Chicago Bulls Notes: The Good & Bad of Trading Up, Who Would Do Business on Draft Night? More (2024)

I’m currently planning my honeymoon for October. If things keep trending in this direction, it’s possible I will not be back in the States before the Chicago Bulls 2024-25 season opener. So …. when the Bulls ultimately get blown out on their home floor by the Wizards and have another Day 1 team meeting, at least I’ll be sitting in Italy with an Aperol Spritz in my hand!

The Chicago Bulls sure sound interested in making a big move on draft night. The organization has already been connected to Donovan Clingan this offseason, but a new report attached them to another potential top 5 pick. While Matas Buzelis struggled to have as big of a year as some scouts expected with the G-League Ignite, he still has the kind of elite size and versatile skillset that is hard not to gamble on. I had Friday afternoon off, so Matt wrote up the initial rumor here …

New Report Suggests Bulls Could Move Up for Hometown Draft Prospect

I really don’t know how to feel about these trade-up reports. The optimistic side of my brain wants to say that it’s reflective of the change Arturas Karnisovas talked about during his end-of-season press conference. Moving up the draft board to grab a high-upside young prospect is typically the opposite of a win-now approach. The Chicago Bulls would be going out of their way to add someone who needs the runway to make mistakes and develop, which should mean they are actually ready to prioritize the future as opposed to a Play-In appearance. Likewise, this would be a rather aggressive move from a front office that has sat on their hands and made them numb over the past two seasons.

Meanwhile, the negative side of my brain says this would be an extremely foolish decision. This is arguably the worst draft in over a decade, which means this is the last draft a team should be eager to trade up in. Executives can’t seem to agree on who belongs at the top of the draft, and the separation between the players who will go early in the lottery versus late in the lottery isn’t nearly as significant as normal. In fact, there are already questions about guys like Ron Holland and Nikola Topic – two players who were projected at one point to go as high as the top 3 – falling all the way to the Chicago Bulls at No. 11 (or further). With so much unknown at play, the case can easily be made that the Bulls should stay put and see who falls into their lap.

Chicago Bulls Notes: The Good & Bad of Trading Up, Who Would Do Business on Draft Night? More (3)

However, I guess it all depends on what the heck the Chicago Bulls have to give up. The good news is that, since this draft is so underwhelming, the front office shouldn’t have to give up as much as we’re used to. The bad news is that we’ve seen the Bulls get finessed by smarter front offices before. They can’t risk giving up more future assets just to grab a prospect in this class, especially when we consider they are already without their 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected to San Antonio). Now, if they can manage to move up by using someone like Alex Caruso, I could get behind the idea. The Houston Rockets, who sit at No. 3, want to re-enter the competitive mix. Would they consider a deal that centers around the two-time All-Defensive Team member? What about the Memphis Grizzlies, who are just two spots lower than the Bulls? Would one of the players Chicago wants even be there at No. 9?

I also can’t get over the fact that the Chicago Bulls front office appears obsessed with hometown players. They draft Ayo Dosunmu, add Devon Dotson as a UDFA, sign Patrick Beverley in the buyout market, and sign Jevon Carter as a free agent. Look, I like a homecoming as much as the next guy, but I like winning basketball games more!

With all of that said, if the Chicago Bulls did find a way to add Buzelis, I wouldn’t be throwing a tantrum (assuming they don’t give up Coby White, Benny the Bull, and five future firsts). He is one of the few players who has steadily remained in the top 5 pick conversation during a very chaotic pre-draft process. The two-way potential is undoubtedly intriguing, and he possesses the kind of high-upside three-level scoring ability that Chicago would love to add with Zach LaVine likely headed out the door. Plus, all indications are that he is a remarkably hard worker who is ready to make an impression at the next level. I spoke with him about all of this during the G-League season and recently shared that interview here on BN. Give it a read!

Matas Buzelis’ Rise Began in Chicago, Where “Basketball is Like a Religion”

John Fanta of Fox Sports reported that Dan Hurley’s contract offer from the Los Angeles Lakers could exceed $100 million (h/t Evan Sidery). Don’t worry, my jaw dropped, too. I just can’t understand why the Lakers would want to take this risk. As much as I like Hurley, we’ve seen college coaches have an incredibly tough time translating to the NBA. I’m not sure Hurley’s demeanor, in particular, is going to be the best thing for a veteran team. Considering the franchise’s pedigree and the reported money, however, I can’t say I’d be surprised if he’s on the sidelines at Crypto.com Arena next year.

With these numbers thrown out for Hurley, I went back to see how much Billy Donovan got to leave Florida for OKC. It looks like the two-time national champion head coach received a five-year, $30 million deal in 2015. Inflation + Lakers = Crazy Money.

Hype levels reaching maximum capacity.

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