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Bill Simmons piles on Bulls for Lakers trade
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- Bill Simmons piles on Bulls for Lakers trade
The post Bill Simmons piles on Bulls for Lakers trade appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Consider Bill Simmons not a fan of the Chicago Bulls ' draft-night trade with the Los Angeles Lakers .
While it is equally plausible that Simmons' dislike of the trade stems from his lifelong hatred of the Lakers, considering he is among the most well-known Boston Celtics fans, he was not alone in criticizing Chicago for what was seen as a foolish trade.
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"It's always a delight when the NBA's by-far-cheapest big market franchise makes a trade that includes cash," Simmons posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the trade that saw Chicago send its No. 45 overall pick to the Lakers in exchange for the 55th selection and cash.
John Hollinger, a former Memphis Grizzlies front-office executive and current columnist for The Athletic, similarly lambasted the Bulls' decision to trade down for what has widely been perceived as such a little return.
"Chicago swapping pick 45 for the Lakers' pick at 55 and cash is another reminder that the Bulls are an unserious franchise," Hollinger wrote.
The Bulls have largely owned that reputation of being an "unserious franchise" over the past few decades. Owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, who also owns the Chicago White Sox, the Bulls have not returned to the NBA Finals since 1998, when Michael Jordan led them to their sixth championship in eight years. While hometown hero Derrick Rose had a brief moment revitalizing the Bulls, it has been a lot of mediocrity since then.
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Reinsdorf is among the most reviled owners in American sports, with White Sox and Bulls fans alike calling for him to sell the teams. White Sox fans at least now have some proverbial light at the end of the tunnel following Reinsdorf's agreement to put some kind of timetable on when he will sell the team to Justin Ishbia, the brother of Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia.
Bulls fans have not been so lucky ; while Chicago has not decided to tank like many franchises, it has only continued to hover around the Eastern Conference Play-In, failing to attract any big-name free agents or swing a trade to transform the team into a contender once again. They have also failed to make the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
With the East expected to be weaker next year due to the severe Achilles injuries of Tyrese Haliburton , Jayson Tatum , and Damian Lillard , the Bulls may have a shot at finishing higher than sixth in the conference, which would be the first time that has happened since 2015.
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