I dont know, to me its a ridiculous contract. Im not really high on Lauri. Warriors can be happy Utah didnt accept their package
woodlandtiger
They can pay him that instead of us
LordGooseIV
He’s good and I miss him but I don’t know if he’s *that* good
RackMC
Idc if i get downvoted, i need to ask this, why do Bulls fans eviscerate Zach about “not caring winning” (when hes explicitly shown multiple times that he absolutely does care, he just plays stupid sometimes) but then go back and fawn over Lauri who evidently doesnt give a flying shit about winning and is just content about making $$$ with no real pressure?
mtjansen
Bulls *and Cavs. I wish he would have made that leap in Chicago but he didn’t do it until his third team.
Rodam23
Jim Boylen somewhere screaming crying throwing up
BlockOfTheYear
Well, first of all he gave up on us too since he asked out. Second of all, we didn’t trade him for peanuts we helped him get to his preferred location with a sign and trade. Im happy for Lauri, most of us knows Boylen was the issue.
volantredx
I’d love someone to explain how this is a good deal, but Zach’s deal isn’t.
SaoLixo
skullcandy541
I always hated letting him go and I miss him on this team but I’m very happy we’re not the ones paying him that much lmao. He’s good but not almost 50m a year good. Bro is a one time all star and in his prime. this pretty much makes me at peace with letting him go ngl 😂
sirotka33
how about when posting articles, just post the actual story’s headline and not your own editorial bullshit. leave the clown shit to comments like mine.
Swazi
Bulls weren’t the only ones to give up on him. Leaving out the Cavs
AdObjective2323
Man yall are really low on him. Only players to average 63%+ ts and 20+ points last season:
Lebron SGA Porzingis Giannis Jokic Lauri
Not to say he provides as a whole what some of those guys do, but his shot difficulty is up there, his rebounding is good, and the team around him is so bad. I have him as a top 10 PF pretty easily. Think people underrate him because Utah’s defense was the worst in the league or at least up there and his team offensive output was around league average- but this is a tanking team and he’s producing with efficiency
wjbc
To be fair, the Cavs gave up on him as well. And Utah had no idea he would play this well for them.
The first sign that Lauri could take an improbable and long-awaited leap in his *sixth year* in the league was the way he played for Finland in the summer of 2022. By necessity, because they had no one else, Finland asked him to do as much as possible. He responded by doing everything on offense, all over the floor.
Where the Bulls and Cavs had used Lauri almost entirely as a spot up shooter and a third or fourth option on offense, Finland made him the focus of the offense. The whole offense was designed around him. And lo and behold, he started scoring all over the floor, including at the rim.
Utah had no one better that Lauri on their ragtag team after trading away all their stars for draft picks. So they looked at what Finland did and said, why not do the same? They designed the Jazz offense around Lauri, getting him the ball all over the floor.
And for his part, given the freedom to score from anywhere and the support of his teammates, Lauri showed much greater confidence in his game than ever seen before. He regularly slammed the ball home with authority. He regularly scored three points the old-fashioned way, finishing through fouls.
He seemed more mobile, more athletic, more physical, and more aggressive. He ran faster and jumped higher. He made decisions quicker and kept his defenders off balance because he had so many more options. He knew his teammates would pass it to him if he got open, so he worked to get open. He suddenly had swag, if you will.
He’s still not the greatest defender, especially for someone that tall, but he’s not horrible on defense, just average. But Lauri is now a genuine star on offense.
NorthsideMike312
He is NOT worth almost 50M a year. They must be smoking dope in the mountains up there
BasketRap
Lauri is awesome… I don’t know if he’s $238M awesome with this new CBA
PBuch31
Zach Lavine type beat
thisisjustascreename
Whole lotta money for a career loser.
rebelintellectual
We know he was great when he was here . Jerry sell the team.
PinchMaNips
I always liked Lauri, and I’m happy for how much he’s grown post Bulls, but tbh I’m more excited about seeing what Giddy can do than I ever did for Lauri.
parisrionyc
BillionsofRedditors
It’s a terrible contract.
He just turned 27. His last year of his current deal is $18M. Great contract.
The next 2 years are probably fine. He’ll be paid like a #2 on a contender, which he’s really more like a #3 on a contender but he’ll be fine value.
At age 30 and 31, I think you have to factor in major injury issues by that time. He’s a mobile 7 footer in his 30s. Look at Durant, for example, once he turned 30. I think you’ll see lots of missed time.
At that same time, he’ll be paid over $50M per year. I think it’ll start looking bad somewhere in 2027.
rooofle
A franchise like Utah has to pay to keep someone of his caliber even if some consider it an overpay. If he stays healthy then Jazz fans shouldn’t really care since he’s a baller, but iirc he has never played a full season and is always banged up somehow.
DrStevenBrule69
Ridiculous overpay. Have fun with that one, Utah.
selby5612
Jim Boylen almost ruined his career. I’m happy he’s found a home in Utah.
stolos26
Good for Lauri. He’d be stupid not to take that deal.
IMKudaimi123
LaVine is better
_beaniemac
Great deal for Lauri, but as usual, that’s a fortune for a non superstar who isn’t exactly young at this point
lyme6483
I’d easily still take this contract over OG Anunoby’s.
UnderstandingHuge882
I love the narrative of the bulls gave up on him lol….so far from true
They gave him some time to develop and he didn’t. Lots of contributors to this lack of development from Lauri, coach and front office. It was never that he was a bad player – more that his development didn’t fit with the timeframe of the front office taking over. They decide to move forward with building around Lavine and Co. Sent him to the Cavs where he was marginally better and then ultimately was a bundle piece in a trade for Mitchell.
Headlines should not be the bulls “giving up” it’s Lauri finally “figuring it out”
JohnEmonz
Glad it’s not us
donspider1221
I recognize what he’s done, and saying he isn’t good now is untrue. But at the time, he simply wasn’t that guy and I doubt many of us have receipts advocating for keeping Lauri and moving Zach back in 2019
Lysol20
Jerry continues to be a complete moron. But this isn’t on the Bulls.
34 Comments
thank god, overrated and drastically overpaid.
I dont know, to me its a ridiculous contract. Im not really high on Lauri. Warriors can be happy Utah didnt accept their package
They can pay him that instead of us
He’s good and I miss him but I don’t know if he’s *that* good
Idc if i get downvoted, i need to ask this, why do Bulls fans eviscerate Zach about “not caring winning” (when hes explicitly shown multiple times that he absolutely does care, he just plays stupid sometimes) but then go back and fawn over Lauri who evidently doesnt give a flying shit about winning and is just content about making $$$ with no real pressure?
Bulls *and Cavs. I wish he would have made that leap in Chicago but he didn’t do it until his third team.
Jim Boylen somewhere screaming crying throwing up
Well, first of all he gave up on us too since he asked out. Second of all, we didn’t trade him for peanuts we helped him get to his preferred location with a sign and trade. Im happy for Lauri, most of us knows Boylen was the issue.
I’d love someone to explain how this is a good deal, but Zach’s deal isn’t.
I always hated letting him go and I miss him on this team but I’m very happy we’re not the ones paying him that much lmao. He’s good but not almost 50m a year good. Bro is a one time all star and in his prime. this pretty much makes me at peace with letting him go ngl 😂
how about when posting articles, just post the actual story’s headline and not your own editorial bullshit. leave the clown shit to comments like mine.
Bulls weren’t the only ones to give up on him. Leaving out the Cavs
Man yall are really low on him. Only players to average 63%+ ts and 20+ points last season:
Lebron
SGA
Porzingis
Giannis
Jokic
Lauri
Not to say he provides as a whole what some of those guys do, but his shot difficulty is up there, his rebounding is good, and the team around him is so bad. I have him as a top 10 PF pretty easily. Think people underrate him because Utah’s defense was the worst in the league or at least up there and his team offensive output was around league average- but this is a tanking team and he’s producing with efficiency
To be fair, the Cavs gave up on him as well. And Utah had no idea he would play this well for them.
The first sign that Lauri could take an improbable and long-awaited leap in his *sixth year* in the league was the way he played for Finland in the summer of 2022. By necessity, because they had no one else, Finland asked him to do as much as possible. He responded by doing everything on offense, all over the floor.
Where the Bulls and Cavs had used Lauri almost entirely as a spot up shooter and a third or fourth option on offense, Finland made him the focus of the offense. The whole offense was designed around him. And lo and behold, he started scoring all over the floor, including at the rim.
Utah had no one better that Lauri on their ragtag team after trading away all their stars for draft picks. So they looked at what Finland did and said, why not do the same? They designed the Jazz offense around Lauri, getting him the ball all over the floor.
And for his part, given the freedom to score from anywhere and the support of his teammates, Lauri showed much greater confidence in his game than ever seen before. He regularly slammed the ball home with authority. He regularly scored three points the old-fashioned way, finishing through fouls.
He seemed more mobile, more athletic, more physical, and more aggressive. He ran faster and jumped higher. He made decisions quicker and kept his defenders off balance because he had so many more options. He knew his teammates would pass it to him if he got open, so he worked to get open. He suddenly had swag, if you will.
He’s still not the greatest defender, especially for someone that tall, but he’s not horrible on defense, just average. But Lauri is now a genuine star on offense.
He is NOT worth almost 50M a year. They must be smoking dope in the mountains up there
Lauri is awesome… I don’t know if he’s $238M awesome with this new CBA
Zach Lavine type beat
Whole lotta money for a career loser.
We know he was great when he was here . Jerry sell the team.
I always liked Lauri, and I’m happy for how much he’s grown post Bulls, but tbh I’m more excited about seeing what Giddy can do than I ever did for Lauri.
It’s a terrible contract.
He just turned 27. His last year of his current deal is $18M. Great contract.
The next 2 years are probably fine. He’ll be paid like a #2 on a contender, which he’s really more like a #3 on a contender but he’ll be fine value.
At age 30 and 31, I think you have to factor in major injury issues by that time. He’s a mobile 7 footer in his 30s. Look at Durant, for example, once he turned 30. I think you’ll see lots of missed time.
At that same time, he’ll be paid over $50M per year. I think it’ll start looking bad somewhere in 2027.
A franchise like Utah has to pay to keep someone of his caliber even if some consider it an overpay. If he stays healthy then Jazz fans shouldn’t really care since he’s a baller, but iirc he has never played a full season and is always banged up somehow.
Ridiculous overpay. Have fun with that one, Utah.
Jim Boylen almost ruined his career. I’m happy he’s found a home in Utah.
Good for Lauri. He’d be stupid not to take that deal.
LaVine is better
Great deal for Lauri, but as usual, that’s a fortune for a non superstar who isn’t exactly young at this point
I’d easily still take this contract over OG Anunoby’s.
I love the narrative of the bulls gave up on him lol….so far from true
They gave him some time to develop and he didn’t. Lots of contributors to this lack of development from Lauri, coach and front office. It was never that he was a bad player – more that his development didn’t fit with the timeframe of the front office taking over. They decide to move forward with building around Lavine and Co. Sent him to the Cavs where he was marginally better and then ultimately was a bundle piece in a trade for Mitchell.
Headlines should not be the bulls “giving up” it’s Lauri finally “figuring it out”
Glad it’s not us
I recognize what he’s done, and saying he isn’t good now is untrue. But at the time, he simply wasn’t that guy and I doubt many of us have receipts advocating for keeping Lauri and moving Zach back in 2019
Jerry continues to be a complete moron. But this isn’t on the Bulls.