Tag: 2023-24 Chicago Bulls

New mock draft has Chicago Bulls taking controversial wing

The talent is there — but so is the baggage.

It might be a bit early to start thinking about Chicago Bulls draft prospects even before the 2024 NCAA Tournament is even over. But for the analysts who make their living by projecting the NBA draft like Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, this is the thick of their high season.

And for the 2024 NBA draft. Wasserman has a prospect in mind for a player he sees the Bulls taking 12th overall. We’ll avoid the implications of what it would mean for Chicago’s postseason aspirations if they did indeed draft from that position, but we have some reservations about the prospect he has in mind for Chicago.

That would be Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr., a 23-year-old combo wing who plays like Kelly Oubre, Jr. if you squint enough. “There isn’t a prospect in the draft with a more dangerous one-two punch of explosive slashing and perimeter shot making,” writes Wasserman.

“He’s made real strides this season, optimizing his speed and quickness to create advantages, easy-basket chances and trips to the line,” adds the draft expert. “And he took another step forward with his jumper, drilling 38 catch-and-shoot 3s and 30 off the dribble.”

However, as Wasserman notes, Shannon has a pending case against him for sexual assault. Should he be unambiguously cleared in a court of law, the pick might make sense.

But anything less than that should be avoided like the plague, as the stain he would carry would far offset anything he could bring to the team on the court.

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Chicago holds steady in latest Bleacher Report’s weekly NBA power rankings

No complaints from us on this assessment.

The Chicago Bulls have held steady in the latest Bleacher Report’s weekly NBA power rankings, maintaining their position at No. 26 overall. Just behind the Houston Rockets, and just ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Bulls are ranked about where we would expect given their play last week.

Per Andy Bailey, the mind behind the power rankings, the “Bulls seem pretty much locked into ninth and the bottom half of the play-in tournament. And if they keep getting performances from Ayo Dosunmu like the one he delivered on Thursday, they might have an outside shot to escape those elimination games.”

“The Bulls lost to the red-hot Houston Rockets, but the 24-year-old had 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting,” he adds.

“And over his last 18 games, he’s averaged 17.9 points, 5.6 assists and 2.6 3s, while shooting 42.7% from deep,” recounts Bailey.

No complaints from us on this assessment — it both reflects the precariousness of Chicago’s recent success without negating it — but we’ll try not to get our hopes up about the play-in tournament.

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Could the Chicago Bulls poach Kelly Oubre away from the 76ers in free agency this summer?

We don’t think it is out of the question.

Could the Chicago Bulls poach veteran wing Kelly Oubre, Jr. away from the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency this summer? Having become something of a journeyman — if a fairly good one — in this latest stage of his career, it is certainly not out of the question, and such is the thinking of Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey.

“In the event the Bulls aren’t able to move Zach LaVine and tip off a rebuild this summer, Kelly Oubre, Jr. is the kind of multipositional wing who could help them continue to compete for play-in berths,” writes the Athletic NBA analyst of the possibility of landing the Kansas alum this offseason.

“His 3-point shooting still leaves something to be desired, but Oubre’s slashing and competitiveness could be a boost to Chicago’s depth,” he adds.

We don’t think it is out of the question that the former No. 15 pick might see the substantial role he’d have with the Bulls and want to sign with Chicago.

But to make it happen, the team needs a strong finish and other supporting cast that would make sense on a team with postseason designs. Which they would be, clearly, if they were trying to bring on a player of Oubre’s caliber.

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Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are better than the rebuild some Chicago Bulls fans begged for

Sometimes, the thing you need ends up falling into your lap despite your best efforts to avoid that very thing.

Sometimes, the thing you need ends up falling into your lap despite your best efforts to avoid that very thing over some time. And that appears to be the case for the Chicago Bulls‘ front office, who have been running blind away from a potential rebuild for the team, only to have that rebuild happen to them anyway.

The losses of Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, and Patrick Williams to injury had put the Bulls in a position to play younger players like Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Onuralp Bitim in bigger roles. In turn, this made their leaps forward possible, with Chicago now in possession of a solid young core to build around.

Speaking on a recent episode, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, weighed in on this unexpected silver lining to the Bulls’ snake-bit season.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what he had to say.

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Can the Chicago Bulls make teams uncomfortable in the play-in or playoffs?

Time will tell, one thing we do know for certain.

Can the Chicago Bulls make other teams uncomfortable in the NBA’s 2024 play-in tournament, or maybe even the actual playoffs? This was a question posed by The Athletic’s Zach Harper in a recent article that acknowledges the Bulls’ late surge in the standings while fairly questioning its permanence.

“Do we feel confident the Bulls can make it through to the playoffs?,” asks Harper, fairly. “They put a massive scare into (the Miami Heat) last play-in tournament, and we’ve seen them pull off some pretty big clutch moments this season. I don’t think beating out (the Atlanta Hawks) to get a chance for the No. 8 seed is crazy.”

But between injury and the inexperience of several players who would be playing heavy postseason minutes for the first time, it’s fair to question whether Chicago’s recent play will translate in the postseason.

The list of potential opponents for the second play-in tilt, as the Athletic analyst notes, could be the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, or Indiana Pacers, all ball clubs that could be favored to advance.

“If the Bulls get through, can they utilize their size to make Boston work a little bit harder in that first round and maybe even steal a game?”

Or would this team be better off with a higher draft pick after a noble struggle to advance? Time will tell, one thing we do know for certain.

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Will the decision to re-sign DeMar DeRozan be a tough one for the Chicago Bulls?

If he is looking for max money and years and won’t budge, it’s possible he leaves for the best offer on the table.

It is our opinion that talent under contract to play or trade for a player you will play is a far better thing to have than not. But not everyone believes it makes sense to sign certain players to the Chicago Bulls‘ roster for the looming 2024-25 season.

Such is the case with DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls, with one example being the folks behind the “Bulls Central” podcast. To them, the decision to re-sign DeRozan to the Bulls’ roster is less clear-cut, and actually presents a tough choice to Chicago’s front office. Now, if the veteran Bulls wing had played poorly for his team this season, we might get the trepidation. But even if the Bulls don’t plan on sticking with DeRozan long-term, having his contract to trade is better than having nothing at all.

Of course, if he is looking for max money and years and won’t budge, it’s possible he leaves for the best offer on the table.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear their argument for why this could be a tougher decision than many seem to think.

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What does a dream offseason look like for the Chicago Bulls?

Perhaps a mutual breakup between star guard Zach LaVine and the Bulls?

What does a dream offseason look like for the Chicago Bulls? According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, it’s a mutual breakup between star guard Zach LaVine and the Bulls — and for a hefty return on Chicago’s side, at that.

“Zach LaVine was in a lot of trade chatter leading up to the deadline, although foot surgery ultimately ended his season and any chance of being moved,” writes Swartz of the aborted attempt to make that breakup happen ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. “Now, the 29-year-old is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery and will be fully healthy well before training camp, meaning the Bulls could seek a trade partner again this summer.”

“Chicago isn’t going to get a massive haul, especially with LaVine playing just 25 games this season and with three years and $138 million remaining on his contract,” he adds.

“The best the Bulls can hope for is a pair of first-round picks from some contender, and some salary relief as well.”

If the Bulls can anything better than the Washington Wizards did for Bradley Beal, they ought to take it — and before anyone changes their mind.

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Why do some Chicago Bulls fans dislike DeMar DeRozan so much?

DeRozan’s status as a looming free agent has opened up some surprising rifts in Bulls fandom.

Some of the Chicago Bulls‘ fan base were pulling for the Bulls to trade the expiring contract of DeMar DeRozan in order to prevent the veteran wing from leaving the team for nothing in free agency this summer.

Others were banking on the Bulls’ ability to re-sign the Chicago swingman to a deal that makes sense for the Bulls in terms of both years and money. And while the latter option is by far the tougher needle to thread in most cases, Chicago’s front office elected to go that route this summer. DeRozan’s status as a looming free agent has opened up some surprising rifts in Bulls fandom.

Why do some Bulls fans dislike DeRozan so much?

To explore this unexpected wrinkle to the season on a recent episode, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, weighed in on this odd trend of DeRozan hate. Check it out above!

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What is Ayo Dosunmu’s ceiling with the Chicago Bulls?

He is shooting a career-high 39.3% from beyond the arc with the Bulls this season.

What is guard Ayo Dosunmu‘s ceiling with the Chicago Bulls as a player?  The University of Illinois alum has already exceeded what most analysts expected from him as the 38th overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft, Dosunmu essentially found money for the Bulls organization.

One of the few bright spots for Chicago in an injury-addled Bulls campaign, the hometown shooting guard has improved his scoring average with Chicago in 2023-24 by nearly three full points. He is also shooting a career-high 39.3% from beyond the arc with the Bulls this season to date, with Chicago trusting him more in big moments.

Speaking on a recent episode, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, took some time to break down how Dosunmu has grown this season with more playing time, and what we can expect from him in the future.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what he had to say.

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The youth movement of the Chicago Bulls has already begun, but did the front office notice?

The ball club’s front office seems stuck in the past.

The youth movement of the Chicago Bulls has already begun, but has the team’s front office noticed? The impressive breakout play of reserve guards like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu was made possible by the removal of players like Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine from the equation. And finding young players like Onuralp Bitim and Julian Phillips has laid a foundation for a new era of Bulls basketball.

But the ball club’s front office seems stuck in the past, leaning into older players like DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, and Nicola Vucevic, instead of collective assets at the trade deadline to invest in a new core.

Speaking on a recent episode, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, got into this seeming confusion over the direction of the team.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear his case on what that future ought to look like.

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