by kibaxx7 on Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:00 am
The Bulls entered the offseason with numerous question marks surrounding the organization, trying to take the necessary steps to build a championship-caliber team once again. By trading Luol Deng earlier in the season to free up cap space, the team is in a great position to improve the roster. However, looking forward to next season the Bulls must focus on one thing and one thing only: signing players who can score, as the team was ranked last in points per game this season as well as the last -- averaging just over 93 points per game the past two years. There is a tough decision to make with power forward Carlos Boozer, who struggled the last two seasons; if the team cannot find someone willing to take him, the Bulls will be forced to amnesty him in order to save $16.8 million. The Carmelo Anthony rumors have existed since he announced he would test free agency before the season began, but the Bulls will need to make some moves in order to sign him.
• May 11 // Gasol could be interested • Pau Gasol's name had been thrown around as a possible option for the Bulls this offseason, and while the big man said he'd prefer to remain with the Lakers in an interview with the Spanish sports website Marca, he also did say he could be interested in coming to Chicago (via the LA Times). The Spaniard looked like a guy severely on the decline in 2012-13, but he did bounce back to put up much better numbers this year, averaging 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds. Of course, just like 2012-13, Gasol once again dealt with nagging injuries for much of the year, which is a major concern going forward. He's going to turn 34 in July, and his big body just might not be able to handle the rigors of a full season anymore. He could be an intriguing option with the Bulls because of his skill set and the need for some frontcourt help, but the price would have to be just right due to his age and injury problems.
• May 28 // It may not take much to bring Mirotic stateside • As holders of his draft rights, Nikola Mirotic was limited to negotiating with the Bulls -- that means they were able to get him far more cheaply than on the open market. Of course there was incentive for Mirotic to come to the NBA and get the clock started on his next contract as soon as possible, but not enough to compensate for the buyout for Real Madrid. Mirotic's shooting would be nearly unparalleled at the power forward position. He also brings excellent passing, the abilities to attack off the bounce on closeouts and post up smaller players. His defense and rebounding will not be a strength, but he is tough. He is worth perhaps as much as $8 million a year on the open market, so securing his services for only $3.5 million a year to start is probably the most efficient possible use of the Bulls’ cap space short of acquiring a true superstar. Not only would the news that Mirotic could be easier to bring over than thought previously be good for his future with the Bulls, he could become a lot more desirable as a trade asset in getting that 'true superstar'.
• June 7 // Bulls have made offer for Love, per report • According to several media outlets, the Minnesota Timberwolves privately maintained they already have fielded better offers from other teams, among them the Chicago Bulls, who could offer draft picks and some combination of Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson along with Boozer, whose bloated contract expires next summer and represents the kind of cap space rebuilding teams crave. Bulls fans had been throwing around Love's name as a target for quite some time, and it looked like he might be available -- a good time to pounce after playing in 77 games last season (all starts), averaging career-highs of 26.1 points and 4.4 assists along with 12.5 rebounds. Love had reportedly named the Bulls as an "intriguing" destination. There was some debate over whether the Bulls would be better served acquiring Love or Anthony, but, obviously getting either one would be phenomenal. Anthony probably better fits the Bulls' need of a "pure" scorer.
• June 19 // Chicago reportedly pursuing Afflalo • Arron Afflalo was mentioned as a potential backup plan if the Bulls didn't land Anthony or Love, and Chicago was apparently pursuing the Magic shooting guard, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. Afflalo was coming off the best season of his career in Orlando, averaging 18.2 points while shooting 45.9 percent overall and 42.7 percent from three; he just missed the All-Star Game, which was probably a product of being on such a poor Magic squad. His defense isn't all that great, but that was of little concern at that point in time. If he were to be acquired, he would have been the best 2-guard the Bulls have had in years and would have slotted in nicely next to Derrick Rose, likely allowing Butler to move to his more natural position at the 3. The Bulls need shooting in the worst way, and Afflalo would have filled that need.
• June 27 // Bulls trade up; add McDermott, Bairstow to roster • There were some moves prior to the draft, as Denver acquired their former SG, Afflalo from Orlando. The Bulls were rumored to have been in on Afflalo, though it was tough to determine whether that was part of a Anthony pursuit or a backup plan for cap space if that option failed. So the Bulls took the draft route -- Doug McDermott was picked #11 by the Nuggets, and the Bulls traded their #16 and #19 picks to Denver for his rights. The Creighton product's pedigree (4-year college player, part of a successful team) harkens back to John Paxson's picks of the past. The Bulls also received Anthony Randolph in the deal, but was traded almost a month later to the Magic. Cameron Bairstow was selected with the 49th pick; originally from Australia, he is a 6'10" senior from New Mexico and was the 2014 Mountain West tournament MVP and first-team all-Mountain West last season.
• July 15 // Boozer officially amnistied by Bulls • The Bulls said goodbye to Boozer, using the amnesty clause to cut the veteran forward after four seasons with the team. He came to Chicago in a sign-and-trade deal with Utah in July 2010, and the two-time All-Star averaged 15.5 points and nine rebounds in 280 games with the team; he had one season left on a five-year deal worth roughly $75 million. With the amount of money the Bulls have paid for his level of production and his struggle to keep up on defense, his contract holds the team back. With averages of 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 2013-14, the Bulls did try to trade Boozer before actually using the amnesty provision, but it never panned out. The 32-year-old took to Twitter to thank the team for his four seasons with Chicago. The Bulls also waived forward Lou Amundson (who later signed with the Cavaliers) and guards Mike James and Ronnie Brewer as they continued to clear salary-cap space for the signings of Gasol and Mirotic.
• July 19 // Bulls sign Gasol, Mirotic • "It hasn't been easy. After meditating it a lot I've chosen to play with the Chicago Bulls. Looking forward to this new chapter of my career", said Gasol on Twitter, officially announcing his agreement with the team. The upgrade from Nazr Mohammed (who stays as a bench warmer) as backup center to Pau is immense: he remains as skilled as any player in the league when operating out of the high post or low post. He averaged 17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. "I am very happy and excited to announce that next season I will be playing with the Bulls. Today I fulfill a dream", tweeted Mirotic. This was always the first offseason that saw the chance of Mirotic coming over, and while there initially was some questions about him coming, those were mostly erased due to his somewhat messy exit with Real Madrid. With Mirotic agreeing to the buyout several weeks ago, the Bulls had basically all the leverage in negotiations. His signing killed any chance of him being moved to Minnesota in a potential trade for Love. First, he couldn't be traded for 30 days; second, the Bulls had zero intention to move him. The team clearly values him highly, reportedly even turning down a top-10 pick in the draft for him.
• July 23 // Bulls re-sign Hinrich, add Brooks • In what should probably be characterized as the surest thing of the offseason, Kirk Hinrich is returning. With Charlotte falling out of the chase, it probably didn't even matter if they did keep chasing Hinrich, because it was his destiny to come back to Chi-Town -- both the organization and head coach Tom Thibodeau rate him highly in the locker room. An 11-year veteran of the NBA, he has played in 767 (636 starts) regular-season games and averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists. His return eliminated the chances of D.J. Augustin coming back (he would sign with Detroit a couple of days later). With Rose still out, the Bulls went shopping for another bargain point guard, and Aaron Brooks fitted the mold: short, quick and can shoot the rock. Considering how players like Augustin or Nate Robinson often looked in Thibs' system, it's not hard to envision Brooks flourishing if given the opportunity. Last season with the Rockets and Nuggets, Brooks appeared in 72 games (12 starts) and averaged 9.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.2 dimes.
• August 15 // Bulls season schedule announced • The NBA officially announced the schedule for the 2014-15 season, with the Bulls opening their season on October 29, visiting Anthony and the Knicks at Madison Square Garden; that's followed by the home opener against Love, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and the Cavs at the United Center on Halloween. There are 11 road games due to the Circus Trip, but only five of the 15 November games are against playoff teams from last season, and one of those is Indiana. Having a lighter early schedule is definitely nice as Rose gets his legs back and the newcomers gel together. The Bulls have one other longish road trip, coming at the tail end of January into February. That's a six-gamer, while the Circus Trip will be seven games. Chicago has a seven-game homestand in February/March, but the end of it is part of a rather brutal stretch of games that includes Oklahoma City, the Clippers and later San Antonio on the road.
• September 16 // Rose, Team USA clinch FIBA World Championships in Spain • Team USA accomplished its goal, winning the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup by routing Serbia in Madrid, 129-92. At the conclusion of the opening period -- of which Rose played the final 1:21 -- Mike Krzyzewski's squad held a 35-21 advantage, completely changing the tenor of the game with a 28-6 run to close the frame. Rose started the second quarter, notching a steal and an assist. He then played the final 2:35 of the third quarter and heading into the final stanza, Team USA had turned the game into a laugher, 105-67. One popular opinion is concerned with his play, mostly featuring an off-target jumper and inexplicable turnovers, while playing a limited, reserve role behind Irving; but he was back on the court, playing nine games in 16 days -- including five in six days, which is especially significant because he’s only played 10 NBA regular-season games in the past two years. While he was certainly rusty, the Chicago native’s explosiveness was on display in games that actually mattered, with and against top competition.
Last edited by
kibaxx7 on Sat Nov 29, 2014 11:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
× Club Atlético Independiente. ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched: Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×