Isaac Okoro, who will be acquired from Cleveland in a trade for Lonzo Ball, is the type of player Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said he’s looking to build the team around during a meeting with reporters earlier this week, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Okoro had mixed results during his five seasons with the Cavaliers, but he’s a strong wing defender who can play multiple positions.
Discussing how the Pacers were able to reach the NBA Finals, Eversley said, “What I take away from Indiana is their style of play. They continue to come at you over and over. They play fast in spite of the score or what quarter it is. That’s kind of how we played this year. They’ve got a bunch of players that can play on both sides of the floor, and that’s exactly what we want to build here in Chicago, players who are versatile. You can’t [defensively] hunt any of their players. Everybody can defend, run and make a shot.”
The Bulls have been criticized for not getting a draft pick in the deal, but Cowley points out that Okoro’s contract isn’t burdensome enough to ask for a sweetener. He’ll make $11MM and $11.8MM over the next two seasons before becoming a free agent in 2027.
Cowley notes that adding Okoro will allow the Bulls to continue trying to unload Patrick Williams, and it will take some pressure off 18-year-old Noa Essengue, the team’s first-round pick, to contribute right away.
There’s more from Chicago:
- The Bulls remain active in trade talks after today’s deal, tweets K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, who hears that Ayo Dosunmu is being discussed more than Coby White.
- In a Chicago Sports Network interview (Twitter video link), Eversley discusses the decision to draft Essengue at No. 12, saying he was the “best player available, and he fits the style of play that we want to play.”
- Injuries changed the course of Ball’s four years with the Bulls, states Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Ball and the team got off to a strong start after he was acquired in a 2021 trade with New Orleans, but everything changed when he hurt his knee in January of 2022. It appeared to be a routine injury at the time, but Ball missed more than two full seasons before finally making it back in October. He talked about the long recovery process and the thrill of getting back on the court at this year’s exit interview, Poe adds. “I got to a point where I was starting, which I didn’t think was going to happen,” Ball said. “I got to a point where I was playing 30 minutes multiple games in a row, which I didn’t think was going to happen this year. So I went above certain goals that I set for myself, and that’s very positive for me moving forward.”
Okoro being the kind of guy they want to “build around” might just be the most Bulls things possible
I was just going to say the same thing… I feel bad for Chicago fans if that’s the goal
What so people think Ball was worth even one FRP? Okoro for oft-injured Ball was a decent deal for the Bulls. If Bulls got any picks they would be Seconds. No one cares about R2 picks.
why do I keep reading this? R2 picks are valuable; ask the Nuggets. And I’m not talking about just unicorns either. In a deep draft like this year, early 2nd are good for finding rotation players. Beyond that may be a lottery ticket but like they say: You can’t win if you don’t play. Hitting on one occasionally is the difference between mediocrity and deep playoff runs.
The Bulls continually refuse to play even when tickets are given to them.
If you’re trying to figure out what the Bulls are doing at any specific time don’t bother unless you’re an idiot. Because only an idiot can even attempt to try and figure out he brain waves of the Bulls brain trust who are idiots. Your head will explode like one of Gallagher’s watermelons. Only a bunch of idiots would say they’re trying to build a winning team out of draft busts and say he’s the kind of player we’re looking for. Quite frankly it’s insulting to intelligent Bulls fans everywhere.