Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Jrue Holiday makes any NBA team that he’s on better, and the Chicago Bulls would be no exception.

In some ways, one can envision the two-time All-Star guard and two-way threat sliding into the role previously held by Lonzo Ball. Someone who can create defensive havoc on the perimeter, hit open shots to help space the floor as a career 36.6 percent 3-point shooter and serve as a respected connecting piece for the core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.

The Milwaukee Bucks don’t win the 2021 NBA title without Holiday, who now is likely to be traded by the Portland Trail Blazers after they acquired him in the Damian Lillard trade. Players around the league know: Holiday is one of the most underrated, winning players around.

Now let’s get to the reality: It’s a longshot.

The Bulls spent their offseason preaching continuity and team bonding while adding Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig to their core and like their roster as they prepare to enter training camp next week. Even if the Bulls wanted to add Holiday, and there are no signs that they’ve entered the sweepstakes, it’s hard to find the most enticing avenue to do so.

Holiday is due to make $34.9 million this season and owns a player option of $37.3 million for next season. The Bulls, who are hard capped at $172.3 million, would have to send out around $35 million of salary in a trade.

Multiple outlets, including NBC Sports Chicago, have reported that the Trail Blazers never showed much interest in acquiring LaVine. (As an aside, making a bold move to acquire Holiday truly only makes sense if LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic remain in a win-now mode.) So that’s likely a non-starter.

The same logic of only adding Holiday if LaVine is around applies to DeRozan, who would have to have players added to him to even make the financials of a deal work. And remember: Since Carter and players like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu signed this offseason, they’re not yet eligible to be traded until into the season.

So the Bulls would have to build a package likely centered around Ball’s $20 million deal, a piece like Patrick Williams or Alex Caruso or possibly both and possibly two first-round picks. Ball is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season following his third knee surgery and has a player option that he surely will exercise for 2024-25.

The Bulls could conceivably give back the first-round pick the Trail Blazers owe them from the Lauri Markkanen three-team trade. But other teams will be building packages likely with more attractive draft capital.

Indeed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers are among the bidders for Holiday.

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The Chicago Bulls have been loosely linked to the Portland Trail Blazers’ icon for months, with NBC Sports Chicago’s Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson reporting in July that the teams held preliminary talks that gained little traction. Last week, PHLY_Sports had a podcast on which one of its participants said the Bulls “might be trying to move LaVine as part of a multi-team deal just to see if they can get into the Lillard sweepstakes.”

But on last week’s Bulls Talk Podcast, Johnson said most executives he had spoken to around the league pointed to the Toronto Raptors as a more likely landing sport if a deal is consummated before camp.

On Monday, Andscape and ESPN Senior NBA Writer Marc Spears echoed that stance, while adding that “the Chicago thing is kinda waning a little bit.”

Lillard’s preference all along has been to be traded to the Miami Heat. But multiple reports have indicated that the Trail Blazers have had little to no communication with the franchise since July. Instead, Portland has talked to other teams, including the Bulls, as they ponder the franchise’s next move in advance of a rebuild centered around rookie Scoot Henderson and other intriguing young talent.

While a mere phone call can change courses quickly in this type of landscape, the Bulls are preparing for training camp as if their roster is set after adding Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency and re-signing free agents Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. The Bulls have heavily featured LaVine on their social media account of late, which featured a team-bonding trip to Guaranteed Rate Field for a softball game.

LaVine has landed in trade rumors consistently throughout his Bulls’ tenure, and Johnson has reported on the growing skepticism within the league that he will finish his five-year deal in Chicago. But for now, it’s more likely than not that LaVine will return for a widely anticipated 2023-24 season.

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After an initial flurry of moves in the opening stages of free agency, the Chicago Bulls have sat on the sidelines of late, content to let the market settle and perhaps bargain shop.

Breaking: Christian Wood is available.

Breaking: And has been the entire free agency period and remains unsigned.

That’s a light-hearted way to approach the latest word on Wood, an undeniably talented big who could be on his eighth team in eight seasons in 2023-24. The Los Angeles Times reported that the Bulls “are suddenly viewed as a potential threat that could keep the Lakers from landing” the 6-foot-10-inch forward/center.

Wood has averaged 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range in 289 career games. He’s coming off a season in which he averaged 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 37.6 percent in 67 games, including 17 starts, for the Dallas Mavericks.

At this point, Wood, who made $14.3 million last season, is almost certainly headed for a pay cut. Which brings us to the Bulls.

Currently, the Bulls have roughly $155 million committed to 12 players. They also have a $5.2 million qualifying offer on Ayo Dosunmu, placing him in restricted free agency.

At their disposal remains roughly half of the $12.4 million non-taxpayer midlevel salary-cap exception, the $4.5 million biannual exception, veteran minimum exceptions and a $10.2 million disabled player exception for Lonzo Ball’s expected season-long absence.

It would be beyond shocking if the Bulls passed the $165.3 million luxury tax threshold to sign Wood. But taking a flier on a talented, if well-traveled, big at the right price would present pros and cons.

The pros would be adding shooting and floor spacing as a third big man, who can play with or for Nikola Vucevic when coach Billy Donovan opts for small-ball lineups as opposed to backup minutes for Andre Drummond. Wood even projects to fit well with Drummond in second-unit lineups as the power forward.

The Bulls possess a guard-heavy roster. Even their power forward rotation of Patrick Williams, Torrey Craig and Alex Caruso is relatively small. Adding another big man as insurance at the right price wouldn’t be the worst development.

There are potential cons, though, as well. Wood hasn’t averaged fewer than 21.4 minutes over the last five seasons, including nearly 26 minutes per game for the Mavericks. Barring an injury, his role on the Bulls would project to be smaller, which would need to be accepted.

Wood’s frequent change of address throughout his NBA career could be viewed as a red flag as well. Why so many organizations have moved on from a sweet-shooting big man would need to be a question resolved by Bulls management before adding him. Wood also can have some defensive lapses.

But the Bulls underachieved on offense last season while posting a top-five defense. So perhaps filling the insurance spots on the roster with more offensive-minded players is the prudent path.

Last season, the Bulls maxed out the combination of Derrick Jones Jr. and Javonte Green, both of whom remain unsigned. Could a reunion with either of them be in the works? Or does Wood represent the best option?

Stay tuned.

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Artūras Karnišovas could’ve answered the open-ended question any number of ways.

Speaking late last month after the NBA Draft, a night whose lead-up had featured Zach LaVine landing in multiple trade rumors, the Chicago Bulls’ executive vice president was asked to articulate LaVine’s standing within the organization.

“I think we all were disappointed the way the season ended. Zach was one of the guys who was very disappointed with the way it ended in Miami. He went into the offseason to get better,” Karnišovas said. “He’s already working out with Ty Abbott, (our) player development (coach) in Los Angeles. He’s trying to get better.”

Given that Karnišovas’ response, while positive, didn’t register as a long-term endorsement or commitment, the question is: Will LaVine get better in Chicago?

The LaVine trade chatter isn’t going away. In fact, league sources said that LaVine has landed in preliminary conversations with both the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers, who are working with James Harden and Damian Lillard, respectively, to find them new homes.

While neither of those conversations gained traction for now, the fact that LaVine continues to be discussed only underscores the speculation that multiple rival executives voiced to NBC Sports Chicago during the NBA Draft Combine in May: Will LaVine finish his five-year maximum contract with the Bulls?

Back then, speculation centered on Portland perhaps trying to trade for LaVine in an effort to appease Lillard, rather than keeping and using the No. 3 overall pick. Instead, the Trail Blazers selected Scoot Henderson, committing to a youth movement that has led to Lillard’s trade request.

The Bulls recognize LaVine represents their biggest trade asset. And league sources said the Bulls’ asking price in any conversation about LaVine has consistently been extremely high.

So perhaps this is shoot-for-the-moon stuff and nothing happens. Perhaps this all is just the business of basketball, LaVine comes to training camp in the Fall and the Bulls, who have upgraded their margins thus far in free agency, mesh and a winning season leads to all this speculation being forgotten.

But it’s also fair to wonder how all this speculation will register with LaVine, who seemingly has always faced an uphill climb to full acceptance from the Bulls and some of the fan base. From needing to secure an offer sheet in 2018 restricted free agency to ceding last-shot responsibility to DeMar DeRozan to seemingly daily debates on talk radio and social media whether he can be the lead player on a championship team, LaVine has been a polarizing player.

LaVine typically has taken the high road through the highs and lows of his six-season tenure with the Bulls, which began with him rehabilitating a torn ACL. He also played through torn ligaments in his thumb and through a knee injury that eventually required surgery during a contract year because he wanted to experience playoff basketball for the first time and help the franchise experience it for the first time in five seasons.

The most significant times when LaVine has expressed his displeasure came following high-profile benchings by former and current coaches in Jim Boylen and Billy Donovan. While LaVine respects Donovan, he has had multiple meetings over the past two seasons about his role and usage, team sources said.

Those same sources said that the franchise has fluctuated in its belief in LaVine’s consistency as a lead option, questions that only intensified following LaVine’s up-and-down performances in the play-in games. After almost single-handedly willing the Bulls to a victory in Toronto with 39 points, LaVine shot 6-for-21 with five turnovers in the season-ending loss to the Miami Heat.

Publicly, Donovan and Karnišovas have consistently praised LaVine’s work ethic and care factor.

The Athletic reported last December that LaVine and the Bulls weren’t seeing eye-to-eye and that there’s a “palpable feeling of a disconnect over LaVine’s situation in Chicago.” LaVine downplayed the report at the time.

“If I had something to say about the team, it would come from my mouth. That didn’t come from me. I feel good about the team,” LaVine said in December 2022 following a road victory over the Heat. “Obviously, we’re frustrated because we’ve lost some games.’’

LaVine, along with Coby White, represent the last two players whom Karnišovas inherited who remain on the roster. Whatever skepticism Karnišovas might’ve had about LaVine initially when he took over for John Paxson seemed to be washed away.

LaVine impressed with his work ethic and team-first approach as he earned his first All-Star berth in 2021 and won an Olympic gold medal that summer with USA Basketball. A second straight All-Star berth followed in 2022. And that offseason, the Bulls signed LaVine to a five-year, $215 million maximum contract.

That’s a significant financial commitment, to be sure, and a statement of belief in LaVine at that time. But will LaVine finish that contract in Chicago? It’s a question that keeps resurfacing.

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In the first instance, the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jeffrey Jordan with the third overall pick, a move that eventually transformed the franchise into a global brand.

In the latter, they drafted—deep breath here—Marcus Fizer, Chris Mihm (immediately traded for Jamal Crawford), Dalibor Bagaric, A.J. Guyton, Jake Voshkul and Khalid El-Amin. Not only did world recognition not follow, but neither did NBA domination.

Ah, the fickle nature of drafts. Teams spend months scouting, researching, probing into players’ pasts and still the process is an elusive, inexact science. But sometimes, you strike gold.

With apologies to Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, here is the Bulls’ Mt. Rushmore of draft picks.

Michael Jordan, 1984

The Houston Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon with the first overall pick. The Portland Trail Blazers, who already employed Clyde Drexler, drafted Sam Bowie at No. 2. And the rest is NBA history.

Then-Bulls general manager Rod Thorn drafted Jordan out of North Carolina, where he already had sank an NCAA-title winning jump shot and played for the legendary Dean Smith.

Jordan merely went on to win Rookie of the Year, five most valuable player awards, six NBA Finals most valuable player awards, 10 scoring championships, a defensive player of the year award and enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His standing as the centerpiece of the Bulls’ dynasty that produced six NBA championships in eight seasons immortalized him for all-time with a statue inside the United Center atrium.

And his marketability and pioneering status in sports marketing helped cement the Bulls as a global brand for decades to come. Not bad for the third overall pick.

Horace Grant, 1987

One could quibble that Noah’s heart-and-soul style for the near-miss Tom Thibodeau-coached teams in the 2010s carried more franchise impact, particularly since Noah spent nine seasons in Chicago while Grant only stayed for seven.

But Grant not only served as the head of the snake for assistant coach Johnny Bach’s Doberman defense during the Bulls’ first three-peat, but he also represented one of Jerry Krause’s greatest nights as general manager. Before selecting Grant, the rugged power forward, with the 10^th overall pick, Krause engineered a draft-night trade with the Seattle SuperSonics for the draft rights to Scottie Pippen.

Not a bad overall haul.

Grant and Pippen immediately formed a strong bond both on and off the court. And while Pippen lasted for the entire dynasty, winning six championships, Grant’s defensive versatility, rebounding and reliable midrange jumper proved so vital to the first three-peat. Plus, he rocked awesome sports goggles long before they became the norm.

Toni Kukoč, 1990

While Kukoč largely earned Hall of Fame enshrinement by virtue of his overall impact on the game that included his sterling international career, his role in the Bulls’ second three-peat is undeniable. That Krause drafted him in the second round proved the executive’s shrewdness and attention to detail, leaving no stone unturned.

Kukoč played three more seasons internationally before coming to the Bulls in 1993, shortly after Jordan’s first retirement. And he quickly won the respect of even the most skeptical of teammates in Pippen, who initially viewed Kukoč as Krause’s pet project, with his combination of selflessness, skill and versatility.

Kukoč earned NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors following the 1995-96 season. And the Bulls don’t win Game 7 of the 1998 Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers without Kukoc’s performance, which featured huge 3-pointers in the third quarter of a taut affair.

Kukoč’s ability to handle any role, whether it be starting or coming off the bench, and penchant for hitting big shots in crucial moments underscored his Bulls’ tenure. It’s hard to find such an important contributor that deep in the draft, but Krause did and Kukoč delivered.

Derrick Rose, 2008

The Bulls overcame 1.7 percent odds to shockingly win the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery. Their prize? A hometown hero in Rose.

Rose won Rookie of the Year honors and eventually became the youngest most valuable player in NBA history when he captured the award following the 2010-11 season at age 22. That’s the season in which he helped lead the Bulls to the Eastern Conference finals against LeBron James and the Heat.

The No. 1 pick isn’t always a slam dunk selection. Some draft prognosticators lobbied for the Bulls to select smooth scorer Michael Beasley. Instead, then-general manager John Paxson selected Rose, who starred locally in high school at Simeon Career Academy before helping lead Memphis to the NCAA title game in his lone collegiate season.

Rose’s combination of speed and strength in a point guard body proved electrifying. His meteoric rise during his first four seasons, two of which featured the Bulls leading the NBA in regular-season victories, only made his fall from grace following a torn anterior cruciate ligament and successive knee injuries all the more painful. But he provided countless memories before then that will endure for Bulls’ fans for all-time.

A Redfin search shows Jordan bought the property in 1991 as the Bulls were gearing up for their first of six championship runs. That same search shows Jordan’s ex-wife Juanita Vanoy Jordan  sold the home in 2014 for $3.2 million.

The home is a four bed, five and a half bath with three garage spaces. Other rooms listed include a 27’ x 27’ rec room and 30’ x 12’ heated sunroom.

According to Crain’s, the sale is the third-most expensive in the city this year.

Jordan’s mega mansion in Highland Park has remained on the market for over a decade. The massive 32,683 sq.ft., nine bed, 17-bath compound is currently listed for $14.855 million. That property features 14 garage spaces, a putting green that comes with custom MJ flags, and of course a basketball court.

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Seemingly every year since the Chicago Bulls traded him in 2016, Derrick Rose has landed in rumors or speculation about a reunion with his hometown team.

Sometimes, it’s based in reality.

In 2021, the Bulls held legitimate conversations about signing Rose in free agency before pivoting to Alex Caruso. Rose instead signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the New York Knicks that carries a team option for 2023-24. Given that Rose completely dropped from Tom Thibodeau’s playing rotation this season, news that the Knicks will decline that $15.6 million option and make Rose an unrestricted free agent is no surprise.

Speaking on the The HoopsHype Podcast with Michael Scotto in May, the host said it’s his opinion that the Bulls would be a good landing spot for the former most valuable player should that happen. Scotto’s guests, Knicks beat writers Ian Begley from SNY and Stefan Bondy from the New York Daily News, agreed that it would be, in Bondy’s words “a cool thing for Derrick and for that franchise.” Begley added that some people in the Milwaukee Bucks’ franchise showed some interest in Rose during last season, so he added that as a potential option while also reminding listeners of Knicks owner James Dolan’s respect for Rose.

A reflective Rose opened up about his basketball mortality when the Knicks came to the United Center last December for two straight games against the Bulls.

“Who knows how many years I’m going to continue to play?” Rose said then. “It’s a lot of things I’m looking forward to doing. But right now, I’m still invested in basketball. So that’s where I’m giving my everything.”

The Bulls’ point guard situation is muddled by Lonzo Ball’s persistent left knee issues. Ball underwent his third surgery in 14 months in March, this time attempting a cartilage transplant in a move that could be a last resort to salvaging his career. Executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas said on NBA Draft night that the Bulls aren’t expecting Rose to play this season.

The Bulls face decisions on restricted free agent guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. Karnišovas also lauded the play of Patrick Beverley down the stretch of the Bulls’ season after the local product arrived via the buyout market. Coincidentally, Beverley and Rose are longtime friends and competitors dating to their shared high school days at Marshall and Simeon, respectively.

The pros of adding Rose, who will turn 35 in October, are obvious. He’s a beloved local figure who draws standing ovations on every visit to the United Center. He certainly would excite a fan base and do nothing to hurt the Bulls’ league-leading attendance. He also is viewed as a sage veteran mentor, one who was named a finalist for the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award won by the Bucks’ Jrue Holiday.

As to whether or not Rose can still play, he averaged 5.6 points in 12.5 minutes over 27 games before dropping from the rotation. Beyond his multiple knee surgeries, Rose also underwent a season-ending procedure on his right ankle in February 2022. But those close to him insist his burst and pick-and-roll game remain formidable when healthy.

Rose is a career 31.5 percent 3-point shooter, so his addition wouldn’t address the Bulls’ main offseason need of improving long-distance shooting. He also isn’t considered a strong defender.

The Bulls, both publicly and privately, have expressed their desire to re-sign White, who showed strong improvement in multiple areas of his game last season even as his scoring dropped. Ball’s $20.4 million salary likely will remain on the books regardless of his injury status, while Zach LaVine is entering the second season of his five-year maximum contract and will earn $40 million in 2023-24. Caruso ($9.9 million) and Dalen Terry also remain on the roster.

Given the Bulls’ backcourt salary commitments, Rose might only command a veteran’s minimum salary were he to hit free agency and express a desire to return home. And that’s even if the Bulls were interested.

In other words, stay tuned. But make sure to savor the memories.

“I got pictures from (son P.J.) and Kobe (Bryant) here, everything. The book that we’re going to look back at and all the pictures, it’s going to be something to really cry about,” Rose said in December. “We maxed out in every area while we were here. Basketball, talking to the fans. We were showing professionalism when we were here with that group.”

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It’s NBA Draft week, and for the second time in six years, Chicago Bulls management might weigh whether or not to trade its leading scorer.

In 2017, of course, that was Jimmy Butler. Now it’s Zach LaVine, who has landed in trade rumors yet again.

On the one hand, given that the Bulls and LaVine aren’t even a year removed from smiles and handshakes surrounding a five-year, $215 million contract, it’s a surprising development.

On the other, given that the Bulls failed to make the playoffs despite enjoying good health from its core players—-save for Lonzo Ball, of course—-everything must be on the table.

Whether the Bulls are gauging LaVine’s market simply because he produces their greatest trade return or because management and the coaching staff has questions about his status as franchise cornerstone depends on who’s doing the talking. Both theories exist.

But this is clear: The Bulls will face a difficult decision if the right offer arrives.

This, of course, is where things get tricky. The Bulls, according to league sources, are valuing LaVine highly, as they should. He’s a two-time All-Star who is coming off a season in which he overcame a slow start to average 24.8 points per game on a true shooting percentage of 60.7 percent.

One league source said the Bulls would be focused on getting a good young player, multiple first-round picks and salary filler if they decide to trade LaVine. Another said one first-round pick and an established, high-end player might be sufficiently intriguing.

Regardless, it’s a big week for the future direction of the franchise. Even if LaVine isn’t dealt, one wonders how he’ll react landing in trade rumors yet again.

Here’s what Artūras Karnišovas said about LaVine in Karnišovas’ season-ending exit interview on April 15:

“Zach had an unbelievable second half of the season. He’s back to ‘Healthy Zach’ and he averaged 25 points a game as a high-efficiency scorer. Obviously, the example of Toronto game, we don’t win that game without Zach. He was a huge part of it and the way we won the game in the second half. He’s done very well for us.”

LaVine easily represents the Bulls’ biggest trade asset. He has four seasons left on his contract in an NBA whose salary cap will be rising over the coming years. He’s a dynamic scorer whose defense has improved.

Gauging his market simply could be an acknowledgement by management of the limited pathways to extract themselves from their current situation, particularly with Ball’s $20 million deal sitting as dead cap space for now.

Currently, the Bulls own no picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft. They still owe a first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs from the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade acquisition. And if management resigns Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, as Karnišovas said he desired to do, they wouldn’t be able to use their full midlevel exception without entering luxury tax territory.

That last fact is why it’s so difficult to envision management running it back. To flirt with the luxury tax for a team coming off a non-playoff season seems incongruous with the way the Bulls have operated historically.

The pending Bradley Beal trade to the Phoenix Suns left the Miami Heat as a potential suitor looking to upgrade scoring and starpower. But it’s well documented that, for now, the Heat are focused on whether or not Damian Lillard finally agrees to leave Portland.

The futures of these big names, and perhaps others, will come to a head this week.

LaVine and White represent the only players left from the roster Karnišovas inherited from John Paxson. Coincidentally, LaVine arrived in that 2017 Butler trade.

Six years later, the Bulls have arrived at another possible crossroads.

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Zach LaVine isn’t just a walking bucket. He’s a walking trade rumor; the future of the two-time All-Star has landed in speculation often and dating to the days of his restricted free agency.

The latest instance, courtesy of Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, is that the Chicago Bulls are gauging interest in LaVine but “it remains to be seen just how willing Chicago is to part ways” with their most dynamic scorer.

Whether this merely is management performing due diligence—i.e., doing their jobs—or a significant philosophical shift remains to be seen. Speculation about LaVine’s immediate future isn’t new and reigned supreme at last month’s NBA Draft Combine. And there are a lot of boxes to check from the step of gauging interest to consummating a deal.

But the Bulls initiating the talks would be a new development. And it merely underscores their difficult and well documented standing in the league—good enough to compete for a lower-level playoff spot, not good enough to compete for championships.

It’s why management’s end-of-season messaging and desire to re-sign all of its own free agents got met with such skepticism. If the Bulls were to re-sign Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, they’d be flirting with the luxury tax even before using salary cap exceptions to round out the roster.

Perhaps trading LaVine, who is due to make $40 million next season, and taking back less salary while recouping a young player and some future draft capital is one way to address this. A simpler, less dramatic way would be to choose between re-signing White or Dosunmu.

But any potential trade of LaVine would move beyond the financial and into the philosophical. One summer after signing him to a five-year, maximum contract, it would be a dramatic statement and attempt to re-tool on the fly.

LaVine is a cheaper and younger version of Bradley Beal, another max contract player who could enter the marketplace in an offseason that is widely expected to be volatile. If the Bulls do move him, their asking price will—and should be—high.

Focus on LaVine’s shortcomings all you want. He averaged 24.8 points with a true shooting percentage of .607 last season, which, given his slow start, some viewed as a “down” year. That kind of scoring efficiency isn’t easily replaceable.

The Bulls are in a tough spot, exacerbated by Lonzo Ball’s $20 million contract currently sitting as dead salary cap space on their ledgers. A trade of one of their “Big 3” core players long has been speculated as the most prudent way to try to get out of it, even if management painted a picture largely based on continuity in its season-ending news conference.

But Artūras Karnišovas also said this on that mid-April day, so stay tuned.

“My responsibility is to look at everything. At the end of the day, to be a .500 team is not good enough. It’s not good enough for this organization. It’s not good enough for the fan base. They deserve better, so I’m going to have to look at everything,” Karnišovas said on April 15. “How can I help this group to do better? We have to move forward. I’ll be open to anything.”

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A quick Google search says “Lazar” is a popular Slavic variation for the name Lazarus or Eleazar, and means “God is my help,” or “God has helped.”

This is Vucevic’s third child.

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