Mountain Hawks

The Chicago Bulls are expected to shut down guard Lonzo Ball for the remainder of the season, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1628052188890288130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic</a>.
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The Chicago Bulls are expected to shut down guard Lonzo Ball for the remainder of the season, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. Pain and discomfort have persisted in Ball&rsquo;s left knee following two surgeries at the beginning and end of 2022.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1628052188890288130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The 25-year-old Ball has missed all of the season due to continued discomfort in his surgically repaired knee while doing basketball activites.&nbsp;
Ball appeared in 35 games last season with the Bulls before having to undergo surgery on his knee. He has since not played in a game since Jan. 14, 2022 and the team has struggled to replicate his production at the point guard position.
In a statement from the team, Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President &ndash; Basketball Operations Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas said: "Despite making significant increases in strength and function over the past several months, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues to experience performance limiting discomfort during participation in high level basketball-related activities. Considering the required time period to achieve the necessary level of fitness to return-to-play and the current stage of the NBA season, Ball will not return this season. The focus for Ball will continue to be on the resolution of his discomfort and a full return for the 2023-24 season.&rdquo;

The Chicago Bulls are expected to shut down Lonzo Ball for the season as he continues to have discomfort in his knee.

Report: Bulls expected to shut down Lonzo Ball for season

CLEVELAND (AP) &mdash; All-Star Donovan Mitchell scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half and Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 10 rebounds, rallying the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 97-89 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Mitchell added 10 rebounds and Darius Garland scored 19 for Cleveland, which trailed 61-48 in the third quarter before unleashing a 43-17 run to go up by 13. The Cavaliers won their sixth straight and are 24-6 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
&ldquo;This was a big-time win for us,&rdquo; Mitchell said. &ldquo;We were getting good looks early and making the right plays, but the shots weren&rsquo;t falling. Once we started hitting them, we know it&rsquo;s tough to play here because of our fight and our fans.&rdquo;
Zach LaVine scored 23 points, Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and All-Star DeMar DeRozan had 16 points and six assists for the Bulls. Chicago was outscored 20-4 to start the fourth and dropped its third in a row.
The Cavaliers were playing the second half of a challenging back-to-back set, arriving in Cleveland at 4 a.m. following their 118-107 win in New Orleans. That nationally-televised game tipped after 10 p.m. Eastern.
&ldquo;To find the fortitude to grind this one out, that&rsquo;s special,&rdquo; Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. &ldquo;The mental toughness the guys showed when things weren&rsquo;t going our way, you talk about growth, that&rsquo;s what this was.&rdquo;
Evan Mobley had 14 points and Garland dished out seven assists, helping Cleveland extend its lead over Brooklyn for fourth place in the Eastern Conference to 2 1/2 games. The Cavaliers swept their four-game season series with Chicago.
The Bulls committed 23 turnovers, were 5 of 21 on 3-pointers and only managed 60 points over the final three quarters.
&ldquo;We just shot ourselves in the foot an enormous amount tonight,&rdquo; Chicago coach Billy Donovan said. &ldquo;A lot of it is the team learning how to stop the bleeding. Everyone is trying their best, but we&rsquo;re not getting the results we want.&rdquo;
Cleveland&rsquo;s reserves missed 18 of their 19 field goal attempts, including all 13 3-pointers, with Ricky Rubio coming up empty on six tries and Dean Wade missing his five shots.
Mitchell scored a franchise-record 71 points in the teams&rsquo; previous meeting Jan. 2, a 145-134 overtime win at home by the Cavaliers. It tied for the eighth-most points in a game in NBA history and was the highest total in the league in 17 years.
EYES WIDE OPEN
The Bulls are in the thick of the battle for a play-in tournament spot in the East. Chicago hasn&rsquo;t made a roster move since mid-December, but that could change soon as vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley are actively looking at contract-buyout possibilities around the NBA.
&ldquo;There have definitely been discussions and we have talked some names, but obviously, I can&rsquo;t say who they are,&rdquo; Donovan said. &ldquo;You would take a good player who we would all feel confident could help us.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Bulls: G Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery), who has not played in a game since Jan. 14, 2022, will have his status updated by Karnisovas following the All-Star break. Ball has been able to dunk in recent weeks and could be nearing a return. &hellip; C Andre Drummond averaged a franchise-high 12.9 rebounds over two seasons with Cleveland, leading the NBA in 2019-2020. &hellip; Chicago wrapped up a three-game trip.
Cavaliers: G Dylan Windler (right ankle sprain) was in uniform for the second time, but did not get into the game. The 2019 first-round selection has missed the entire season after experiencing multiple setbacks. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been tough because there have been random bumps in the road that you can&rsquo;t account for,&rdquo; Bickerstaff said. Windler has only appeared in 81 games as a pro. &hellip; Cleveland has sold out all 30 home games.

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points in the second half, helping rally the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 97-89 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Mitchell nets 29 as Cavs rally past Bulls, win streak hits 6

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Chicago Bulls made the playoffs for the first time in five years last season and led the Eastern Conference for a little bit.
They have the high-scoring duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine and believe they have the talent to compete, even though the Bulls stood pat while the teams around them loaded up.
Still, they're a bit of an unknown &mdash; even to themselves.
&ldquo;I think we need time to see this group play together longer to have any type of conclusion,&rdquo; executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said.
Though the Bulls ended a string of four consecutive losing seasons in reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2017, a long line of injuries caught up to them down the stretch. Chicago finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 and got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by Milwaukee.
This season, Chicago is banking on better health and developing more chemistry and cohesion. They are down one key player: Point guard <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-lonzo-ball-9d022a40c1f38213dfa8e9fa7d3a84ac">Lonzo Ball will miss at least part of the early season</a> because he needed left knee surgery for a second time this year.
NO BALL
Ball has not played since Jan. 14 and when he will again is anyone's guess. He said prior to the late September operation that he couldn&rsquo;t run full speed or jump and experienced pain climbing stairs.
He was to be evaluated four to six weeks after the most recent surgery &mdash; the third in his career.
Ball had surgery last season for a torn meniscus a few weeks later and experienced setbacks when he tried to ramp up basketball activities. The Bulls had him rest for 10 days at one point, hoping it would resolve the issue and allow him to return. But he felt pain again when he started preparing to play.
Coach Billy Donovan has options at the point position: Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, Goran Dragic and Coby White.
HEALTHY LAVINE
Though LaVine averaged more than 24 points and made his second straight All-Star team, the Olympic gold medalist wasn't quite as explosive.
He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in May and is looking forward to playing at full strength.
&ldquo;Man, it could be very, very exciting and scary for other people at the same time,&rdquo; DeRozan said of LaVine. &ldquo;I can't tell you how many times I talked to him this summer, just checking on him, just getting that leg back together. I want to be with a healthy Zach. I want him healthy as well.
"A full year of that is something I dream about every single night.&rdquo;
KEY NEWCOMERS
The Bulls are basically running it back with the same core.
Though they made no splashy offseason moves, they do have a few new faces after drafting Dalen Terry with the No. 18 pick and signing Dragic along with fellow veteran Andre Drummond.
They added some experience and offense in the backcourt with the 36-year-old Dragic and some missing toughness with the arrival of Drummond, a two-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champion.
LEAP FOR WILLIAMS
The Bulls hope the third season is the charm for Patrick Williams.
They want the Florida State product to be more aggressive on offense rather than defer, as well as contribute on both ends of the floor on a more consistent basis than he has since he was the No. 4 draft pick in 2020.
Williams has shown flashes, but a wrist injury that limited him to 17 games last season didn't help.
NO MERCY
The Bulls will be tested at the start.
Three of their first four games are against Miami, Cleveland and Boston. They open with a road game against Jimmy Butler and the Heat on Oct. 19. They then visit Washington before hosting Cleveland on Oct. 22 and Boston two nights later.

“I think we need time to see this group play together longer to have any type of conclusion,” Bulls EVP Arturas Karnisovas said.

Bulls hope to keep climbing in East with more time to jell

CHICAGO (AP) &mdash; The Chicago Bulls made it clear re-signing Zach LaVine and locking in the two-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist for years to come was their top offseason priority.
It is officially a done deal.
The Bulls announced Thursday they re-signed LaVine, after the high-flying guard agreed to a five-year max contract worth about $215 million last week.
LaVine had said he wanted to explore the market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time after eight seasons in the NBA and five with the Bulls. If he went shopping, it was a quick trip. He announced his decision about 18 hours after the free-agent negotiating period began.
&ldquo;We are pleased that Zach remains with the Bulls. His work ethic and character have helped him to become one of the top players in the NBA,&rdquo; executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said in a statement. &ldquo;We look forward to more great things from Zach, as he helps lead our team, both on and off of the court.&rdquo;
LaVine&rsquo;s arrival from Minnesota as part of a 2017 draft-night trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves kicked off a rebuilding effort by the previous management regime of John Paxson and Gar Forman. His decision to stay means a core that led Chicago to the playoffs for the first time in five years remains intact.
LaVine averaged 24.4 points in the final season of a four-year, $78 million deal. He made the playoffs for the first time, with the Bulls losing in the first round to Milwaukee in five games.
It wasn't an easy season for LaVine. He dealt with a thumb injury early on and was in and out of the lineup the final few months because of a left knee injury that required frequent treatment and, ultimately, arthroscopic surgery in May.
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But Chicago took a huge step, winning 46 games with LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic leading the way. The Bulls enjoyed their best record in seven years and will try to build on that in the upcoming season.
Besides keeping LaVine, they added depth in the backcourt and up front by agreeing to deals with veteran guard Goran Dragic and Andre Drummond to help the team take another step.
The 36-year-old Dragic agreed to a $2.9 million, one-year contract last week. The team had not announced that deal as of Thursday evening.
Dragic averaged 13.7 points and shot 36.2% on 3-pointers over 14 seasons with Phoenix, Houston, Miami, Toronto and Brooklyn. From Slovenia, he made an All-Star team with the Heat during the 2017-18 season and helped them advance to the 2020 NBA finals.
Dragic averaged 7.5 points while shooting 25.4% from beyond the arc last season for Toronto and Brooklyn. Though the Bulls ranked fourth in the NBA in 3-point accuracy, they were last in attempts.
The Bulls announced Drummond's signing on Wednesday.
The two-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champion had a strong second half for Brooklyn last season after being traded in the deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia, averaging 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in 24 games for the Nets. Drummond has averaged 13.8 points and 13.3 rebounds over 10 seasons with Detroit, Cleveland, the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

The Chicago Bulls officially re-signed Zach LaVine, locking up the two-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist for years to come.

Bulls finalize max contract with two-time All-Star Zach LaVine

The Chicago Bulls remain hopeful All-Star guard Zach LaVine will choose to re-sign with them rather than join another team as an unrestricted free agent.
Executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas has been consistent in saying publicly the organization wants to keep LaVine. And he did it again on Monday.
"We hope Zach is here for a long time, and nothing changed,&rdquo; Karnisovas said at a news conference to introduce first-round draft pick Dalen Terry.
LaVine&rsquo;s situation is obviously the biggest story hovering over the Bulls, with the free-agent negotiating period opening Thursday evening.
Karnisovas wants to keep intact a core that helped Chicago reach the playoffs for the first time in five years.
LaVine averaged 24.4 points and made his second straight All-Star team last year. It ended with his first trip to the playoffs in his eighth year as a pro. The Bulls lost in the first round to Milwaukee in five games.
LaVine&rsquo;s four-year, $78 million contract is up and he said after the season that he plans to explore the market as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career after five years in Chicago. He did not rule out returning to the Bulls, who can offer a max contract worth about $212 million. The most he can get from another team is approximately $157 million over four years.
How comfortable the Bulls are about offering a five-year deal is another question. Karnisovas played it coy when asked.
&ldquo;I'm confident. I'm confident in approaching this free agency the next couple days, sitting down with our group, looking at a lot of things,&rdquo; he said.
The past season wasn't exactly an easy one for LaVine. He dealt with a thumb injury early and was in and out of the lineup the final few months because of a left knee injury.
LaVine had platelet-rich plasma therapy, a cortisone injection and fluid drained from his knee in Los Angeles before the All-Star break. He had arthroscopic surgery on it last month.
&ldquo;I think he's gonna be healthy,&rdquo; Karnisovas said. &ldquo;I think he's now progressing great.&rdquo;
The Bulls went 46-36 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017 following a major makeover, with DeMar DeRozan and LaVine leading the way. Chicago got off to a big start and finished with its best record since the 2014-15 team went 50-32 in former coach Tom Thibodeau&rsquo;s final season.
The Bulls also went from leading the Eastern Conference to finishing sixth, losing 15 of their final 22 regular-season games. They dealt with a long list of injuries, making it tough for them to develop continuity and compete with the best teams.
&ldquo;This group has been here only since October,&rdquo; Karnisovas said. &ldquo;We're still trying to get used to how to play with each other.&rdquo;

LaVine’s situation is obviously the biggest story hovering over the Bulls, with the free-agent negotiating period opening Thursday.

Bulls remain hopeful LaVine will choose to remain in Chicago

The Minnesota Timberwolves are talking to Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly about their vacant president of basketball operations role, The Associated Press has confirmed.
The talks were confirmed by a person familiar with the discussions, who spoke with AP on condition of anonymity because neither franchise is commenting publicly. The talks were first reported by The Athletic.
Connelly is one of the NBA's rising top executives. He has built the Nuggets into a perennial playoff team that is expected to compete for a championship next season if Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. can return to health and rejoin <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-nba-sports-nikola-jokic-6b7dc34c311b6810ec67c76ee2208c2d">two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic</a> on the court.
Connelly, who succeeded Masai Ujiri as the Nuggets' prime decision-maker in 2013 when Ujiri left to run the Toronto Raptors, has been courted before, by the Washington Wizards for their president of basketball operations position in 2019.
He's built both a solid roster and a respected front office in Denver, where the Nuggets have reached the playoffs the last four seasons under coach Michael Malone, including the Western Conference Finals in the Orlando bubble two years ago.
They <a href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-nuggets-nba-sports-jamal-murray-nikola-jokic-98c0c6136a8c3b14423c54f889a09a5d">won 48 games</a> in 2021-22 despite the absences of Murray (knee) for the entire season and Porter (back) for all but nine games before losing to Golden State in the first round of the playoffs.
In addition to losing Ujiri, the Nuggets lost front office executive Arturas Karnisovas in 2020 when he left to take the Chicago Bulls' executive vice president job. Karnisovas' departure led to the promotion of Calvin Booth from assistant GM to general manager in Denver.
The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-timberwolves-memphis-grizzlies-nba-sports-9d7a219a489c09c76fcd763eeed7041d">Timberwolves also are a resurgent team</a>, coming off a season in which they doubled their win total from the previous season to 46. They pushed the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies hard in a six-game first-round playoff loss.
That was only the second appearance in the playoffs for the club in the last 18 years. With Karl-Anthony Towns inside and Anthony Edwards outside, there is an enviable foundation in place on the floor.
The Wolves have had plenty of turnover in the top front office job over the years, mirroring the franchise&rsquo;s tumultuous and largely unsuccessful history.
They fired Gersson Rosas right before training camp began last fall in response to mounting tension around him in the building. Sachin Gupta was promoted to be president of basketball operations in Rosas&rsquo; place, with the caveat that the position would be evaluated again this summer.
Gupta drew raves within the organization for his humble, steady leadership, notably from head coach Chris Finch. The franchise is currently in an ownership transition, with Glen Taylor in the process of handing over control to co-buyers Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez in a sale that&rsquo;s scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
If the Wolves were to hire Connelly, or anyone from outside the organization, Gupta would more than likely be given the chance to stay with the team in a prominent position.
___
AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed from Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves are talking to Nuggets president Tim Connelly about their vacant president of basketball operations role.

Report: Timberwolves in talks with Nuggets' Tim Connelly

NEW YORK &ndash; NBA team basketball executives have selected Memphis Grizzlies Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.
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NBA team basketball executives have selected Memphis Grizzlies Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Zach Kleiman as the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award, the NBA announced today. More ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/XbxgH6RXZ2">https://t.co/XbxgH6RXZ2</a> <a href="https://t.co/innXghwI5m">pic.twitter.com/innXghwI5m</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1524766484160864256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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This is the first NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award for Kleiman, who has led Basketball Operations for Memphis for the last three years. &nbsp;Kleiman, 33, is the youngest recipient of the award, which has been presented annually since the 1972-73 season. &nbsp;He also becomes the second person to earn the honor with the Grizzlies, joining Jerry West (2003-04).
Kleiman received 16 of 29 first-place votes and earned 85 total points from a panel of team basketball executives across the NBA. &nbsp;Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman and Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas tied for second place with 27 points each. &nbsp;Phoenix Suns General Manager James Jones and Miami Heat President Pat Riley tied for fourth place with 26 points each. &nbsp;Executives were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
As Memphis&rsquo; lead personnel decision maker, Kleiman assembled a roster that finished with the second-best record in the NBA this season (56-26) and matched the franchise single-season record for victories. &nbsp;The Grizzlies secured the No. 2 playoff seed in the Western Conference, their highest seed ever.
This season, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was named a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game and the winner of the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award, and head coach Taylor Jenkins finished in second place in the voting for the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year Award. &nbsp;In 2019, Kleiman selected Morant with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft and hired Jenkins to his first NBA head coaching position. &nbsp;The same year, Kleiman acquired forward Brandon Clarke and guards Tyus Jones and De&rsquo;Anthony Melton, three valuable contributors to the 2021-22 team.
Memphis guard Desmond Bane, the 30th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, finished in fifth place in the voting for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award after averaging 18.2 points and ranking second in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage (43.6). &nbsp;In November 2020, Kleiman acquired Bane&rsquo;s draft rights as part of a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers.
Under Kleiman, the Grizzlies also signed guard-forward Dillon Brooks and forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. to multiyear contract extensions in February 2020 and October 2021, respectively. &nbsp;Brooks averaged 18.4 points this season. &nbsp;Jackson averaged 16.3 points and an NBA-high 2.27 blocks, finishing in fifth place in the voting for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
In August 2021, Memphis acquired center Steven Adams and the draft rights to guard-forward Ziaire Williams, the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as part of a three-team trade with the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. &nbsp;Adams started 75 of his 76 games this season and ranked 12th in the NBA in rebounding (10.0 rpg). &nbsp;Williams started 31 of his 62 games as a rookie and averaged 8.1 points.
Kleiman joined the Grizzlies in 2015 as their in-house legal counsel. &nbsp;He served as assistant general manager during the 2018-19 season and was promoted to his current role in April 2019. &nbsp;Prior to joining Memphis, Kleiman worked as an associate at the international law firm Proskauer Rose LLP.
Kleiman will be presented with a special edition 75th Anniversary commemorative trophy today in celebration of the honor, gifted in addition to the NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award trophy, which he will receive later. &nbsp;The commemorative trophy, composed of a solid crystal basketball, features the NBA 75 logo 3D laser etched and suspended within its center.
The voting results for the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award are below. &nbsp;The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP.
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Grizzlies' Zach Kleiman has been chosen as the winner of the 2021-22 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award.

Grizzlies' Zach Kleiman wins 2021-22 NBA Executive of the Year award

Ever since Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas and Marc Eversley took over the Bulls&rsquo; front office two years ago, Chicago has been one of the most aggressive teams in the NBA. Their fingerprints are all over this roster, with notable acquisitions such as DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
These moves have translated to on-court success, as the Bulls posted their best winning percentage since the 2014-15 season and ended their four-year playoff drought. This year, Chicago was 46-36 &mdash; more wins than they had in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons combined. (Zach LaVine and Coby White are the only remaining players from that 2019-20 squad).
The Bulls entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference while boasting the NBA's 11th-ranked offense (scoring 111.0 points per 100 possessions) and 23rd-ranked defense (allowing 111.1 points per 100 possessions).&nbsp;
While this season marked a step in the right direction, the Bulls&rsquo; first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks showed that there&rsquo;s still plenty of work to be done. Despite Milwaukee losing their second-best player, Khris Middleton, to a sprained MCL in Game 2, the Bucks completed a gentleman's sweep against the Bulls. Chicago wasn&rsquo;t at full strength either, with Ball sidelined due to a knee injury and LaVine (COVID-19) and Caruso (concussion) each missing Game 5. Still, the reigning champions were a good litmus test.
Entering the offseason, where does Chicago go from here? Are big changes coming?
RE-SIGNING ZACH LAVINE
Entering this offseason, Chicago&rsquo;s top priority should be re-signing LaVine, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency. The 27-year-old has emerged as a perennial All-Star, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference squad in each of the last two seasons.&nbsp;
This year, LaVine averaged 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 threes, while reducing his turnovers to 2.6 per game and shooting 47.6% from the field, 38.9% from three and 85.3% from the free-throw line.&nbsp;
LaVine will certainly expect a maximum contract from the Bulls, which would <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay him</a> $212.3 million over five years. The most he could receive from another team is $157.4 million over four years. This is a relatively weak free-agent class, so it seems very likely that LaVine will get a max deal from some team.&nbsp;
The Bulls would be wise to re-sign their star shooting guard, as replacing his production would be difficult, and the team would certainly take a step back if LaVine signed elsewhere.
"I plan to enjoy free agency," LaVine said recently. &ldquo;We're going to have to experience A through Z without making any fast decisions. I think that's something me and [Rich Paul] are going to go through and experience."
LaVine was asked if the Bulls are the front-runners to sign him, but he wouldn&rsquo;t say.
"You guys have been a really, really soft spot in my heart," LaVine said to the Chicago media. "I have to do this as a business decision, as a man, to not just be viewed one way and be like, 'I'm automatically coming back,' or, 'I'm automatically leaving.'"
In multiple interviews, LaVine has reiterated that he wants to be paid what he feels he deserves.
"I just want my respect. I think that's the main thing," LaVine <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/zach-lavine-prepares-olympic-quarterfinal-bulls-free-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last August. "I outplayed my contract; I've been very loyal to Chicago, I like Chicago. I just want my respect."
FREE AGENCY
Aside from LaVine, the bulk of Chicago's core is under contract for the foreseeable future.&nbsp;
The Bulls have $103,181,950 in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season, spread across nine players: DeRozan, Vucevic, Lopez, Caruso, White, Patrick Williams, Javonte Green, Ayo Dosunmu and Marko Simonovic. Projections set next year&rsquo;s salary cap at $122 million and the luxury tax at $149 million.
Derrick Jones Jr.,Tristan Thompson and Matt Thomas will be unrestricted free agents. Tony Bradley has a player option worth $2,036,318, so he could opt out and test the market as well.
The team will have three restricted free agents (assuming Chicago extends a qualifying offer to each): Troy Brown Jr. ($7,228,448 QO), Tyler Cook ($1,576,305) and Malcolm Hill ($1,576,305).
Last year, the Bulls were very aggressive in free agency, making splashy moves left and right. Given their cap situation, it seems unlikely that Chicago will be able to go star hunting, but they&rsquo;ll likely try to improve their depth and add certain specialists. For example, Chicago could use a rim protector, as they averaged just 4.0 blocks per game (which ranked 27th in the NBA). Can they afford Mitchell Robinson? Could they throw an offer sheet at or sign-and-trade for a restricted free agent like Nic Claxton or Mo Bamba? Can they add a veteran like JaVale McGee or Hassan Whiteside?&nbsp;
In addition to a rim protector, it would make sense to add other defensive reinforcements as well (especially if Jones signs elsewhere). Caruso and Ball give Chicago a strong defensive backcourt, but they need some help if the Bulls want to improve their 23rd-ranked defensive rating (113.2). Some of the top defensive role players who are hitting the market include Bruce Brown, Gary Payton II and PJ Tucker. Lu Dort and Jae'Sean Tate each have a team option, but it seems unlikely that either will be available given their bargain contracts.
The Bulls will look to add a contributor or two using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $10,349,000. Last offseason, that is how Chicago was able to sign Caruso to a four-year, $37 million deal, which ended up being a terrific addition. Other players who signed for the non-taxpayer MLE last offseason include McGee (Phoenix Suns), Tucker (Miami Heat), Reggie Bullock (Dallas Mavericks) and Khem Birch (Toronto Raptors).
It will be interesting to see what the Bulls do in free agency. However, keep in mind that some of Chicago&rsquo;s biggest additions in recent years were acquired through trades.
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TRADES
After watching the Bulls&rsquo; front office trade for Vucevic, DeRozan and Ball, fans are understandably thinking big when it comes to Chicago&rsquo;s trade targets entering the offseason.
Myles Turner has been mentioned as a possible target for the Bulls since he could solve their rim-protection issues, but the window on acquiring Turner may have slammed shut as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/despite-trade-talks-the-pacers-want-to-keep-myles-turner-longterm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> suggested that the Indiana Pacers are now expected to keep the 26-year-old long-term.
Another dominant shot-blocker who may become available is Rudy Gobert. The Utah Jazz just had another season end in disappointing fashion, and there has already been a <a href="https://twitter.com/realOCsports/status/1521141215411941376" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that the Jazz will be forced to choose between Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. If Utah opts to keep their young shooting guard, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Defensive First-Team selection could suddenly be obtainable.
If that happens, the Bulls should at least reach out and start a conversation. Our Evan Sidery recently <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-rudy-gobert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down potential destinations for Gobert</a> and listed Chicago as the top landing spot. Here&rsquo;s what he wrote:
Imagine the possibilities for Chicago with Gobert patrolling the paint with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso hawking the perimeter. It&rsquo;s the perfect complement to offensive dynamos Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Chicago&rsquo;s new starting lineup of Ball, Caruso, LaVine, DeRozan and Gobert would seemingly have no holes in it from a two-way perspective. I absolutely love this idea for Chicago, and they should be blowing up the Jazz&rsquo;s phone this summer if it seems plausible.
Jazz receive: Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, Coby White, draft compensation Bulls receive: Rudy Gobert
It remains to be seen if either side would do this, but it&rsquo;s an intriguing idea.
With that said, if the Bulls are committed to Vucevic and don&rsquo;t want to trade for a new big man, HoopsHype&rsquo;s Yossi Gozlan <a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/bulls-offseason-preview-zach-lavines-free-agency-nikola-vucevic-extension-more/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">points out</a> that an extension for Vooch could make sense this offseason.
If that happens, perhaps Chicago just looks for a complementary shot-blocker who can play behind Vucevic like one of the free agents we mentioned above or more of a minor trade target such as New York&rsquo;s Nerlens Noel or Minnesota&rsquo;s Jarred Vanderbilt.
It&rsquo;s also worth noting that the Bulls have a $5,000,000 trade exception that expires on July 7, 2022, from their Daniel Theis deal.
DRAFT
The Bulls have the No. 18 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In BasketballNews.com's <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Mock Draft</a>, our senior NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock has Chicago selecting Ohio State forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/ej-liddell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EJ Liddell</a>.&nbsp;
The 6-foot-7, 21-year-old junior is a well-rounded, NBA-ready player who makes sense for a Bulls team that wants to win now. Last season, Liddell averaged 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 blocks, 1.4 threes and 0.6 steals, while shooting 49.0% from the field, 37.4% from three and 76.5% from the free-throw line.
&ldquo;Although he is a bit undersized for the position, the Buckeyes often used Liddell as a 4 or 5 in their lineups,&rdquo; Babcock noted in his scouting breakdown. &ldquo;He is physical and versatile on both ends of the floor, scoring both inside and out. He appears more comfortable in the mid-range and paint, which works well for his college system but raises questions in regards to his translatability to the NBA. Liddell filled up the box score and played with great effort and toughness. He has certainly carved out a spot for himself in the 2022 NBA Draft.&rdquo;
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Other players who are projected to be available in that range are G League Ignite wing <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/marjon-beauchamp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MarJon Beauchamp</a>, Baylor forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kendall-brown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendall Brown</a>, LSU forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/tari-eason" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tari Eason</a>, Notre Dame guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/blake-wesley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blake Wesley</a>, G League Ignite guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/jaden-hardy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Hardy</a>, Serbian forward <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/nikola-jovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikola Jovic</a> and Tennessee guard <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-nba-mock-draft/players/kennedy-chandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kennedy Chandler</a>.&nbsp;
If the Bulls aren&rsquo;t interested in any of these prospects, or if Karni&scaron;ovas and Eversley continue to be aggressive on the trade market, Chicago could look to deal the No. 18 pick as part of a win-now move.
It&rsquo;s worth noting that Chicago must forfeit their next-available second-round pick after an NBA investigation revealed that they contacted Ball prior to the start of the NBA&rsquo;s free-agency period. As it stands, the Bulls&rsquo; next-available pick is the team&rsquo;s 2026 second-rounder, but Chicago can&rsquo;t acquire a second-round pick before then because they&rsquo;d have to forfeit it.
***
After a few rough years, the Bulls seem to be back on the right trajectory, and there&rsquo;s no question that this team has the talent to be a perennial playoff squad in the East. Winning 46 games despite trying to get so many new players acclimated is impressive, especially when you factor in the injuries to Ball, Caruso, Williams, etc.
Even if the Bulls bring back largely the same roster, they will benefit from that continuity and improved chemistry. However, given what we&rsquo;ve seen from this front office in recent years, don&rsquo;t be surprised if they look to wheel-and-deal in order to take the roster to the next level.

After winning 46 games and losing in the first round, where will the Bulls go from here? Alex Kennedy previews Chicago's summer.

2022 NBA offseason preview: What's next for the Chicago Bulls?

Zach LaVine has an Olympic gold medal, All-Star selections the past two years and a pair of slam dunk contest championships.
When it comes to postseason appearances, his resume has a glaring omission. And with the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs, that's about to change.
&ldquo;About time,&rdquo; he said, laughing.
LaVine finally gets a chance to play in the playoffs with the Bulls set to meet Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending NBA champion Bucks. Their first-round series opens at Milwaukee on Sunday.
Chicago finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 for its first winning record since the 2015-16 team went 42-40. The Bulls made the playoffs for the first time since a first-round knockout by Boston in 2017. And they ended a string of four consecutive losing seasons.
They also endured a COVID-19 outbreak along the way and a rash of injuries, including a sore left knee that left LaVine in and out of the lineup the past few months. But they come in on a 7-15 slide, a sour ending to a breakthrough regular season.
Even so, this is a big step for the Bulls &mdash; and LaVine. In his first seven seasons with Minnesota and Chicago, he never played on a team that won more than 31 games. But with the front office led by Arturas Karnisovas surrounding him with a competitive roster, that changed in his eighth year.
The arrival of All-Star DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso last summer, along with Nikola Vucevic from a trade prior to the deadline last year, altered the Bulls' direction in a dramatic way.
It led to LaVine playing on a winning team for the first time since his lone season at UCLA. The Bruins went 28-9 in 2013-14 under Steve Alford and lost in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to a Florida team coached by Billy Donovan. Now, with Donovan in his second season in Chicago, they're on the same side.
&ldquo;Everybody&rsquo;s got to play the cards they&rsquo;re dealt,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;It just took me a little bit longer than anybody else. I didn&rsquo;t cop out and go to a different team.&rdquo;
LaVine, who came to Chicago in the 2017 draft-day trade that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota, had a four-year, $80 million deal from Sacramento matched by the Bulls in July 2018. With his contract set to expire, he figures to land a huge deal in the offseason.
But there are more immediate issues at hand.
The closest LaVine has come to the court in the playoffs until now was as a spectator. He has attended a handful of postseason games, including some in the 2016 and 2017 finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s going to be extremely intense, especially in Milwaukee playing the defending champs at (their) home, Game 1,&rdquo; he said.
LaVine won a gold medal playing for the United States at the Olympics last summer. He followed that up by making his second straight All-Star team.
Though he averaged 24.4 points, LaVine was limited to 67 games. And he acknowledged he probably won't be completely healthy again this season.
LaVine has been using the time since he last played on April 8 to get as close to 100% as he can, participating in practices and getting treatment in his downtime.
&ldquo;It gets better with rest,&rdquo; he said of his nagging knee injury. &ldquo;Obviously, the more pounding and impact you put on it, it trends to get a little more tired, a little more sore. But it's good right now. It feels good.&rdquo;

Zach LaVine finally gets a chance to play in the playoffs with the Bulls set to meet Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

With Bulls to face Bucks, LaVine finally gets playoff taste

40 games into the 2021-22 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls stand alone atop the Eastern Conference standings with the third best win percentage in the league. Their 27-13 start is an impressive flip from their 18-22 record at the same point last year, in an arguably more competitive conference than in years prior. The Bulls notably haven't made the playoffs since Fred Hoiberg's second season as head coach with one of the uhhh ... most interesting roster build experiments in recent memory.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This was only 5 years ago <a href="https://t.co/LEKVnSUeV6">pic.twitter.com/LEKVnSUeV6</a>
&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MSchindlerNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1482387876931325958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The Bulls have legitimately carved their path this season &mdash; they're 15-10 against the current top-10 seeds in each conference. They beat up on the bad teams, and have also shown their worth against playoff teams. However, they are only 3-5 against the top teams in the league and only have one top-8 win outside of their two wins against Brooklyn. That is of course not everything, and the Bulls have been impacted by injuries and COVID absences, but the majority of the teams in the NBA can make a similar claim.&nbsp;
Chicago is a very good basketball team, much better than most expected coming into the season (maybe even better than the front office expected), but they have some notable flaws when looking at the highest levels of team play in the NBA. While I of course disagree with writing them off as a playoff team, I'm not sure how to view them as a true contender. Being this good is GREAT, but it brings up difficult questions for an organization.
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The defense that inspired early in the year has fallen off, dropping significantly each month, down to 26th in defensive efficiency since Christmas, per Cleaning the Glass. Alex Caruso has missed a great deal of time and his impact has been heavily missed, but the overall activity and attention to detail just hasn't quite been there in the same way.
Patrick Williams entered the year with a great deal of expectations for his sophomore campaign &mdash; with Chicago looking for a guy who would hopefully paper over some of the concerns over lack of a bigger wing defender and function as a vital cog in the offensive flow. Unfortunately, he only managed five games before being lost for the season due to a severe wrist injury. The Bulls have struggled to find a consistent fifth option release valve who can capably space, defend, and be a neutral or better decision-maker all in conjunction.
DeMar DeRozan has played at a level that will place him on MVP ballots. Zach LaVine's own All-NBA play has been overshadowed to a degree by his teammate. It is so hard for an organization to look at this year &mdash; with two players performing this well &mdash; and deciding to just ride it out, in spite of the ability to make moves to better equip themselves for a postseason run. While I wouldn't expect a steep decline from DeMar next season, it's of course a reality that seasons like this are not often replicable, especially considering his age. Contention windows are smaller than typically believed or theorized, and man they are fickle.
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Threading the needle
Speaking of possible moves to make &mdash; they exist because of intrigue caused by the youth on the Bulls' roster. Wendell Carter Jr. has excelled in Orlando this year (and was unfairly judged in Chicago), but moving on from him was a necessary part of Chicago's forward progression. While Nikola Vucevic has struggled this season (he's been better from the field recently, but his three-point range hasn't been there), he's still been essential to the Bulls when they're at their absolute best. It's also important to note that moves don't just happen in a vacuum. If the Vucevic trade isn't made and the Bulls don't show their full commitment to a playoff push and winning with Zach LaVine last season, it's reasonable to assume that that would negatively impact the likelihood of any of the signings that took place the following off-season.&nbsp;
Would it be nice to have Wendell, those first-rounders, and still have this same team? Hell-freakin'-yes, but that's not how it works!
When I talk to scouts, coaches, or fans, often the idea of 'threading the needle' and winning with a team while still maximizing youth development is brought up. That is just so difficult to actually do. Patrick Williams could develop into a very good basketball player &mdash; in fact I would bet on it &mdash; but I do question how capable he is of reaching his best possible outcome in Chicago. He's been cast into a smaller and different role while simultaneously being given small margins for error. That's without even taking into account his unfortunate injury.
Coby White's stellar player (<a href="https://ontapsportsnet.com/2022/01/12/chicago-bulls-coby-white-hit-stride-stats-highlights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read this article</a> by Larry Golden if you haven't, it's fantastic), has thrown another variable into the equation. Since returning from health and safety protocols on Dec. 19, through 13 games, Coby is averaging 16.0 points per game with incredible efficiency (66% True Shooting percentage), bombing from deep (43.2%) and is overall more comfortable and adapted to an off-ball role as a secondary scorer off the bench. His defense, while still relatively poor, is much improved from last season. He's playing fantastic basketball and has been a significant positive for the Bulls over the past month.
He's also greatly increased his trade value.
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I don't have an answer as to what the Bulls should do. In some ways, I'm not sure that there is a right or wrong answer. Staying the course, maintaining stability, and not selling out for a potential title shot may be the right move for a team that's struggled to find its footing since Derrick Rose's injury. Maybe exchanging youth for established talent to round out the roster, bolster depth, and shore up perceived weaknesses is what sets up a deep playoff run and plants the seeds for the next great crop of Bulls basketball &mdash; perhaps luring in veteran free agents or opening the door to the next star who wants out of a poor environment this off-season.&nbsp;
I could write all about how I think trading for Harrison Barnes would add a valuable elite shooter and four who can draw defenses in the slot (something the Bulls strongly lack). Or about Jerami Grant's potential to make an impact defensively with his length and tenacity at the point of attack, or roaming weak-side in the Bulls scheme while doing enough offensively to be guarded. I HAVE written about how I think Arturas Karnisovas should look to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/rotation-players-making-the-most-of-roster-incosistency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pry Jalen McDaniels away from Charlotte</a> to add another rotational forward with upside, all while not giving up as much as one of the veteran deadline darlings may require.
Ultimately, the Bulls may well end up surprising us again in the playoffs without any change, even if I doubt the chances of that. There is no simple solution, nor is there a defined formula, and that's what makes the Bulls so fascinating from a team-building standpoint. How the Bulls decide to capitalize is one of the more interesting storylines to follow, as we head toward the Feb. 10 trade deadline. Getting good fast makes things uncertain, but that's positive pressure that many organizations can only hope for.

The Chicago Bulls have impressed with their play this season and face difficult questions on how to handle their immediate future.

Can the Bulls go all-in for a title? Should they?

Entering the 2021 offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers had some tough decisions to make. Seven of their players were set to enter free agency, including Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, Dennis Schroder, Andre Drummond and Markieff Morris.&nbsp;
Since Los Angeles had several key contributors hitting the open market and limited cap flexibility to work with, the team had to prioritize whomever they valued the most. That ended up being Horton-Tucker, as they re-signed the 20-year-old restricted free agent to a three-year deal worth $32 million.
The current version of the Lakers looks nothing like last year&rsquo;s squad. They brought in 14 new players &mdash; including familiar faces like Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, who were on the team as recently as the 2019-20 championship season. Of the 19 players who suited up for the Lakers last season, only LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Horton-Tucker are still in L.A.
The Lakers were widely regarded as the favorite to win it all last season before injuries ruined their campaign and they likely would&rsquo;ve been a top contender this year had they brought back the same group, but Rob Pelinka and the Lakers&rsquo; front office felt that big changes needed to be made. They decided to blow up the roster, pulling off a blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook and betting on the incoming talent over continuity and chemistry.
So far, the Lakers are 6-5, which is No. 8 in the Western Conference. They have two embarrassing losses to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder, and the team is clearly going through an acclimation period due to the roster turnover. After allowing a league-best 104.8 points per 100 possessions last season, the Lakers' defense has dropped to 15th this year.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Lakers&rsquo; offseason was the fact that they didn&rsquo;t try harder to keep Caruso, who had become a fan favorite and very important role player for the team. He'd always find a way to impact games with his terrific perimeter defense, relentless motor, catch-and-shoot ability and excellent chemistry with James. Good things always seemed to happen when he was on the floor, even if his contributions didn&rsquo;t always show up on the stat sheet.
However, the Lakers didn&rsquo;t make much of an effort to re-sign Caruso, even though he was willing to take a discount to stay in Los Angeles. They didn&rsquo;t have much contact with his camp leading up to free agency and then proceeded to low-ball him, which is why he accepted the Chicago Bulls&rsquo; four-year, $37 million offer. Caruso detailed his free-agency experience on <a href="https://twitter.com/OldManAndThree/status/1458257821405954052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.J. Redick&rsquo;s podcast, The Old Man and the Three</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Our guy Alex Caruso (<a href="https://twitter.com/ACFresh21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ACFresh21</a>) on what exactly happened In free agency that led him to The Chicago Bulls. Full episode w/ Alex drops tomorrow. Subscribe here: <a href="https://t.co/3wGZq3EszW">https://t.co/3wGZq3EszW</a> <a href="https://t.co/U7EqsAgz9q">pic.twitter.com/U7EqsAgz9q</a>
&mdash; TheOldMan&amp;TheThree (@OldManAndThree) <a href="https://twitter.com/OldManAndThree/status/1458257821405954052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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&ldquo;So going into it, I really didn&rsquo;t know what to expect, and I really didn&rsquo;t hear much from any team &mdash; including the Lakers &mdash; leading up to 6 p.m. Then, they called and the Lakers made their offer, but it wasn&rsquo;t an offer I was going to accept because I was going to be able to get considerably more money from another team,&rdquo; Caruso explained. &ldquo;I need to get as much money [as I can]; this is real life that we're talking about and I need to be financially secure &mdash; for me and [my] people. There was talk with a bunch of different [teams] about the mid-level, which I think was four [years] for $40 million. We never got anybody to that actual number, but there were a couple teams that got close.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And then my agent texted me and said, &lsquo;Hey, Chicago is interested in signing you.&rsquo; I didn&rsquo;t know that financially it was going to be able to work; I thought that once Zo (Lonzo Ball) signed with Chicago, I was like, &lsquo;Okay, so Chicago is off the list.&rsquo; But they [said] they were going to look at this, that and the other to try and make it work. I got on the phone with AK (Bulls GM Artūras Karni&scaron;ovas) and with Billy [Donovan], and the way they were just talking about how they wanted to play and how they saw me as a player, I thought they hit the nail on the head. I thought everything they said&hellip; I was like, &lsquo;I think that&rsquo;s accurate, I think that&rsquo;s what I bring to the table, I think that&rsquo;s how I can help the team win, I think that&rsquo;s the direction that this team wants to go.&rsquo; I thought there was a need for the stuff that I had.
&ldquo;Essentially we got that offer, went back to L.A. and asked if they could do the same, they said, &lsquo;No.&rsquo; [We] asked for something else that was a little less, they said, &lsquo;No.&rsquo; So I said, &lsquo;Okay, if that&rsquo;s what it comes to, I&rsquo;m ready to go to Chicago and start the next chapter.&rsquo; It&rsquo;s been great. I think it&rsquo;s been a great decision for me.&rdquo;
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Redick asked a follow-up question about the Lakers' initial offer, and Caruso revealed that it was below $15 million over two years.
It certainly seems like Caruso made the right decision, as he has been thriving in Chicago. He has been terrific off of the Bulls&rsquo; bench, averaging 8.5 points, 3.6 assists, 2.5 rebounds and a career-high 2.6 steals in 27.5 minutes per game, while shooting an efficient 40.7% from three-point range.
Caruso currently leads the NBA in steals (2.6), while also ranking second in deflections (4.3) and sixth in loose balls recovered on defense (0.9). On Wednesday, Caruso had six steals in 23 minutes in the Bulls&rsquo; 117-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Opponents are shooting 38.8% from the field when defended by Caruso, which is 4.4% lower than their usual field goal percentage.&nbsp;
The Bulls are off to an excellent 8-3 start, which is tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The only team with a better winning percentage than Chicago (.727) is the Golden State Warriors (.900). Chicago has the NBA's fourth-best defense (allowing 101.0 points per 100 possessions) and sixth-best offense (scoring 108.9 points per 100 possessions).
The Lakers could use Caruso right about now &mdash; and the fans would certainly love to have the scrappy underdog back in Staples Center &mdash; but the front office didn&rsquo;t think he was worth the money he received. It remains to be seen whether the Lakers will regret that assessment.

Alex Caruso wanted to stay with the Lakers and even offered a discount, but L.A. low-balled him. Now, he's thriving with the Bulls.

How the Lakers botched Alex Caruso’s free agency and lost a key piece

Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson know it will be a while before they can get back onto the court.
Zion Williamson wants to do it on opening night.
The New Orleans forward had offseason surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot but said he has been working with the trainer every day in hopes of not missing any time.
&ldquo;I expect to be back for the first game,&rdquo; Williamson said.
Pelicans executive David Griffin said that timeline is possible, though there isn't one yet for some other NBA superstars.
Leonard had surgery to repair a partial tear of the ACL in his right knee on July 13. Until he returns, he plans to &ldquo;try to make myself as relevant as possible&rdquo; while being confined to the sideline.
Thompson has missed the last two seasons, first with a torn ACL and then a torn right Achilles tendon. The latter happened last November and the Golden State guard said it would be at least a year from then before he's able to return.
He knows he's finally getting close.
&ldquo;The worst is far, far behind me,&rdquo; Thompson said.
MONEY TALKS
Bradley Beal was coy about the possibility of signing a new contract with the Washington Wizards. For now, his focus is on getting off to a good start this season.
&ldquo;We worry about the contract and the money and all that later,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got all year to sign it too, so I&rsquo;m not in a rush.&rdquo;
Another high-scoring guard, Zach LaVine, has similar thoughts in Chicago.
He would be eligible for a supermax deal if he is All-NBA in 2021-22. Either way, he is in a good spot entering the final season of his four-year, $80 million contract.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said the Bulls want to keep LaVine, but the Olympic gold medalist isn't looking that far ahead.
&ldquo;My plan is, tomorrow, get ready for training camp,&rdquo; LaVine said. &ldquo;Get ready for the season and try to help these guys win, just like everybody else. I&rsquo;m not worried about my contract right now. That will be a point in time in the future.&rdquo;
TO THE POINT
Derrick Rose is a former NBA MVP who was the starter for the New York Knicks when last season ended.
Now he's a backup again.
Rose said Monday that newcomer Kemba Walker will be the point guard on the floor when the Knicks begin.
&ldquo;Oh, he&rsquo;s starting." Rose said.
Rose came off the bench in all but three of his 35 games after joining the Knicks last season, finishing third in voting for the NBA's Sixth Man Award.
He moved into the starting lineup for the final three games of the Knicks' playoff loss to Atlanta, then re-signed to stay with the Knicks and Tom Thibodeau, his former coach in Chicago.
Walker, a New York native who joined the Knicks in the offseason, seemed to be taken aback when told of Rose&rsquo;s comments about being the starter.
&rsquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t know about that. I don&rsquo;t know yet,&rdquo; Walker said. &ldquo;But that&rsquo;s pretty cool. For me, I&rsquo;ve always been a huge D-Rose fan. Regardless starting, not starting, whatever.&rdquo;
WALL'S ROLE
As the Houston Rockets attempt to find a trade destination for John Wall, he&rsquo;s focused on helping the team any way he can.
"My job here is to be a mentor,&rdquo; Wall said.
The veteran isn&rsquo;t expected to play for the Rockets while they search for a trade for the guard. General manager Rafael Stone said they aren&rsquo;t looking to buy out Wall&rsquo;s contract but want to find a suitable trade.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re looking at what can we find that works for everybody &hellip; for the long term,&rdquo; Stone said.
Wall said it will be &ldquo;very tough&rdquo; not to play while the Rockets find him a new team, but he knows that this plan is what&rsquo;s best for him.
HAYWARD'S HEALTH
Gordon Hayward said he feels 100% and is ready to get back on the floor for the Charlotte Hornets after missing the final five weeks of the 2020-21 season with a sprained right foot.
Hornets coach James Borrego said the team will manage Hayward's workload to help him make it through an 82-game regular season.
&ldquo;He looks great, feels great, his body is in great shape, physically he is ready to go,&rdquo; Borrego said. &ldquo;... Will he play 82 games? I don&rsquo;t know. We will have to figure that out as we go. There is a plan in place for him, we are working on that right now and we are talking through that, and it will be a week-to-week basis of how we manage him.&rdquo;
The Hornets were in fourth place in the Eastern Conference last season on April 3 before Hayward went down. They wound up finishing in 10th place in the conference and were blown out by the Indiana Pacers in the play-in game.
BEARD'S BLAME
James Harden reported late for his last preseason in Houston and it may have contributed to an injury-shortened first postseason in Brooklyn.
&ldquo;I kind of blame last year on myself because I&rsquo;m usually prepared physically, mentally,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;Last year was just draining in a sense of all the stuff that was going on, so I didn&rsquo;t have the right mindset and preparation for an entire season.&rdquo;
The Rockets granted Harden's wish for a trade to Brooklyn on Jan. 14. He played near the level that won him an MVP award in Houston but then was limited to just three games after March because of hamstring injuries.
He was hurt again in Game 1 of the second round against Milwaukee. Harden missed the next three games and struggled when he returned as the Nets lost in seven games.
&ldquo;Usually I&rsquo;m very, very durable and I&rsquo;m able to handle anything that comes my way for the most part,&rdquo; Harden said. &ldquo;So last year was kind of tricky, it was kind of weird.&rdquo;

The Pelicans forward had offseason surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot but said he has been working with the trainer every day in hopes of not missing any time.

While Kawhi, Klay wait, Zion wants to be back opening night

Nekias Duncan previews the Central Division for the 2021-22 NBA season.

2021-22 NBA Season Preview: Central Division

The Chicago Bulls are all-in. After acquiring Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan in free agency, Chicago has made headlines around the NBA as a new up-and-coming threat in the reloaded Eastern Conference. Chicago wallowed in mediocrity for years after Derrick Rose&rsquo;s prime was short-lived, which led to some downtrodden seasons where the Bulls failed to lift into serious contention. In 2021-22, that&rsquo;s all about to change in the Windy City.
Zach LaVine is the headliner for the upcoming 2022 free-agent class, which is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/after-years-of-star-movement-2022-offseason-is-shaping-up-to-be-the-opposite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on pace to be the worst crop we&rsquo;ve seen in the modern era</a>, but Chicago is signaling to its star shooting guard that the team is ready to finally build a contender around him. LaVine has fallen under the radar in NBA circles, but he&rsquo;s quickly revamped his game to become one of the most well-rounded three-level scorers in the league, averaging a career-high 27.4 points on an outstanding 63.4% True Shooting percentage.
Among players who averaged at least 25 points on a 60% TS mark or better last season, the company LaVine stands alongside is elite: LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry. LaVine notched his first-ever All-Star appearance with his performance leap, and now his job should be even easier with what the Bulls&rsquo; front office has surrounded him with.
Ball is the perfect backcourt complement to LaVine. Being able to handle primary playmaking duties while also handling the toughest assignment defensively, he is the ideal buffer for LaVine to focus his efforts entirely on scoring in bunches. In the right environment, Ball is the launching pad for a team to become a strong playoff squad. With the Bulls, LaVine and Ball have all the makings of becoming a lethal combination thanks to how well-balanced their games are. Ball&rsquo;s improvement as a three-point shooter also allows him to play off the ball when LaVine wants to run the show.
DeRozan adds more scoring and playmaking chops to the Bulls&rsquo; already-potent offensive attack. As one of the best mid-range scorers in the Association, DeRozan&rsquo;s hidden equity as a tertiary passer takes even more pressure off LaVine and Nikola Vucevic to do the heavy lifting. DeRozan averaged a career-high 6.9 assists per game while limiting his turnover percentage below 10% (9.7). Within the Bulls&rsquo; system, DeRozan fits right into what head coach Billy Donovan wants to do. As we saw with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Donovan loves playing as many ball-handlers on the court together as possible. Employing the trio of LaVine, Ball and DeRozan provides maximum playmaking equity while each one can contribute their own creative boost to the Bulls&rsquo; scoring attack.
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The Bulls&rsquo; offense has potent potential in 2021-22. The LaVine, Ball and DeRozan trifecta fits very well around Vucevic as the floor-spacing big man. If former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams takes a leap, which looks like a strong possibility after his <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dominant summer league showing in Las Vegas</a>, the Bulls have a top-10 offense waiting to spread its wings come October.
Where it gets interesting is on the defensive end. LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic fall below the bar for average defenders in the NBA. With how the Bulls are constructed, a lot of pressure is going to be placed upon the shoulders of Ball and Williams to cover up some potentially fatal issues. Ball has been a good defender, but not exactly excellent. He&rsquo;ll need to take a leap from being a great off-ball defender to one who can lockdown some primary guards in one-on-one situations more frequently. Meanwhile, Williams will draw the toughest wing assignments. In the East, Williams is going to be up against players such as Giannis, Durant, Jayson Tatum and Jimmy Butler. It&rsquo;s a tough gauntlet, but if Williams receives even a passable mark in those situations, that&rsquo;s a win for Chicago entering his sophomore campaign.
While the Bulls have an elite offense ready to be unleashed, their defensive potential could be the true fulcrum point to how they ascend up the standings in 2021-22.
The Bulls have a solid starting unit, but, how does the overall rotation look in entirety? Let&rsquo;s check it out:
Starters: Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic
Second Unit: Alex Caruso, Coby White, Troy Brown Jr., Derrick Jones Jr., Tony Bradley
Chicago is betting big on its starters to be one of the best units in the East &mdash; because the depth behind those first five is rather unproven. Although Alex Caruso was a huge boost to their identity as a pass-happy, improved defensive team, he could be the only one in the Bulls second unit to be confident in betting on right now. White has struggled with injuries and inefficiency throughout his career, and he&rsquo;s now <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/breaking-down-6-nba-players-whose-roles-may-be-diminished-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the only recent draft pick not selected by Arturas Karnisovas on the roster</a>. Brown and Jones make up an intriguing wing duo, but they will need to show improvements as scorers. Bradley being the primary backup to Vucevic is concerning, too, because he hasn&rsquo;t flashed much consistently himself either.
The Bulls have pushed the chips in to be not only a playoff team this year, but also well beyond throughout the decade. LaVine is ready to win, and so are the Bulls. Trading away three first-round picks for Vucevic and DeRozan, then adding Ball via a lucrative restricted free agent sign-and-trade move from New Orleans, means the time is here for Chicago.
Now, we'll get to see how this exciting group coalesces together over a full 82-game regular season. If everything clicks, Chicago is going to be battling for a top-five or six seed in the East, which is a huge jump from what the Windy City has experienced over its most recent years.

After pushing their chips all-in this offseason, will the Bulls become a threat in the Eastern Conference?

Revamped Bulls ready to finally ascend in the East

There have been plenty of fireworks during the 2021 offseason. From blockbuster trades to notable free agents changing teams, the 30 teams around the Association have given us plenty to talk about.
Recently, our staff discussed <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this summer's most underrated moves</a>. Today, we asked our writers:
Which NBA team had the best offseason?
Nekias Duncan: They&rsquo;re another minor move away from rounding out the roster, but I think the Heat were pretty big winners. Being able to snag Kyle Lowry without giving up a pick or their best prospect is a win. Adding frontcourt depth, young (Omer Yurtseven) and old (P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris) was smart. Bringing back Victor Oladipo on the minimum is the kind of <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low-risk, moderately-high-reward move</a> that could swing some games in the second half of the season.
Alex Kennedy: After being super aggressive at last year's trade deadline, Nikola Vucevic <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/bulls-nikola-vucevic-qa-were-built-to-be-successful-for-years-to-come" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> that the Chicago Bulls "sent a strong message to the rest of the league that they really want to win now." This offseason, they doubled down and were even more active &mdash; adding <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-chicago-bulls-form-a-perfect-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lonzo Ball</a>, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/ayo-dosunmu-ready-to-seize-the-moment-as-he-becomes-complete-player-nba-draft-prospects-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ayo Dosunmu</a> to their core of Vucevic, Zach LaVine, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patrick Williams</a>, Coby White and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-freeagency-destinations-for-lauri-markkanen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lauri Markkanen (RFA)</a>. Prior to the Vucevic trade, there was a month-long stretch where LaVine was averaging nearly 33.0 points. While it was incredible to watch LaVine put the team on his back, it was clear that he needed help. Now, just five months later, the roster looks completely different and the supporting cast is significantly better. This is the most talent that LaVine and Vucevic have ever had around them, and Chicago seems like a lock to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17 (and perhaps win a series for the first time since 2014-15). Last year, LaVine <a href="https://hoopshype.com/2020/04/28/nba-zach-lavine-chicago-bulls-michael-jordan-the-last-dance-season-workout-staying-shape-paul-seattle-arturas-karnisovas-marc-eversley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told me</a> that he's "extremely hungry" to make his postseason debut and now it's absolutely within reach. (Also, getting Derrick Jones Jr., a lottery protected first-rounder and a future second-rounder back in the Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade is a win.)
Jackson Frank: The Heat acquiring Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker, while retaining Victor Oladipo, give them the nod in my eyes. They went from a first-round out to a team that could make a deep playoff run. Lowry is a fringe All-Star and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-kyle-lowry-brings-to-the-miami-heat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offers significant offensive versatility</a> that should help reignite a stagnant attack. Tucker, although circumstantial defensively and rather limited offensively, remains a useful rotational big who helps maintain Miami&rsquo;s defensive ethos. Oladipo&rsquo;s offense is highly dependent on his jumper these days, but the defense was quite good last season and he clearly seems to want to be in Miami. Health is a looming question mark, but he can help them when out there.
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Jesse Blancarte: The Los Angeles Lakers entered the offseason with Dennis Schroder hoping to leverage the team&rsquo;s limited cap flexibility into a $100 million contract. The Lakers passed on Schroder, opting to trade for Russell Westbrook, re-sign Talen Horton-Tucker and fill out the roster with solid veterans on minimum deals (including Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore and Wayne Ellington). The Lakers even snagged a few talented, younger players with upside in Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn. L.A. loses some points for reportedly not doing much to re-sign Alex Caruso, but the team added significant depth. Age will be an issue for this roster, but the talent and depth are there for another championship run.
Spencer Davies: This may be an unpopular opinion since all of their additions came via trades, but the Washington Wizards intrigue me as a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. Spearheaded by the acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie &mdash; who should fit like a glove next to Bradley Beal and take some of the playmaking load off the three-time All-Star &mdash; <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/wizards-retooling-led-to-a-competent-roster-surrounding-bradley-beal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the team has retooled well</a>. Something tells me that Kyle Kuzma will be able to breathe a little easier in D.C., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is easily the best sniper with defensive upside that Washington has thrown out there in years. Montrezl Harrell is going to be highly motivated after being dealt away, and perhaps he can develop a rapport with Aaron Holiday as a part of an energetic second unit. Let&rsquo;s not forget that Deni Avdija and Thomas Bryant will return at some point from their injuries too. Throw in a growing Rui Hachimura and Daniel Gafford &mdash; plus a new head coach in Wes Unseld Jr. &mdash; and the Wizards have some real firepower and could make a solid push.
Imman Adan: It&rsquo;s definitely the Nets; they managed to get better despite already being the favorites. However, I&rsquo;m going with the Miami Heat because they got their guy &mdash; Kyle Lowry &mdash; and didn&rsquo;t have to give up very much to get him. They also managed to pick up P.J. Tucker and, if he has anything left in the tank, he can help fill the void Jae Crowder left.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Evan Sidery: Although it remains to be seen how exactly all the new parts fit together, credit to the Chicago Bulls for finally going for it. Lonzo Ball is a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/lonzo-ball-chicago-bulls-form-a-perfect-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">perfect backcourt complement</a> for Zach LaVine, while DeMar DeRozan provides a legit scoring punch as well. If 2020 No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams takes a leap &mdash; and Summer League is showing that&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/chicago-bulls-evolved-patrick-williams-offensive-game-at-nba-summer-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a strong possibility</a> &mdash; Chicago looks the part of a top-six team in the Eastern Conference. Ever since Derrick Rose&rsquo;s prime, Chicago has been yearning for a competitive team. In 2021-22, they have an opportunity to make noise.
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Ethan Fuller: The Miami Heat reeled in the biggest available free-agent name in Kyle Lowry without giving up a treasure trove of talent. Sure, Precious Achiuwa is a tough loss for an aging team, but Lowry is a clear upgrade over Goran Dragic in the short-term. The Heat also signed two underrated additions in P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris without losing rotation players of consequence. Miami is older, more expensive and potentially injury-prone, but the squad is also more talented and more potent as a defensive unit.
Drew Maresca: Shockingly, the Washington Wizards. Most importantly, they got out from under Russell Westbrook&rsquo;s contract, swapping Westbrook for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell. They also added Spencer Dinwiddie, who better complements Bradley Beal than Westbrook did &mdash; a hugely important aspect of his addition. If Dinwiddie bounces back to his old self, the Wizards will compete for a playoff spot in a newly competitive Eastern Conference &mdash; and that might enough to convince Beal to extend.
Chris Sheridan: It is a close call between the Nets, Heat and Lakers... so close that I am going to make it a three-way- tie. I absolutely love Brooklyn's acquisition of Patty Mills. He is a fourth star, if you ask any Australian. They needed a second perimeter defender aside from Bruce Brown, whom they were lucky to keep, and they needed someone off the bench to replace Jeff Green. Miami got Kyle Lowry, which is HUGE, along with Markieff Morris on a one-year deal, which should incentivize him to play to his full potential. Also, they got P.J. Tucker, which I feel is <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-roundtable-breaking-down-this-offseasons-most-underrated-moves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the offseason's most underrated move</a>. For the Lakers, acquiring Russell Westbrook may go down in history as the biggest and best move they could have ever made to facilitate another championship run with LeBron James. He is a vast upgrade over Dennis Schroder, who ended up being too greedy for his wallet's own good. The other role players the Lakers added seem to fit nicely, especially Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and Wayne Ellington for perimeter shooting and Dwight Howard for messing with the minds of opposing centers. They will miss Alex Caruso's defense (and it remains to be seen who can provide that), but they had an impressive offseason.
Jannelle Moore: The Lakers had the best offseason because they knew they didn&rsquo;t have much salary-cap space, but they got creative and still managed to land a star in Russell Westbrook. Many people doubted whether the Lakers could make a splashy move, but they managed to pull off a blockbuster trade with the Wizards. Carmelo Anthony and the role players they brought in were great additions as well.

Which team is the big winner of the 2021 NBA offseason? Our writers share their thoughts.

Roundtable: Which NBA team had the best offseason?

Zach LaVine insisted he had never played on a team as talented as the Chicago Bulls were this season. That made it all the more disappointing.
Instead of gearing up for a potential playoff appearance, the Bulls are once again on the outside looking in.
&ldquo;I'm not upset or spiteful about things that happened," LaVine said Monday. &ldquo;I just know that we have to work on things and get better at them. We are a good team, and this season made us better.&rdquo;
The Bulls finished 11th in the Eastern Conference at 31-41, two games behind Charlotte for the final play-in spot and out of the postseason for the fourth straight year. They think they are on the right track after their first year with Arturas Karnisovas leading the basketball operation and Billy Donovan coaching them. But they're also frustrated.
&ldquo;I'm optimistic because I know that each player is disappointed with the season, and I want them to go into the offseason feeling that way and remember what it feels like,&rdquo; said Karnisovas, Chicago's executive vice president of basketball operations. &ldquo;And, again, to figure out the ways that it doesn't happen again.&rdquo;
The Bulls have holes to fill on the roster, whether it's a play-making point guard or help on the wing. They could be in the market for a big man, depending on whether they retain Lauri Markkanen, Young and Daniel Theis.
They ranked 27th in the NBA in turnovers per game and last in free-throw attempts. Clearly, there is work to do.
But there were also positives to take from this season.
LaVine was an All-Star for the first time in his seven seasons. The Bulls landed a top-tier post presence at the trade deadline when they acquired Nikola Vucevic from Orlando.
Patrick Williams showed promise as a rookie. Second-year pro Coby White improved down the stretch, though it remains to be seen if his future is at the point or not.
TRADE REFLECTION
The trade for Vucevic didn't pay off the way the Bulls hoped. Not in the short term, anyway.
They thought they were setting themselves up for a playoff push this season when they acquired him. Instead, they went 12-17 the rest of the way.
&ldquo;We are happy to add Vuc in this equation,&rdquo; Karnisovas said.
Vucevic, who has two years left on his contract, averaged 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in 26 games for Chicago. But the Bulls struggled to develop the chemistry they needed.
There was little practice time because of the condensed schedule brought on by the pandemic. It didn't help, either, that LaVine missed 11 games late in the season because of COVID-19. Chicago went 4-7 in that stretch.
Their first-round pick this year would go to Orlando as part of the Vucevic trade if it's not in the top four.
MARKED DOWN
Karnisovas called Markkanen &ldquo;an essential part of our team&rdquo; and hopes to have him back next season.
The 7-foot Finn averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds &mdash; both career lows &mdash; while setting personal bests by shooting 48% overall and 40.2% on 3-pointers. He also missed 21 games in another injury-filled season and lost his starting job along the way.
DONOVAN'S INFLUENCE
Donovan made a big impact in his first year with the Bulls. LaVine called him &ldquo;a true leader.&rdquo; Veteran Garrett Temple, who hopes to re-sign with Chicago, said his pregame and postgame speeches were &ldquo;probably the best I've heard&rdquo; when it comes to holding the team accountable.
LOCKING IN
With one season remaining on a four-year, $78 million contract, LaVine is in line for a hefty raise. And he didn't sound like he would be willing to give the Bulls a discount to give them more flexibility to add other players.
&ldquo;I try to let my performance on the court dictate what I get paid,&rdquo; LaVine said. "I think that&rsquo;s what everybody wants &mdash; to get paid what they&rsquo;re worth. When my time comes, I definitely will get that. I think with different situations, with different people taking less money or taking the max, it&rsquo;s a business at the end of the day. I definitely want what I deserve, and whatever that is, I&rsquo;ll have it coming to me.&rsquo;&rsquo;
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports.

Instead of gearing up for a potential playoff appearance, the Bulls are once again on the outside looking in.

Bulls feel they're on the right track following frustrating, promising season

Before we look ahead to Lakers-Warriors (the most epic game of the week, one would think), the play-in tournament and all of the first-round playoff series that will begin next weekend, we need to take a closer look at the 10 teams that failed to make the expanded postseason and what to expect from them this offseason.
This will be play-in week for the eight NBA teams that qualified for the expanded postseason but did not finish top-six in their respective conferences. Two of them (the losers of the 9/10 games) will be finished with their seasons by Wednesday night, and two more by Friday, moving them into exit interviews and draft-prep mode.
But let&rsquo;s start with a bottom-up look at the teams conducting exit interviews with their players today.
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HOUSTON ROCKETS: The Rockets finished with the NBA&rsquo;s worst overall record (17-55) and worst home record (9-27), and lost their season finale to Atlanta by 29. Since March 29, they lost 23 of 27 games. And let&rsquo;s just say it wasn&rsquo;t supposed to be this way when they opened the season with James Harden, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins on their roster and immediately started getting huge production from Christian Wood. Not yielding to Harden&rsquo;s trade demand in the preseason cost them; the deal that brought them Victor Oladipo actually didn&rsquo;t turn out all that bad for them when they flipped Oladipo for a very productive Kelly Olynyk, but now there is talk of a buyout for Wall, who is owed $91.6 million over the next two years if he exercises his player option, as a long rebuild ensues. Olynyk will be an unrestricted free agent and will likely leave, which means the core they are building around includes Wood, Jae&rsquo;Sean Tate, KJ Martin, Kevin Porter Jr. and whatever they can get for Eric Gordon, who injured his groin in early March and did not return. The next big date on their calendar is the June 22 draft lottery, and because they finished with one of the three worst records, they have an equal chance (with Detroit and Orlando) of winning the No. 1 overall pick, which is projected to be Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State.
DETROIT PISTONS: A season that began with Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin on the roster ended with a 13-point loss to a Miami Heat team that rested most of its regulars, and Troy Weaver heads into the offseason with decisions to make on Cory Joseph (non-guaranteed $12.6 million), Rodney McGruder (non-guaranteed $5 million) and Dennis Smith Jr. (eligible for a $7.7 million qualifying offer). Assuming all of those are declined, but Hamidou Diallo&rsquo;s $2.07 million qualifying offer is extended, the Pistons will have somewhere in the area of $20 million in cap room, depending on where the salary cap comes in following a season of vastly reduced revenues. Jerami Grant was a nice signing a year ago, and now the Pistons need to find some offense from the wing positions and hope Killian Hayes can have a full healthy season. Detroit had the league&rsquo;s fourth-worst offense in terms of points per game. With Isaiah Stewart finishing the season so strongly, is there a market for the underrated Mason Plumlee?
ORLANDO MAGIC: A bottom-three finish seemed unlikely after they started 4-0 and had Nikola Vucevic playing at an All-Star level, and it never quite made sense that they offloaded Vucevic at the same time they got rid of Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier. All-Stars do not grow on trees, and Wendell Carter Jr. (acquired from Chicago) was being outplayed by other bigs on the Bulls and now the same thing is happening on the Magic. They will have Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac back next season, Otto Porter and his expiring $28 million contract now comes off their books, and the only contract decision they have to make soon is whether to pick up Dwayne Bacon&rsquo;s $1.8 million non-guarantee. R.J. Hampton <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-orlando-magic-rj-hampton-q-and-a-i-dont-think-you-can-put-a-cap-on-our-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just won Rookie of the Month for May</a> and Cole Anthony has shown plenty of promise as well. John Hammond, Jeff Weltman and Steve Clifford have roughly $28 million of cap space to work with, and the Magic have their own pick along with Chicago&rsquo;s (top-4 protected). Choosing three of the top-33 draft picks will keep the scouting staff busy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
One of the most exciting rookies in the NBA! HBD <a href="https://twitter.com/The_ColeAnthony?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_ColeAnthony</a> <a href="https://t.co/KW0Y04sOUY">pic.twitter.com/KW0Y04sOUY</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1393623077238493184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2021</a></blockquote>

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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: The only NBA team that never opened its arena to fans, the Thunder made the questionable decision to shelve Al Horford immediately after the trade deadline, after which they lost 26 of their final 29 games, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's injury was handled with extreme caution. Their victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on the final night of the season actually hurt them because it prevented a tiebreak situation with the Magic, who finished with a 21-51 record to OKC&rsquo;s 22-50 record. Sam Presti is going to do what Sam Presti wants to do, and it will be interesting to see whether NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the unprecedented move that was made with Horford &ndash; something his predecessor, David Stern, never would have allowed. If the veteran big man and Gilgeous-Alexander had finished the season, we probably would not have the Spurs in the No. 10 spot. OKC was just five games under .500 in late March.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Cleveland's trophy acquisition is Jarrett Allen, who was a superb pickup by Koby Altman. Still, they were unable to turn Andre Drummond into anything, and the loss of Darius Garland for most of the final three weeks of the season kept him from further developing chemistry with fellow backcourt speedster Collin Sexton. The Cavs still owe Kevin Love $60 million, and they must pay Taurean Prince $13 million next season unless they can find a taker on the trade market. He averaged only 10.1 points and 3.7 rebounds after coming over from Brooklyn, but Altman had to take him for salary-matching purposes. The Anderson Varejao re-signing was pretty cool, so we will give them that. Otherwise, the rebuild figures to be slow unless Love and Prince can be moved, which seems unlikely.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: The A-Rod era will begin next season, and keeping Karl-Anthony Towns happy will be Project A, B and C. One of the league&rsquo;s best people and best players, he has been in the NBA for six years after being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 draft, and he has a nice running mate now in Anthony Edwards along with his buddy, D&rsquo;Angelo Russell. Ricky Rubio, entering the final season of a contract that will pay him $17.8 million, seems superfluous and could be moved if a pick was coming back in return. The Wolves&rsquo; pick in this year's draft will go to Golden State unless it is top-3, in which case Minnesota's 2022 pick becomes unprotected and will go to the Warriors. Chris Finch will have a training camp for the first time to work with whatever the roster looks like, and help will not come through free agency, as the Wolves are projected to be over the cap.
TORONTO RAPTORS: The future of team president Masai Ujiri seems very much up in the air. He is the director of Basketball Without Borders, and ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski has suggested Ujiri <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CODxcX6haii/?igshid=1nsv2bsewml2h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will look elsewhere for his next job</a> and hand the reins over to general manager Bobby Webster. The Raptors get a pass for their failure of a season because they had to relocate to Tampa, Fla., which meant that they basically played 72 road games when not working on their tans and fighting off mosquitoes and alligators. Webster/Ujiri will likely look at all possible sign-and-trade scenarios for Kyle Lowry, who may feel it is time to move on. Decisions must be made on the non-guaranteed contracts of Rodney Hood, Aron Baynes, Chris Boucher, DeAndre' Bembry, Paul Watson Jr., Yuta Watanabe and Freddie Gillespie. If all are declined, the Raps would have about $30 million in cap space to play with.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
2020-21 Closing thoughts: Coach Nurse <a href="https://t.co/ffAsqLN1zv">pic.twitter.com/ffAsqLN1zv</a>
&mdash; Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1394319579237736449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2021</a></blockquote>

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SACRAMENTO KINGS: It would not be surprising to see the Kings lose Richaun Holmes, who has <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-richaun-holmes-qa-interview-free-agency-all-defensive-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turned into a terrific NBA player</a> and may want to play in a bigger market for a franchise that has not grown as accustomed to bad seasons as the Kings have. They have not won a playoff series since 2003-04 and have not played a playoff game since 2005-06. Does Vivek Ranadive keep head coach Luke Walton around? De'Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield account for more than $70 million of next season&rsquo;s payroll, and Marvin Bagley III adds an additional $11.3 million. General manager Monte McNair came up under Daryl Morey in Houston, so he has seen proactive roster turnovers when the situation called for it. What is in question is whether Bagley or Hield could bring anything of value in return on the trade market because both have not lived up to expectations. They seem likely to appear in a similar column approximately one year from now.
CHICAGO BULLS: The Bulls made so many deals at the deadline and did not have enough acclimation time following March 25. Getting Nikola Vucevic at such a small cost was a coup for executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas in his first season. Now he must decide on non-guarantees for Thaddeus Young ($14.1 million) and Tomas Satoransky ($10 million), and the franchise should expect to see Al-Farouq Aminu exercise his player option and thereby remain on the roster with a salary of $10.1 million. Lauri Markkanen should receive his qualifying offer of $9.026 million, and perhaps the biggest question is whether this team will stick with Coby White as the point guard of the future or try to find a way to get a player such as Kyle Lowry to be their primary playmaker.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: All in all, it was not a good season for David Griffin, Stan Van Gundy, Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram after the previous campaign ended with so much promise. The JJ Redick episode did not make anyone happy. The season ended with four-consecutive losses and Ls in six of the final eight games, a $50,000 fine for Griffin for complaining that Williamson&rsquo;s broken finger was the result of rough treatment of the former overall No. 1 pick that was being overlooked by the referees. Not one single player appeared in all 72 games &ndash; although Eric Bledsoe came up closest with 71. James Johnson and Willy Hernangomez are the only unrestricted free agents of note, and Lonzo Ball will be a restricted free agent who could solve some roster problems through a sign-and-trade. Griffin will have three extra second-round picks, and next year he gets the Lakers&rsquo; pick unprotected.

Chris Sheridan checks in with the organizations whose respective seasons ended Sunday and areas they'll need to address.

Closing the door on the NBA's 10 non-playoff teams

A bunch of really good players got traded to really good teams at the NBA trade deadline, and some of them are doing better than others.&nbsp;
Why is that?
...Dare we quote Allen Iverson?
Chatter around the NBA includes complaints that teams do not have enough time to conduct practices regularly, in part because they spend so much time adhering to COVID protocols and being tested. The condensed schedule doesn't help either.&nbsp;
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said teams have practiced anywhere from 15-to-40 times, declining to be more specific. It varies from team to team.&nbsp;
The Dallas Mavericks have practiced 25 times, spokesman Scott Tomlin said.
When asked how often the team has practice, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, "Rarely.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Mostly because of the schedule -- 29 some games in 30 or so days is hard," Cuban added. "So any days off are needed rest days... But sometimes you have to force-fit a practice. It's not that we can't. It's just that the physical toll of the schedule and the need for recovery by players make it difficult.&rdquo;
For teams that made midseason moves, it's tougher than ever to get new players acclimated. &nbsp; The Mavs acquired JJ Redick from New Orleans, but he has not yet played for Dallas, who had won five games in a row before dropping a 102-93 decision against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
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The best player in that game was Kelly Olynyk of Houston, who was acquired from Miami and is arguably Stephen Silas&rsquo; best or second-best player these days. Olynyk has averaged 17.4 points on 59.7% shooting since the trade.
But this column is about teams that are either in the playoff picture or in the hunt, so let&rsquo;s start with the best teams (listed by winning percentage), the player(s) they acquired and how things have been going since the March 25 deadline.&nbsp;
UTAH JAZZ (39-13): Acquired Matt Thomas from Toronto for a future second-round pick, but he has only seen spot minutes in four games and has done nothing of note.
PHOENIX SUNS (36-15): Acquired Torrey Craig from Milwaukee for cash, and he has been getting regular rotation minutes off the bench and scored in double figures in three of 11 games. He shot well, but was a minus-10 in 12 minutes in the Suns&rsquo; overtime victory over Utah on Wednesday.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers (35-16): Acquired George Hill from the Thunder and Ignas Brazdeikis from the Knicks. Hill has yet to play because of a thumb injury, but conceivably will help in the playoffs; Brazdeikis was waived Thursday. He played just eight minutes in one total game and missed all three of his shots.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (35-18): Acquired Rajon Rondo from Atlanta for Lou Williams and two second-round picks. Prior to going for 15 points and nine assists (and a plus-24) in 19 minutes against Phoenix last night, he had taken seven shots in two games and made two of them. But he plays that way from time to time every regular season, and then the playoffs come -- and we all know what happens. That&rsquo;s why he is known as &ldquo;Playoff Rondo.&rdquo; Nobody ever had that nickname, not even Robert Horry, so stay tuned.
DENVER NUGGETS (33-18): Acquired Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark from the Magic for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a future first-round pick; landed JaVale McGee from the Cavs for Isaiah Hartenstein and a future second-rounder. The Nuggets have not lost since Gordon arrived, and he has moved into the starting lineup in place of Paul Millsap. He has not been quite as proficient as teammate Michael Porter Jr., but he is shooting nearly 61% from the field while averaging 12.5 points. He was averaging 14.6 points in Orlando on 43.7% shooting. McGee has appeared only briefly in two games. Clark was waived on Thursday following the team's two-way contract signing of Shaq Harrison.
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MILWAUKEE BUCKS (32-18): Acquired P.J. Tucker and Rodions Kurucs from Houston for D.J. Augustin and D.J. Wilson, with some first-round picks and swaps changing hands, too. Tucker played in only three games, making one of four shots, before suffering a strained left calf that has sidelined him since March 24. Kurucs has not played.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (30-21): Acquired Norman Powell from the Portland Trail Blazers for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood. Powell was playing like the best player on the Raptors for all intents and purposes, and with Portland, he is logging heavy minutes as a starter and had a 32-point game in a loss to the Clippers on Tuesday night. Terry Stotts has a heck of a starting lineup, but in the end, it will all come down to the Blazers&rsquo; defense, as it always does. The Jazz outscored them 40-19 in the third quarter last night.
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CHARLOTTE HORNETS (26-24): The best team that nobody ever talks about (especially given the fact that LaMelo Ball went down) acquired Brad Wanamaker from Golden State for a second-round pick, and the Danny Ainge castoff has been solid (8.2 points, 3.2 assists), if not spectacular as the backup point guard in his 20-plus minutes per game.
ATLANTA HAWKS (27-25): They are 4-1 with former Sixth Man Award winner Lou Williams coming off the bench, and he has shot 60% from three-point range in 24 minutes per game. The Hawks gave up 131 points to the Memphis Grizzlies, which is not the sign of a good defensive team, but Lou was not acquired for his &ldquo;D.&rdquo; And the Grizzlies have been playing well lately.&nbsp;
MIAMI HEAT (27-25): Acquired Victor Oladipo from Houston for Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a pick swap; landed Nemanja Bjelica from Sacramento for Moe Harkless and Chris Silva; picked up Trevor Ariza from Oklahoma City for Meyers Leonard and a second-round pick. The East&rsquo;s most confounding team not named &ldquo;Celtics&rdquo; is 5-3 since the deadline passed, having just beaten the Lakers. Oladipo has shot only 23.5% from three-point range and has contributed relatively little. Now, Oladipo will miss the Heat's four-game road trip due to a right-knee injury. Ariza has moved into the starting lineup and has been hot and cold like a leaky faucet; and Bjelica has played six games, with his best performance coming in a win over the Cavs when he had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
BOSTON CELTICS (26-26): The team that got nothing in return for Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford picked up Evan Fournier from Orlando for Jeff Teague and two second-round picks; they also landed Moe Wagner and Luke Kornet from the Bulls for Daniel Theis and Javonte Green. The Celtics sit at seventh in the East. Fournier had an inglorious debut in green, going 0-for-10, but had a couple of very nice games since then, going a combined 11-for-16 from three in his two most recent games. He averaged 3 points in his first two games and 20 points in his next two. Kornet has proven serviceable, and Wagner has started in a game.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS (24-25): Acquired an injured Marquese Chriss from Golden State, presumably so that somebody down the line could replace LaMarcus Aldridge (who eventually was bought out and signed with the Nets). This sinking ship has lost four in a row, including a 24-point defeat at the hands of the JuggerCavs; Chriss was released to make room for Gorgui Dieng, who they signed off the buyout market.&nbsp;
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CHICAGO BULLS (22-28): Acquired Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and a pair of first-round picks; landed Daniel Theis, Javonte Green and Troy Brown Jr. from Boston and Washington in a three-team trade. These moves made Billy Donovan the winner of the &ldquo;Figure It Out On The Fly&rdquo; award. Vucevic, an All-Star, has adapted quickly, going for 32 points and 17 rebounds against the Pacers on Tuesday; Aminu and Green have not been rotation players. Theis was okay before going for 14 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday, and Brown has come off the bench and provided depth as a defense-first, playmaking forward. Arturas Karnisovas perhaps earned the &ldquo;Executive of the Year&rdquo; award for getting Vucevic, who will be the best player on the court in every play-in game he participates in.&nbsp;
Donovan will eventually have to acclimate the new Bulls with the old Bulls through practice, and it&rsquo;ll be up to him how to make that happen.
Yes, Mr. Iverson, we are talkin&rsquo; about practice. NBA teams are averaging about 1.8 practices per week this year. Last year (pre-bubble), it was 1.9, and the year before it was 2.0.
Practice makes perfect, and nobody in the NBA is unbeaten. But somebody is going to emerge as a champion by the end of the season, and how to get there is every team&rsquo;s ongoing challenge.

Chris Sheridan checks in on the players who were dealt at the NBA trade deadline and how they've performed with their new teams.

How recently-traded players on good teams are faring

In addition to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., MVP favorite Nikola Jokic now has Aaron Gordon flanking him, and the Denver Nuggets are better than they were a year ago when they went to the Western Conference Finals.
They got JaVale McGee, too, which means Mike Malone can give The Joker a breather and not have to hold his breath, and so we put the Denver Nuggets squarely in the winners column of today's NBA trade deadline results.
The Portland Trail Blazers did well Thursday, too, acquiring Norman Powell from the Toronto Raptors as an eventful day went down without Kyle Lowry or Andre Drummond or Hassan Whiteside being dealt, although there were teams that were trying.&nbsp;
The Miami Heat kept their cap space for the summer and added Victor Oladipo and Nemanja Bjelica, and the Atlanta Hawks will be the newest place where Lou Williams will continue his illustrious career, joining a young group that has turned things around under new head coach Nate McMillan.
The Chicago Bulls not only landed Nikola Vucevic, but also Boston Celtics big man Daniel Theis and Al-Farouq Aminu from the Orlando Magic, as Arturas Karnisovas aced his first trade deadline. Even if they stick in 10th place and are a play-in team, Vucevic is an All-Star who will give them a puncher&rsquo;s chance should they make it out of the play-in and go up against one of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Their fans finally have hope.
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The Magic basically traded every good player they had on their roster, but does that necessarily make them losers? Once Markelle Fultz went down in the first month of the season, that franchise quickly came to realize it had topped out at the end of last season. The Jonathan Isaac injury made this year an exercise in futility, and general manager John Hammond did what he had to do -- get whatever he could for the three best players on his team in Vucevic (sent to the Bulls), Gordon (sent with Gary Clark to the Nuggets) and Evan Fournier (sent to the Celtics).
Hammond and Orlando received keepers in return, like Gary Harris, Wendell Carter and R.J. Hampton, so that grade is &ldquo;incomplete" because it was necessary. Perhaps more importantly, the Magic got a top-five protected 2025 first-round pick from the Nuggets, two first-round picks from the Bulls ('21 top-four protected, '23 with light protection) and a pair of second-rounders from the Celtics.
Boston was dealing from a position of strength because nobody else had the cap space (via the Gordon Hayward trade exception) to absorb Fournier&rsquo;s contract. We shall see if Moritz Wagner and Luke Kornet in the middle will be better than what they had in Theis. It could also mean more playing time for Robert Williams III.
Fournier gives the Celtics another player who gets the job done on both ends of the floor, and the core of his team (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart) is a proven commodity -- no matter what their record says. If Boston can gather a head of steam heading into the postseason, it will not matter what their seed is. So Ainge goes into the winners column, tentatively.
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The same goes for Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson and the Dallas Mavericks, who got themselves a pair of shooters in JJ Redick and Nicolo Melli, who can knock down threes when Luka Doncic drives and dishes. Redick is one of the strongest character guys in the league and a huge locker room voice. This trade is sneaky good.&nbsp;
The Philadelphia 76ers picked up George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder, giving them a veteran point guard to add to a rotation of a team that has somehow stayed atop the East throughout Joel Embiid&rsquo;s injury absence. And Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers did not have to trade Mike Scott, who was the only rotation player mentioned in pre-deadline trade possibilities. It appears we are down to Rivers vs. Monty Williams for Coach of the Year. (Sorry, Thibs)
We have to have some losers in this, don't we? By default, that distinction includes the New Orleans Pelicans, who were unable to find a taker for Lonzo Ball by virtue of the fact that he is going to be a restricted free agent in the offseason. Once the Bulls were out of the picture following the Vucevic trade, the team best equipped to give something up for him -- the New York Knicks -- made the wise decision to wait until free agency to see if they can get him that way. All that Leon Rose surrendered were spare parts in Austin Rivers and Ignas Brazdeikis; the Knicks will roll the dice in the postseason with Julius Randle doing everything in the meantime and Tom Thibodeau game-planning for whatever opponent they end up going up against.
It would be easy to throw Toronto into the losers column because they did not get much for Powell or Matt Thomas (Gary Trent Jr. could potentially bolt as a free agent, and they did not get anything for Kyle Lowry, who stayed put. But giving away a player of that caliber for less than a fair price represents Masai Ujuri standing his ground in the face of what he felt were subpar offers from the Heat, Sixers and Los Angeles Lakers. A sign-and-trade could be an option over the summer, and Lowry may even decide to stay with the Raptors.&nbsp;
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The thing about the trade deadline is that it is only one of three key transactional periods &ndash; draft night being the second, and the opening days of free agency being the third.
The Blazers have been a sleeper all season and now have Powell, a 27-year-old averaging nearly 20 points per game, who can continue to send out Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the years ahead. Neil Olshey did well. Trent and Rodney Hood were superfluous.
By the end of the season, it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see whether Powell to the Blazers or Gordon to the Nuggets ended up being the better trade. Both of those West contenders got a heck of a lot better, and the Lakers are clearly on notice with a bunch of teams gunning for them -- and that includes the Los Angeles Clippers, who cut bait with Lou Williams and will take their chances with Rajon Rondo.
New Orleans can still move Ball in a sign-and-trade, so the runaway winner of the loser portion is the Houston Rockets, who turned Victor Oladipo into Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a potential ability to swap 2022 draft picks.
Let&rsquo;s not forget that Rockets general manager Rafael Stone could have kept Caris LaVert and Jarrett Allen from the Brooklyn Nets, or received Ben Simmons from Philadelphia earlier this season -- before the James Harden trade turned into a four-team deal. Instead, now with Oladipo off to Miami, the Rockets ended up with pennies on the dollar for a guy who may end up winning an MVP award and an NBA championship, depending on how the Nets do in the playoffs.&nbsp;
We shall wait and see if the Clippers join that column. What remains to be seen is whether Kawhi Leonard decides to exercise his player option over the summer. If he declines, he can go to the Heat (who did not take on any long-term contracts) or New York to write the next chapter of his career.
But for now, the winners outnumber the losers, and that makes this a good trade deadline day.

Chris Sheridan recaps a busy day in the NBA with who performed the best and who performed the worst at the 2021 trade deadline.

NBA trade deadline winners and losers

Victor Oladipo posted 32 points in his Houston debut, but the Rockets ultimately lost 120-125 to the Chicago Bulls.