Marc-Andre Fleury, stunned initially by his trade to the Blackhawks, just needed time.

At 36, his life involves more now than Vezina Trophies and Stanley Cups and being a decorated NHL goaltender. It also revolves around his wife, his three young kids and his duties as a father.

Having only switched teams once — and not via trade — in his 17-year career, the decision to uproot his family from Las Vegas required significantly more thought than the Golden Knights seemingly gave to dealing him away.

“I felt pretty lucky I didn’t have to move so many times, like a lot of guys have to do,” Fleury said Wednesday, measured yet earnest in his first public comments since the trade.

“It’s not an easy thing, right? It’s stressful. It’s a process to find somewhere comfortable for your family to be, a good school. There’s lots in [this situation to consider] for them. I’ve been lucky to play for a long time and have won, too. I can’t think about me all the time.”

He mulled it over five “good nights’ sleep.” He talked with his wife Veronique, former Penguins teammate-turned-current Hawks assistant Chris Kunitz, longtime goalie friend and former late-career Chicago transplant Cam Ward, Hawks captain Jonathan Toews and many others — a comprehensive cross-section of the connections the instantly likable, relatable Quebec native has made over his two decades in hockey.

And then he called Hawks general manager Stan Bowman on Sunday and said he was coming.

“I never had anything against Chicago, the organization,” Fleury said. “It was just me [deciding] personally what I wanted to do. I’ve talked to guys, and I keep hearing so many great things about the team and how they treat the players and the families. Stan did a great job, too, of getting some players over the summer, trying to make this team competitive right away. That’s also very appealing.”

“From my first conversation with him, it was very consistent,” Bowman said. “He said, ‘Look, thanks so much for the call.’ He talked about how, ‘I just need a little bit of time to get through these things. So if you can have a little patience, that’d be great.’ And I said, ‘Not a problem at all.’ I put myself in his shoes. It’s hard when you have young children like that.”

Fleury explored Lincoln Park, Lake View and other Chicago neighborhoods earlier this week, putting a “good plan in place” for his family. He visited Fifth Third Arena, selecting No. 29 for his new Hawks sweater and presumably seeing the massive “Welcome” billboard the Hawks lit up for him outside.

He’s able to reflect on his Knights tenure nostalgically but warmly now. He recalls showing up in 2017, not knowing “if people would like hockey,” before experiencing four years of incredible atmospheres in the NHL’s exploding new market.

With the Hawks, he’s looking forward to befriending, mentoring and splitting starts with up-and-coming Kevin Lankinen — “A very talented goalie,” in his words.

He’s (jokingly) happy to no longer have to, at least in games, face Patrick Kane — “One of the guys who gave me the most trouble in shootouts during my career.”

He’s eager to prove his .928 save percentage last season wasn’t a fluke — “I may not be as fast as I was at 20, but the experience that I’ve gained…[has] made me better at reading plays.”

And he’s determined to win, not only to prove the Knights foolish for trading him but also to uphold a standard he’s maintained over his entire Hall of Fame-destined career. Not once in 15 seasons as a starter has he missed the playoffs.

“I’m very fortunate Stan gave me some time to reflect on what I wanted to do, what was best for me and my family,” he said. “[I’m] excited now. [I’m] excited to move and try to help the Blackhawks.”

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Employers are losing patience with unvaccinated workers.

For months, most U.S. employers relied on information campaigns, bonuses and other incentives to encourage workers to get COVID-19 shots. Now, a growing number are imposing rules to make it more onerous for employees to refuse, from outright mandates to requiring the unvaccinated to undergo regular testing.

Among employers getting tougher are the federal government, the state governments of California and New York, tech giants Google and Facebook, the Walt Disney Co. and the NFL. Some hospitals, universities, restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues also have begun requiring vaccines.

Genesis Healthcare, which has 70,000 employees at nearly 400 nursing homes and senior communities, making it the biggest player in that industry, also has announced its employees must get the shot to keep their jobs. That’s a sign it’s willing to risk an exodus at already dangerously understaffed facilities to quickly vaccinate the 40% of workers still resisting shots and fend off the surging delta variant.

But the new measures are unlikely to affect many of the millions of unvaccinated Americans.

Many of the companies requiring shots have mostly office workers who already largely have been vaccinated and are reluctant to work alongside those who aren’t.

But major companies that rely on low-income, blue-collar workers — like food manufacturers, warehouses, supermarkets and other store chains — are shying from mandates for fear of driving away employees and worsening the labor shortages they’re facing.

Tyson Foods, for one, said about half of its U.S. workforce — 56,000 employees — got shots after the meat and poultry processor hosted more than 100 vaccination events since February. But the company said it has no plans to impose a mandate to reach the other half.

Walmart and Amazon, the country’s two largest private employers, also have declined to require hourly workers to get vaccinated, continuing to rely on strategies such as bonuses and onsite access to shots. But Walmart has said employees at its headquarters will be required to get vaccinated by Oct. 4.

The biggest precedent so far has come from the nation’s largest employer — the federal government. President Joe Biden has said all federal employees and contractors must get vaccinated or put up with weekly testing and lose privileges such as official travel.

Biden’s decision could embolden businesses by signaling they would be on solid legal ground to impose similar rules, said Brian Kropp, chief of research at consulting firm Gartner’s human resources practice.

But Kropp said some companies face complicated considerations that go beyond legalities, including deep resistance to vaccines in many states.

Also, retailers like Walmart might have a hard time justifying vaccine requirements for their workers while allowing shoppers to remain unvaccinated, Kropp said. Stores have mostly avoided vaccine requirements for customers, fearing they’d alienated them and because of the difficulty in trying to verify their status.

In surveys by Gartner, fewer than 10% of employers have said they intend to require all employees to be vaccinated.

A shift is building, though, in the face of frustration over plateauing vaccination rates and alarm over the spread of the more contagious delta variant.

Some employers are concluding that requiring vaccines is simpler than trying to come up with different rules on masks and social distancing for the small number of unvaccinated workers.

BlackRock, the global investment manager, is allowing only vaccinated workers into its U.S. offices for now and said people will be free to go maskless, as local health guidelines allow, and sit next to each other and congregate without restrictions. The firm said 85% of its U.S. employees are vaccinated or in the process of getting shots.

Matthew Putman, chief executive officer of New York high-tech manufacturing hub Nanotronics, said he agonized over his decision to impose a vaccine mandate on his more than 100 employees. As it turned out, nearly all of them already were vaccinated, though he dreads the prospect of having to fire any holdouts.

“I hate the thought,” Putman said. “But, if it has to happen, it has to happen. I lost a ton of sleep over this but not as much sleep as I’ve lost over the fear of infection.”

Hospitals and nursing home chains increasingly are requiring vaccinations.

Atria Senior Living, which operates more than 200 senior living communities across the country, including Bolingbrook and Glen Ellyn, was among the first to mandate vaccines for its staff in January.

It worked. Nearly 99% of Atria’s 10,000 employees are vaccinated. Only a tiny fraction quit over the requirement, said John Moore, the company’s chief executive officer and chairman.

“Our residents deserve to live in a vaccinated environment,” Moore said. “Our staff deserves to work in a vaccinated environment.”

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Seby Zavala’s bat and batting gloves are going to the Hall of Fame, and the White Sox’ rookie catcher can’t wrap his mind around it.

“It still hasn’t hit me that I’ve done something nobody else has ever done,” Zavala told the Sun-Times.

Zavala became the first player to hit his first three career homers in one game,when he went 4-for-4 including a grand slam in a 12-11 loss to the Indians Saturday. He was also the first catcher in Sox history to hit three homers in one game.

“It’s a crazy feeling knowing my gloves and bat will be in the Hall of Fame,” he said. “That place is reserved for the best baseball players to ever play. I feel honored that they would ask me for anything.”

While Zavala’s bat and hitting gloves are going to Cooperstown, his catcher’s mitt and pitch-calling skills are why his playing time is on the rise. He has made 13 starts since being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte July 6 after Yasmani Grandal landed on the IL with a torn tendon in his knee, including seven of the last nine games. Zack Collins, who has caught 15 of Lucas Giolito’s 22 starts, is catching Giolito Wednesday when the Sox host the Royals.

“All through his minor league career Seby made pitching a priority,” said coach Jerry Narron, who oversees Sox catchers. “He’s a catch-first guy and that’s what got him to the major leagues. Really smart, really prepared. Pitchers throwing to him here for the first time have become very confident in him real quick. When veteran pitchers like Dallas Keuchel and Lance Lynn trust him — and right away — that says a lot about his ability.”

Zavala is batting .229/.341/.543 with five extra base hits over 43 plate appearances.

Four games vs. Cubs on 2022 schedule

The 2022 schedule opens the season with the Minnesota Twins visiting Guaranteed Rate Field on March 31 and includes four crosstown games against the Cubs.

The Sox play the Cubs on May 3-4 at Wrigley Field and May 28-29 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The interleague schedule features the NL West, with games against the Dodgers (June 7-9 at home), Giants (July 1-3 at Oracle Park), Rockies (July 26-27 at Coors Field and Sept. 13-14 home), Diamondbacks (Aug. 26-28 at home) and Padres (Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Petco Park).

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The chairman of the City Council’s Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday demanded to know why there’s only one Latino among Chicago Police Supt. David Brown’s nine merit promotions to the rank of lieutenant.

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s former Council floor leader, already was livid about the paucity of Hispanics in the mayor’s cabinet and at other local government agencies under her control.

The fact that the first round of merit promotions by her hand-picked police superintendent — after Brown reversed his predecessor’s decision to abolish merit promotions — infuriated Villegas even more.

“It’s a slap in the face. We’re talking about building a bench for leadership within CPD. Here’s an opportunity to meritoriously promote some more Hispanics to make it more reflective of the city. And then, we get the short end of the stick. I’m tired of it,” Villegas told the Sun-Times.

“I’m frustrated. Diversity and equity is not working for us. We need parity. We’re a third of the city. Census numbers are gonna show that we’re the largest population [group]. It’s due time that we get our fair share. Period.”

Villegas acknowledged African-Americans are under-represented among police brass, but “so are the Latinos. If a merit promotion is to diversify the ranks, why is it only one community being diversified? Why isn’t our community getting an opportunity to be in leadership roles? Why isn’t our bench getting groomed for leadership? You have some Latino chiefs [who] have retired or are retiring. What’s the plan to show some hope to the new Latino cops that, if you do a good job, you can get promoted?”

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

Chicago Police Department spokesman Tom Ahern did not explain why Brown’s lieutenant list has only one Hispanic on it.

In an emailed statement, Ahern explained only Brown’s decision to bring back merit promotions.

“Diversity is more important now in law enforcement than it has ever been,” he said.

“If we are going to build and grow the community’s trust, this Department needs to be reflective of the communities we serve and protect,” Ahern wrote.

“That means ensuring people of color are represented within every level of policing — from the rank-and-file to the command staff.”

During his confirmation hearing in April 2020, Brown told Public Safety Committee Chairman Chris Taliaferro he was “speaking to the choir” in claiming some police officers “are not great at multiple-choice exams.”

Brown promised then to “aggressively pursue a replacement for merit” promotions without re-opening the controversy about political influence.

In its scathing indictment of CPD triggered by the police shooting of Laquan McDonald, the U.S. Justice Department shined the light on a merit-promotion process roundly condemned by the officers it interviewed as a “reward for cronyism” and clout.

The DOJ report that laid the groundwork for the consent decree now in place said the “lack of transparency” surrounding the process of nominating and qualifying for merit promotions was “one of the major complaints from officers” interviewed.

Interim Superintendent Charlie Beck took the barrage of complaints to heart while holding down the fort after the drinking-and-driving incident that prompted Lightfoot to fire former Police Supt. Eddie Johnson.

In December 2019, Beck told officers he would not make any merit promotions and would recommend his successor not use the system. Instead, Beck encouraged the department to hold promotional exams every two years.

Taliaferro has acknowledged merit promotions have been fraught with politics over the years and a bitter source of contention among the rank-and-file because the standards are so murky.

But he told Brown the department needs to elevate and cultivate a new generation of police leaders who may not be the greatest test-takers.

With the exception of the brief hiatus under Beck, CPD has used merit promotions to diversify its supervisory ranks since the early 1990s; 20% of detectives and 30 percent of other ranks are promoted under the merit system.

Supervisors nominate candidates and a five-member board of deputy chiefs interviews them and votes. The names of the candidates approved by the board are forwarded to the superintendent for final approval.

All other promotions are made through a testing process.

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A Belmont Gardens man was charged after allegedly shooting a man Sunday in Cragin on the Northwest Side.

Carballo-Garcia allegedly shot and wounded a 35-year-old man around 9:40 p.m. in the 4800 block of West Nelson Street, Chicago police said.

Carballo-Garcia approached the man with a gun asking “if there was a problem,” police said. The two struggled over the weapon when Carballo-Garcia fired one shot that went through the man’s arm and struck the gunman in the jaw.

Carballo-Garcia was arrested at the scene and placed into custody, police said.

He was charged with one count each of endangering a person with a reckless discharge of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated assault with use of a deadly weapon, police said.

He was scheduled to appear in Bond Court on Aug. 4.

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Fresh off a stint with Poland in the recent European championships, attacker Przemyslaw Frankowski was playing some of his best soccer with the Fire.

That form will likely continue elsewhere.

Per multiple sources, the Fire are in negotiations to transfer Frankowski to RC Lens in France’s Ligue 1. Though it’s not a done deal, both clubs are working through a few final details but the structure of the agreement is in place, and the transaction is very likely to be finalized before the Aug. 31 European deadline.

Signed in 2019 for around $1.65 million (per Transfermarkt) from Polish team Jagiellonia Bialystok, the transfer fee would be double what the Fire paid for Frankowski, whose contract expires after the 2022 MLS season. RC Lens finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season.

The sale, while it would hurt the 2021 Fire, gives them a chance to get something for the speedy 26-year-old. It also can be used as a good selling point for the Fire, who can show that players can join the team, develop and move to a top-five league in the world.

Now in his third season with the Fire, Frankowski’s calling card has been his pace, which has stretched opposing defenses and provided scoring opportunities. The final product, whether it has been a shot or pass, has needed some work.

But recently, Frankowski’s touch has improved, as shown by his header goal Sunday against Philadelphia and the smooth finish in the July 3 victory against Atlanta. However, during a recent interview before the pending transfer became known, Frankowski said he isn’t done improving that part of his game. He said he was staying extra after training sessions to keep sharpening those skills, and that involves constant hard work.

Frankowski had been especially good since playing with Poland, scoring those two goals and adding two assists following the Euros.

“It’s a huge boost, definitely [to play with the national team],” Frankowski told the Sun-Times via a translator. “You gain experience. You play in new situations. You really grow.”

Clearly, Frankowski was looking like a player who believes in himself and expects good things to happen when he steps onto the field. And that’s at least partly connected to playing for his national team in one of the world’s most competitive and prestigious tournaments, in which he appeared in three games for a total of 83 minutes and contributed an assist.

“Self-confidence is something that goes up a lot,” Frankowski said. “Really, when I get back to my club, I’m self-confident and that immediately transfers to playing better because someone who is confident obviously plays better.”

Without Frankowski, the Fire could give more opportunities to Stanislav Ivanov, 22, who has missed most of the season with a knee injury but made his debut on July 21. Homegrown player Brian Gutierrez could also see more minutes.

NOTE: The Fire’s appeal against the red card handed Sunday to defender Wyatt Omsberg was denied, meaning Omsberg was suspended for Wednesday’s match.

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A man was shot to death Wednesday inside a West Pullman home on the Far South Side.

The man, 33, was inside a home about 4 p.m. when two gunmen entered and opened fire in the first block of East 118th Place, Chicago police said.

He was struck in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. He hasn’t been identified.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

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The Bulls keep offering us a healthy helping of different, the idea being that different has to be better than a steady diet of the same. It’s hard to argue with the concept of change, though the franchise hasn’t finished with a record above .500 since the 2015-16 season. Different can make the observer feel like things are getting done.

So the dominant thought after the Bulls’ most recent roster additions isn’t, “Who knows if it will work?” It’s, “Hey, look, they’re doing something!” Change = good.

Right?

RIGHT?

In a matter of days, the Bulls acquired Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso. It looked and sounded good. Ball can play, even if he still can’t shoot as well as you’d like. DeRozan has always been able to score, and he doesn’t miss many games. Caruso gives the team a three-point threat it has been missing.

Will this latest version of the new-look Bulls work? Will different really be different this time?

I’d settle for interesting. I haven’t found the Bulls interesting since Tom Thibodeau was the coach, which, although not forever ago, was three coaches ago. I know I’m supposed to find Zach LaVine interesting because he can get his shot whenever the spirit moves him. It moves him a lot. Now the question is how he’ll be able to coexist with Ball and DeRozan. It’s a much more interesting question than last season’s big question, which was whether LaVine would be selected for the All-Star Game. He was, so, you know, hooray.

The other storyline last season was how the Bulls would fare after landing four-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic. Answer: not well, with the team going 12-17 after he arrived in a March trade from Orlando. As part of the deal, the Magic received Wendell Carter Jr. and Otto Porter. I don’t want to say that’s a cautionary tale for Bulls fans, but I would like to remind them how excited they were three years ago, when Carter looked like he would become a double-double machine for the franchise one day. Or when Porter arrived in a trade from Washington three years ago and averaged 17.5 points and shot 48.8% on three-pointers in 15 games. Remember how good different felt then? Until it wasn’t so different after all.

I liked the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota in 2017 and gave the Bulls LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn. That certainly was different. It’s about the nicest thing you can say about that deal. Butler has gone on to superstardom in Miami. Remember how, season after season, Markkanen was finally going to figure things out? He’s still in the deciphering phase. He and his phase could end up on another team very soon.

If you feel you’ve been watching a hamster on a wheel, it’s because that’s exactly what you’ve been watching. New management regime, old management regime — the skeptical among you might wonder what difference it makes who calls the shots. The names change on the backs of the uniforms. The results don’t.

Maybe vice president Arturas Karnisovas, who was tasked with transforming the roster when he was hired in 2020, knows what he’s doing. Maybe this transformation sticks, unlike all the others that came before him.

Coby White is a reminder of how quickly we move on around here. White, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, averaged 15.1 points a game for the Bulls last season. But you hardly heard a word about him in all the talk that accompanied the arrival of Ball, DeRozan and Caruso. Is he destined for the scrap heap of remember-them Bulls — Nikola Mirotic, Omer Asik, Thaddeus Young, Mike Dunleavy, et al? Players you think of and say, “Oh, yeah! I’d forgotten about him!” Or are we ignoring White’s contributions because we’re caught up in the energy of Karnisovas’ wheeling and dealing?

Different is interesting. And so we try to get our minds around what the Bulls will look like in 2021-22. How is the trio of LaVine, Ball and DeRozan going to work? Will contract-extension talks between LaVine and the team be a drag on performance? Can a franchise truly build around LaVine if winning a championship is the goal?

There are a lot of unknowns. That happens when a franchise’s immediate goal is to be different than what it was even a few weeks ago.

Different is good. I think.

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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 mostly sunny with a chance of sprinkles and a high near 85 degrees. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 65. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 85.

Top story

Pritzker announces mask mandate for Illinois schools

Gov. J.B. Pritzker today issued a vaccine requirement for some state workers and a mask mandate for students in preschool through 12th grade.

Pritzker’s announcement brings Illinois in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which last week recommended that all teachers, students and staff in schools wear masks indoors regardless of their vaccination status.

The mandate applies to both public and private school students.

The state has seen a surge in cases in recent weeks, in part due to the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus. Health officials reported last week a roughly 35% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations and a 46% increase in state case numbers.

The Delta variant already accounts for more than 20% of new COVID-19 cases across the United States and “is likely to be our dominant strain here in the next couple of months,” according to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.

Rachel Hinton has more on the new rules here.

More news you need

1. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office declined to file criminal charges against a Des Plaines cop who shot a budding teen musician in 2019 while pursuing a bank robber. Foxx’s office says the officer was “justified in using deadly force” against the robber.
2. Cook County, as of yesterday, has recorded 11,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19, a grim milestone that prompted officials to again urge residents to get vaccinated. COVID-19 cases have increased by 30% since June 26 in the county.
3. Barack Obama is scratching his Saturday outdoor birthday party for “hundreds” on Martha’s Vineyard, having decided to scale back the gala because of Delta variant concerns. The former president turns 60 today.
4. A Chicago man earlier charged with threatening police officers’ wives and children during the 2018 trial of then-Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke pleaded guilty today to attempting to obstruct the free exercise of religious beliefs. The charge stems from a Sept. 2018 comment he wrote on Facebook, court records show.
5. Activists today called on Mayor Lightfoot to deny a long-delayed permit for a recycling company that wants to open a controversial metal-shredding plant on the Southeast Side. The company failed to report the partial collapse of a building on the proposed site for the facility, activists said.
6. James “Jim” Stricklin, who was one of WMAQ’s first Black news photographers and had a 40-year career, has died of COVID-19, according to his wife. The Hyde Park resident, who was 88, became ill despite having been vaccinated, she said.
7. The 2021 Hyde Park Summer Fest was canceled by festival organizers who pointed to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. The festival, rebranded from the popular annual Hyde Park Beer Fest, was initially scheduled for Sept. 11-12 at the Midway Plaisance.

A bright one

Bridget Bodo finds second wind in sailboat racing

Before Bridget Bodo found sailing — or rather it found her — Bodo was in a dark place. She sunk into a deep depression after she lost her leg and suffered a brain injury in a motorcycle accident in Lake View in 2003.

“My life was totally, totally turned around,” Bodo, 45, said. “I went from being a very active, single, working person to a disabled, very isolated, very sad person who just sat at home all day not being able to do anything. I couldn’t even walk.”

Bodo was on a ride in the summer of 2003 when a car turned left into her bike near Belmont and Campbell avenues.

The collision caused her to slide across the pavement. Her lower left leg was torn from her body and found nearly 50 feet away from the accident, she said. Bodo suffered facial trauma and a brain injury, too.

The transition into Bodo’s new reality was arduous. She struggled knowing she would need a prosthetic leg. Her sister moved in to help with rent, her dog and wound care.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

One day, while Bodo was waiting in a lobby for her ride after a physical therapy appointment in the spring of 2004, a man staffing a booth nearby asked her if she had any interest in sailing. He was with the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation, an organization with programs that teach people with physical disabilities as well as at-risk youths in Chicago how to sail.

Bodo was skeptical.

The first time on the water with the program was a refreshing experience. She said it was great to be out of the house and in the fresh air. Bodo couldn’t help but to return to the harbor at every opportunity. And each time she sailed, she felt more empowered.

Eventually, she found her second wind in sailboat racing, which has taken her all over the United States over the past 17 years. She’s won many races, including two regattas. Recently, her team finished fourth out of five vessels, despite some good showings across the four days.

When she’s sailing, she says, “I’m not thinking about being disabled at all. I feel like I can do everything that I need to do on the boat.”

Bodo now helps to recruit other people with disabilities to join the program.

“The nicest thing about all of this is, again, is community. . . There’s so many people out there in the world that are really, really wanting to help people out.”

Madeline Kenney has more on Bodo’s story here.

From the press box

• A week of big moves doesn’t answer the question of whether the Bulls can build a championship team around Zach LaVine, but they’re going to be interesting — and that’s an upgrade, Rick Morrissey writes.
• The Bulls kept adding today by signing center Tony Bradley.
• The White Sox announced their full 2022 regular season schedule today, a bit earlier than usual. The slate opens March 31 at home against the Twins.
• One week into Bears’ training camp, our beat reporters break down what they’ve seen so far. Patrick Finley calls Justin Fields’ talent “tantalizing,” while Mark Potash notes that Andy Dalton looks like an upgrade under center, too.
• The Bears have inked veteran linebacker Alec Ogletree for more depth on defense. Ogletree, 29, played two games for the Jets last season.

Your daily question ?

What’s the best summer job you’ve ever had? Tell us why.

Yesterday we asked you: NYC announced today it will require vaccination proof for indoor dining and gyms. Should Chicago do the same? Tell us why or why not. Here’s some of what you said…

“Yes. We have more to protect than people’s feelings. Not being vaccinated is a choice rooted in feelings, certainly not facts or reality. I think it would afford a greater sense of security for a lot of people knowing that everyone around them was less likely to be a virus carrier or spreader. Nowadays I think most people appreciate that peace of mind.” — Chris Vaughn

“Absolutely not! I’m vaccinated and that is my business — no one else’s.” — Madeline Muscia Squiller

“Yes. People may not like it, but the longer they stay unvaccinated, the greater likelihood more variants arise and prolong the pandemic.” – Davin Loh

“Yes. People can make the choice to not get vaccinated, but choices come with consequences.” — Lori McAllester Schultz

“How do you expect businesses to enforce this mandate? Everyone is aware of what happened when stores asked people to wear masks. This is a good idea, but is not realistic.” — Maureen Murphy

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

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Chicago Bulls: Why they can win the division next season by John-Mark Mallory

The Chicago Bulls have accomplished quite a bit over the first couple days of NBA free agency. Vice President Arturas Karnisovas has had his aggressiveness on full display, as has general manager Marc Eversley.

There may have been no more aggressive move than the one Eversley pulled off to help land DeMar DeRozan in Chicago on Tuesday, when the Bulls’ general manager flew all the way to Los Angeles to meet with the free agent. DeRozan was amidst meeting with the Clippers at that time, too, and Eversley made it all the way out to convince him to come to the Bulls.

Now, while that seems like a big move, there is another huge deal that could be brewing at the moment. Sign-and-trades have been happening left and right since the opening of this period, but we’re just getting started.

According to a Washington Wizards insider, Quinton Mayo, there is an enormous trade being discussed at the moment. The big return in this deal for Washington is what would ultimately land Spencer Dinwiddie with the Wizards, which has already been agreed upon.

Chicago & Oklahoma City are two names that I’ve heard connected to trade. BKN most recently requested Deni Avdija + future 1st/2nd round picks from WAS — WAS rebuffed the offer. Hearing Dinwiddie WILL be a Wizard, the avenue is just complicated.

— Quinton Mayo (@RealQuintonMayo) August 4, 2021

A deal of this magnitude would certainly take time to iron out. To complete what may be the biggest trade in NBA history, these teams will be dedicating a lot of hours to the nitty gritty details.

Speaking of the largest trade in league history, the current record belongs to a deal that was pulled off back in 2005 by the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Hornets. That five-team trade saw a whopping 13 players get dealt.

So, who are the other teams involved? For now, it looks like the Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder are two of them. But, another 2-4 franchises could be on the way soon. Even if only two more teams join in on the fun, this will go down as the largest trade in league history. However, if it spans all the way to eight teams, this becomes borderline hysterical. We could be in for absolute madness if and when this gets announced.

The big question, here, is how the Bulls fit into all of this. Chicago has parted with quite a lot of draft capital over the last few days and even going back to the Nikola Vucevic trade during the season. Most would guess that the Bulls send Lauri Markkanen away in this deal, but to whom and for what seems yet to be determined.

If Karnisovas and Eversley could deal Markkanen for either draft capital or a notable piece to the roster, this offseason will go down as one of the most exciting in Bulls history. Already, the team has brought in point guard Lonzo Ball to go with DeRozan, amongst a couple other moves like signing Alex Caruso and center Tony Bradley.

Trending

Bulls: Honest grades for free agency moves thus far

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Anything from here on out is icing on the cake, but the Bulls front office has done a masterful job with their moves this week. Stay tuned, Bulls fans. Things could get wild.

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