Nikola Vucevic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Notes: Guards, Donovan, Vucevic, Roster

February 12th, 2025 at 11:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

A surplus of guards following the Bulls‘ blockbuster trade of former All-Star wing Zach LaVine has yielded an interesting dilemma for head coach Billy Donovan. As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune notes, Donovan is looking to thread the needle between putting giving his best players enough minutes and developing the club’s younger backcourt contributors.

“We have an overabundance of guards, quite honestly,” Donovan said. “We just do. I think we have nine guards. It’s a lot.”

Poe observes that the Bulls traded LaVine and cut guard Chris Duarte while bringing in Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones — ostensibly, then, the team offloaded two guards and brought in two more. But LaVine, at 6’5″, was the team’s starting small forward, and thanks to his athleticism could play a bit bigger than his size. He was also a considerably more multifaceted and prolific scorer than either of the two new additions.

“With the number of guards we have, I’m not opposed to the times when we’ve started with four guards,” Donovan said. “But that may not be the best thing for this group rotation-wise.”

The Bulls’ unbalanced roster appears ready-made to fall further into the depths of lottery contenders. So far, Chicago has gone 1-4 in its five games since the LaVine deal, including losing its last four straight.

There’s more out of the Windy City:

The Bulls suffered their worst loss of the season, a 132-92 defeat to the Pistons on Tuesday, and followed that up with a 128-110 encore loss to Detroit on Wednesday. Poe writes in another piece that Chicago fans booed their own team early in the second quarter on Tuesday. “It’s embarrassing,” Donovan said. “There’s no question about it.” Without LaVine’s scoring acumen, the Bulls could be in for a lot more losing in the last 27 games of the year, Poe notes.
After moving LaVine, the Bulls received offers about another two-time All-Star on their roster, center Nikola Vucevic. Chicago ultimately opted not to move on from the 34-year-old even while clearly pivoting to a rebuild. Poe wonders in an additional story if the front office whiffed on what could have been a prime opportunity to extract the most value possible for the 6’10” vet. As we previously relayed, the team reportedly believes it will be able to fetch more assets in a potential deal this offseason.
The Bulls hope to take stock of their revised roster during the All-Star break, writes Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscriber link). “We’ll come back and meet as a group within plenty of time before we see the team to talk about some of those things,” Donovan said. “There may be some things that we put in offensively and defensively that we feel that maybe could help some of the things maybe we struggled with.”

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Ball, Vucevic, Dosunmu, Jones

February 6th, 2025 at 7:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zach LaVine might have felt more bitterness if the Bulls had traded him a year ago, but he had nothing but good things to say about his former organization after being dealt to the Kings, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

After trying for more than a year to unload LaVine’s pricey contract, Chicago sent him to Sacramento on Monday as part of a three-team deal. Cowley notes that there was a lot of mistrust between LaVine and the Bulls when he was first placed on the market, but that has dissipated since this season began.

“There’s no bad blood,” LaVine said. “I got traded early on in my career, and it hit me, but now you control what you can. I was taking my son on a walk when I got the call from [agent] Rich [Paul], and I was extremely excited. I appreciate everything and my time in Chicago, but now that I’m here, it’s time to take my career to the next step and continue that along. It’s always great to be in a place that you are wanted, and not everyone has an opportunity to have that, so I’m very thankful.”

LaVine was a leader in Chicago, and many of his former teammates were sorry to see him go, Cowley adds. Nikola Vucevic recalled how welcoming LaVine was when he was acquired in a 2021 deadline deal, rookie Matas Buzelis called him a mentor and Coby White said he was “shocked and sad” when he learned that LaVine was leaving.

“Everybody has to play the cards that they’re dealt,” LaVine said. “The situation that you’re in, the team that you play for, I always put my best foot forward and try to do everything I can to help the team. Are you always going to be able to? No, but for me now in my 11th year, being in one playoff series, you want to try to challenge yourself to get there. You want to compete for championships; you want to be in big games.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

The Bulls received a few trade offers for Lonzo Ball, but he preferred to stay in Chicago and was rewarded Wednesday with a two-year extension, Cowley states in a separate story. Ball’s teammates found out about the deal at halftime and offered their congratulations to Ball, who overcame more than two years of knee issues to return to the court. “Guys are very happy for him,” Vucevic said. “Guys have a certain respect and responsibility to step it up when he’s on the court because we know what he’s been through, we see how hard he competes every night. When you see that, you can’t help but try to match that and play hard for him. The way he plays, great team player, always tries to stay positive. You see him dive on the floor, fight for rebounds … you see that and what he’s been through, it just motivates you to play harder.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Bulls head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas raised eyebrows with some of his comments, suggesting that a “playoff push” could still be on the table this season and stating that he’s focused on building a solid 10-player group rather than focusing on finding stars, Cowley writes for the Sun-Times. “There’s different structures that you can try to get to a championship,” Karnisovas said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN (Twitter link). “There’s two or three star players and then a lot of role players or you can build it as nine or 10 very good players.” Karnisovas specified that the Bulls are attempting the latter route, Collier adds.
A source close to the situation tells Cowley that Karnisovas and his front office have a “more definite plan in place” than what he has conveyed publicly, and Cowley clarifies that the Bulls executive would only want to see the team making a second-half playoff push if it’s led by young players like Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey.
“We obviously value draft compensation and young players, and flexibility, I think in that order,” Karnisovas said on Thursday in explaining the decision to retain veterans like Nikola Vucevic. “But again, we have nine players that are between 20 and 25 (years old). You have to have a right mix of players to grow. You can’t just roll out all young players and they’re going to develop on their own. I think you need the right vets, experienced guys to be around. I see Vooch and keeping Zo (Ball) in that role.” According to Cowley, the Bulls considered the offers they got for Vucevic to be underwhelming and are hopeful they’ll improve in the summer when teams have more cap flexibility.
Multiple teams who spoke to the Bulls ahead of the trade deadline about their guards came away with the impression that the team views Ayo Dosunmu as a keeper, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Interestingly, Johnson also says that newly acquired point guard Tre Jones is a candidate to remain with the team beyond his expiring contract.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Trade Rumors: Boucher, Nuggets, Vucevic, Pelicans, Suns

February 6th, 2025 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets are a suitor to watch for Raptors big man Chris Boucher, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links).

However, even though Denver “definitely” has interest in Boucher, the team is extremely limited in terms of both draft assets and appealing matching salary. Its two most expendable veterans, Zeke Nnaji ($8.9MM) and Dario Saric ($5.2MM), are both on multiyear contracts, making them negative trade assets.

The Nuggets are also operating above the first tax apron, so they can’t take back more money than they send out in a trade. They would likely “jump” at the chance to sign Boucher on the buyout market, Grange says, but it’s unclear if Toronto would consider a buyout for the big man if he’s not traded today.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

As of two hours before the trade deadline, there was no momentum toward a Nikola Vucevic deal between the Warriors and Bulls, says K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). If Vucevic ends up staying in Chicago through the deadline, the expectation is that he’d be on the trade block again in the offseason, Johnson notes.
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and guard CJ McCollum aren’t going anywhere at the trade deadline, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, who said on ESPN’s NBA Today that both players are on track to remain in New Orleans after the team agreed to trade Brandon Ingram to Toronto.
The Suns‘ Jusuf Nurkic trade with Charlotte is expected to be the only deal Phoenix makes today, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). That means the team will move forward with its “big three” of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal despite many rumors involving Durant and Beal leading up to today’s deadline.

Begley’s Latest: Magic, White, Vucevic, Smart, Knicks

February 6th, 2025 at 8:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are among the teams that were talking to the Bulls about guard Coby White earlier this week, sources familiar with the situation tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. It’s unclear if the two sides remain engaged in conversations.

White, who turns 25 later this month, has developed into a reliable backcourt scorer over the last couple seasons and is averaging 18.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game for Chicago in 2024/25. He’s also a solid three-point shooter, having made at least 37.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc in each of the past four seasons. That would appeal to an Orlando team that ranks last in the NBA in three-point makes and three-point percentage.

As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets, the Bulls have a crowded backcourt and may be looking to trade one or more of their guards either before Thursday’s deadline or during the offseason. None of them are on long-term deals, but White, Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, and newly extended Lonzo Ball are all under contract for next season, while Jevon Carter will likely pick up his player option and Josh Giddey will be controllable as a restricted free agent.

Here’s more from Begley ahead of today’s deadline:

As of Wednesday, the Bulls maintained a high asking price for Nikola Vucevic. Begley reports that Chicago wants a first-round pick that isn’t too heavily protected and wouldn’t turn into second-rounders if it doesn’t convey.
Several teams have spoken to the Grizzlies about possible Marcus Smart trades, according to Begley, who notes that moving off of Smart’s $21.6MM guaranteed salary for 2025/26 would put Memphis in better position to re-sign restricted free agent Santi Aldama and potentially to extend star big man Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Knicks still hadn’t engaged in substantial Mitchell Robinson trade talks as of Wednesday night, Begley writes. If they don’t make any additional details beyond their Jericho Sims/Delon Wright swap, the Knicks would remain on track to add a 15th man under the hard cap as of March 1. In that scenario, Begley expects G League standouts T.J. Warren and Chuma Okeke to receive consideration.

Trade Deadline Rumors: Warriors, Post, Bulls, Jazz, Schröder, Lakers, More

February 6th, 2025 at 6:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors may not be done after agreeing to acquire Jimmy Butler in a four-team blockbuster, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State would still like to add a shooting big man, with Bulls center Nikola Vucevic among the club’s potential targets.

Slater notes that the Warriors can still offer the expiring contracts of Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney, which total more than $17MM. However, if they want to acquire Vucevic, they’d need to offer at least one more player besides those two, due to the center’s $20MM cap hit and Golden State’s proximity to the first-apron hard cap.

As they look to navigate that hard cap, one anticipated move for the Warriors is converting center Quinten Post from his two-way deal to a standard contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Because he was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, Post can be signed for the prorated rookie minimum, which only counts for about half as much for cap and apron purposes as a prorated veteran’s minimum deal would.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Jazz and Bulls were engaged in trade talks as of Wednesday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though he doesn’t have any details on which players they were discussing. Neither team is considered a deadline buyer, so if the two clubs end up making a deal, it could be centered more around contracts and finances than win-now players.
The Jazz aren’t expected to retain guard Dennis Schröder after acquiring him as part of the four-team Butler trade, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Utah’s plan is to flip Schröder to another team or simply to buy him out. If he’s bought out, the veteran point guard would be ineligible to sign with any teams operating above either tax apron, since his salary ($13MM) exceeds the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.8MM).
Having agreed to trade for Mark Williams, the Lakers have an open roster spot and could prioritize play-making and/or three-point shooting with that opening, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Based on conversations with sources around the NBA, as well as the fact that many of the Nets‘ top trade candidates were active for Wednesday’s game, Brian Lewis of The New York Post wouldn’t be shocked if it’s a relatively quiet deadline in Brooklyn. After previously reporting that a Cameron Johnson deal appears increasingly unlikely, Lewis says there have been no indications that anything “seismic” is imminent for the Nets.
Before making their Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis mega-deal, the Mavericks showed “strong” interest in center Jericho Sims, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). The Knicks are reportedly sending Sims to the Bucks as part of a larger deal.

Central Notes: Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Bulls, Ivey

February 5th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The agreed-upon trade sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards will break up one of the longest partnerships in recent NBA history, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Nehm notes that Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo both joined the Bucks in 2013 — Middleton in a trade with Detroit after an uneventful rookie season and Antetokounmpo as a little-known draft pick out of Greece. They wound up playing together for nearly 12 years, combining for 738 regular season and playoff games and bringing Milwaukee its first NBA title in half a century.

“For me, it’s a little bit bigger than business, it’s family,” Antetokounmpo said at Wednesday’s shootaround after news of the trade broke. “With a guy that I’ve won a championship with — it’s not only that I’ve won, I’ve lost a lot of times with him. I’ve been in a dark place a lot of times with him. I’ve been in the bus going to a lot of pressure situations with him. … That’s what I remember.”

Injuries to both players prevented them from duplicating the championship they captured in 2021. Middleton in particular has suffered repeated physical issues and has been limited to 23 games this season after undergoing surgery on both ankles.

Even though they’re no longer teammates, Antetokounmpo said his friendship with Middleton will last beyond their playing days.

“I know it’s business, but for me, Khris is my brother,” he added. “I’m going to have a relationship with him after basketball. It kind of hurts, but at the end of the day, I understand the business side of things, and I’m still going to show up to work and do my job until it’s my time to dip.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Middleton deal brings the Bucks about $300K below the second apron and will have future benefits as well, notes Frank Madden of BrewHoop (Twitter link). With Middleton’s $34MM player option no longer on the books for next season, Milwaukee projects to be $31MM under the first apron. Madden points out that gives the team access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, even if Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton exercise their player options.
Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls aren’t done pursuing deals after sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Monday, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry notes that Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Coby White and Patrick Williams have all been mentioned in rumors, but nobody is certain who will be leaving ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. “I already know I’m not untouchable,” White said. “I like being in Chicago, but it’s out of my control. That’s up to the front office and how they view me. As long as I’m here, I’m here to compete, play hard, lead and do anything I can to help win.”
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey recently posted a video of himself walking underwater to his Instagram account, relays Jared Ramsey of The Detroit Free Press. Aquatic therapy is part of Ivey’s treatment as he works to recover from a broken left fibula.

Warriors Shift Focus Back To Jimmy Butler

February 5th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

After getting word that Kevin Durant was opposed to the idea of reuniting with Golden State, the Warriors have opted to move on to other trade targets, ending their pursuit of the Suns forward, Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic confirm, echoing earlier reports.

According to Amick and Slater, the Warriors were willing to make a substantial offer for Durant and might have been in position to land him if he’d been even lukewarm on the possibility of coming back to the Bay Area, but they didn’t want to risk having to deal with a disgruntled KD.

On the subject of disgruntled stars, Amick and Slater say it’s still up in the air whether the Warriors will get back in the mix for Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who has also made it clear he’s not enthusiastic about the idea of being traded to Golden State.

However, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Warriors have indeed shifted their focus back to trying to acquire Butler.

Golden State’s pursuit of Butler has seemingly been on and off again for the better part of a month. Shortly after the 35-year-old formally requested a trade, reports indicated that the Warriors didn’t plan to seek out a deal for him, but they exhibited renewed interest last week when the Heat’s asking price reportedly dropped.

Although ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said over the weekend that the Warriors were once again backing off Butler after he communicated that he wasn’t interested in signing an extension with the team, reports this week have suggested that Golden State was never fully out of the hunt. With Durant seemingly off the table, it makes sense that the Warriors would once again circle back to the Heat star.

As has been the case for weeks, the Suns and Warriors appear to be the frontrunners for Butler. Phoenix has been unable to work out a deal structured around Bradley Beal due to his no-trade clause and pricey contract, but if the Suns are willing to consider the idea of trading Durant to Miami for Butler, the Heat would certainly be interested, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

A swap along those lines would likely require Miami to attach a handful of sweeteners (draft picks, young players, etc.) to entice Phoenix — a third team may also still be necessary due to the Suns’ and Heat’s apron-related restrictions.

A Warriors offer for Butler would likely be centered around Andrew Wiggins, expiring contracts, and draft assets. Dennis Schröder‘s expiring deal (worth $13MM) would probably be part of Golden State’s package, according to Stein (Twitter link).

A team source tells The Athletic that the Warriors remain “determined” to get something done before Thursday’s deadline, so if they miss out on Butler, they could end up pivoting to a secondary target such as Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram or Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.

Regarding Ingram, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) says the Pelicans have gained some traction on potential deals involving the star forward. Fischer and Stein have reported that the Raptors and Hawks are among the teams talking to New Orleans about Ingram.

As for Vucevic, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links) has heard that the Warriors aren’t sure about pursuing the big man at Chicago’s asking price, but suggests a deal remains possible if Golden State can’t land a bigger-name target and/or the Bulls’ price comes down.

Separate Deals Involving Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic Fall Through

February 4th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls were able to move Zach LaVine before Thursday’s deadline, but they’re having a tougher time dealing center Nikola Vucevic.

Citing multiple sources, The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley reports that two separate deals involving Vucevic fell apart on Tuesday. One of Cowley’s sources stressed that the situation remains fluid.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported earlier on Tuesday that the Lakers and Warriors are among Vucevic’s rumored suitors. It’s not certain whether the two deals the Bulls were trying to put together occurred with those two teams.

Vucevic isn’t the only player the Bulls are looking to move. They’re also fielding trade offers for Coby White and Lonzo Ball, among others. The players they acquired in the LaVine trade with Sacramento and San Antonio — Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter — are being held out because one or more of them could be attached in a package if a bigger deal materializes, Cowley adds.

Despite the uncertainty, the Bulls defeated Miami, 133-124. on Tuesday. Vucevic, Ball and White were all in the starting lineup and played anywhere from 29 to 33 minutes.

Vucevic has one more year remaining on his contract. He’ll make $21.5MM next season. Ball has an expiring contract, while White has one more year left on his deal.

Head coach Billy Donovan acknowledged that a lot could happen before Thursday’s deadline. The franchise has grown weary of being stuck in mediocrity.

“You’ve got to be able to have a partner in that to make things happen,” Donovan said. “I still think there’s a long process in this quite honestly. You have a few more days left in this (trade deadline) period, you’re going to move into the draft, move into free agency in July, so there’s going to be windows to make these things happen. ’m all for doing what’s best for the organization. All the way from top to bottom everybody felt the same way. We’re kind of in the middle here and we had to make a shift and do something, and that’s been the goal to try and get that done.”

Scotto’s Latest: Bucks, Vucevic, Ball, Martin, Sims, Hunter

February 4th, 2025 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks‘ conversations on the trade market leading up to the February 6 deadline have centered around Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and MarJon Beauchamp, along with their 2031 first-round pick, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Middleton, Portis, and Connaughton hold player options for the 2025/26 season worth $34MM, $13.4MM, and $9.4MM, respectively. The expectation, Scotto writes, is that Middleton and Connaughton will pick up their options, locking in those cap hits for next season. Portis’ intentions aren’t known, per Scotto, but if he opts out, he’d presumably do so in search of a raise.

With Middleton having battled injuries, Portis potentially a free agent this summer, Connaughton having a down year, and Beauchamp not in the rotation, the value of the Bucks’ top trade candidates is limited, but that 2031 first-rounder would certainly be coveted on the trade market.

According to Scotto, in the two weeks since the Suns traded their 2031 first-round pick for three less valuable first-rounders, a handful of NBA executives have expressed interest in trying to work out a similar deal with the Bucks.

Here are a few more rumors of interest from Scotto:

Scotto checks in on Bulls trade candidates Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, writing that there’s a “growing sense” that Vucevic could be on the move this week, with the Warriors and Lakers among his rumored suitors.
As for Ball, the Grizzlies, Pistons, and Timberwolves are among the teams with interest, Scotto writes. Minnesota, a second-apron team, likely doesn’t have a realistic path to acquiring Ball in a trade, and Scotto does note that some clubs are monitoring the situation to see whether the Bulls guard could end up on the buyout market. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported earlier today that Chicago is resistant to the idea of buying out Ball.
In general, Scotto says, the Bulls want to avoid taking on long-term salary in trades as they look to create more cap flexibility in the coming years.
Besides Milwaukee, whose interest was reported earlier today, the Lakers and the Nuggets are among the teams with some trade interest in Hornets wing Cody Martin, league sources tell Scotto.
Meanwhile, the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks are among the teams to register some level of interest in Knicks center Jericho Sims, while Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter has drawn interest from the Cavaliers, Scotto reports.

Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Craig, Duarte, LaVine Trade, Phillips

February 3rd, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The three-team deal that will send Zach LaVine to Sacramento could be the start of an active stretch for the Bulls before Thursday’s deadline, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Parting with LaVine indicates that vice president Arturas Karnisovas is now fully committed to rebuilding, which means veteran center Nikola Vucevic and a few others could be heading out next.

Cowley reveals that Vucevic thought he had already been traded when he woke up Sunday morning and found his phone filled with text messages. They all turned out to be about the shocking deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

“I went early to bed; I’m 34, you gotta go to bed earlier,” Vucevic said. “I woke up, and I had, like, 50 messages. I was like, ‘Oh, where am I going?’’’

Cowley notes that the Doncic trade creates a major opportunity for the Bulls to move Vucevic. With Anthony Davis gone from L.A., the team needs help in the middle and may be a logical destination for Vucevic, who is having one of the best offensive seasons of his career.

“I don’t play the linked game much,” Vucevic said. “I don’t really get involved with that too much. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a more interesting answer. You never know. Things happen. But I don’t think anyone in the world knew this trade was going to happen besides [Mavericks general manager] Nico Harrison and [Lakers GM] Rob Pelinka, and it happened. I’m focused on what I can control.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

A source tells Cowley that more trades are expected this week as the front office tries to remake the roster. He reports that Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley both returned to Chicago after road games over the past week to plot the team’s deadline strategy. Before the Doncic or LaVine deals were reported, one player told Cowley that this year’s deadline feels different, indicating that the locker room is bracing for major changes.
Because they’re taking back three players and only sending out one, the Bulls will have to open up two roster spots before the LaVine trade can be finalized. Cowley reports that the team is trying to trade Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte, but isn’t finding much interest and may have to place them on waivers.
While Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Tre Jones seems like a meager return for LaVine, who was putting up huge scoring numbers, Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune says the trade should be judged in context. The Bulls tried for more than a year to find a taker for LaVine, and parting with the nearly $95MM he’s owed over the next two seasons will give them much more financial flexibility. From Chicago’s standpoint, the key to the deal was getting back full control of this year’s first-round pick from the Spurs. Poe notes that rebuilding teams need all the draft assets they can get, but adds that the franchise shouldn’t be in this position after giving up the pick on a protected basis when it acquired DeMar DeRozan from San Antonio in 2022.
In a separate story, Cowley talks to Julian Phillips about his reduced playing time after coach Billy Donovan recently shook up his rotation. The second-year small forward had been seeing regular minutes earlier in the season. “It hasn’t been frustrating for me,” Phillips said. “You kind of have to go with what the team thinks is best. And whatever that is from a coaching standpoint, it’s what it’s going to be, so I can only do the best I can to stay ready whenever I do get that opportunity.”