Chicago Sports

The crowd was on its feet for the final at-bat at Wrigley Field on Monday. That’s a familiar sight on a May afternoon on the North Side, but this time a championship was on the line, admission and parking were free and there wasn’t a millionaire on the diamond.

Lane starting pitcher Josh Katz retired Brooks outfielder Kendall Larry on his 114th pitch of the game, securing a 2-1 win in the Chicago Public League title game.

Katz found out on Wednesday that he’d be starting the game. So he had a few days to wrap his head around it and prepare.

But actually walking onto the field was a breathtaking moment for the junior.

“I saw the bleachers and kind of that smell of walking into Wrigley Field,” Katz said. “It was incredible.”

The final moments were special. Brooks and Lane both brought big crowds.

The Eagles scored once in the seventh to cut into Lane’s lead and had runners on first and second with one out.

Katz had thrown more than 100 pitches and appeared to be on the ropes. He walked two in the inning, but Lane coach Sean Freeman stuck with his ace.

“I’m not gonna lie, I thought that might be the end [after walking CJ Mendez],” Katz said. “I had about five pitches left maybe. Not many.”

Katz, who is 6-0 after the win and entered the game with a 0.62 ERA this season, got Brooks catcher Marco Luna to fly out to left and then leadoff hitter Kendall Larry grounded to third for the final out.

“I wanted this more than anyone for Lane and for everyone,” Katz said. “Coming here as a kid and watching the pros pitch on the mound it just felt incredible to come out and throw strikes and win the CPS championship.”

Katz allowed five hits, struck out eight, and walked two. Second baseman Nick Lagges was the offensive hero for Lane (23-11). He scored the eventual winning run in the fourth inning. It was a fortunate accident. He managed to score from second base on a grounder to second.

“I thought the ball had made it to the outfield but I was still running so I kept my head down and just ran home and made him make the play,” Lagges said.”

Lagges thought he was being waved around but Lane coach Sean Freeman said that wasn’t the case.

“That was a little miscommunication but it worked out,” Freeman said. “Sometimes that’s baseball. We put the pressure on. [Lagges] was going hard and made them make a bad throw.”

Junior Jack Tzur had two hits and one RBI for Lane and senior Carter Dow walked twice and scored a run.

Senior Ryan Little started for Brooks (16-12), which beat Simeon in extra innings in the semifinals. Little pitched four innings and allowed three hits and two runs.

Katz didn’t allow a hit to any of the first six batters in the Eagles’ lineup. But the bottom of the order did some damage. Junior Amir Faulkner had two hits and one RBI and Mendez, a sophomore, had two hits and a walk.

“CPS and the Cubs put on a top-notch event,” Brooks coach Tony Beale said. “This was a great high school baseball. I know the kids are disappointed but they have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m so proud of this and they will remember this day their entire lives.”

Jed Hoyer, the Cubs president, watched a few innings from the stands behind the third-base dugout.

CPS Sports Director David Rosengard expects to rotate the game between Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate. The last time the game was at Wrigley was in 2017. Monday’s crowd was significantly bigger than the typical crowd in Joliet for the Illinois High School Association’s state title game.

“The Cubs were wonderful about running it like a Cubs game,” Rosengard said. “We’re trying to do wow moments for kids and this was a wow moment.”

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For six years, we have known her as the ultimate matriarch Rebecca Pearson on NBC’s hit series “This Is Us.” But with the show concluding on Tuesday, actress and singer Mandy Moore is getting back on the road for the first time in over a decade to share pieces of her new album.

“The last time I toured was 2007, and it really was the first time I had toured in a good chunk of time as well. I have these long lulls between going on the road, so it feels like an entirely new world that I have to re-learn,” Moore explained in a phone conversation ahead of a stop at the Vic Theatre on July 11.

This time around though, she’ll have the support of her husband, Taylor Goldsmith of the indie-folk band Dawes, who knows all too well the ins and outs of being on the road. He and his bandmate/brother Griffin will be part of Moore’s touring musician ensemble, and they also will be accompanied by Moore’s infant son Gus for what she is anticipating will be the “ultimate family road trip.”

“The fact that we could line this up touring-wise where [Taylor and Griffin] could come out with us during their time off, I know it’s never going to work out to do it again,” she said. “So I’m definitely soaking it all in.”

In a previous life, Moore may have been a teen queen known for her bubblegum pop hits like “Candy” and starring in high school dramas like “A Walk to Remember,” but there is a noticeable maturity and true relatability displayed on the new album, “In Real Life” (out now on Verve Forecast). It’s apparent not just in the refined sounds covering the gamut of folk music, synth pop and singer-songwriter territory (helped by collaborators including the members of Dawes as well as the indie pop band Lucius), but also in the material itself.

“So much of this record was influenced by this impending idea of parenthood and knowing this next chapter was upon us and what it was going to mean and how it was going to unfold. And really knowing how life was going to look different and even reflecting back on my own childhood and my [relationship with] my parents,” shared Moore, who welcomed Gus in February 2021.”I’m way more intentional with my time and my boundaries now being a parent. I tended to suffer from being a people-pleaser earlier in my life, but it’s crazy how that switches on when you have someone else to be responsible for. There was no way that this life-changing event wouldn’t influence the music I write and how I write.”

In the sweetly revealing music video for the “In Real Life” title track, Moore shares some moments of her home life with self-recorded snippets of her waking up, caring for her son and being in the studio. The video also features cameos from a slew of her friends who submitted their own “day in the life” cellphone footage, like Hilary Duff, Amanda Kloots and of course her “This Is Us” castmates including Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley and Jon Huertas.

Moore would be remiss to not see the parallels of how the award-winning series, which showcases the small and big moments of one family across the span of decades, shaped her and her latest record. Her character Rebecca (for which Moore was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her uncanny ability to play the pivotal role across a range of ages) also once had hopes of being a singer, and the show gives hints of her dream deferred in various flashbacks and montages.

“I had the good fortune of playing the ultimate mother for the past six years, who I kind of already had on a pedestal before [being a mom] became a part of my own life,” she shared. “It makes me want to go back and redo the earlier seasons now that I know what it’s like on a very surface level of what it is to be a parent. … The difference is now I don’t have to fake it on camera anymore.”

With the success of the series, Moore has opened herself up to a whole new audience of fans who have found her music through a back route — and the star is looking forward to the transition from sound stage to real stage.

“For me, it’s all about connecting with people one on one, especially since we haven’t been able to do that these past two years,” she said, noting each show might have some covers but will be heavy on her original material, including 2020’s “Silver Landings.” That’s an album she never got to properly promote due to COVID; in fact, Moore gave the final in-audience performance on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” in March 2020 before the great shutdown.

“That’s what I’m most looking forward to, being able to see people and feel their energy and be able to share these parts of my life from the past, the earlier records, stuff from ‘This Is Us’ and these last two albums,” shared Moore. “It’ll be a fun mini-version of ‘This Is My Life.’ “

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Give White Sox manager Tony La Russa credit for not ordering someone on his pitching staff to stick one in Josh Donaldson’s ribs.

After everything that went down Saturday, with Donaldson taunting Anderson by calling him “Jackie”, Anderson taking offense and a bench-clearning fracas resulting because of it, everyone wondered what the Sox response would be.

Donaldson, after all, had mixed it up with the Sox before.

And so a message pitch from veteran Johnny Cueto in Game 1 of the doubleheader Sunday wouldn’t have surprised anyone.

But there is no good sense in that, no need to put a runner on base who could become a winning run, no need for anyone to risk injury from a pitch or another melee that might have followed.

And La Russa, as 78-year-old old school as they come, gave his team a chance to react instead in the best way possible — on the field.

“You know what, it’s the way we’re going about it,” La Russa said after the Sox won Game 1. “You want to score. Because that’s how you [respond].We went after that game. Guys went after it.”

The Sox then completed a sweep of the team with the best record in baseball in what easily was the best day of their season and probably their best day since Anderson homered against the Yankees in the Field of Dreams game last Aug. 12.

Anderson homered in his final at-bat Sunday night, a three-run shot to the opposite field, which looked a lot like his walk-off homer against the Yankees in the Iowa cornfields. He did not talk to reporters before Game 1, during which he rested, and he declined to talk after Game 2.

Fans were talking at him, though, with boos and calling him Jackie. Anderson’s bat did his talking, and it silenced a Yankees crowd that saw Anderson put his finger to his lips as he rounded third and touched home plate.

“When somebody disrespects him, he should get upset,” La Russa said. “I know I would.”

Meanwhile, the Sox came together at a time when they almost desperately needed to. A World Series contender going into this season in the middle of their championship window, their first month and a half has featured lackluster defense (not unexpected) and bottom of the major leagues hitting (unexpected). But with 78 hits on a 5-3 road trip (nearly 10 hits a game) that started in Kansas City, there are hints of rounding back to form. Next step: Hitting with runners in scoring position.

“We’re working on that,” La Russa said.

Emotionally, there’s no work to be done. Donaldson did that for them, putting a charge into the Sox clubhouse.

What’s more, the sweep of the Yankees was fueled by starting pitching that was and will be the Sox backbone. Cueto was unscored on for the second second time in as many six-inning outings and Kopech (1.29) looked dominant again in his first go-around as a major league. Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease, also in the rotation, could very well be in the Cy Young award chase and Lance Lynn, a regular in the same class, is coming soon. Dallas Keuchel and Vince Velasquez might be getting squeezed out of a group that leaves no room.

So things aren’t as dim for the Sox (21-20), who didn’t expect to be chasing the Twins in the AL Central but are, as they were a few days ago. That’s what being smart and unemotional on the issue of responding to Donaldson — and taking a series from the Yankees — will do.

Channel the emotional energy in the right way, as Anderson did by going 3-for-5 with a three-run homer Sunday night.

“That speaks huge to Tim’s character and what we’re trying to be in this clubhouse,” Kopech said. “And that’s a family.”

RED SOX AT WHITE SOX

Tuesday: Nick Pivetta (2-4, 4.22 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (4-1, 3.09), 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Wednesday: Rich Hill (1-1, 3.90) vs. Lucas Giolito (2-1, 2.84), 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM

Thursday: Michael Wacha (3-0, 1.76) vs. TBD, NBCSCH, 1000-AM

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Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for his inappropriate comments toward Tim Anderson during Saturday’s game against the White Sox, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

“MLB has completed the process of speaking to the individuals involved in this incident,” said Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations. “There is no dispute over what was said on the field. Regardless of Mr. Donaldson’s intent, the comment he directed toward Mr. Anderson was disrespectful and in poor judgment, particularly when viewed in the context of their prior interactions.

“In addition, Mr. Donaldson’s remark was a contributing factor in a bench-clearing incident between the teams, and warrants discipline.”

White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said the penalty was too light.

“Just one game. We all saw his malice at third a week ago, then this comment with the ridiculous excuse that followed,” Katz said on his Twitter feed. “What’s the point or message behind a 1 game suspension? This is incredibly disappointing and plain frustrating.”

Donaldson’s suspension is effective tonight when the Yankees host the Orioles. Donaldson has elected to appeal, and the discipline will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.

Donaldson was also placed on the COVID-19 injured list Monday.

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Former Bears quarterback Nick Foles has signed a two-year contract with the Colts. Foles, 33, will back up veteran Matt Ryan, who was acquired by the Colts in a trade with the Falcons for a 2022 third-round draft pick.

He reunites with Colts head coach Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles when Foles was the MVP of Super Bowl LII in the 2017 season.

Foles spent the past two seasons with the Bears after being acquired in a trade with the Jaguars in 2020. He threw three touchdown passes in relief of Mitch Trubisky against the Falcons in Week 3 in 2020, but faltered in seven starts following that game. Foles had a 79.6 passer rating as a starter (seven touchdowns, seven interceptions) and the Bears went 2-5.

One of his two victories as a starter came against the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, when he completed 30-of-42 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 20-19 victory at Soldier Field on Oct. 8, 2020.

Foles suffered an injury against the Vikings and was replaced by Trubisky for the final seven games of the 2020 season. He fell out of favor with the coaching staff and was the No. 3 quarterback behind Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields last season.

Foles led the NFL in passer rating (119.2) in 2013 with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. In 2017, he led the Eagles to the Super Bowl as a replacement for injured starter Carson Wentz, culminating with the MVP performance in Super Bowl LII. Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton in a 41-33 victory over the Patriots.

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The rookie season for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields wasn’t the best as the former Ohio State standout struggled in then-head coach Matt Nagy’s offense in 2021. From the start it felt like Fields was playing from behind as he was the backup to Andy Dalton.

Now, Fields is speaking out more about the previous year and he may have taken a shot at the former head coach and the culture with the Bears. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Fields told Ryan Gaydos of the culture the Bears had last season was a problem:

“We’re kinda just trying to re-culture or getting the culture in the building. I don’t think our culture was the best culture last year.”

That’s an understandable statement from a sophomore quarterback who saw his first season end with Nagy’s ouster. Fields himself struggled in Nagy’s offense, throwing only seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Fields also played in a scheme that got him hit a lot as the Bears gave up a league-high of 58 sacks in 2021.

The team looked out of sync for the duration of the year. And while Nagy and the team tried to spin that the locker room was fine, Fields is dropping a clear hint the morale under Nagy was lacking. Signs of trouble in Halas Hall were evident when Fields complemented offensive coordinator Bill Lazor taking over playcalling duties from Nagy.

Nagy, to his credit, took the high road in the pair’s relationship, praising the young quarterback, saying in an interview with Kyle Brandt that Fields would be a “star” in the NFL.

Eberflus, implementing the H.I.T.S. principle, seems to be rebuilding the culture that was lacking under previous leadership.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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Former Bears quarterback Nick Foles has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Colts, NFL Network reported. Foles, 33, will back up veteran Matt Ryan, who was acquired by the Colts in a trade with the Falcons for a 2022 third-round draft pick.

Foles spent the past two seasons with the Bears after being acquired in a trade with the Jaguars in 2020. He threw three touchdown passes in relief of Mitch Trubisky against the Falcons in Week 3 in 2020, but faltered in seven starts following that game. Foles had a 79.6 passer rating as a starter (seven touchdowns, seven interceptions) and the Bears went 2-5.

One of his two victories as a starter came against the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, when he completed 30-of-42 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 20-19 victory at Soldier Field on Oct. 8, 2020.

Foles suffered an injury against the Vikings and was replaced by Trubisky for the final seven games of the 2020 season. He fell out of favor with the coaching staff and was the No. 3 quarterback behind Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields last season.

Foles led the NFL in passer rating (119.2) in 2013 with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also was the MVP of Super Bowl LII, throwing three touchdown passes and catching a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton in a 41-33 victory over the Patriots in 2018.

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The Chicago Bears shook up the roster in the 2022 offseason by trading Khalil Mack

This offseason, the Chicago Bears have been making a bevy of roster changes. Led by new general manager Ryan Poles, the Bears traded fan-favorite Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bears received a 2022 2nd round draft pick, and a 6th round 2023 pick.

Safety Jaquan Brisker, out of Penn State, was drafted by the Bears with the 2022 pick acquired from the trade from the Chargers.

Jeffri Chadiha, a columnist for Nfl.com, put the Mack trade on his list of ten most impactful trades from the offseason. Here’s what Chadiha wrote:

“The Chargers needed to bolster an underwhelming defense, which is why Mack ranks so high here. Everybody knew the Chargers had issues stopping the run in 2021. Mack helps there. Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa needed a pass-rushing counterpart. Mack is a difference-maker there, as well. For all the skeptics who point to the foot surgery that ended his season after seven games last year, the 31-year-old Mack still had six sacks before going on injured reserve. He’s also earned six Pro Bowl nods (most recently in 2020) and been a disruptive force on every defense he’s joined. The Chargers made a lot of moves to improve their defense. Mack will make good on his end of the deal.”

Losing a veteran’s leadership

This trade, while frustrating for Bears fans and players (Bears linebacker Trevis Gipson said he was bothered by the news of the trade.) who enjoyed seeing Mack’s veteran experience on the team, will be beneficial for both franchises. The Chargers will add depth to their pass-rushing scheme. Mack will have a chance to contend for the Super Bowl. Chadiha mostly mentioned how the trade would help the Chargers, but the move will help the Bears as well.

The Bears added a solid safety in Brisker, who will likely start this season. Some national analysts are already putting the Bears’ secondary as one of the most improved units with the addition of Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon. The Bears will be able to see the full fruit of the trade next year in the 6th round.

Mack, at age 31, is probably a little too old to lead the Bears in their quest to “remodel” the team. He added a lot of pressure in the pass rush but didn’t put up great numbers in recent years. Mack hasn’t had double-digit sack years since 2018 and has been plagued by injuries recently. Dead space will hurt this year for the Bears, but it will free up cap space for the next three seasons, 28.5 million alone in 2023.

Bears could trade more

Rumors are going around that the Bears are still looking to shop pass rushers from the 2021 squad. The Bears should look to see if they can get good value for Robert Quinn. His stock will likely never be higher after his 2021 total of 18.5 sacks.

While the value the Bears got via the trade to the Chargers was too low, especially in comparison to what they gave up to get him (two first round picks and more), the Bears will be better off in the next few years with the free cap space and Brisker pick.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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The New York Yankees entered the weekend with only one series loss. Likewise, the Yankees possess the best record in the MLB and are a measuring stick for this Chicago White Sox roster. The White Sox, meanwhile, have proven throughout the start of the season why they can compete with the best teams. At the same time, they are hovering around the .500 mark.

The weekend series was an odd one, starting with a postponed game and being capped off with a doubleheader. However, the doubleheader capped off a series that the White Sox have to feel great about. The team won the two games and once again, the starting rotation stepped up.

Cueto & Kopech’s Strong Starts

In two starts, it looks like Johnny Cueto hasn’t missed a beat. His pitches don’t have the same life as they did in his younger years. However, at 36-years-old the right-hander can still pitch multiple strong innings. The ability to mess with the hitter’s timing helps and has particularly become a strength for Cueto with the White Sox.

Cueto pitched six innings and despite allowing five hits, gave the White Sox a scoreless start. Moreover, Cueto’s sinker and slider carried the veteran pitcher, as he used the two pitches for 68 of his 95 pitches. The Yankees lineup is built off power but facing an off-speed pitcher who doesn’t pitch with a rhythm threw left them swinging at air.

Kopech, meanwhile, went with the heat, something the Yankees normally would crush. It didn’t matter as Kopech pitched his best game of the season. In seven innings, Kopech allowed only one hit and two walks while striking out six batters.

Kopech’s start was proof that when a pitcher is dialed in, he can’t be hit. The 26-year-old pitcher threw the fastball for 54 of his 92 pitches, including many high heaters. Yet, the Yankees still struggled with the pitch forcing weak contact or late swings. Kopech has the ceiling to become an ace and when his pitches are clicking, he is unhittable and another pitcher that fuels a strong rotation.

White Sox lineup steps up

The White Sox scored five runs twice in the weekend series but only won one of those games. The Yankees average 4.97 runs per game, third-most in the MLB. High-scoring games looked like they were going to be necessary for a series win, so it seemed. The team needed runs and with the warmer weather came the hot bats as the White Sox scored 13 runs in the series.

The 7-5 loss was defined by the power at the top of the order. Jose Abreu got a cutter inside and managed to pull the ball for a three-run home run. However, the rest of the scoring surge would be defined by the depth of the lineup.

The 3-1 win saw Yasmani Grandal drive in the first run while AJ Pollock hit the go-ahead home run in the ninth inning. In the final game of the series, the White Sox again rallied late with Andrew Vaughn and Reese McGuire rapping singles to put the first two runs on the board. Vaughn and McGuire were the eighth and ninth hitters in the lineup and proved that the White Sox possess a deep batting order along with a powerful one.

With a 2-0 lead, the bottom half of the lineup set up the biggest plate appearance of the weekend. It was an at-bat that define the series for the White Sox and the Yankees.

Anderson’s big hit to cap off the series

Tim Anderson was thrown into the headlines over the weekend and in many ways, it was a tough weekend for the star shortstop. After multiple plate appearances where Anderson was booed by the fans at Yankee Stadium, the all-star left the crowd stunned and silent.

With two runners on base, Yankees reliever Miguel Castro entered the game to try to get the final out in the eighth inning. With a slider left over the heart of the plate, Anderson got the full barrel on the ball and powered the pitch over the right-field fence.

Anderson trotted around the bases with a weight off his shoulders. The swing ended the series with an exclamation point and Anderson once again proved why he is one of the more complete players in the game. Not only does he make the White Sox a fun team but he carries the roster, with both great fielding and significant plate appearances to lead off the lineup.

What the series means for the White Sox

The White Sox played the Yankees last week. In the series, the Yankees displayed the talent gap, particularly between a good team in the American League and a World Series contender. The series showed some of the underlying weaknesses within the White Sox that proved they could be a good team but can only go so far with the current team.

The White Sox won back-to-back games to take the series. While one good day doesn’t make a team elite, the wins displayed a more complete team. The White Sox still trail the Minnesota Twins for the division lead and have stumbled to start the season. However, the series proved the team is poised to make a run and pile on the wins. Additionally, the series proved they can and will compete with the best teams in the league with one of the most talented rosters in the league.

Make sure to check out our WHITE SOX forum for the latest on the team.

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The 2021-2022 Chicago Bulls’ campaign was a tale of two seasons. They started 26-11 and had the 5th best net rating in the league through January 11, while holding the top spot in the Eastern Conference as late as February 25.

As injuries began to pile-up with Patrick Williams and Alex Caruso both suffering significant wrist injuries, Lonzo Ball tearing his meniscus, and Zach LaVine dealing with a knee issue, they limped to the finish line.

Chicago went 19-25 in their last 44 games before Milwaukee made quick work of them in the first round of the playoffs, winning the series in five games with an average margin of victory of 19.25 points.

There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Bulls heading into the summer, as they attempt to determine whether the first half of the season reflected something real, or if they’re actually closer to the team we saw in the latter portion of the year. Let’s explore three specific questions worth asking heading into this off-season:

Should the Chicago Bulls offer Zach LaVine a max contract?

The biggest piece of the puzzle that will need to fall into (or out of) place is LaVine, who heads to unrestricted free agency. There are so many intricate moving parts in this particular situation, including the fact that the Bulls decided to kick the can down the road last summer, choosing to use their available resources to improve the team around LaVine, rather than extend his contract.

To a certain extent, the plan worked; Chicago spent significant dollars to acquire Caruso, Ball, and DeMar DeRozan, helping the Bulls to the most successful regular season since 2014-2015. All that said, no matter how much weight you put on the injury problems, the end result was a quick first-round playoff exit with LaVine often playing second fiddle to DeRozan. One would think that leads to questions on both sides: do the Bulls want to offer the max to LaVine, a deal that would reportedly pay him $212 million over five years, tying up a significant portion of their cap for a roster that might not be good enough to win a title? If they do extend that offer, does LaVine want to stay, or is he intrigued by the idea of playing somewhere else and willing to take less money to do so?

LaVine was willing to play through a significant left knee injury for a good portion of the season, including the postseason. Unfortunately, that same issue is going to force a scope procedure this summer, raising concerns over his long-term health. It’s the same knee in which LaVine tore his ACL in 2017, which further complicates matters.

Despite the concern over the knee, LaVine just turned 27 years old and is an extremely efficient, high-volume scorer with career 46.1%/38.6%/83.0% shooting splits. He’s coming off his second straight all-star season and is the last remaining piece of the Jimmy Butler trade. Chicago cannot afford to have him leave for nothing, while finding realistic and workable sign-and-trade deals is difficult. It seems safe to expect the Bulls to offer LaVine the full max and hope he comes back ready to help Chicago make a leap.

Which direction do they go in the NBA draft?

The cost of the Nikola Vucevic trade included two first-round draft picks: one in 2021 and another in 2023. Fortunately, Ayo Dosunmo was available for Chicago in the second round last year and played at a much higher level than what you would anticipate from the 38th player off the board. The Bulls are without a first-round pick again in 2023 and assuming the front office can continue to find hidden gems late in the draft is unrealistic, placing increased importance on getting the 2022 selection right.

The Bulls hold the 18th pick and have multiple holes to fill on the roster. They are woefully short on big, sturdy wings, often asking Caruso, Ball, and Dosumno to defend at significant size disadvantages. With that in mind, do they look at Tari Eason, a 6-foot-8 swingman from LSU? If there is concern that Ball’s knee injury might continue to linger, perhaps another reliable ball-handler like Ochai Agbaji of Kansas intrigues them. With one year left on Vucevic’s contract, they may try to find his successor in Auburn’s Walker Kessler.

Knowing that their next first-round pick won’t come until 2024, they could explore moving up. Does packaging Coby White with the 18th pick entice another team to move down a couple spots? Whichever route the Bulls go, they’ll likely need immediate production from the selection in order to seriously compete next year.

Is there an upgrade over Nikola Vucevic available?

At the time of the deal last March, it was hard to not be excited about the trade that brought Vucevic to Chicago. The price of Wendell Carter Jr. plus two first-round picks was certainly steep, but it seemed clear that LaVine was growing frustrated with the constant sub-par rosters surrounding him. Vucevic represented the best teammate LaVine would share the floor with in a Bulls uniform, giving him a legitimate 2-man game partner who made two all-star teams.

Even heading into last summer, it appeared as though the move was going to pay off, with Vucevic averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in 26 games with Chicago after the trade on shooting splits of 47.1%/38.8%/87.0%. We also have to consider the effect of having Vucevic on the roster, and how differently the outlook of the team must have appeared to DeRozan and Ball as they made decisions in free agency.

Although it would have been impossible for anyone to predict Vucevic’s 3-point shooting would fall off a cliff, all that matters is he simply didn’t produce at a level close to justifying the price Chicago paid to get him. He shot just 31.4% from behind the arc on 4.5 attempts per game, which included prolonged slumps where his confidence seemed to waver. Combining the shooting woes with the fact that he’s a subpar defender with limited athletic tools, the Bulls might need to explore avenues to improve at the center spot.

Considering Phoenix’s shocking postseason collapse and head coach Monty Williams’s comments after their game 7 loss to Dallas, it would certainly seem that Deandre Ayton is available.

The Bulls and Spurs have a recent history of completing deals, so perhaps Chicago could pry Jakob Poeltl away from San Antonio. If there is an intriguing big man available for the Bulls to take with the 18th pick in the draft, maybe they can move Vucevic for wing depth.

With one year left on his contract at $22 million, in addition to the Bulls lack of assets, it’s hard to imagine workable deals that makes sense for both sides. That said, Chicago’s front office should leave no stone unturned.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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