How will Josh Giddey impact the Bulls and Zach LaVine’s future?

How will Josh Giddey impact the Bulls and Zach LaVine’s future?

[Music] the Bulls are about to make their draft picks Wednesday today is not Wednesday but this is the episode before the NBA draft this is the bullog podcast brought to you by Toyota Let’s Go Places and along with me today is Casey Johnson Bulls Insider you look you guys are going to want to hear and read everything Casey does for the remainder of the offseason you know he’s trustworthy he’s accurate uh and he’s quick so everything Casey is a part of you’re gonna even if he doesn’t interview somewhere else you’re gonna want to listen to KY what’s up Casey how you doing Tony good good is that is that pressurized situation knowing that the whole wide world of bulls fans are honing in waiting on every tweet every post from Casey Johnson uh part of the gig Man part of the gig all right let’s uh let’s Dive Right In Casey um obviously uh the Bulls have been in the rumor meals um you have even written that the Bulls are being very very active uh this off season so before we get to the rest that we have on the docket for today of this kind of quick preview for the uh for the Bulls draft um is there any other Zack LaVine updates rumors trade updates uh that the Bulls are being that that the Bulls are honing in on or that you’ve heard no I mean they remain active obviously all teams are active at this time because people are doing not only draft prep but also free agency is taking place even though uh that’s not supposed to happen until June 30th so um you know there’s a lot of negotiations between teams and agents all teams kind of are talking to each other and have a sense of what everyone’s trying to do and yeah I mean Zack LaVine is available for the right move um the only thing I would say is you know I think you got to take everything at this time of year with a grain of salt you know people are saying that Philadelphia is definitely out on Zack LaVine well you know what if they strike out on what they want to do in free agency um and then all of a sudden they’re like you know what Zack LaVine looks better so everything’s fluid everything you got to take with a great ass salt there are a lot of agendas at this time of year and the last thing I’d say and I we touched on this a little bit in our last podcast Tony this is important to stress I mean Zack LaVine really fits with Josh gidy and you know there is a scenario in which they try to rehab this relationship and and Zack LaVine especially if they continue making moves where they are taking a step back like let’s say Demar D rozan now walks in free agency or they try to work out a signning trade and they resign Patrick Williams and kind of continue this youth movement I mean Zack LaVine totally fits a young athletic team or at least least the Zack LaVine we saw before last season last season obviously he did not play to his standards and then had the surgery so you just I know everybody wants answers and IMM mediacy in this day and age you just got to see how it plays out but um you know Zach is available for the right move but you know like I said there is a world in which he’s back and on paper he really really fits with Josh Giddy and that I think that’s something to keep in mind would Zach want that um like what what would it what would it take to convince Zach that hey we can work this out um we’re you saw his rehab the roster before you here we can do it again um with you uh around it but like how did it go from it seeming like it was a mutual break to everybody kind of coming back to uh the table well couple things there obviously um you know Zach is under contract okay so uh got three years $138 million left and again I don’t want to I don’t want to paint this as a definitive I’m just saying this is a scenario you have to consider if they’re not able to trade him and he’s back there would be some Rehabilitation on both sides needed to repair a professional working relationship um but you know again the other thing I would say is you know having been doing this a long time like the stances that are taken in the off season can differ once you get into the season I mean people saying things now like oh you know I I don’t want to be back or we we need to get rid of this guy I mean if if you get down in a training camp and you’re stuck with each other you got to figure out a way to make it work and I’ve always said Zack LaVine if nothing else he’s professional and so would it be an ideal scenario maybe not but I’m just saying it’s a scenario you have to consider that is not an easy contract to trade and if you were to be back with the bulls why not try to make the most of it and use his athleticism alongside a dynamic guard uh added to your rotation in Josh giddy when you’ve got Kobe white on the rise and Isa dumu On The Rise um we’ll see what they do on the draft so just something to consider is all is all I’m saying I I do i’ I’ve all along maintained this is a relationship that feels like it’s headed to a divorce I I I stand by that but I’m just saying you gotta everybody wants definitiveness and immediacy in this day and age and and things just don’t work that way in the NBA they are fluid and the Zack LaVine situation is fluid I think my last question on on the Zach piece uh of this is then truly everything is on the table then for uras that they have to consider every single you know option including what if Zach has to stay um so there I guess from their point of view is it’s not like a where it felt like look we don’t want to resign Alex Kusa so we we just have to get what we can there isn’t that push to essentially get rid of Zack LaVine if the return or or The Leverage play from other teams isn’t what they deem would be fair or uh something that they would be interested in this isn’t just we need to get Zack off the roster by any means then well I I think that’s I think that’s taken what I’m saying a little too far I mean I I I I maintain that LaVine trade remains an organizational priority and really from both sides quite frankly so I’m just I’m just all I’m saying is that you the NBA is fluid if it’s a hard contract to move if you’re not able to move it Josh Giddy and Zack LaVine work on paper so then you got to try to make that work but you know look we all expected change this offseason I don’t think many people expected Alex kuso to be the first Domino to fall and that opens up a whole new set of possibilities so you know I expect him to um add a draft pick this week so that’s another young player Josh giddy is 21 uh this as we’ve been writing since the Josh giddy Alex crus trade happened this calls into question demard de rosen’s future here I know both sides have said they want to make this work publicly but you know dear also wants to win but he also wants to get paid so there there are a lot of moving parts to this and there’s really no way to tidy this up and just you on a podcast say this is how it’s going to play out we don’t know it’s fluid it’s it’s fluid in the Bulls Executive offices right now it’s fluid around the league so um obviously we’ll stay on top of as much as we can but there you can’t say anything definitively right now there everything is on the table as Urus said himself in mid April so now that we have the you know a full weekend um since the Alex Caruso Josh giddy trade um Josh is uh expected to speak to the media we’re recording this on Monday tomorrow Tuesday uh so definitely will be on top of that make sure you’re following kyc reading stuff um sure there’s going to be a lot of questions a lot of things uh considering you know the the release statement by Thunder GM uh s presty uh about just how this trade kind of kind of came about um so I guess my first question Casey is not that we have some Breathing Room a little bit um what are your your do you have any more thoughts or reactions uh to Josh giddy being here for Al scus well I think the initial reaction was largely um negative and I would think that now that that first or that multiple waves of negativity has died down I do think people um I I think there are some voices including some prominent ones uh I haven’t heard it but someone I saw on Twitter said Bill Simmons on his podcast has talked about how the Bulls won this trade I mean I I maintain when we taped our last episode that you know in a vacuum you know Josh gidd is a dynamic player with a lot of upside and I recognize that he’s young and I recognize what just happened in the playoffs but that doesn’t mean that he can’t improve in some areas to help him stay on the court in big situations and look man he started 80 games for the number one seed in the west so um you can you can parse the lack of draft Capital all you want you can you know I myself voice that I don’t love that they’re on the clock with a contract decision immediately with uh you know a guy in 21 who has a lot of question marks but you know Sam prey said it himself in the release I wrote it even before that release came out that Sam prey is very high on Josh kidy he just there’s overlap now especially with Shay’s emergence so I do think there’s some people that think that Josh kidy has All-Star potential in the East and he’s only 21 um he’s a dynamic player a lot of upsides so um there are some things you can parse about the trade but just in a vacuum one one for one the Oklahoma City got a a incredibly awesome player that fits where they are and I think the Bulls got a very intriguing Dynamic young player who fits where it looks like they’re the Bulls are going um and so I think to fully judge it we got to wait to see how it plays out but I’m not as down on the trade as some people are I guess that’s the the the easy way to say it yeah I mean I I wasn’t on uh the emergency episode with you and Bulldog uh and so I had some a little time just to kind of parse through my thoughts and and reactions and feelings uh on the trade and I I thought it was so much bigger than just the trade I feel like the trade was a result more than anything um that of course you may feel underwhelmed by what the Bulls got in terms of a direct swap but the if you have issue the issue is larger than just this individual trade um you mentioned we mentioned a lot of people have mentioned that this process should have started a season or two ago um with this roster instead of trying to figure out how you can make it work um they they should have been trying to Pivot you know long before that and that goes with being a GM is seeing things before it comes to fruition a little bit especially with your own roster um before the league kind of gets a hold of well you’re going to lose with or without this player or you’re going to be at you know playin status with or without this key Talent um it’s important to kind of view that as quickly and analyze that as quickly as possible as a GM so you can still maintain leverage so you can still add you know a few picks to that uh that trade that the Thunder didn’t seem like no those picks aren’t for you that’s for somebody else you know later down the road and didn’t feel really much inclined trying to add one um to that trade so I that’s how kind of now in a vacuum um like you mentioned he’s 21 um he has a high basketball IQ of course there’s some very loud uh flaws in his game defensively and three-point shooting being the main culprits uh for Josh giddy he has to get better at that aspect but Lonzo got better right on the three-point shooting Lonzo was a pretty decent and smart Defender um but Billy Donovan as we’ve seen he can coach up a defense uh that’s that’s something that he can do that’s part of his repertoire as a NBA head coach so I’m looking forward to that um my next question Casey is what are you looking forward to to asking or hearing from Josh giddy uh from the press conference tomorrow do you expect to be the starting point guard I mean I can’t help it I I 30 Years in New favors always go right to the most important question in the news I just I hone in on that I mean that’s easily my first question I mean you know I I’m sure he’ll dance around a little bit soft shoot I mean I don’t know I don’t know Josh GM there spoken to him but uh you know I mean that’s clearly the the lead question given what Sam prey said in his release and then I want to explore you know Josh giddy’s uh take on on his exit meetings I mean Sam pry did did emphasize that Josh giddy you know handle self with professionalism it’s not like he threw a temper tant or me just said look if I’m coming off the bench we should try to explore me finding a new home and it made sense for the Thunder and they got a hell of a player to fit oh where where they are man Alice cruso is just the absolute perfect fit for that team um he’s there he’s there Derek white yeah yeah yeah so um yeah so that that’s my first question and then obviously you know get get to try to get to know him a little bit I mean it’s unfortunately um it’s uh via Zoom so we’re not going to be in the room with him um he is here from Australia um things are pretty complicated for the Bulls right now because um not to get too in the weeds here but the Democratic National Convention has taken over the United Center um or is about to take over the United Center so things just aren’t um they don’t have the same working conditions that they they normally do which sounds crazy but that’s the reality of a of a iCal convention Landing in your city so um The Advocate center is right across the street um from the Bulls practice facility and um so yeah we’re gonna get them via Zoom so it’s a little different but uh look forward to get to know him a little bit I think there’s something to your your first and most pertinent question of will will you be the starting point guard uh because we thought Javon Carter was going to be the starting point guard uh when he got here and that obviously did not happen uh training camp went on and here we are with Kobe white being the the starting point guard for this team and it was welld deserved welld deserved throughout the season Kobe proved that yes he should he should have been the starting point guard for this team last year but I’m not going I mean all the indications right you go out you make this trade for one of your more valued assets that you have left in Alis karuso the the guy you traded for also in a contract year being a restricted uh free agent so he’s looking to you know make starter level money here coming up soon and you you know it’s a risk it’s it’s a gamble um that you made with with Josh Giddy and you want to get that proven so if he’s not I don’t want to make this scenario because it’d be awful for all parties involved but he left or wanted to leave OKC because he wasn’t going to be a starter and then to come here uh and seemly have to battle out or fight for that starting point guard position um again you want a competitive environment on your team especially in off season you know to to increase that level of uh competitiveness uh on your team but it’s very difficult to believe that they traded for him and then will put him on the bench yeah I mean I assume that you know on paper he point he pencils in as the starting point guard and then I mean that again underscores you know how much I think Zack LaVine is on the trading block you know because you don’t want to bring Kobe White Off the Bench he’s proven he’s an NBA starter so they’ve got a guard problem and we haven’t even got into the draft where most Mo have them picking a guard um which it’s just I know you cannot pick ber kn and I know you have to P best player available but if they add a guard like what is going on we’ll get into that in a second but yeah I mean to me you know you’ve got a you’ve got a log Jam there and look we haven’t even talked much about IOD dumu and all this I mean I don’t think I think IOD dumu can be a starter I think ideally he’s a bench player on a championship level team and that’s not a knock against I dumu to me he’s a rotational player for every team in this league he is a fantastic player two-way player shown great growth and Improvement but I think ideally if you’re competing for a championship he’s you know Sixth Man seventh man um but we haven’t even got into you know how this impacts his role so they they they’ve got a lot of their plate but it’s clear to me from what San pressy said that Josh giddy views himself as you know wanting to be the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls the io aspect is definitely interesting to me because I I don’t imagine IO just I mean he didn’t do it last year right like we were before last season started we were like IO is going to have to fight for minutes and that dude fought and fought and became a rotational player on this team we didn’t know where he was going to play so I here it comes again A new challenge right with with Josh giddy we’re still leaning that Zack LaVine will be moved so that opens up you know a lot of space obviously uh but I can’t imagine all them all three of them starting at the same time Kobe IO and Josh giddy I just don’t Envision that um IO will play definitely where where he slotted because I think he’s earned the right to be a part of the rotation but I can imagine I going into camp with like well he’s a starting point guard so I’ll just kind of play my role at least earlier on in in the off season I don’t imagine him laying down on that like no you’re gonna have to earn uh being the starter on this team well uh one uh comment consistent training camp story for me every year that I would assume who’s been in the league is don’t count him out every time you count him out he comes back at you with more it’s like every every year you know first year oh he’s headed the G League whoops he’s starting because lonzo’s hurt and it was in the rotation even before lonzo’s hurt second year um I don’t I don’t remember the particulars of the second year but last year yeah um de or Javon Carter I almost called him Devin Carter uh Javon Carter you know coming in uh I’s gonna probably be out on the outside looking in oops I mean the dude just keeps people proving people long he’s gonna be in the rotation I just I I don’t project him to be a starter next season but we’ll see how it plays out man all right let’s move on to draft discussions um obviously I’ve scanned over and you have too Casey just all the different mocks you have made your predictions of you know narrowing down the potential prospects uh that the Bulls should hone in on uh but we’re going to keep saying this until this draft is over that this draft is one of the more unpredictable drafts that we’ve seen recently where there’s still no consensus on who’s the number one pick there’s still no consensus on who the Bulls are slotted to take uh you talking about fluidity this is this stuff has been changing almost every day or every week uh considering what news comes out depending on the trade uh that the Bulls have just did trades and trade rumors um no one can get a a handle on what this trade will look like and the trade is in two days Casey yeah I mean we I think anyone who talks about the drafts emphasizes that it’s really impossible to predict because as you mentioned I mean there’s really not even a for sure consensus on the number one pick and when the number one pick is up in the air you know 48 Hours 60 hours before the draft um you know the whole board can go a Skuse so I maintain that sitting at the sitting at 11 um somebody unlikely will probably be there that the Bulls aren’t expecting and I know that that was the vibe going back to the draft lader I remember talking to a team executive that night at the at McCormack place um the night of the lottery that you know we’re confident we’re going to get a good talent there that was you know kind of the overall vibe from from the front office because it’s just such a crap Sho draft and the consensus is it it’s light on Surefire star power or generational talent but it’s deep on potential you know really really high level Talent so I think you have an opportunity to to stay where you are even though I know the Bulls had talks about moving up and moving back I been give an opportunity to stay where you are and just add a at a very good player um you know I know Devin Carter as I me I mistakenly yeah mistakenly briefly called Javon Carter Devin Carter I know Devin Carter’s been linked to the Bulls quite a bit in in the latest mock drafts Rob Dillingham The Freshman Guard from ky’s name has come up quite a bit so there’s another guard um you know I’ve maintain all along when you’re drafting in a position the Bulls are in you cannot get hung up on needs you have to take best player available and that’s typically most front offenses philos philosophy and certainly has been this uh management regime’s philosophy however I just if they had another guard I just don’t get it I mean it’s like you’ve got let’s run it down before th Wednesday you’ve got Kobe white IOD dumu Zack LaVine Josh giddy dalen Terry Javon Carter I mean what are you doing it’s like and and and uh dalon Terry still needs quite a bit of development um so I don’t know man I I you know I I just uh it’s gonna be wild to me if they had a guard it just is and I look the part crazy part is this first round is guard heavy yeah but um we’ll have to see how it plays out as a quickest well I’ll save my quickest side for for later but go ahead whatever you’re gonna say um as much as the Bulls really don’t have an excuse to not take the best player that’s present to them at 11 if they don’t move up um the way the roster constructed how does it help you if you can’t play them um if it’s such a log Jam right like you got to justify this giddy tra you gotta put him out there to justify the gidy so he needs to play Kobe absolutely needs to play um obviously a lot of this hinges on if they can trade Zack LaVine right um that is that is another aspect to this IO has proven that he needs to play Javon Carter is still on the roster like I don’t if if if they take a guard it will be really confusing but also if that guard happens to be the best player available it’s like I we can ask how they’re going to work them in but I think there would be a group understanding of they had to take the best player available just because their roster isn’t you know weighty with upside and potential on yeah well and te Leaf reading I mean if they do take a guard I mean immediately my speculation will be going to you keep hearing that the Bulls may have to be forced to attach an asset to get off Zack LaVine I mean does that mean and and look I’m not reporting this this is complete speculation but I brought this up before does that mean a very painful decision of attaching like an IA sumu to Zack LaVine to to trade him I personally would not like that move at all I love what IO does I love his toughness his professionalism his two-way Talent his Readiness to play at all times but that if they draft a guard that’s immediately where my mind’s going I mean maybe maybe you’re um maybe your ability to get off of Zack LaVine is sweetened by you know attaching Javon Carter but he’s got he’s not an expiring deal so that that wouldn’t probably be as uh I mean iow isn’t either but io’s obviously better suited for playing time than than Javon Carter for all 30 teams so I don’t know man I’m kind of getting out over my ski here my point is if they had a guard I mean there’s just too many of them so somebody you have to read that is like they feel like they have to trade Zach and attach a guard to that asset that’s that’s how I would read it personally um yeah if um if you had uh your your chance to select uh for the Bulls KC who you hope would land uh at 11 for the well what’s weird is a couple players I’ve been intrigued by um that um are you know and definitely they’re you know they could they’re more two threes so they could well one is a three outright I mean I this is assuming like Dalton connect is gone I I I think he will be I you know he’s he’s a shooter that would help um you know you hear that Ron Holland may be dropping and might be available at um 11 what’s that I saying I saw that as well yeah I mean like that’s a flyer upside that has some potential so that that’s another name that I would probably be intrigued by but two the weird thing for me is two two guys I’ve always kind of just personally liked and I’ve talked to a few Scouts that really liked they’re dropping and I don’t get it I like both these guys um Tyler Smith from the G league night um 69 forward three and D guy um pretty solid played well for the g- league KN last year and then local kid man I I teren Shannon Jr can play I mean I I don’t watch a lot of college basketball I watched one Illinois game in the tournament I was like that dude can play and he’s got some size at almost 66 um again probably a Swingman like two three but I I like the way he he plays and I like the way it seemed like he was kind of tough um again and I’ve had some Scouts someone they think he’s his talent is higher than what he’s being mocked at right now he’s kind of sliding to the back end of the first round so I’m guessing what I’m saying is crazy because they’re probably not worthy of the 11th pick I I don’t know I I don’t I’m not as um draft fluent as some but I just know what I see when I I like it and people that I talk to I trust both those both those guys are names that I would and fit and and also add some size because right now to me this roster is uh unbalanced in terms of size and front court and back court Etc so we we we’ve seen in based on their pattern uh of drafting players they have a specific type right long um can play you know a couple positions um they don’t really draft like the a more a defined more home type of player um so I’m trying to en Envision how AK likes to draft uh versus kind of what’s needed and they need they they they already have the the dalon Terry project um Patrick Williams I think now is past project stays he is what he is um I think um I’m trying to see is there a player like that even though I I don’t really like that at this point for them of of project long athletic guy that guy to me in my head is Cody Williams yeah I was I’m glad you brought him up that’s what I missed but yeah keep that kind of fits how they look to draft at least since they’ve been here um of drafting just get a guy that has all the athletic tools and will train the rest and form and chisel the rest of his NBA game while he’s here I don’t like that strategy but it’s the strategy that they’ve used since uh he’s been in charge here yeah and I’m glad you brought that name because that’s definitely a guy that fits kind of their draft profile and and kind of a tools he Wing um you know he’s been mocked everywhere from high Lottery I’ve seen him as high as five to being available at 11 and going to like 12 or 13 so this again goes back to our original point this draft is very hard to predict but and I’m I’m I’m like everybody else I’m just as excited as anybody to see who who they pick um you know the D and Terry selection came out of left field uh but you’re picking pretty low but I certainly wasn’t expecting that pick um it’s a little bit easier to predict what A team’s going to do when you’re up High um you know I had some Intel on the Patrick Williams selection before the draft in in our tur’s first um draft and uh let’s see they haven’t had a first- round selection in the other two so we only had to worry about two first round picks um yeah and uh obviously hit on Iowa coming from the second round and you know bought in traded into the second round last year for a prospect I think most people are pretty high on in Julian Phillips so um I’m just as excited as anybody to see what happens this week in the draft so crazy as we uh wrap up uh what our fans should they be expecting from you this week this a very very busy week for you busy two weeks right because free agency starts um so here’s our plan first of all on the Bulls Talk podcast so uh we are going to do a podcast reacting to the draft early Thursday morning and it will release same day so expect it around midafternoon afternoon of getting our and Casey’s thoughts about the NBA draft and then free agency is immediately soon after we’re going to come back on Monday uh Monday early Monday morning again do a same day release uh just to make sure you guys are getting the most updated and most accurate information uh from us and we want to make sure that you guys have that as soon as possible uh on top of the accuracy factor and um just a just a full and and and and great conversation that we want to present to you guys so that’s our plan on the bullstar podcast so casy what your fans expect from you on the written aspect yeah so obviously we’ll have a lot of content at NBC Sports chicago.com this week we’ll talk to Josh giddy tomorrow and and have stories uh resulting from his media availability and then you know obviously we’ll have draft coverage Wednesday and Thursday with multiple angles depending on what they do um I am going to advance kind of uh with a column this week my thoughts on what we kind of talked a little bit about here but I’ll put them in written fashion that you know it’s a pretty guard heavy roster and I know you can’t draft based on need but I’d certainly like to see the Bulls add a wing or a front Court player in the draft so lots of Articles at NBC Sports chicago.com this week make sure you guys are keeping up all right right this has been the bull Talk podcast brought to you by Toyota Let’s go places for Bulls Insider Casey Johnson follow him on Twitter at Casey J hoop and your host Tony Gill today follow me on Twitter at vony Gill I’ll be reacting as well online and we can share thoughts come on let’s talk we’re family we family all right get you guys next time for the NBA draft let’s go all right see you peace all right now that’s over I want to tell you the three keys to being a real Chicago sports fan it takes guts sacrifice and downloading the NBC Sports Chicago app when there’s highlights you can pounce on them when there’s exclusive insights you listen and take notes and you won’t get blindsided with the push alerts so download it

In this episode of the Bulls Talk Podcast, K.C. Johnson and Tony Gill dive deep into the latest buzz surrounding the Bulls. They explore Zach LaVine’s trade options this offseason and discuss whether the Bulls might try to repair their relationship with LaVine to play alongside Josh Giddey (2:03). They provide more reaction and analysis of the Josh Giddey trade and how he can fit on the Bulls (8:01). The discussion heats up as they debate if Giddey will be the starting point guard (14:42) and whether drafting another guard could pose a problem (19:45). Finally, K.C. and Tony make their picks for who the Bulls should target in the 2024 NBA Draft (26:13). Don’t miss this insightful and engaging episode!

#ChicagoBulls #ZachLaVine #JoshGiddey

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