Bulls should be no lower than 5th or 6th in the conf. Last year they only had 1 guy that could get his own shot at the start of the season. Now they have 3-4 depending on how Williams progresses. That's huge. They will have some challenges defensively but their "Big 3" should be able to score between 60-70 points a night. AK will have to shore up the bench with White and Markkanen having to accept their roles. That is provided they aren't traded first. Personally I'd deal both now as it is obvious they aren't in the future plans. Deal them while they still have value.

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LeMarcus Aldridge anyone?

Bucks, Nets, Hawks, Heat, Sixers, Bulls

Yep.

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Why? What do they have left in money? A mid cap exemption?

Because he can back up at the 4-5 and he is insurance just in case PWill is not a 4. Aldridge can still play and I doubt that he will cost much.

They need one more big. And a backup wing player also.

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I looked it up. They are capped. But they do have a $9 mil mid level exemption and a bi-annual exemption for $3 million

Also looks like a sign and trade on Markannen(Bird Clause) would be the way to go.

i saw one clip where chris broussard went all hot take like HELL NO the bullsbsint cintenders. Ook.at how stacked thebeast is:

1) bkn
2) mil
3) mia
4) 76ers
5) atlanta
6) knicks
7) boston? Indiana?
indiana? Boston?
Play-in) TALKABOUTDABULL

so reListically the bulls could finish from lottery up to maybe 5th or 6th if a lot goes for them while MANY things go wrong for trae/hawks snd randle/knicks.

Plus the knicks have thibodeau, who can turn a 35-45 win team.into one that wins 55/+

So the east is stacked snd the bullsbhsve a chance to finish innthe bityom hakf if the eastern bracket abd, at worst, face mil/bkn in the first round. Otherwise you COUKD beat the knicks (in six!) Or atlanta/indana but goid luck gstting then un the playoffs. I forget if rhe NBA reseeds throughout the playoffs so yeah, it would take a perfect storm.confluence for them to.be lefit contenders in the east, let alone facing lebron or the clips or even nuggs in the finals.

So yeah it should be more exciting meaning basketball all year and etc, but unless lauri sticks around snd fughts out coby white fkr 6th man (the bulls hwve dw facto 7th man) and they do an 03/04 pistons i cant see too much changing outside of a quite possible plYoff berth.

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The Bulls missed the playoffs last year. Admittedly, I'm not a a regular NBA follower, so I wouldn't argue with any of you that do follow the league closely. I'd say simply that the were 11th in the East last season....Climbing to 6th is about as optimistic as I could get. They still need to draft an NBA Superstar to be really interesting....I don't see that happening any time soon.

Predicting an improvement higher than 6th is getting to Nas / Bears levels of homerism

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Atlanta missed it the previous year and ended up 5th. The Bulls have more talent going into the year than Atlanta had last year.

They have 2 guys that were All Stars last season and even Derozan played at an All Star level.

It really isn't a stretch to say that they can have 15-20 more wins than last season given the upgrade in talent. Plus my Guy PWill should take the next step and none of the "cornerstone" guys are thought of as such anymore. 1 is gone with the other 2 to be moved within the next year.

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Phoenix went from missing the playoffs to a 2 seed

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

And almost winning it all before Yannis finally woke up.

Why does Miami get so much love? Does adding Lowry make that big of a difference?

Clearly Brooklyn and Milwaukee are the class of the East next season. Everyone else is probably in a different tier.

I can see Chicago, assuming health, being a top 5 or 6 team in the East, but it's hard to see how this team is going to stop anyone. I don't like giving multi-year deals to guys like Caruso, but whatever. I am excited they are now adding legitimate talent and think they are going to be a fun team to watch, but can see this group winning 45 or so games.

They just have the BAE, the MLE went to Caruso. It was originally reported it wouldn't be he ended up getting that.

Lauri to Cleveland in a sign and trade.

No word on compensation back to the Bulls.

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I'll be interested to see what they get back. Bleacher Report said they turned down multiple trades because they wanted a 1st.

Derrick Jones Jr and Portlands lottery protected 1st and a future 2nd from cleveland

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

So a player, a mid to late 1st, and a 2nd.

I guess that's okay.

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it's not like Lauri did anything to prove he was worth more than that.


If Bulls are serious about making the playoffs, Jones gives them a willing and long defender which they definitely need. Doesn't provide much else and when he defends on the perimeter he has a tendency to rack up fouls, but should still improve the Bulls overall defense.

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Yeah I think it comes down what the protections are on the pick. Anything 20 and below is worthless though they can package it for something of value layer.

Jones doesn't do much as a player but he can spot some minutes as a backup 4. They are grooming Williams to be a 4 so they are really the only legitimate 4's on the roster. I was hoping that they could add Milsap for that backup role but guess not.

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Absolutely.

Just a shame another top 10 pick was a bust.

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So is he still baby Dirk or no?

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Jones won't make the roster. Nice to get a 1st back.

How will he not make the roster? They need a 4

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Jones isn't a 4.

Pretty sure he will be playing some 4 this year.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

No wonder the Bulls defense is shit then.