Sure, it’s cynical, but when has that been wrong conserving this franchise?
I’m still amazed, after the past 20 years, that people can’t see straight through this ownership/front office. The Bulls have had countless times through the years to rid themselves of payroll, to add players through exceptions, and many other ways.
Just because Reinsdorf could get $20 million in cap space doesn’t mean he wants. That would mean he’d then be expected to spend another $20m. He won’t do that. It won’t significantly improve their chances of hosting more playoff home games, so what’s the point.
The Bulls exist to make profit for Reinsdorf. That’s all. That’s it. If they can win despite that, sure, that’s okay. But Reinsdorf doesn’t have the same priorities fans do.
I feel very confident in thinking that part of the reason Karnisovas says they’re expecting/hoping he comes back is because it defers any question about why they haven’t applied for the Disabled Player Exception.
And if you don’t believe AK is that clever or that slimy, then it could also just be “advice” he’s getting from someone higher up to avoid questions about it, and he’s happy to take that advice.
Bulls just really need to see what and how much he can help bring to the table to help the Bulls first.
After all he is a player well known to make other players play better and we also need to see how good or bad Lonzo can play defense and hold up with no more injuries
Why? It's HIGHLY unlikely he comes back and is anything more than half the player he was previously. He'll still be incredibly injury-prone. If he's half the player he was, he's worse than Coby and Ayo while making basically both of their salaries combined.
Don't get me wrong, I love Lonzo's game. Hard-nosed defensive point guards that prefer setting up their teammates over scoring are basically my favorite basketball players (hence the username). But if I'm the GM, the very slim chance Lonzo comes back resembling his former self and somehow manages to stay injury free just isn't worth it. Especially on a team that isn't really going anywhere.
I think every signal is blinking that they are going to clear the decks this summer (and into next season because they're lazy and uninspired and lack urgency), not nearly as much as we wish they would and not as much as they need to. If they were really going to commit to it, then Lonzo's salary would be useful to package with more for an even more toxic contract and picks or at least a distressed young player or two. It's not magic and I'm not a genius, Sam Presti and Sean Marks have been doing this for more than a decade now, if you're going to start over it's the best way to use your payroll as an asset bank.
But Reinsdorf seems constitutionally incapable of paying for that, even if he has to make a minimum payroll anyway and spend it on SOMETHING. So they'll probably just buyout Lonzo at the deadline for no apparent reason and chug through another rebuilding phase with few to no additional picks.
I hold out a little hope that they'll get creative this summer since I think a few of the teams with huge payrolls and 1st round exits are going to find each other and swap assets back and forth. The more instability in the league, the better it is to get something at all for DeRozan in a sign-and-trade, maybe move Zach (as sticky as that looks) and maybe even slip Vucevic into a deal for someone that's going to find themselves too small to compete. Mat Ishbia seems like a fucking idiot and hopefully Isiah is still in the picture there. It's our best hope.
i'd have to find it, but there was some report around the deadline that the Bulls were considering selling Lonzo's contract as a cheapness trade chip, where the receiving team still gets the insurance reimbursement
that would be great. completely antithetical to Reinsdorf's entire history, but great
This article Deserves an Award. Masterful explanation of what needs to happen. For Lonzo to pick up that option was a slap in the face to every BuLLs fan
Not sure I'd say it's a slap in the face to us Bulls fans. Pretty sure each and every one of us would have done that same thing if we were in his position.
It's not his fault that AK offered a four year deal worth $80 million to a guy who had already shown serious signs of injury concerns. Sure, no one would have guessed that he'd miss two and a half years straight, but anyone who thought he'd average more than 50 games a year was being highly optimistic.
The Lonzo trade was a huge gamble from the start, and just like with Vooch and Zach, AK overpaid for a product that seriously underdelivered. Taking big swings is par for the course for most NBA GMs. It's what you do when they don't work out that sets you apart. AK had multiple opportunities to admit some of his big acquisitions didn't work out and move on from them, but he never did. Instead he doubled down on them, and that's why we're where we're at right now.
I'd have happily accepted Lonzo charitably denying his player option, but in all honesty it would have been stupid of him to do. He did what made the most sense for himself and his family. I'm not mad at that.
Bulls and other NBA teams still need to see how his fractured knee can hold up before Bulls can make their decision to keep or trade him.
Don't forget Lonzo was once a very solid true offensive and defensive point guard before he got injured and if Bulls are smart they should break him in slowly to get the best out of him, and don't overwork him down to the ground like Thibedo did with fan favorite Derrick Rose and just recently with Jalen Brunson when he broke his hand against the Indiana Pacers.
I agree with this take. Especially with Coby still growing. I don’t think even now, that he’s as good or better than Lonzo was. So if Lonzo has a chance to get back to that, I’d rather the one season flier. And if it doesn’t work out he’s off the books completely after that. This is sort of a dead/lost year anyway.
Nacho Libre gif: "It's the best, I love it!"
Sure, it’s cynical, but when has that been wrong conserving this franchise?
I’m still amazed, after the past 20 years, that people can’t see straight through this ownership/front office. The Bulls have had countless times through the years to rid themselves of payroll, to add players through exceptions, and many other ways.
Just because Reinsdorf could get $20 million in cap space doesn’t mean he wants. That would mean he’d then be expected to spend another $20m. He won’t do that. It won’t significantly improve their chances of hosting more playoff home games, so what’s the point.
The Bulls exist to make profit for Reinsdorf. That’s all. That’s it. If they can win despite that, sure, that’s okay. But Reinsdorf doesn’t have the same priorities fans do.
I feel very confident in thinking that part of the reason Karnisovas says they’re expecting/hoping he comes back is because it defers any question about why they haven’t applied for the Disabled Player Exception.
And if you don’t believe AK is that clever or that slimy, then it could also just be “advice” he’s getting from someone higher up to avoid questions about it, and he’s happy to take that advice.
Bulls just really need to see what and how much he can help bring to the table to help the Bulls first.
After all he is a player well known to make other players play better and we also need to see how good or bad Lonzo can play defense and hold up with no more injuries
Why? It's HIGHLY unlikely he comes back and is anything more than half the player he was previously. He'll still be incredibly injury-prone. If he's half the player he was, he's worse than Coby and Ayo while making basically both of their salaries combined.
Don't get me wrong, I love Lonzo's game. Hard-nosed defensive point guards that prefer setting up their teammates over scoring are basically my favorite basketball players (hence the username). But if I'm the GM, the very slim chance Lonzo comes back resembling his former self and somehow manages to stay injury free just isn't worth it. Especially on a team that isn't really going anywhere.
I think every signal is blinking that they are going to clear the decks this summer (and into next season because they're lazy and uninspired and lack urgency), not nearly as much as we wish they would and not as much as they need to. If they were really going to commit to it, then Lonzo's salary would be useful to package with more for an even more toxic contract and picks or at least a distressed young player or two. It's not magic and I'm not a genius, Sam Presti and Sean Marks have been doing this for more than a decade now, if you're going to start over it's the best way to use your payroll as an asset bank.
But Reinsdorf seems constitutionally incapable of paying for that, even if he has to make a minimum payroll anyway and spend it on SOMETHING. So they'll probably just buyout Lonzo at the deadline for no apparent reason and chug through another rebuilding phase with few to no additional picks.
I hold out a little hope that they'll get creative this summer since I think a few of the teams with huge payrolls and 1st round exits are going to find each other and swap assets back and forth. The more instability in the league, the better it is to get something at all for DeRozan in a sign-and-trade, maybe move Zach (as sticky as that looks) and maybe even slip Vucevic into a deal for someone that's going to find themselves too small to compete. Mat Ishbia seems like a fucking idiot and hopefully Isiah is still in the picture there. It's our best hope.
i'd have to find it, but there was some report around the deadline that the Bulls were considering selling Lonzo's contract as a cheapness trade chip, where the receiving team still gets the insurance reimbursement
that would be great. completely antithetical to Reinsdorf's entire history, but great
This article Deserves an Award. Masterful explanation of what needs to happen. For Lonzo to pick up that option was a slap in the face to every BuLLs fan
Not sure I'd say it's a slap in the face to us Bulls fans. Pretty sure each and every one of us would have done that same thing if we were in his position.
It's not his fault that AK offered a four year deal worth $80 million to a guy who had already shown serious signs of injury concerns. Sure, no one would have guessed that he'd miss two and a half years straight, but anyone who thought he'd average more than 50 games a year was being highly optimistic.
The Lonzo trade was a huge gamble from the start, and just like with Vooch and Zach, AK overpaid for a product that seriously underdelivered. Taking big swings is par for the course for most NBA GMs. It's what you do when they don't work out that sets you apart. AK had multiple opportunities to admit some of his big acquisitions didn't work out and move on from them, but he never did. Instead he doubled down on them, and that's why we're where we're at right now.
I'd have happily accepted Lonzo charitably denying his player option, but in all honesty it would have been stupid of him to do. He did what made the most sense for himself and his family. I'm not mad at that.
one thing I'm not clear on is if the Bulls waived Lonzo would they get the insurance reimbursement
if not, then that's even more money they 'save' by hamstringing their cap
Dude is 88 years old. Would JR outlive a stretched Lonzo contract?
Haha of course he would. He'll live forever.
Bulls and other NBA teams still need to see how his fractured knee can hold up before Bulls can make their decision to keep or trade him.
Don't forget Lonzo was once a very solid true offensive and defensive point guard before he got injured and if Bulls are smart they should break him in slowly to get the best out of him, and don't overwork him down to the ground like Thibedo did with fan favorite Derrick Rose and just recently with Jalen Brunson when he broke his hand against the Indiana Pacers.
I agree with this take. Especially with Coby still growing. I don’t think even now, that he’s as good or better than Lonzo was. So if Lonzo has a chance to get back to that, I’d rather the one season flier. And if it doesn’t work out he’s off the books completely after that. This is sort of a dead/lost year anyway.