Latest news with #ArturasKarnisovas
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago Bulls Would Have Offered Anything In Exchange For Luka Doncic
Chicago Bulls Would Have Offered Anything In Exchange For Luka Doncic originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The effects of the Luka Doncic trade are still being felt today, months after the initial deal. To the shock of everyone at the time, they did not entertain a bidding war for their franchise player and only sent him to the Lakers after weeks of secret negotiations. What the Dallas Mavericks may not have realized back then was that at least one team (the Bulls) would have offered anything and everything to acquire No. 77. Advertisement "A source told the Sun-Times that Arturas Karnisovas and his front office would have offered anyone and everyone on the roster had they been notified by the Mavericks that Luka Doncic was available in February," reported Joe Cowley. The Chicago Bulls have been looking for a superstar for years now, and Luka Doncic would have been the perfect fit. As a young and exciting player with a burning desire to win, his arrival would mark a new era for the Bulls and a return to contention after years of mediocrity. Sadly, it seems like they missed their chance, and they might never get the opportunity again. Luka Doncic is a once-in-a-generation type of athlete, and he's the kind of player that teams wait years to build their team around. In just seven years in the NBA, Doncic is a 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, and 1x NBA scoring champion. For his career, the Slovenian guard is averaging 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game on 43.8% shooting. He was drafted third overall by the Hawks but was traded to the Mavericks on the same day. He spent six and a half seasons in Dallas, leading them to prosperity as a regular playoff contender. But even after a trip to the Finals in 2024, the Mavs turned on Doncic, having lost faith in his leadership and commitment to the game. Advertisement As relations deteriorated between Doncic and the Mavericks, most teams would have announced his availability to try and secure the best package possible. For GM Nico Harrison, however, he already had an ideal return in mind: 32-year-old Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a future first-round pick. After landing this summer's No. 1 overall pick, they can also expect to have Cooper Flagg in uniform next season, but he wasn't part of the initial trade. The return is shockingly light for a 26-year-old superstar in his prime, especially considering what the Bulls had and were willing to offer. They were willing to give up all their best assets to form a potential package including Coby White, Matas Buzelis, Patrick Williams, Lonzo Ball, four first-round picks, and three pick swaps. The deal would have brought depth to the roster and restored the Mavericks' draft capital. Meanwhile, the Bulls could have started fresh with a new leading face and an identity for the future. It's a win-win for both sides. Instead, Nico Harrison didn't even give other teams a chance to step in, and he might have hurt his own team's return in the process. Regardless, the Bulls must now continue their search for a franchise player elsewhere, and it could be a while before they finally land their guy. Related: Luka Doncic For Anthony Edwards Or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is A Fair Trade, Says Ex-NBA Player This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bulls Executive Under Fire for Message to Fans After Season-Ending Loss to Heat
After two decades of coping with the Bulls being run by some combination of decidedly unpopular executives Gar Forman and John Paxson, it is fair to say it takes quite a lot for Chicago fans to truly give up on a front office. But with Arturas Karnisovas having been in the head honcho's chair for five years, without much sign of imporvement, the fan base is just about out of patience. But on Thursday, after losing at home to the Heat in the East No. 9-10 play-in game, Karnisovas did, indeed, ask for patience, despite having put together a team that has made just one playoff appearance in five seasons. Advertisement The Bulls won just one game in that series. They raised hopes by finishing this year on a 15-5 run, but were out of gas in the play-in and will be home in April once again. Chicago Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Said Karnisovas: "I'm asking fans for patience because we're in first year of that transition. I thought that the way we finished the year shows some promise. It's hard to win games in this league, to finish 15-5 it's not a victory lap, but I think there are some positives. "I think we've gotta keep on building on this group by adding another player in the lottery, going into free agency and adding another piece. Obviously, going into this summer, that's when the players get better. So hopefully our young group will focus this summer on getting better and come back so we can make another jump next year." The patience angle did not play well, at all, among the team's fan, or among media around the team. As longtime NBA analyst Trey Kerby pointed out, the Kings removed GM Monte McNair this week for having produced much the same record as Karnisovas. SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell noted on Twitter/X, "Arturas Karnisovas every year when the Bulls have a good March after otherwise sucking (expletive) all season." Advertisement Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times added, "This AK presser was not as depressing as the trade deadline presser, but it was disheartening to hear there is no real plan to get out of mediocrity. This is a slow boat to nowhere…" And fans added their own frustration.
