Most any NBA team has its twists and turns of unexpected drama over the course of the season.
And the Bulls are less than a week away from Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis sharing the same building again for the Sept. 29 preseason opener at the United Center. The two combatants were in an altercation that rocked last season's training camp and eventually led to Mirotic's trade to the Pelicans.
But with the Timberwolves' dysfunction playing out publicly as Jimmy Butler nears being traded and the Knicks set to part ways with Joakim Noah, the expected placid start to Bulls camp on Monday is noteworthy.
Sure, there are storylines: How will management judge Fred Hoiberg as he enters season four of a five-year deal, with next offseason's extension or lame-duck decision looming? Will the team and Portis reach agreement on an extension before opening night? How long will Robin Lopez be a Bull and/or start over Wendell Carter Jr.? With his knee rehabilitation behind him, can Zach LaVine take the next step and justify his $78 million deal?
And, perhaps most importantly, can Lauri Markkanen take a break from his alleged Twitter trolling of the Timberwolves to take a next step?
Sarcasm aside, the fact it's a legitimate debate now as to which roster and salary structure is more appealing _ the Bulls or Timberwolves _ shows how much things can change in 15 months.
That's how long it's been since the Bulls were widely criticized for trading Butler and the draft rights to twice-injured Justin Patton to Tom Thibodeau's domain and netting LaVine, the rights to Markkanen and Kris Dunn. Butler represented the alleged missing piece that would toughen up Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins and open a championship window for a long dormant franchise.
Instead, despite ending a playoff drought that stretched back to 2004, Butler had another spectacular season cut short by knee issues and now wants out. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have signed Towns and Wiggins to maximum extensions off their rookie deals. And loud questions persist whether either player, particularly Wiggins, can be the first option on a championship team.
Noah signed a four-year, $72 million deal in 2016, the summer of funny money as the new TV deal spiked the salary cap in historic fashion. That's the same summer the Bulls signed Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo in widely panned moves.
The difference is, management signed both to short-term deals. And while paying Wade roughly $38.7 million for one season of work wasn't ideal, it didn't hurt anything other than the Reinsdorfs' robust bottom line.
The Bulls are far from championship contention. Management has acknowledged as much. But there's also internal optimism on the ceilings of several of the young core pieces. And with LaVine locked in at $19 million, which will be a fair deal if he reaches his potential, the only bad contract on the Bulls' books is that of reserve center Cristiano Felicio.
The Bulls have let go of four former All-Stars in Butler, Noah, Luol Deng and Derrick Rose. Butler remains at an All-NBA level. Noah, Deng and Rose all can be solid rotation pieces in the right situation. But Noah likely will join Deng and Rose in signing a veteran minimum's deal when his exit from the Knicks becomes official.
As far as the Bulls should be concerned, the apples-to-apples comparison for the Timberwolves' imminent trade of Butler isn't whether Thibodeau _ who is being mandated to deal one of his favorite players against his wishes by owner Glen Taylor _ can beat the Bulls' haul of LaVine, Dunn and Markkanen. It's whether the Bulls are better off with that young core and Carter or if they had kept Butler, who would've been in line to negotiate a five-year extension worth upward of $200 million.
The Bulls strongly believe they made the right choice in dealing Butler and haven't looked back. The focus is on the future, with Monday bringing what should be a relatively quiet Media Day.
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