Tag: Chicago Bulls

De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine trade grades: Who won the massive 3-team deal?

San Antonio clearly got the best return here.

Less than 24 hours perhaps the most shocking trade in basketball history, the NBA saw another blockbuster move on Sunday evening.

After he was rumored as a potential trade target for the Spurs last week, De’Aaron Fox was included in a three-team deal from Sacramento to San Antonio.

This means the Spurs have found their point guard of the future to pair alongside Victor Wembanyama, which is exciting for fans of the emerging superstar.

Meanwhile, longtime Bulls guard Zach LaVine was sent to Sacramento to keep them as potential contenders in the Western Conference.

The Bulls did not exactly move the needle much with this one beyond from moving off LaVine, but they did regain control of their own future pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

Trade details

  • Spurs get: De’Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin
  • Kings get: Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first round picks (2025 CHA protected 1-14 , 2027 SAS, 2031 MIN), three second round picks (2025 CHI, 2028 DEN, 2028 own back)
  • Bulls get: Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, their own 2025 pick via SAS

San Antonio Spurs

There were some questions about whether or not Fox was the ideal mutual fit for both parties.

But the reality is that the Spurs were able to land a player with All-Star potential without giving up any of the players in their young core, including rookie breakout Stephon Castle.

Now the Spurs can have Fox playing alongside Wembanyama and Chris Paul as well as Castle, Jeremy Sochan Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and various other promising talents in San Antonio.

They also kept their 2025 first-round draft pick from the Hawks, which may become valuable now that Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson is out for the rest of the season. Outside of the 2031 NBA Draft pick from the Timberwolves, they retained all of their most valuable draft capital.

It has become incredibly clear that San Antonio will contend for years to come with Wembanyama already establishing himself as one of the most dominant two-way players in the sport.

Fox can get the team playing fast and adding a new dynamic to what they can do on the offensive side of the ball without compromising their future assets.

Grade: A

Sacramento Kings

If the Kings knew that Fox was not going to re-sign with this franchise on a long-term extension and that he had a preferred destination, there was only so much that they could do.

That being said, while there are a lot of draft picks, this is not a particularly great return for a franchise cornerstone like Fox.

Sacramento may not have had much leverage in this situation but the fact the pick they received from the Hornets is so protected means it is actually more of an additional two second-rounders rather than a third first-rounder.

They can still compete with LaVine even if the pairing with DeMar DeRozan in Chicago did not work great the first go-around. His addition does not make them a favorite in the West and his contract is not exactly favorable for the front office, either.

Grade: D+

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls mostly just moved off their LaVine contract, which was long considered available to any potential suitors.

Most attractive for Chicago is that they regained control of their draft pick in this upcoming class, which will give them a chance to bottom out and keep control of their lottery destiny.

But they essentially netted zero first-round picks for LaVine after also not returning any draft picks for Alex Caruso this past offseason either.

We can expect that Chicago could continue to make moves to continue its potential rebuild, likely including trading away notable players like Nikola Vucevic and perhaps Lonzo Ball.

Grade: D-

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Here are the participants in the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, including Stephon Castle and Mac McClung

What do you think of the lineup so far?

During the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in San Francisco, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest will feature some young talent in the league.

Among the headliners reported so far include Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), and Andre Jackson Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks).

Mac McClung — the two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion — will also be back to defend his title.

Castle and Buzelis were both recent lottery picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.

During his one-and-done season in the NCAA last season, Castle won a national championship at UConn. Jackson, who will compete against Jackson in the dunk contest, also won a national title at UConn. But the two were not teammates as Jackson turned pro a season prior.

Castle (25) has recorded more dunks than Buzelis (18) and Jackson (11) so far this season, per Stathead.

McClung is currently with Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, where is he averaging 24 points per game.

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Former UNC basketball star could be subjected to NBA trade rumors

One former Tar Heel appears headed towards the NBA Trading Block.

The Chicago Bulls are nowhere near the same franchise they once were – and I’m talking about the Michael Jordan years.

Chicago has just two postseason appearances since the 2016-2017 NBA campaign, but hasn’t won in the playoffs since 2015. The Bulls are currently 19-25, good enough for 10th in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the Play-In Tournament, but have just two wins in their last eight games.

Coby White, another former UNC basketball star, is third on Chicago with 18.2 points per game. Despite White’s scoring prowess, which includes a pair of 30-point games, he might not be part of the Bulls’ future if they keep losing.

Here is what Forbes NBA contributor Evan Sidery tweeted on Wednesday:

“Noise is growing louder around the Bulls going all-in on a full-scale rebuild, which could include trading Coby White,” Sidery tweeted. “White is valued highly by Chicago, but they appear open to listening to trade offers, as he would net the most significant return of any player on their roster.”

If the Bulls move forward with trading White, where would he go? It’d be fun to see him play for Charlotte, but a team like the Boston Celtics would better utilize White.

White is one of the more notable one-and-dones in recent North Carolina basketball memory, as he averaged 16.1 points per game during the 2018-2019 season. White also made 82 3-pointers in the same season, when the Tar Heels ran to the Sweet 16, before losing to Auburn.

If only the Tar Heels could get White’s perimeter shooting abilities this year, I’d feel a lot better about the team’s direction. Alas, it’s great to see White thriving at the next level – this season his second as a full-time starter.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

LiAngelo Ball somehow turned 10 seconds of his song Tweaker into an $8 million record deal

Gelo just got PAID.

By now, you have probably heard the hit song “Tweaker” by LiAngelo Ball more than a few times. For some of you, it may be far more than that.

But you may need to get used to hearing songs by LiAngelo, the older brother of Charlotte guards LaMelo Ball and younger brother of Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, far more often.

WHOA-OH! The Tweaker memes are so good!

Following the tremendous success of “Tweaker” last week, Gelo has reportedly signed a massive deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, his label “Born2Ball Music Group” is now a part of the larger labels.

Ball will get $8 million guaranteed, per Charania, and could earn up to $13 million on the licensing deal as an advance on future royalties. He will likely not get the lump sum upfront.

The former high school basketball star will retain “full ownership” of his music and his record label.

This is fantastic, exciting news for LiAngelo and his family. The song is legitimately good, although even the biggest fans would likely agree that it is mostly successful for the 10-second period when he sings “I might swerve, bend the corner, whoah-oh-oh” more than anything else.

Catchy though it may feel, it is unclear whether or not Gelo can replicate that success on future tracks. If he can, this is a wise investment for Def Jam and UMG.

If not, however, it could end up as a very expensive risk for the long-term.

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LiAngelo Ball has a hit new song that has fans nostalgic for the early 2000s

Gelo might swerve, bend the corner, whoah-oh-oh.

Former high school basketball standout and Facebook reality show star LiAngelo Ball is not the first musician that I expected to write about in 2025.

LiAngelo, the older brother of Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball and younger brother of Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, earned the coverage though.

While he had a great high school tenure his collegiate basketball career did not work out at UCLA. He had a few legitimate attempts with the Hornets in training camp and the G League, a brief look from the Pistons, and some flirtatious overtures from the Lakers.

But his basketball career never took off in the NBA, either. Fast forward a few years, though, and LiAngelo has made some waves in a different way. (Caution: The following song contains lyrics that might not be safe for work. It might also get you bopping your head, though.)

Now a musician who wraps under the name G3, his latest track “Tweaker” is legitimately good.

Already played in NBA locker rooms (including the Bulls and Cavs) as well as NFL locker rooms (including the Lions), this song has garnered more than 2.7 million listens on YouTube since it debuted on WorldStarHipHop.

It is the number one trending song on YouTube music (ahead of artists such as Tyler, The Creator as well as Lil Baby, Bad Bunny, and Drake).

There is a deeply nostalgic feeling to this track that is reminding many listeners of what hip-hop sounded like in the early 2000s, which is one of the reasons it is such an immediate hit.

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Derrick Rose was moved to tears by the Bulls deciding to retire his jersey

This is such a cool moment for Derrick Rose and the Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls will retire franchise legend Derrick Rose‘s No. 1 jersey next season, a major moment for one of the team’s best-ever players.

Rose recently stepped away from the NBA, opening the door for Chicago to honor him and his time spent playing for the Bulls.

The team recently notified Rose of this monumental decision, and his teary reaction is pretty moving. You can tell how much this means to him after such an illustrious career in the NBA.

We’ll have to wait a bit for Rose’s jersey retirement ceremony, but the fact that it’s happening so soon after his retirement just speaks to how great of a player he was.

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Michael Porter Jr. was notably benched amidst trade rumors for the Nuggets

This is worth monitoring for MPJ.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. was not on the court during an overtime win for his team against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Porter had just 8 points while shooting 2-of-8 with the worst plus-minus of anyone who played for the Nuggets yesterday. He checked out of the game in the third quarter and did not return despite the battle heading into overtime.

These things happen over the course of an 82-game season, and Porter just simply did not have it going on Sunday. Denver head coach Michael Malone clearly noticed this and decided to play those in his rotation who would bring more life to the court.

But the timing of the poor performance is particularly notable considering that Porter has found his name in trade rumors for the Nuggets recently.

The conversation began after an article from The Athletic linked Chicago’s Zach LaVine as a potential fit for Denver. For such a trade to happen, the Nuggets would have to include Porter’s salary.

According to the report, while the organization has discussed a possible extension for Porter, there was also talk of potentially including him in a deal for Paul George this past offseason.

Naturally, this led other reporters to look into the availability of Porter as well. Here is more from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (via Substack):

“League sources say that the Nuggets have indeed weighed whether to trade away Michael Porter Jr.

What began with the Nuggets exploring the feasibility of trading Porter for Paul George this past summer, before George bolted Clipperland for Philadelphia in free agency, has expanded to internal discussions this season, sources say, about whether such a step has to be considered even more strongly now.”

This report speculated that perhaps Denver would prefer to move Porter for “two starting-caliber players” rather than one notable name like LaVine.

Possible combinations include Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter from the Hawks or Cameron Johnson and Dorrian Finney-Smith from the Nets.

Porter is 6-foot-10 and has shot above 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in his NBA career.

The list of players his height who shoot with his accuracy at his volume is an impressive group.

Still only 26 years old, while he has no All-Star appearances yet, there is still a lot to like about Porter. He has room to improve his consistency, and for the Nuggets, they may prefer to have depth in their rotation.

But no matter what, the timing of him getting benched in a close game while also amidst trade rumors is a situation that is worth monitoring for Porter and his potential suitors.

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Texas A&M Hall of Famer earns a big NBA payday

From G-League to All-NBA defensive team Alex Caruso earns a multi-year contract from OKC

Bryan-College Station native Alex Caruso is living the dream of playing a key role for an NBA franchise. Nothing was given to him as he worked his way from the G-league to one of the best defenders in the league, and it paid off in a big way on Sunday afternoon.

It was announced that the Texas A&M basketball fan favorite signed a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Shams Charania. He joined OKC after stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.

Caruso will help ensure the perimeter defense and add a few points on the offensive end. Locking him up was a key priority for the Thunder to keep a solid core together of their young playoff team.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Dec. 2-8

This week was…not great.

All that can be said about Notre Dame’s NBA representation is that it’s had far better weeks. It probably is best for Irish fans to forget about this past week completely.

[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] played in only game for the Milwaukee Bucks out of a possible four. That came Dec. 4 against the Atlanta Hawks, and his five minutes were the fewest in any game he’s played this season. The only meaningful stats he registered were one assist and one block.

[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] saw action in two of the four games the San Antonio Spurs played but didn’t fare much better. He made a single free throw Dec. 5 against the Chicago Bulls before collecting an assist the next night against the Sacramento Kings.

It’s hard to know what if anything will allow the two former Irish players to have more playing time this season. What isn’t hard to know is that it can’t get much more blah if not worse than this past week.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Lonzo Ball thinks his dad’s Big Baller Brand sneakers may have led to his knee injuries

Lonzo Ball thinks it’s a possibility that LaVar’s brand caused some damage.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball has a complicated injury history that has made his professional basketball career increasingly difficult.

While he eventually resumed his time in the NBA after missing more than 1,000 days and immediately drained a 3-pointer upon his return, the details surrounding his injuries sounded gruesome.

We will never know why the former No. 2 overall pick had such a tough time with his knees. But during a recent feature by Ramona Shelburne and Jamal Collier, he was asked if wearing his family-owned Big Baller Brand played a role (via ESPN):

“I think it’s a possibility for sure, to be honest with you,” Ball said. “I wasn’t really getting hurt like that until I started wearing them.”

During the conversation, Lonzo admitted that he was interested in wearing Adidas.

He added that he was told that “nobody” wanted to partner with him, so he decided to just wear the brand. However, he described them as like “kickball” shoes.

While the brand eventually had Skechers manufacture the sneaker, Ball “wasn’t happy” with those either. He also wondered if perhaps playing on concrete while running sprints in Chino Hills played a role in his cartilage issues as well.

“I don’t feel like I would be where I’m at if I didn’t do all that stuff,” Ball said. “All the work that we put in, it could have hurt, but it also made us who we are. “

Even though he is not sure any of this was good for his knees, it is at least encouraging that Ball does not have any regrets about his decisions.

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