The Bulls formally introduced their new players in a press conference at the Advocate Center on Tuesday morning. Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn both expressed their excitement to be in Chicago after being traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night for Bulls star Jimmy Butler. Rookie Lauri Markkanen, whom the Bulls selected with the #7 pick in the draft last week, said he’s looking forward to living in Chicago and playing in Fred Hoiberg’s offense.
Gar Forman and John Paxson were there too, of course. Paxson reiterated his words from their draft night press conference and subsequent interviews, focusing on the excitement of having finally picked a clear direction for the organization moving forward.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the media session came when Paxson was addressing a question about the future of veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. The Bulls still haven’t made a decision on whether they’ll bring Rondo back for $13.4 million or buy out the second year of his deal for $3 million. The Bulls VP spoke about needing veteran leaders to offer support for this new young core.
“We do understand that veterans are important for a young basketball team. The right veterans. The guys that are good teammates, are supportive of the young guys and teach them how to be pros. So those are things we’ll be addressing.” – John Paxson
Ouch. It’s hard to not see a connection between that comment and the recently traded Jimmy Butler. Paxson even put emphasis on the word “right.” Several reports over the years have indicated GarPax never saw Butler as the leader their team needed. This kind of statement only furthers that notion.
Paxson said that the Bulls will sit down with Rondo and his agent Bill Duffy soon, likely in the next day or two. As for the other prominent veteran on the roster, Paxson said any hypothetical buyout for Dwyane Wade would need to benefit the Bulls and their current situation.
Either way, there are two alphas still alive in the Bulls landscape for next season. But Alpha #1? He’s gone, and Paxson doesn’t seem to broken up about it.
