Eastern Notes: Donovan, Okoro, Hornets, Whitmore, Sixers
As of Sunday night, Billy Donovan and the Bulls hadn’t scheduled their end-of-season meeting that will help determine whether he remains in his role as head coach, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required).
However, the expectation is that it will happen at some point this week and that Donovan won’t take long after the meeting to make a decision on his future, Poe adds. Bulls leaders, including CEO and president Michael Reinsdorf, have expressed strong interest in retaining Donovan after parting ways with top basketball operations executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, and multiple players have also said they hope the veteran coach returns.
“We’re at this pivot point right now,” Donovan said on Sunday. “Everything has changed. So for me to have to sit down and have a conversation — that’s really what I want to do, just to find out where we’re all at on this and how we’re going to move forward.”
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Bulls forward Isaac Okoro has another year left on his contract, but after being traded last summer, he knows there are no guarantees he’ll still be in Chicago for the start of the 2026/27 season, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Okoro said on Monday that he’ll “just control what I can control” and focus on improving as a player this offseason. “It’s the NBA, it’s the business, and I can be traded again somewhere,” he said. “I love being here and I love the culture we’re trying to build, so I just have to try and control what I can control. But I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve only been traded one time, but in Cleveland come every offseason I felt like I could have been traded.”
- In a pair of in-depth stories, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic take a closer look at the turnaround in Charlotte, where the Hornets have gone from being a perennial punching bag to an exciting young team on the rise. As Vorkunov details, besides bringing in new leaders – general manager Jeff Peterson and head coach Charles Lee – and compiling a promising young core of players, the Hornets have dramatically upgraded their organizational infrastructure under co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, hiring more than 60 new people, renovating their arena, and beginning construction on a new practice facility and team headquarters.
- Discussing the deep vein thrombosis that cut his third NBA season short, Wizards forward Cam Whitmore suggested on Monday that not being able to play basketball during the second half of 2025/26 was a secondary concern, given the serious nature of the issue. “That was a life-threatening (situation),” Whitmore said, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link). “… I’m grateful just to be alive, to be honest. I’m grateful to talk to my family.”
- Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice and Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required) consider what the Sixers‘ rotation will look like during the play-in tournament this week, with Aaronson suggesting it won’t be a surprise if guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe both get to 40-plus minutes on Wednesday vs. Orlando.
Injury Notes: Wemby, Castle, Nuggets, Bulls, Tyson, Barrett
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been upgraded from questionable to available for Friday’s game vs. Dallas, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
Orsborn’s colleague Jeff McDonald wrote on Thursday that San Antonio was privately optimistic that Wembanyama would be active Friday. The third-year center needs to play at least 20 minutes against the Mavs to qualify for major postseason awards. He left Monday’s game early due to a left rib contusion, an injury which sidelined him for Wednesday’s win over Portland.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who also missed Wednesday’s game, will be out again Friday, Orsborn adds. Head coach Mitch Johnson said Castle is dealing with multiple nagging injuries; he was listed as having right knee soreness two days ago, while Friday’s designation is left foot soreness.
“Eighty games and the way he plays. It’s real. We’re not just sitting him just to sit him,” Johnson said.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Nuggets will be playing without all five of their normal starters on Friday against Oklahoma City, as Bennett Durando of The Denver Post tweets. All five players (Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson) had previously been listed as questionable. Jokic sitting out means he’ll need to play at least 15 minutes in Sunday’s finale at San Antonio to be eligible for year-end awards.
- After missing three games with an illness, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis will return to action for Friday’s penultimate game vs. Orlando, according to Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls (Twitter link). Isaac Okoro (left quad contusion) will be out Friday but there’s a chance he could return for Sunday’s finale vs. Dallas, while Josh Giddey (left hamstring strain injury management), Guerschon Yabusele (left shoulder and left elbow sprains), Nick Richards (right elbow sprain) and Anfernee Simons (left wrist fracture) will miss the final two games of Chicago’s season.
- Jaylon Tyson is in the Cavaliers‘ starting lineup on Friday, tweets Danny Cunningham of Locked on Cavs. The second-year wing has missed Cleveland’s past 10 games due to a left great toe bone bruise. Tyson is starting in place of Donovan Mitchell, who is out with what the team calls right ankle injury management.
- Raptors wing RJ Barrett was a late scratch ahead of Friday’s contest vs. New York, as Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca relays (via Twitter). Barrett is dealing with right knee soreness. It’s the second night of a back-to-back for Toronto, which will also be without Immanuel Quickley and Collin Murray-Boyles. The Raptors can clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Knicks.
Bulls’ Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey Could Return Monday
Bulls guards Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey have been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s matchup with Houston, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Simons has been out since February 21 after aggravating a left ulnar styloid fracture in his left wrist, which he originally sustained in training camp. Ivey, meanwhile, last played on Feb. 11. He has been battling left knee soreness; his official injury designation is patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee.
Ivey has been ramping up his activity over the past couple weeks, with head coach Billy Donovan recently stating that the pain in the 24-year-old’s knee is gone. Although he’s only made four appearances with Chicago after being acquired in a trade with Detroit ahead of February’s deadline, the Bulls have signaled they want to retain Ivey in restricted free agency.
Simons was originally expected to be out Monday, but it sounds like he could return to action after missing the last 13 games due to the wrist fracture. The 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Big man Jalen Smith (right calf strain injury management) is also questionable Monday for the Bulls, while Isaac Okoro (right patellofemoral pain syndrome) and Guerschon Yabusele (left ankle sprain) are doubtful to suit up.
Bulls Notes: Miller, Smith, Ball, Okoro, Donovan
Third-year forward Leonard Miller has been a bright spot for the Bulls over the past couple weeks, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The 22-year-old Torontonian rarely received playing time in his two-and-a-half seasons in Minnesota, but he’s getting an opportunity to showcase his abilities with Chicago.
Over his last six games, Miller is averaging 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in 29.8 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .533/.300/.872. The Bulls acquired him in the Ayo Dosunmu trade ahead of last month’s deadline.
“I mean, he’s got a really good motor. He’s good on the glass,” said head coach Billy Donovan. “I think, like any young player who did not really get a chance to play a lot early in his career … he’s got to get better in terms of the game plan and discipline, knowing the league, knowing who he’s guarding, those kinds of things.
“But I think he shoots the ball fairly well. He can put it on the floor some. I think he can be a very, very promising guy for us. I think what he’s done to this point in time, in a short period of time (of) getting the opportunity to play, he’s taking full advantage of it.”
The Bulls hold a $2.4MM team option on Miller for 2026/27. If they decline the option, he would be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Here’s more from Chicago:
- Big man Jalen Smith was disappointed in the Bulls’ effort following Wednesday’s loss to Toronto, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “We had no fight,” Smith said. “This is the third time we’ve played them and we’ve gotten punked. At the end of the day we just got to want it. We’ve got to have that fight and we have to have that grit. I honestly couldn’t tell you [why], it’s basketball so every day isn’t going to be perfect, but we’ve got to figure out what else can we do to impact the game. It’s just a mental game right now for us.”
- With the Cavs visiting on Thursday, Donovan reflected on last summer’s trade that sent Lonzo Ball to Cleveland and Isaac Okoro to Chicago, per Cowley. Donovan has been pleased with Okoro’s play and team-first attitude, but feels empathy for Ball, who is an unrestricted free agent after he was salary-dumped to Utah and subsequently waived by the Jazz. “I loved him as a player and a guy, and he was so cerebral,” Donovan said of Ball, who missed nearly three calendar years with a knee injury. “He was so selfless, that’s really one of the things I admired. To see him have to go through what he went through, to fight to get back, see what he’s going through now, that’s tough for me because it’s almost like what could have been, how good could he have been?“
- Dosunmu said on Tuesday that mid-range shots were “really prohibited” during his time with the Bulls, but Donovan pushed back on that notion, as Cowley writes in another story. Donovan pointed out that DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic all took a good amount of mid-range jumpers while Dosunmu was on the team. “I think you have to play to players’ strengths, so I’m a believer in the first part of the shot clock you certainly want to try and get something downhill to the basket, and generally what happens is when the ball gets into the paint and the ball gets sprayed out that’s when the threes are going to go up,” Donovan said in part. “Most of the time the mid-range stuff is coming off (isolation) situations. It’s late clock, a guy is stuck with the ball, and at that time you’ve got to manufacture and generate shots.”
Bulls Notes: Tanking, Okoro, Miller, Essengue
The Bulls aren’t winning very often, but they still aren’t tanking and that isn’t likely to change, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only story. Thursday’s loss to the Lakers left Chicago at 27-39, which is the league’s ninth-worst record and only a half-game away from Milwaukee in the lottery race. Coach Billy Donovan said he hasn’t received any directive from executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas to stop playing his best lineups and he doesn’t expect to.
“If we get to a place where we are mathematically out of anything as it relates to postseason and there are guys that are dealing with some ailments or have challenges health-wise, could they say, ‘Hey, let’s get these guys right first’? I don’t know,” Donovan said. “Everything I got from them up to this point in time is to continue to put our best foot forward.”
As Cowley notes, it’s been hard to get a read on the new roster since the trade deadline upheaval because of injuries. Donovan and the front office would like to get a better look at Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey before they become free agents this summer, but Simons is sidelined with a wrist fracture and Ivey is dealing with lingering soreness in his left knee. The team announced today that Ivey will practice with its G League affiliate, so he could be nearing a return.
“The Anfernee thing has made it tough to evaluate him, but he does have a large body of work, and so does Collin (Sexton),” Donovan said. “Rob (Dillingham) would be a guy that you can really, really take a look at. The Jaden situation has been unfortunate because he played four games and now he’s out, he’s trying to rehab, but everything I’ve gotten from (the front office) is go out there and help these guys be as competitive and successful as they can be, and put the focus on winning, and I think that’s the same thing as ownership.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Isaac Okoro sat out Thursday’s game after being a late scratch Tuesday at Golden State with a knee issue, Cowley adds. “He’s had it before,” Donovan said. “It’s probably going to take a little bit of time to make it calm down. Generally, he starts to feel better each day that goes by. I don’t think it’s a long-term thing or anything like that. He’s just got some inflammation there that they need to calm down.”
- Leonard Miller, who was acquired from Minnesota at the deadline, made his third start Thursday since joining the Bulls and continues to put up impressive numbers. He finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes after posting 17 points and 11 rebounds in 38 minutes on Tuesday. Chicago holds a $2.4MM team option on Miller for next season, and Cowley suggests in a separate story that it might be a good idea to keep him in his current role when Patrick Williams recovers from an ankle injury. “I’m always ready to go out there and compete at a high level,” Miller said. “I think I demonstrated that and that’s what I’m going to continue to demonstrate. Me playing at a high level and having a good game, I’m kind of not surprised because I have that belief in myself, I’m confident, and I feel like the sky is the limit with me.”
- Noa Essengue has been cleared for non-contact basketball activities and is considering playing in Summer League, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Essengue, the 12th pick in last year’s draft, only appeared in two games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. “It’s been a tough year,” he said. “But that’s a goal in life, to always stay positive. It doesn’t matter what happens, whether you’re playing good or bad, you have an injury or are healthy, you stay positive and keep working. That’s what I’ve done.”
Lakers Rumors: Wing Targets, DiVincenzo, Knecht, Sharpe
Although the Lakers remain active on the trade market, their limited assets and their desire to retain as much 2026 cap room as possible are complicating factors as they look to upgrade their roster, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Some rival executives believe the Lakers are willing to trade their 2031 or 2032 first-round pick for the right wing, Woike writes, but the sort of player they’d be targeting with that pick either isn’t available at that price or isn’t available at all — that group includes Pelicans forwards Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III.
A league source tells Woike that the Lakers have been linked to practically every defensive-minded wing on the market, including Isaac Okoro of the Bulls and Derrick Jones Jr. of the Clippers. But it seems unlikely Los Angeles would give up its lone tradable first-round pick for a player of that caliber, especially since guys like Okoro and Jones are owed guaranteed money for 2026/27 and would eat into the club’s projected cap space.
As previously reported, the Lakers could emerge as a viable Giannis Antetokounmpo suitor this summer if the Bucks don’t move him at the deadline, but for now, any potential L.A. involvement in a Giannis deal would likely be as a facilitator.
Woike identifies Timberwolves wing Donte DiVincenzo and Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen as a couple players from potential Antetokounmpo suitors who might appeal to the Lakers, and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints hears that L.A. has expressed interest in DiVincenzo.
Those talks haven’t gained traction though, Siegel writes, and Minnesota would likely only move DiVincenzo if it was necessary to land Giannis. Even in that scenario, it’s unclear whether the Lakers would be the Wolves’ most obvious trade partner or if there’s another team more likely to give up valuable draft capital for DiVincenzo.
Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ 2024 first-round pick, hasn’t requested a trade, but wouldn’t object to a change of scenery, Woike writes, so he’s a player to keep an eye on if the team does make a deal.
The Lakers are also considering potential non-wing trade targets — sources tell The Athletic that Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has fans within the organization.
Still, Woike believes that any meaningful changes to the Lakers’ roster are probably more likely to happen this summer than this week.
Siegel’s Latest: Sabonis, Raptors, Bucks, Warriors, Nets, White, Lakers
After buying low on Brandon Ingram at last season’s trade deadline, could the Raptors seek out a similar move this February? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kings center Domantas Sabonis is one name that has been continually linked to Toronto. The Raptors’ interest in Sabonis was first reported in December by Jake Fischer and has since been corroborated by several other outlets.
Malik Monk is another player who has intrigued Toronto in the past, Siegel writes, noting that Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted current Raptors veterans RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley when he was in New York’s front office. While there’s no indication that the two teams have seriously discussed such a deal involving those four players, Siegel suggests that sort of framework could be worth keeping an eye on.
If Toronto does end up moving Barrett in that sort of bigger move, he’d likely draw interest from several teams besides Sacramento, Siegel writes, given the lack of high-level wing talent on the trade market. The Bucks, for example, expressed interest in Barrett last season, per Siegel.
Here’s more from Siegel’s latest NBA rumor round-up:
- The Warriors have internally discussed many possible center trade targets, including Myles Turner and Bobby Portis of the Bucks, per Siegel. A number of teams around the NBA are curious about Milwaukee’s plans for Portis, Siegel continues, with the Hornets and Suns also considered possible suitors, perhaps in multi-team scenarios.
- Suns guard Jalen Green is among the players the Bucks have inquired on, but Phoenix isn’t interested in moving him at this point, says Siegel. Given that Green has only played two games this season due to hamstring issues, the Suns view him as a sort of trade-deadline addition themselves, Siegel explains.
- Although the Nets are fielding inquiries on players like Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, they aren’t actively looking to move them. In order for Brooklyn to consider a deal involving either player, the starting point for a package would have to be a “true” unprotected first-round pick, Siegel writes.
- The Mavericks and the Clippers are among the teams with interest in Bulls guard Coby White, sources tell Siegel, who reiterates that the Timberwolves also remain interested and notes that some league insiders have speculated that the Hawks could be a destination for White in the event of a Trae Young trade.
- With higher-level options like Herbert Jones potentially out of reach, players like Bulls forward Isaac Okoro, Kings guard Keon Ellis, and Nets wing Haywood Highsmith are considered more realistic possibilities for a Lakers team seeking defensive help, according to Siegel. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall is another possible trade candidate to add to that group if Dallas commits to becoming a seller.
Bulls Notes: Starting Lineup, White, Trade Deadline, Buzelis
As his team navigates three significant injuries, Bulls coach Billy Donovan unveiled a new-look starting lineup in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Donovan went big to match up with the Pelicans, using Tre Jones as his lone guard alongside Isaac Okoro, Nikola Vucevic, Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith. With Josh Giddey and Coby White unavailable to run the offense, Okoro led the way with a season-high 24 points in a 134-118 victory.
“Everyone knows their role on this team,” Okoro said. “No one is too big-headed or out there trying to be a superstar on this team. Everyone knows their roles, knows what they need to do to impact winning. So as long as guys know that, I think we’ll be in a good place. We have enough here. Just play with energy, play with a high spirit, do the things we can control. Of course, not having bodies out there is bad, but we have enough. Control what we can control.”
Donovan used 10 players in total with Patrick Williams, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu coming off the bench. Getting contributions throughout the roster is going to be important as the Bulls face a stretch of six games in nine days, starting on Friday. Cowley notes that roles and responsibilities could change from night to night depending on the opponent.
“It’s a results-oriented business, but I look at it as a 48-minute game,” Donovan said. “Can we play to an identity covering for each other on defense, helping each other on offense, moving the basketball, playing the right way, not turning it over? To me, there are certain things we can do as a basketball team. Are we good enough to actually overcome and go win games? It remains to be seen, but I know if we don’t do those things, we have no chance.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Cowley points out that White began to feel tightness in his right calf after he played in back-to-back games over the weekend for this first time this season. The medical staff might keep him out of those situations once he returns. ‘‘That’s been a topic of conversation,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘That was the first back-to-back he played. He came out of it fine, but they are trying to go through every minute detail that he does every single day.’’
- In a separate story from Cowley, Donovan discusses the “30,000-foot view” that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has of the team’s injury situation as opposed to his mandate to try to win every game. Donovan also indicated that the Bulls don’t appear to be close to making any deals with the deadline five weeks away. ‘‘In the conversations I’ve had with Arturas, we have not talked about the trade deadline at this point in time at all,’’ Donovan told reporters. ‘‘I would say that I don’t know how other teams evaluate it. The guys you are bringing up, are they in contract years? Is there a dive they do in their history? Some of these guys, you’re right, have been set back with some injuries. I don’t know necessarily how much it does or doesn’t hurt.”
- Buzelis talks about the thrill of draft day in the latest edition of “Journey to the CHI” on Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). “As soon as I found out the Bulls were picking me … It was honestly the best day of my life,” the second-year forward said.
Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Collins, Smith, White, Draft Night, Okoro, Jones
Nikola Vucevic sat for the last 19 minutes of the Bulls’ 129-126 win over Charlotte on Friday, which snapped Chicago’s seven-game losing streak. Head coach Billy Donovan said the decision did not reflect his long-term plans for the center position, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.
Zach Collins wound up playing 20 minutes, contributing 16 points and eight rebounds, while Jalen Smith logged 17 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds.
“Whatever the case may be — maybe next game it’s not my night,” Collins said. “Maybe it’s Stix (Smith’s) night closing the game, maybe it’s Vooch’s night. We’ve got really good bigs that can finish games. Now we’re at the point where we can play the 4 and the 5. I just think it’s the tribute to the level of bigs we have that we can mess with the lineups like that.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Amid a report that the Timberwolves have inquired on Coby White, the Bulls guard replied that he’d prefer to stay put, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). “I love being here. I love being on this team,” said White, who is in his walk year. “But I understand it’s a business and it’s different going into (unrestricted free agency). They have to do what they think is best for the organization. It’s out of my control.” Johnson notes that while White is definitely on some teams’ radars, there is currently little to no engagement from potential suitors.
- The Bulls have taken some criticisms in the media for not making a trade with the Pelicans on draft night. New Orleans president of basketball operations Joe Dumars surprisingly traded the No. 23 overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks to move up to No. 13 to draft Maryland big man Derik Queen. However, a high-ranking Bulls official told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Pelicans never contacted the Bulls about the No. 12 pick, contradicting Dumars’ subsequent statements. In fact, if New Orleans had presented such a trade, Chicago would have done the deal, Cowley says.
- Smith, Isaac Okoro and Tre Jones were under minutes restrictions on Friday after returning from injuries, according to Poe. Okoro had 15 points in 26 minutes while Jones added six points and five assists in 25 minutes.
Bulls Notes: Jones, Okoro, Smith, Dosunmu, Huerter, More
The banged-up Bulls should get some reinforcements when they take on the Hornets in Charlotte on Friday. Veteran point guard Tre Jones (left ankle sprain) practiced for a second consecutive day on Thursday and said he expects to suit up tomorrow after missing the team’s past three games, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
Isaac Okoro (left lumbar radiculopathy) and Jalen Smith (left hamstring strain) also practiced for a second straight day, per Johnson (Twitter link), and have been listed as probable to play on Friday after being sidelined for eight and five games, respectively. Head coach Billy Donovan told reporters that both players will be on minutes restrictions if they’re active.
Chicago is still far from being at full strength. Guard Ayo Dosunmu has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 thumb sprain (Twitter link via Johnson) and won’t make the trip to Charlotte, while sharpshooter Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) still isn’t practicing and will be out for a fourth straight game on Friday.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Donovan still believes the 9-14 Bulls are capable of turning things around without making roster changes, as long as they can get (and stay) healthier, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). “We’ve had an enormous amount of injuries,” Donovan said. “Having seven guys (available) is challenging for any team. I always believe that if you’ve got nine or 10 guys that are committed to doing the things necessary, there’s enough in that locker room. I really believe that.”
- Donovan expressed after a blowout loss to Golden State on Sunday that the Bulls players like each other, but haven’t shown that they “love” one another enough to consistently do little things like boxing out and diving for loose balls (Twitter link via Johnson). Asked about his head coach’s comments, Josh Giddey insisted that the Bulls “love each other,” but admitted the team isn’t showing it on the court. “I think we’ve just got to be better at playing for each other,” Giddey said (Twitter video link via Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic).
- According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls’ seven-game losing streak has taken its toll on the team and its chemistry. A source tells Cowley that guard Coby White is among the veterans who are “trying to put out fires and limit finger-pointing while still holding teammates accountable.”
- Donovan pointed to veteran center Nikola Vucevic as another player who is doing what he can to hold the team together, telling reporters on Wednesday that Vucevic asked to meet with him after a recent loss to talk about “areas of improvement” and how he can help the group (Twitter links via Johnson). “When we’re not playing to our identity, that frustrates him,” Donovan said. “When he sees sometimes there’s not carryover from shootarounds to games, that frustrates him. And I want him to use his voice. Vooch holds himself to a high standard but also knows we need everybody.”