't think it's a deal that it's out there. These reports are BS most of the time, probably is some leak from a GM interested in Vuc and trying to lower its price.
Vuc also commands high usage and needs the ball on his hands to be effective. Not really sure how that would work with Bron and AD, but it would be JJ job to figure it out

 

Last season a lot of people here wanted Biyombo,I am not sure that he's not around 40 , based on centers from Africa .For example Embid, he's definitely older than 30

 

It is highly unlikely to replicate 2020, because it was 5 years ago. AD and Lebron are 5 years older. Also, AD was hitting 1.2/3.5 and 33% of his threes. Keep in mind 1.2/3.5 threes then is equivalent to probably 2/6 threes now. It's changing quickly. Danny Green, KCP, Bradley, Kuzma, Caruso, Morris were catch and shoot 3 and D. They were not clogging up the lane, or trying to get too cute with the ball(i.e. Rui and AR).They knew their role. Also, the game has even changed since then. Three-point volume has went up exponentially. We have Reaves and Rui now, who add to the clogging up the paint issues. We don't have room for anybody else who does that. Perhaps, we could get away with two non-shooting bigs, maybe if we surrounded them with catch and shoot guys, but even then with he evolution of the game demanding gravity/threes, it would be a stretch. I would say if you want to go with the two non-shooting bigs model, then trade both AR and Rui, but many of their stans would get all bent out of shape about that.

 

And no way Dwight or Javale could do anything to Jokic who's on another level now
I don't know is that a coincidence, but since his wife gave birth to a new baby his play is absolutely unconscious.

 

The problem with Kessler is the offensive fit. It really mucks things up with the spacing. Kessler is a beast in terms of defense and rebounding. Vucavic provides similar rebounding, but Kessler's defense is really a luxury, since we don't really need two elite shot blockers. This reminds me of us going and getting Russ. It was nice to have another elite shot creator, but we didn't really need that. We would have been better off addressing our underlying issues that we had. Additionally, Westbrook didn't offer perimeter shooting, so it clogged up the paint, and we saw what happened.

 

Something has to give IMO.

If we want to keep the firsts then go get Vuc. If we are okay moving a first (or two) go get Kessler and anything else we can get from Utah.

I like some of the guys like Rui but we know the ceiling from them at this point and they aren’t going to get us far in the playoffs especially if we have to face Denver again. We also can’t get something for nothing. There are options out there for us to improve a position of need and we should do so.

 

Need to test Riles for mental competency. He's done lost his mind on this one. There's postering and there's insanity. This is the latter.

 

Why the Bulls need to sell

We'll keep it Chicago centric here:

 

Vuc is really bad on defense. Basically have to keep Vando and hope he jumps up a notch if you're moving Rui for Vuc.

Offense and rebounding match up really well with AD at the 4 but do the Lakers have the perimeter defenders to make this work? Feels kind of rough when you have Reaves taking this big leap and an aging Lebron

Still hoping for Kessler TBH because of the fit issues

 

There's a lot in this one...

More on the above Vuc report and other bigs we're looking at

NO looking to dip below the tax line and nothing new on BI

Clipps in the market for another big + where Tucker could end up

If Philly decides to get below the tax line due to underperforming, there's a path

Nuggets think Brown might be a buyout option for them

Another name on the potential buyout market

Also from ClutchPoints is Irwin's latest

Vuc, Jonas, Poeltl, Williams, Kessler
Honorable Mentions: Olynyk, WC, Sharpe, Lopez, Huff

The rumor tidbits in there...

Split on Vuc

Price for Jonas

Rob must've unblocked Cronin's number

Kessler

Sharpe isn't enough for AD

 

Eh. Second round picks should not hold up a deal IMO. Especially for a position of need.

 

Just get Sharpe and be done with it. He fills a need and he can defend bully centers.

Team clearly is pretty good but has holes so fill the holes without creating ones if you don't get a home run like Kessler