Notes from Monday’s Bulls Press Conference Introducing Denzel Valentine
On Monday afternoon, the Chicago Bulls introduced first-round pick Denzel Valentine and talked about their pending free agency plans, their new first-rounder and thinking they traded for Brook instead of Robin Lopez.
Draft season is over and the free agency period is set to begin this coming Friday at Midnight ET on July 1.
The Chicago Bulls are likely not going to be big players in landing a prominent free agent or two on Friday and beyond, but they still have some things to figure out and discuss heading into the 2016-17 season.
That’s what Monday’s press conference was for, including the introduction of Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine as a member of the franchise.
Here’s some notes and nuggets from the press conference in Chicago:
Denzel Valentine sounds like Gar Forman:
No titles since before Y2K, but the most wins in the Eastern Conference in the past 10 seasons!
Hoiberg gets a Hoiberg-type of player:
He should be. Valentine was one of college basketball’s most exciting players last season.
Valentine’s not happy with the health rumors:
Valentine on questions about his knees: "I was a little angry. People were texting me, asking me if I was hurt. I'm healthy."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 27, 2016
Valentine had arthroscopic knee surgery this past season and missed four games for the Spartans. Those were the only games he missed in his four-year career.
#Chemistry
Who says Jimmy Butler‘s too Hollywood for his own teammates? At least he knows his name. (More on this reference in a few.)
“When I come back like Jordan, wearing the 4-5…”
The Young Bulls:
This is rare: Bulls will have 5 players (Valentine, Grant, Portis, Felicio, Dinwiddie) on summer league tm and a 6th (McDermott) practicing
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 27, 2016
Doug McDermott won’t play in Las Vegas for the SummerBulls, but he will practice with the other five members of the team so far (plus Maryland’s Rasheed Sulaimon and former Maryland guard and D-Leaguer Dez Wells.) Assistant coach Pete Myers will coach the SummerBulls in Vegas. Hoiberg coached last summer.
That means no more calling each other out, right?
Hoiberg said he and Butler have been in "constant communication" since the season ended and said Butler's in "great frame of mind."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 27, 2016
Hoiberg confirmed that he traveled to Los Angeles to spend time with Jimmy Butler, said they had great talks.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) June 27, 2016
Superstars and coaches have to be on the same page to find success in the NBA. It appears Butler and Hoiberg are starting to get a grasp for each other, which is a good thing.
Fred, the Bulls acquired Robin, not Brook Lopez
Fred Hoiberg excited to coach Brook Lopez, uh Bulls got Robin Lopez. pic.twitter.com/Og1BOFiBCD
— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD_) June 27, 2016
This was a little part of Hoiberg’s extended thoughts on the trade that sent Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks.
Here’s the full transcript:
Do you have a plan, Gar?
Thoughts:
To sum up the presser, here’s the big takeaway from it:
Bulls GM Gar Forman: "We’re going to have flexibility this summer but more importantly next summer and into the following summer."
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) June 27, 2016
The Bulls appear to be out of the running for any of the high-profile names in a weak free agency class this summer. They’ll probably get thrown around in a few rumors throughout the next week, but it’s looking more and more clear that 2017 is what the Bulls are really focused on.
Next: What does the Bulls roster look like so far?
They won’t be a team to compete for a title this season, but with a loaded draft class next summer and a much better free agent pool, the Bulls are trying to bridge the gap between now and next summer with manageable results.