Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Pod

A wild night of NBA Play-In Tournament basketball ended with a thrilling Blazers comeback win over the Suns, which resulted in the Bulls getting another first-round pick in the upcoming draft. It's a pick the Bulls have been waiting on since the Lauri Markkanen trade in 2021, and it gives the new front office another asset to play with to rebuild the roster. In the early game of the night, Coby White played hero for the Hornets in a wild overtime victory over the Heat. After several years of play-in disappointment against the Heat, White got redemption with a third-quarter flurry and a circus game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime. White is in a perfect spot with the Hornets, and hopefully they're able to get to the playoffs. But now that the Bulls do have another first-rounder, what should they do with these picks? Ricky breaks down his draft strategy depending on multiple scenarios and reviews a number of possible targets. The Bulls could also look to package these picks for a trade up (or for a proven player), but would that be worth it? While the Bulls just finished up a miserable season, this added draft pick and the firing of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley bring some hope. Now everybody waits on Billy Donovan. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls fired Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley before the end of the regular season, a pleasant surprise after years of calling for their heads. Jason and Ricky break down why their firings were warranted for so long. But while AK and ME are out, Billy Donovan is still badly wanted by ownership, as evidenced by Michael Reinsdorf's media session where he said the new lead exec needs to be willing keep the head coach around if he wants to get hired . Should the Bulls go all in on Donovan and let him effectively run the show? Or should they go for a clean slate? Who are some of the options to replace Karnisovas as Donovan looms over everything? Whatever happens with Donovan, there are also major questions about the roster. Should Josh Giddey be a trade candidate? Will the Bulls try to get in on the Giannis sweepstakes or try to make another big win-now move? Reinsdorf's no-tanking mandate, Donovan's philosophy and some of the reporting out there suggests the Bulls think they're a quick fix away from contention , which is short-sighted and off-base. This year's draft is where the Bulls' roster changes will begin, and Ricky was at the Final Four to see some potential options up close and personal. And if the Bulls finally get the Blazers pick, two first-rounders will hopefully help the cause of rebuilding the roster. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls' brutal season just got even worse with the Jaden Ivey situation going totally off the rails. While the Bulls were right to quickly move on from Ivey after his series of social media rants, Arturas Karnisovas comes out of this mess looking worse than ever. This is especially true given Karnisovas hasn't even made any kind of statement on the matter, failing to show immediate accountability and forcing Billy Donovan and his players to comment on it first. It's yet another reason why Karnisovas should be fired, and there's very little reason to keep him around at this point. Nobody in the organization apparently has any faith in AK's plan, so will Michael Reinsdorf make the right decision? The public pressure after this Ivey mishap could prove to be too much to keep AK around. With the Karnisovas decision hanging over ownership, Donovan's future is also in question. There's smoke billowing that Donovan is ready to resign after the season, especially if Karnisovas is retained. Is there a scenario where Karnisovas is fired but Donovan moves into the front office to run basketball operations? There still is basketball happening on the court as the Bulls play out the string, with Leonard Miller one of the few bright spots. Matas Buzelis also continues to show flashes of being a potential star down the line, but there are still plenty of things for him to work on. Finally, the Final Four is here and Ricky has plenty of thoughts on how the top NBA Draft prospects have fared in the NCAA Tournament. Has Cameron Boozer's stock dropped at all after a somewhat lackluster run? Who has improved their draft stock? What's the Bulls' draft situation looking like? Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls are 4-4 in March after going 0-11 in February, with Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis leading the way. Giddey has been the best version of himself in March throughout his career, and he's doing it again by being a triple-double machine and shooting the lights out from 3-point range. It's very similar to what happened last season, although a 15-5 finish likely isn't in the cards this time around. Meanwhile, Buzelis has enjoyed some monster games of late, including a career-high 41 points in an overtime win over the Warriors. What has Buzelis been doing well and what still needs to improve next season for him to take another leap into star status? With the Bulls winning games again and Billy Donovan pushing to keep winning, they look destined to finish in the No. 10 lottery slot. It's a battle between them and the Bucks for 9/10 in those lottery standings, but Milwaukee has been horrible and Giannis Antetokounmpo just got hurt again. With the draft in mind, it's officially time for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Ricky goes through region by region and highlights draft prospects to watch along with potential juicy matchups. His deep dive looks not at just the star prospects who could be in the Bulls' first-round draft range but some deeper sleepers who could be selected in the second round. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls have won a couple of crazy games since their 11-game losing streak, but they also just lost to the lowly Kings and look destined to finish in the No. 9 or 10 lottery slot. There's not a whole lot to write home about with the young players, with Matas Buzelis' growth stagnating a bit, Rob Dillingham looking rough and Leonard Miller going back to the bench against the Kings after some nice flashes in prior games when he got to play due to injuries. But, hey, at least Collin Sexton was enjoying a nice start to Mickey Mouse March before his leg injury in Sacramento. With the Bulls essentially playing out the string and March Madness about to kick into high gear, it's time to really start diving into 2026 NBA Draft. Ricky breaks down some of the top prospects in Chicago's current draft range, including Illinois star freshman Keaton Wagler. Ricky then examines some of his favorite prospects, such as Duke center Patrick Ngongba. And if the Bulls get lottery luck? Ricky looks at the much-hyped top of this draft, with Cameron Boozer sitting at No. 1 on his board and the Darryn Peterson saga adding a layer of intrigue to his draft stock. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls haven't won yet in February, going 0-10 so far with the worst net rating in the NBA by a mile. There has been a lot of ugly basketball after the trade deadline overhaul, with a 32-point loss to the Hornets in Coby White's return to the United Center the latest example. Where do the Bulls currently stand in the tank race? There hasn't been too much to glean from these games with all these new players and a bunch of injuries, but Matas Buzelis was a silver lining in the Hornets game with his career-high 32 points. Buzelis had been stagnating a bit before that, and the hope is he can build on this performance the rest of the season and give fans a reason to watch. Besides Buzelis, Josh Giddey has been a rough watch since his return from injury, while notable trade acquisition Rob Dillingham has also really struggled. However, the Bulls need to keep giving Dillingham as many minutes as possible. On the injury front, the Jaden Ivey situation took a strange turn after the All-Star break, and now it's unclear if he'll play again this season due to a nagging knee issue. How will that impact his free agency? Elsewhere, Jalen Smith is dealing with a nagging calf problem and Anfernee Simons has a fractured wrist. There's no reason to rush these guys back. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls have lost six straight games heading into the 2026 NBA All-Star break, with a total blowout in Boston to cap things off. The Bulls have been working in a bunch of new players after the trade deadline while also dealing with injuries to Josh Giddey, Tre Jones and Jalen Smith, so things have been a mess. While the team should look a bit better once healthy, how long will that good health last and just how many more wins are left on the schedule? Racking up losses isn't a problem, though, as the priority should be winding up in the lottery while developing the young prospects acquired at the trade deadline. Namely, Rob Dillingham and Jaden Ivey should get a lot of burn. Will Billy Donovan actually play those guys big minutes when the roster is healthy? Or will he push hard to win every game and ride the more veteran players? If it's the latter, is he even the right coach for this team at this point? As the Bulls navigate the post-All-Star break schedule, the tanking discourse is kicking into full gear. Is there a fix? Ricky also breaks down some draft prospects for where Chicago is currently projected to land. Finally, the Bulls deserve more scorn for the Coby White situation, which saw them losing out on one of their second-round picks because of his nagging calf injury. White played 30 minutes in a blowout loss the day before he was traded, so there's another good reason for ownership to clean house (which won't happen). NOTES: The Bulls signing Jeremy Sochan was discussed on the show, but he was then signed by the Knicks after recording. The Bucks beat the Thunder on Thursday night, pulling them into a tie with the Bulls in the standings. There was talk about North Carolina star Caleb Wilson, but news broke after recording that he has a broken hand and will miss time. The Jazz and Pacers were fined for tanking measures on Thursday night after recording. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls made seven trades ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline, a shocking amount of activity as Arturas Karnisovas totally overhauled the roster. Ricky and Jason recap the entire deadline and discuss the first game afterward, a 16-point loss to the Raptors that saw newcomers Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey and Guerschon Yabusele play pretty well. The guys then go back and discuss the trades made on Wednesday night and Thursday, starting with the Dalen Terry-for-Yabusele trade and highlighted by Ayo Dosunmu going to the Timberwolves. The Bulls also got Nick Richards in a three-team deal. Did Chicago get good value on these trades? And how about the trade deadline overall? While the Bulls were active and did some good things by acquiring some young players and a boatload of second-round draft capital, it still felt a bit messy and incomplete. The Dosunmu and Coby White trades also felt underwhelming, with the issue there stemming from waiting too long to take action. But Arturas Karnisovas doesn't regret his delayed actions, and he spoke about his plan in a press conference after the deadline. It was mostly a waste of time, and Ricky once again not only points at AK but ownership for the Bulls' current predicament. There are some interesting things to watch for the rest of the season, though, and we'll be watching the standings and whether Chicago will secure a spot in the lottery. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Coby White era in Chicago is over, with the longest-tenured Bull getting traded to the Hornets along with Mike Conley Jr for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks. It's an unwhelming draft haul for a player who easily could've fetched more last season, but Arturas Karnisovas has made a habit of holding onto players too long. But even with White's low trade value, it felt like it was time to say goodbye as AK retools the team. It's also a good spot for White as he heads into free agency, and he has a chance to help push the surging Hornets past the Bulls in the standings. What comes next? The Bulls have a mess of a roster and are looking to make more moves before Thursday's trade deadline. But even besides that, the focus should be maximizing draft position for a loaded 2026 draft and setting up for a push in free agency for young players on the restricted free agent market. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After years and years of calls for it, the Bulls finally traded Nikola Vucevic, sending him to the Celtics for Anfernee Simons. Second-round picks changed hands in the trade, with Chicago set to get a pretty juicy one from the Pelicans. Will the Bulls keep that pick or flip it elsewhere? Jason and Ricky celebrate the Vucevic era finally coming to an end so the franchise can move on, and the veteran big man can play for a contender in Boston. Before the Vucevic trade went down, the Bulls got in on another three-team deal, acquiring Jaden Ivey from the Pistons and Mike Conley Jr. from the Timberwolves. Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric are off to Detroit, with Minnesota making the move to maneuver for its Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit. Conley isn't expected to remain in Chicago. What did the Bulls get in Ivey? He's another talented young player who didn't work out with his first team after getting drafted in the lottery, which continues a theme for Arturas Karnisovas acquisitions. While Ivey has untapped potential, there are concerns about his recent injuries. Chicago will also be faced with his restricted free agency this summer. What comes next for the Bulls? Are Coby White and/or Ayo Dosunmu next? Will Simons be flipped? Is tanking the rest of the season in order with the Hornets on the rise? There should be more action to come leading up to Thursday's deadline, and the rest of the NBA is already getting crazy with the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade and the James Harden-Darius Garland swap. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jason and Ricky discuss the Bulls going 1-2 in their three-game mini-series against the Heat, which featured a close loss at the United Center, a truly improbable win in Miami with a skeleton crew and a 43-point loss in Miami to cap it all off. The Bulls won the middle game behind 20 3-pointers and a star showing by Ayo Dosunmu in the second half, including a number of clutch baskets down the stretch. However, the final game wasn't even close from the very start, even with Coby White and Nikola Vucevic back in the lineup after missing the win. Right after the surprise victory, the Bulls got in on a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Sacramento Kings. Chicago took on Dario Saric and got two second-round picks for the trouble, with Jevon Carter getting waived in the process. While not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it was a smart piece of business with little cost. Is it a sign of things to come for the rest of the trade deadline action? The guys then talk about the rest of the trade market and explore the Giannis Antetokounmpo possibility. Could the Bulls make a competitive offer? Should they make an all-in offer with where they're at while considering Giannis' age and injury history? Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jason joins the guys over at Miami Heat Beat to discuss the first of a three-game mini-series between the Bulls and Heat. Miami took the first game of the set 116-113 at the United Center, barely squeaking out a road victory after nearly blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead. Ayo Dosunmu almost single-handedly brought the Bulls back late in the fourth quarter, but Coby White's game-tying 3-point attempt missed badly. After breaking down the game from every angle, Jason gives his thoughts on Derrick Rose's jersey retirement. While Rose is a hero to Chicago, there are still some conflicting feelings about his legacy. The Bulls have two more games coming up against the Heat, with both of them coming in Miami just days before the NBA trade deadline. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls entered their United Center showdown against the Lakers on a four-game winning streak after Kevin Huerter's game-winning 3-pointer against the Celtics on Derrick Rose Jersey Retirement Night. Luka Doncic put a stop to that with a 46-point masterpiece in a Lakers victory. Ricky was in the building to see Luka's show, which featured an ugly second quarter with 10 Bulls turnovers. Matas Buzelis also only played 22 minutes in a disappointing showing as the winning streak came to an end. Ricky and Jason address the latest trade rumors and try to figure out which direction the Bulls will go now that they're close to a top-six seed. Three upcoming games against the Heat could prove pivotal with the NBA trade deadline in just over a week. Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu's names continue to pop up in trade rumors, but it feels like Arturas Karnisovas may look to buy given the Bulls' place in the standings. Ricky has other ideas, though, and he presents a plan for the Bulls for this trade deadline and an offseason in which they should have a boatload of cap space. The Bulls need to get younger and better on the wing and at center, and Ricky presents some options. Finally, the guys talk Derrick Rose Night and the feelings surrounding all of it before wrapping up with a shoutout to Illinois star freshman Keaton Wagler for his 46-point masterclass at Purdue. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls got back to .500 with a clutch road win over the Timberwolves to move their winning streak to three games, with Tre Jones making clutch play after clutch play and Anthony Edwards folding in crunch time. Jones has been playing at a ridiculous level, making his hamstring injury that was announced after the recording of this episode a tough blow. Josh Giddey also returned to the fold against the Wolves and had a big game off the bench. With the Bulls at 22-22 and playing better with just under two weeks left until the trade deadline, what will they do? Ricky and Jason discuss a number of trade scenarios, including ones with the Wolves due to their need for a guard. Could Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu or Jones (more unlikely now after this injury) head to Minnesota? The guys also talk about the idea of a Jonathan Kuminga-Nikola Vucevic swap and the Zion Williamson rumors, plus more. Finally, Derrick Rose Jersey Retirement Night is here! Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls are at the halfway point of the 2025-26 NBA season, and they're right in the same place as the last three seasons. Is Arturas Karnisovas actually feeling the heat to pull the trigger on some trades? The Bulls are in position to make moves with three weeks to go before the trade deadline, but it's unclear just what the strategy will be even as buzz builds about them being sellers. Plus, bonus Bears playoff talk after Ricky witnessed Bulls-Mavericks at the UC while the Bears were playing the Packers, with a Bill Wennington surprise. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the Bulls battle more injuries, including to Josh Giddey and Coby White, Matas Buzelis has taken a clear step forward and is a beacon of hope for the franchise. Plus, the latest on the trade front and what the Bulls should be looking to do. White is at the center of it all, but the front office should be as active as anybody ahead of the deadline. And how about those playoff Bears?! Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls got healthy and ripped off another five-game winning streak highlighted by crazy finishes, but it came to an end with a loss to the Bucks in Giannis Antetokounmpo's return to the lineup. Giannis also sparked fireworks in the final seconds with a windmill dunk that angered Bulls players. With Chicago now back near .500 after a month-plus of terrible play made it look like tanking was on the table, what is the current reality of this team and what will be the trade deadline strategy? Jason and Ricky discuss the possibilities, starting with Coby White. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jason and Ricky welcome ClutchPoints Cavs reporter Spencer Davies to the pod to talk about the Bulls-Cavs home-and-home series, which began with a 127-111 Bulls victory at the United Center. While the Bulls have had their share of struggles this season, they ran the scuffling Cavs off the court and exposed their myriad problems right now. Just what the heck is going on in Cleveland? Plus, revisiting the Lonzo Ball-Isaac Okoro trade, which isn't going well for the Cavs at all. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls have lost seven games in a row after embarrassing home losses to the Pacers and Warriors, and Ricky and Jason have seen enough: it's time to clean house and play for the 2026 NBA Draft. That all starts with Arturas Karnisovas, but everybody knows nothing will happen and the Bulls will trudge along this season trying to compete. Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bulls' dream start to the season has turned into a nightmare thanks to a bunch of injuries and a five-game losing streak featuring losses to a number of the worst teams in the NBA. The Noa Essengue season-ending shoulder surgery is a huge bummer, and Matas Buzelis' current stagnation only adds to the sudden despair Ricky and Jason are feeling about this season. Meanwhile, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are beginning to heat up again. Will the Bulls even try to get in the mix? Would they even have a chance? And what's the latest on Anthony Davis? Interested in advertising on this podcast? Email sales@bluewirepods.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.