What’s New

The state’s gun laws will now require universal background checks on all gun sales — including private sales — under legislation signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday.

“In an America, where gun violence has become a scourge to so many neighborhoods, Illinois is taking a commonsense approach to reform and we’re doing so with votes from both sides of the aisle,” Pritzker said. “I pray, and I really do pray, that not a day too soon the nation will follow Illinois’ lead.”

The legislation’s key feature of expanding background checks on all gun sales puts an end to what Pritzker called “a deadly loophole” that happens with private sales. These transactions will now have to adhere to federal background checks.

“Prior to this change people with dangerous histories who shouldn’t possess a weapon — and the Illinois State Police denies firearm licenses to thousands of these individuals a year — could avoid detection through a private sale,” Pritzker said. “That’s a deadly loophole, and in Illinois, we are closing that down for good.”

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said before the legislation a person selling a gun privately would just need to verify a person had a valid Firearm Owners Identification card online.

“That did not cover all the federal requirements that exist when someone goes in to purchase a firearm at a federally licensed firearm dealer,” Kelly said. “What this process does, and with the changes in this legislation, will mirror now those federal requirements.”

Universal background checks for firearm sales will begin in 2024.

The legislation will also invest in community-based mental health programs in communities most impacted by gun violence. It will create a stolen gun database and will require ISP to monitor state and federal databases for prohibited gun buyers.

It also streamlines the FOID card system by allowing ISP to create electronic records that combined FOID and concealed carry licenses. This offers cardholders the opportunity to apply for renewals six months before the expiration date and establishes a professional appeals board.

State Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, said it was important to strike a balance that kept guns out the hands of dangerous people while also not punishing responsible gun owners.

“As a responsible gun owner myself, I wanted to make sure the FOID renewal process is fair and timely,” said Koehler, a co-sponsor of the bill. “But I think something that we can agree on as a common interest is that we need to make sure that our communities are safer, whether it be rural or urban, upstate or downstate, our communities have to be made safer.”

The bill was signed at the Aurora Police Department in honor of those killed during a 2019 mass shooting at an Aurora factory. Gary Martin, 45, had brought a .40-caliber handgun to work the day he was fired and went on a shooting spree that killed five people and injured six others.

Martin’s gun should’ve been seized years earlier due to a revoked FOID card because of his criminal record.

This legislation will mandate ISP seize revoked FOID cards and remove guns from people who have lost their licenses for gun ownership. It will also help fund ISP’s efforts from FOID card fees.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said this legislation “will save lives” and will prevent an Aurora-style mass shooting in the future.

“State police will monitor the state and federal crime databases to compare them with our FOID license holders and can initiate revocation proceedings,” Welch said. “This will ensure that those who are a danger to themselves or others will not have a firearm.”

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DENVER – The Cubs have picked a new lane and with their decision to have a massive fire sale at the trade deadline, they’ve added to both their farm system and

President Jed Hoyer admitted there was no reason to go halfway after the team’s season spiraled to the point of no return and the team’s moves show that.

The Cubs traded Kris Bryant (Giants), Javy Baez and Trevor Williams (Mets), Anthony Rizzo (Yankees), Joc Pederson (Braves), Andrew Chafin (Athletics), Jake Marisnick (Padres), Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera (White Sox) and received 12 players in return.

No one knows if the players who the Cubs acquired will ever make it to the big leagues or impact their next postseason contender, but there are a few names that standout.

Here’s a look at some of three intriguing names from the Cubs’ return at the trade deadline.

CF Pete Crow-Armstrong

Pete Crow-Armstrong was one of the most coveted prep bats in the 2020 MLB Draft. Despite the draft being shortened to five rounds due to the pandemic, the toolsy Crow-Armstrong remained a highly sought after player, leading the Mets to draft him as the 19th overall pick in the first round.

He was off to a fast start to his professional career in 2021, slashing .417/.563/.500 in six games for Single-A St. Lucie before he suffered a GLAD (glenoid labral articular disruption) lesion in his non-throwing shoulder, requiring season-ending surgery.

“He’s a plus center fielder and a very good bet to stick in center field,” an NL talent evaluator told the Sun-Times. “Instincts and jumps stand out more than the arm. Scouts are split on whether power comes, but he should have enough OBP to keep the overall offensive profile above water.”

Obviously, not having two seasons of development (COVID-19 and shoulder surgery) is less than ideal. Still just 19 years old, there’s no rush for Crow-Armstrong to be in Chicago anytime soon. But there’s no doubt the Cubs are hoping the toolsy outfielder bounces back sooner rather than later and his potential starts to show.

2B Nick Madrigal

Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer, who were the return for Kimbrel from the White Sox, are the two players that will impact the Cubs major-league roster immediately. Madrigal has been one of baseball’s best prospects for the last several seasons and after getting his first taste in the big leagues during last year’s shortened 60-game season, he began showing what he could really do in 2021.

Madrigal was slashing .305/.349/.425 with 10 doubles, four triples and two home runs in 54 games before undergoing surgery in June to repair proximal tendon tears in his right hamstring.

“To get a player like Nick Madrigal, he just really fits what we’re trying to do going forward really well,” president Jed Hoyer said. ” I love how he plays the game. I’ve loved how he played the game t since college and I was envious of the White Sox to get a player like that that fits so well with their boppers in the in the middle of the lineup.”

The 24-year-old second baseman has been touted as an elite defender, but has struggled at times during his brief time in the big leagues and his baserunning decision making has also left a lot to be desired.

RHP Codi Heuer

The Cubs see Heuer as one of their high-leverage arms of the future and have already gotten to see him in action. Heuer threw two scoreless innings in relief in Washington over the weekend.

The right-hander has elite stuff from the right side featuring an upper 90s fastball with a wipeout slider. With the Cubs losing Kimbrel, Chafin and Tepera at the deadline, the young right-hander will get every opportunity in the backend of the Cubs’ pen.

“There’s gonna be a lot of high-leverage situations just like I’ve been doing in the past,” Heuer said. “I think the bullpen is gonna find a lot of their roles. So we’re gonna see how that goes here in the upcoming games.”

Heuer had struggled in 2021 with a 5.12 ERA in 40 appearances with the White Sox. The Cubs feel they have some small adjustments to get him back on track. Don’t be surprised if he’s closing games on the North Side by the end of this season.

“I feel like he’s probably our most dominant right-handed pitcher down there vs. righties,” manager David Ross said. “If we can slot him into the right spot at the back end, I don’t see why it’s not the ninth. But I’m not going to save him for just the closer role.”

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The first thing someone would notice when walking into Richard Jaworowski’s home was a television blaring some sporting event — most likely the Chicago White Sox — and his voice bellowing helpful instructions at the team.

“He talked about Sox players every single day we saw him, so he was a real die-hard Sox fan,” said Jerry Wilhelm, a senior manager at Standard Parking, where Mr. Jaworowski worked as an attendant during Sox games. “He was one of the guys that groomed me in the business and he found a way to make you laugh everyday.”

Mr. Jaworowski was thrilled when he met Sox legends Minnie Minoso and Carlos May at a 2005 Sox golf event in Plainfield.

He taught social studies for 36 years at St. Jude the Apostle grade school in South Holland until it was consolidated into Christ Our Savior School. He taught his final four years at St. Joseph School in Homewood.

Mr. Jaworowski died at Franciscan Hospital in Dyer, Indiana last month from heart failure, according to his wife. He was 78.

“Mr. J felt like home for all of us,” said Amber Travis, a St. Jude Class of 2001 graduate and a senior digital analyst for JPMorgan Chase in Chicago. “When I was a student, he used to ask me about my younger brother three years before he even taught him. When I reunited with him last March before the pandemic, he still asked about certain former students that he was concerned about.”

That concern for his students had an impact.

“Even though we were junior high kids, he treated us with respect and gave us a sense of purpose,” said Lynn Janusz, another former student at St. Jude. Janusz, now a funeral director, handled Mr. Jaworowski’s services at Thornridge Funeral Home. “It was about bringing our faith into the classroom by looking out for one another and teaching us not to be self-absorbed, thinking about how to make a difference in other people’s lives.”

Provided

Mr. Jaworowski grew up in Bridgeport and Park Forest. To help support his family, young Richard landed his first job at 10, caddying at Idlewild Country Club in Flossmoor. After graduating in 1960 from Bloom High School, he attended Southern Illinois University.

In 1967, he started teaching at St. Jude’s. To keep money coming in during summer breaks, Mr. Jaworowski worked as a park district camp director in South Holland and real estate broker. He also would drive an ice cream truck, coming home after a shift and giving away some of the leftovers to his neighbors.

Mr. Jaworowski was determined to keep kids off the street and started a variety of local sports leagues for boys and girls.

He coached boys in varsity basketball and a baseball league he created for 15- and 16-year-olds who aged out of Little League but wanted to stay involved in sports.

“He would referee these [basketball] games and purposely make foul calls against the leading team so that the game became close at the end,” said Ken Citkowski, a former student who played on both baseball and basketball teams for Mr. Jaworowski. “When it was over, he would always say ‘This was an NBA finish.'”

The Jaworowskis often took students to dinner, especially kids who seemed to need guidance, his wife said. She recalled he once invited his whole homeroom — about 50 students — for dinner. He also brought 20 pounds of ground chuck, so she could make them her famous Sloppy Joes.

“As a father, he really did a lot with a little in terms of resources,” said daughter Lauren Henzel. “I remember when we were young, he’d bring home a movie projector from school and set up a big sheet in the yard. All the neighbors would come over to watch a movie outside. He truly did a lot in what was a shoestring budget, being a Catholic school teacher.”

Many in his family dubbed “YMCA” by the Village People “Uncle Richie’s Dance” because of the way he’d dance awkwardly in the middle of the floor, surrounded by relatives and friends, at family events like weddings and holidays.

“He was the man standing in the corner watching over me to make sure everything was OK for me,” his wife said. “He would never let me walk down the street with me facing the street. He was always in protector mode.”

Mr. Jaworowski’s other survivors include daughters Emilee Biegel and Janet Palkon; siblings Linda, Dan and LeRoy Jaworowski; and 10 grandchildren.

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Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be partly sunny with a chance of showers and a high near 77 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 60. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 81.

Top story

Football or powerball? Sizing up a Bears move to Arlington Heights

The Chicago Bears have again floated the idea of moving to Arlington Heights. The club has made an offer, competing with several others, for Arlington International Racecourse, a once premier venue whose business is withering and whose owner wants out.

We’ve seen this movie before with Chicago sports teams, including when the Bears in the 1970s talked about Arlington Heights and Mayor Richard J. Daley famously, but probably without basis, said they’d never call themselves the Chicago Bears if they followed through. The Cubs and White Sox also played suburban gambits, and they stayed put, too. Is that going to happen once more?

It’s very early in a process of negotiations, bluster and head fakes, but three questions come to mind.

Are the Bears serious?

The prudent answer is they are, until they aren’t. With Soldier Field needing improvements to keep up with the rest of the league, as the Sun-Times’ Mark Potash has explained, the Bears have incentives to consider a fresh start at the racetrack property.

The site covers 326 acres, slightly more than Six Flags Great America, and it’s in the middle of a wealthy suburban market where the team has a substantial fan base. It could provide all the necessary parking, and there’s even a Metra stop.

Industry consultant Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp, said based on conversations he’s had with the NFL, he believes the Bears are in earnest. Ganis, who said he has no role in this matter, said the Bears don’t need to purchase such a vast parcel. They could participate as tenants or as part of a group that the seller, Churchill Downs, puts together to develop the property.

Read the rest of business reporter David Roeder’s breakdown of the key questions facing the Bears-to-Arlington Heights move.

More news you need

1. While we don’t know the effects of Lollapalooza on the pandemic yet, the city says there were fewer arrests, citations and ambulance transports this year compared to 2019. There’s no 2020 data because Lolla wasn’t held in person last year.
2. Despite the skyrocketing number of mass shootings and the Chicago Police Department’s dismal clearance rate for those cases, CPD says it’s not prioritizing mass shootings over others. Read our special report to learn more about the troubling trend, the causes behind it and authorities’ efforts to address it.
3. DePaul’s teaming up with Lincoln Park’s Prysm Institute to help students turn their academic ideas into real businesses. The joint effort will offer students access to mentors and investors who can help them become tech entrepreneurs.
4. Former leaders of the “conversion therapy” movement share their regrets and speak out the harm caused by those efforts in the new Netflix documentary “Pray Away,” which debuts tomorrow. Read Richard Roeper’s review, in which he says, “For all its sobering and poignant moments, ‘Pray Away’ also has its stories of triumph.”
5. The Taylor Street Little Italy Festival won’t be held for the second straight year due to the pandemic but aims to return in 2022. The head of the organization that typically puts on the event said it’d be irresponsible to do so this year with so many businesses already stretched thin for staff.

A bright one

Community centers partner to create youth storytelling project on South Side

Myra Hernandez has lived in Back of the Yards all her life, but for years was ashamed to admit it. Violence and crime gave it a reputation as a dangerous, gang-ridden neighborhood.

But Hernandez doesn’t focus on the violence. As an artist, she searches for beauty.

“I know a lot of young people that have a lot of amazing talent and skills and just don’t really have a space or an opportunity to be creative,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez wanted to provide that space for young artists across the South Side, so she went to her team at the Catholic community organization The Port Ministries, where she’s an administrative assistant.

Chicago Stories on The Block and The Port Ministries

They created Chicago Stories on the Block, a three-month-long community arts project on the Southwest Side, with community organizations including the Wilburn LUV Institute, the Firehouse Community Art Center and the ABJ Community Center.

“There’s so much attention to the violence, it’s almost oversaturated and romanticized,” said David Gonzales, executive director of Chicago Stories on the Block. “We keep on talking about stopping the violence and putting the guns down, but we’re really not focusing on what we should be picking up.”

Throughout the 12-week program, which began July 6, 40 people, ages 16 to 24, will create a mix of storytelling, visual and performance art. Through the city’s One Summer Chicago jobs program, the participants are paid $14 an hour for their 20-hour workweek.

Cheyanne M. Daniels has more on the project here.

From the press box

• Speaking from Tokyo today, Bulls star Zach LaVine said he wants “respect” because he’s “outplayed” his current contract and been loyal to Chicago. Joe Cowley breaks down the team’s options.
• Andy Dalton already “100%” understands the Bears’ offense, per coach Matt Nagy, who said the QB could play a game tomorrow and “be just fine.”
• Bears tight end Jesse James, a recent free agent signing, is already making a good case for a roster spot behind Cole Kmet and Jimmy Graham, Jason Lieser writes.
• Whether James or any other player makes the roster apparently won’t depend at all on whether they’re vaccinated. Bears coach Matt Nagy said today that he’s not factoring vaccination status into any personnel decisions, instead focusing on “who can play football and who can’t.”
• Luc Longley, a key member of the late-90s Bulls, wasn’t a part of “The Last Dance” — and Michael Jordan says that was a mistake. MJ made the comment recently after Longley told Australian press he was “bummed” by his general omission except for limited snippets.

Your daily question ?

Our Neil Steinberg says an S. Rosen’s bun is the true star of a Chicago-style hot dog. What’s your favorite part of a Chicago dog?

Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.`

On Friday, we asked you: What’s your favorite memory from the “Bryzzo” era of Cubs baseball? Here’s what some of you said…

“The third out, 10th inning, Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Bryant slowly picking up Martinez’s grounder, smiling and throwing the ball to Rizzo, who stuffs it in his back pocket. Heaven.” — Susan Brannigan

“All their time together … they brought happiness and fun to the Cubs … terrible loss.” — Linda Adler

“When Cubs won in the last game of the World Series. Bryant’s grin while throwing the last out to Rizzo! That was priceless!” — Vicki Trinidad

“Wearing PJs on road trips, or doing some type of themed get up. Priceless times.” — Robert Lisowski

“Seriously? Give me time to process and come to terms with this.” — Jennifer Payton

“Everything before they got traded.” — Mickey Vincent

“Everything! I don’t want to talk about it! I’m devastated!” — Barbara Crowley

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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A Chicago man has been charged with murder in connection with a fatal shooting over the weekend in suburban Carpentersville.

On July 29, Jamar Robinson, 29, allegedly fired multiple shots at 30-year-old Jorge Sanchez at an apartment complex in the first block of Oxford Road, the Kane County state’s attorney’s office said. Sanchez’s body was found in a hallway.

Prosecutors said Robinson previously dated someone who lived in the building, and Sanchez was staying in an apartment adjacent to the former girlfriend’s apartment.

Robinson, of Austin on the West Side, was ordered held on $3 million bail Saturday, the state’s attorney’s office said.

He is due back in court Wednesday.

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The first time Bears tight end Cole Kmet ran routes for Andy Dalton during the offseason, he got hit in the face with the ball. He wasn’t used to it being in the air before he broke out of his route.

“You just learn you’ve got to get your head around quick,” Kmet said, “and the ball is going to be on you.”

The Bears’ other pass-catchers have figured that out in the months since Dalton signed a one-year deal to be — for now — the starting quarterback. They’ll spend the rest of training camp fine-tuning those nuances, be they anticipation throws — which are a welcome change from Mitch Trubisky — or coverage reads or route techniques.

“I’ve been a part of so many different systems that there’s not many plays that are new to me,” Dalton said after training camp practice Monday at Halas Hall. “I’m very confident with what we have and got going. It’s about building that chemistry during camp and being ready for Week 1. …

“I feel really good where we’re at right now. Just reading body language on certain routes — you talk about anticipation throws, when you see certain moves. You know you can let the ball go and they’re going to be in this spot.”

He’s got the basics down already. Bears coach Matt Nagy said Monday that Dalton “100%” understands the scheme, less than five months after he joined the franchise.

“He’s got full control of this offense, without a doubt,” Nagy said. “We could play a game tomorrow and be just fine.”

A veteran quarterback being prepared isn’t worthy of a parade. For Dalton, who’s started 144 games in 10 seasons, it’s to be expected. But it’s different than this time last year, when Nick Foles scrambled to play catchup after the NFL shut down all in-person offseason team activities until training camp — and then canceled preseason games. And it’s a benefit to rookie Justin Fields, who can worry about improving every day while Dalton takes first-team snaps.

“It’s been good, to be honest with you,” Fields said.

On certain plays, Dalton has helped Fields zip through his progressions faster simply by telling him what he sees. Fields was struggling during seven-on-seven drills Monday — “Trying to go downfield too much,” he said — when Dalton pulled him aside and told him to simply take what the defense gives him.

“I’ve learned a lot [from Dalton],” Fields said. “Literally — you name it.”

Relegated to third string because of his very presence, Foles praised Dalton, too.

“He’s the leader the team needs,” he said, “and he’s doing a great job leading.”

Dalton’s impact on the Bears will be strong only so long as Fields is the backup. This early in camp, though, his command of the offense has been a stabilizing force for his teammates — including the rookie — and coaches alike.

“You’re talking about a guy who’s been through a lot,” offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said. “When you’re a quarterback with as much experience as Andy’s had, you’ve been fooled many times by the defense and hopefully learned from it, which I think he’s proven he has. He’s also figured out some things you can do to take control of it.

“And I think right now everyone is feeling that his experience brings some confidence with it. I think that’s rubbing off on a lot of people.”

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Marshall Faulk’s high school football coach died of COVID-19 early on in the pandemic. The coronavirus hit home for Rod Woodson when he and his family got sick and his daughter’s boyfriend lost his father.

They are two of 15 Hall of Famers among 40 current and former players who are part of a community outreach and education campaign to help build COVID-19 vaccination confidence.

NFL Alumni Health teamed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch the program as vaccination rates have slowed this summer just as the delta variant is causing cases to spike.

“We may be in the proverbial ‘red zone,’ but the fight isn’t over,” said NFL Alumni CEO Beasley Reece. “We hope that the voices of our NFL Alumni will help inspire people who have not yet been vaccinated to explore their concerns with a health care professional, get the facts and decide to protect themselves and others.”

The campaign aims to dispel common myths about the vaccine and encourage the undecided to seek advice from their healthcare professionals to help them make up their minds.

The initiative includes public service announcements, a campaign website and appearances by the former players at vaccination events across the country.

“This is for the people who are on the fence, aren’t sure, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” Faulk told The Associated Press. “The beauty of our country is the democracy to do it or not do it. But for the people who are not doing it because of bad information or communication, that’s who we’re trying to help.”

Woodson said he’s sure more people will get jabs in their arms if they ignore the din on social media and ask their healthcare professionals about the vaccine.

“I’m not a person to get the flu shot every year. But this is completely different,” Woodson said. “That’s why I think you’ve got to make the right decision and be educated. I think you should always continue your education no matter what happens. But when a pandemic hits us in our backyard, then we should just listen to the experts and not make this political. This is about life and death.

“We’re saying, ‘Listen to your experts, talk to your local doctors and make the right decision,'” Woodson added. “Make the right decision not just for yourself but for your loved ones, your communities, your families, your team that you’re around on a daily basis.”

Woodson said he and his wife and four of their five children contracted COVID-19 last year. He said he and his wife got vaccinated shortly after their daughter’s boyfriend lost his father, who had diabetes and hypertension, to the virus.

“He got COVID, went into the hospital and never came out,” Woodson said. “When I saw the hurt in my daughter’s boyfriend’s face from his father dying, I mean, that was like, no, I can’t be that guy to do that to somebody else.”

The disease hit home for Faulk when Wayne Reese, his coach at George Washington Carver High School in New Orleans, died at age 74 after contracting COVID-19 in spring 2020 after 49 years of coaching.

“It was just sad. He’s in the hospital with his wife for 50 years at home, he’s in the hospital dying by himself,” Faulk said. “There’s a lot of tragedy around it.”

Faulk and Woodson said their message is the same to the dozens of NFL players who are choosing not to get vaccinated and so must adhere to the strict safety protocols that include daily virus tests and mask mandates.

“If how you lived your life and played your season last year, if that’s OK with you, then continue on,” Faulk said.

Added Woodson: “We’re very fortunate to play a sport, a game, and get paid extremely well for it. And here in America the one thing we deem very necessary is our freedom of choice. And they do get to exercise that freedom by not getting vaccinated.

“But the one thing I love that the NFL did this year was to say, ‘OK, you’re exercising your freedom not to get it, well we’re going to exercise our freedom as a company. If you cause a game to be canceled, you’re going to forfeit that and then we’re going to fine you. And nobody gets paid on either team on top of that,'” Woodson said.

Other Hall of Famers participating in the campaign kicking off this week are: Derrick Brooks, Harry Carson, Cris Carter, Brian Dawkins, Franco Harris, Michael Haynes, Howie Long, Anthony Munoz, John Randle, Andre Reed, Jerry Rice, Will Shields and Andre Tippett.

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When Mayor Lori Lightfoot was asked on Sunday about unmasked Lollapalooza attendees packing CTA trains this weekend she responded with: “Do not get on public transportation in this city without a mask. Do not. And we are looking at conversations with the CTA to look at enforcement. I do not want people getting on public transportation… without wearing a mask. It’s not wise.”

I’m still not sure the mayor will act on this but, after all this time, Lightfoot had that to say.

This behavior has been taking place on CTA ever since masks were mandated with absolutely nothing being done. It takes place daily and gets worse on weekends when baseball games have taken place.

SEND LETTERS TO: [email protected]. Please include your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be approximately 350 words or less.

This weekend, video and pictures documenting maskless CTA riders have been plastered all over the media so, of course, City Hall acts as if this is were the first time they have been made aware of this.

It’s no wonder to some why there is zero trust in city officials and institutions when it comes to matters such as this. Just as with the Anjanette Young incident, it’s a pity that you have to embarrass city officials into action.

Michael Pearson, Englewood

Is ShotSpotter Really Racist?

I read in amazement that activists are saying that ShotSpotter is racist. Are you kidding me?

I was not aware that it detects a person’s race. Maybe it also detects your age, gender and eye color? The neighborhoods that need the most protection have activists in them that just don’t seem to want residents to have any degree of protection.

Joseph “Joey” Battaglia, retired Chicago Police officer, Southwest Side

Getting into Yankee Stadium

While Gene Lyons makes valid points regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, he made a mistake about Yankee Stadium requiring people to be vaccinated in order to be admitted.

They let Anthony Rizzo in, and he’s refused to be vaccinated!

Pamelyn Massarsky, Evanston

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Chicago Bulls Rumors: Lonzo Ball, Tomas Satoransky trade possible by Ryan Heckman

The Chicago Bulls and Lonzo Ball have agreed to an offer sheet for the energetic, playmaking point guard to become part of the starting five for the Bulls.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, “Miami is emerging as a favorite to land (Kyle) Lowry in a sign-and-trade while (Lonzo) Ball is ready to sign with the Bulls with free agency beginning Monday evening, according to a source.”

The question of the matter is no longer “Is Lonzo Ball a Chicago Bull?” the question has become “How is Lonzo Ball a Chicago Bull?”

There has been much speculation that the Bulls front office could get away with a sign-and-trade between Ball and Tomas Satoransky, who currently has a partial guarantee on his contract.

Lonzo Ball is ready to sign with the Chicago Bulls as soon as free agency starts, per @NYPost_Berman.

— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 2, 2021

This would save the Bulls from having to renounce Satoransky and give them the ability to retain assets in return for him.

On top of that, this move would save the Bulls $5 million in cap space for trading him instead of letting him go in free agency.

Related Story: Chicago Bulls Rumors: Lonzo Ball, Tomas Satoransky trade possible

However, if the Bulls were unable to do this, they would have to eat at their cap space to take on Ball. Understanding that Ball may take close to $20 million per year, it’s already known that the Bulls have just over $24 million in cap space to play with. That’s also saying they renounce their free agents to conclude on that number.

If it’s not a sign-and-trade for Satoransky and not an offer sheet signing, what else could it be?

Truly the only other option would be a sign-and-trade with Lauri Markkanen. However, Arturas Karnisovas tried this move just before the trade deadline, but no cigar. That being said, it seems unlikely he will try his hand with this move again since it already flopped.

To rank the ideal ways of obtaining Ball, here’s how it would go.

1. Sign-and-trade with Satoransky
2. Sign-and-trade with Markkanen
3. Free-agent signing

Considering Markkanen has drawn interest from several teams around the league, it would be well more ideal to jettison Satoransky as the piece to obtain Ball over Markkanen, to exploit Markkanen’s value elsewhere.

Next: Chicago Bulls: What to expect on the first day of free agency

Stay tuned after 5 p.m. CST on Aug. 2 to see how the Bulls and Ball will link up.

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