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PLAYOFFS ROUND 1/GAME 2 Pistons 99, Bulls 106 (United Center) Game two was nearly a carbon copy of game one, with the Bulls jumping out to an early lead and then coasting to the finish. Kyrie Irving led the way with 38 points, with Hachimura, Favors and Williams combining for 42 points in the victory. Although Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond both contributed double-doubles to the cause, it was an otherwise forgettable night for the rest of the Piston team. E'Twaun Moore, who scored 12 points, was the only other Piston to score in the double digits. The Bulls will now travel to Detroit for game three. PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) PHI-108 (2) (8) MIL- 99 (0) (4) CHI-106 (2) (5) DET- 99 (0) (3) BKN-122 (0) (6) BOS-133 (2) (7) NYK-127 (2) (8) ATL-117 (0) WESTERN CONFERENCE (1) LAL-108 (1) (8) DEN-124 (1) (4) NOP-103 (0) (5) UTA-113 (2) (3) GSW-118 (2) (6) MAV-102 (0) (2) HOU-118 (0) (7) LAC-121 (2) ---------------------

PLAYOFFS ROUND 1/GAME 1 Pistons 98, Bulls 114 (United Center) Kyrie Irving, who was awarded player of the game honors, scored 29 points in the Bulls 114-98 win over the Detroit Pistons. The game was close in the opening quarter, but the Bulls led 67-52 at the half and never looked back. Lou Williams added 18 points to the starting lineup, but it was the Bulls bench players that really responsible for the game one win. Wendall Carter, Coby White, and Luke Kornet contributed 48 of the Bull 114 points and the team shot 52.1% from the field and 27.6% from the three-point line. The Bulls also took advantage of their thirty trips to the charity stripe, going 30-32 from the free throw line. Blake Griffen was the only bright spot for the Pistons, scoring 31 points in defeat. PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) PHI-109 (1) (8) MIL- 95 (0) (4) CHI-114 (1) (5) DET- 98 (0) (3) BKN-108 (0) (6) BOS-114 (1) (7) NYK-107 (1) (8) ATL- 89 (0) WESTERN CONFERENCE (1) LAL-114 (1) (8) DEN- 93 (0) (4) NOP-103 (0) (5) UTA-105 (1) (3) GSW-103 (1) (6) MAV- 84 (0) (2) HOU-107 (0) (7) LAC-108 (1) ---------------------

APRIL 2021 We won the Central Division with a 12-4 record, but a fourth place overall finish in the conference was disappointing. Our 47-35 record would only be good enough for eighth place in the Western Conference. As a matter of fact, the Eastern Conference is so weak, that the Milwaukee Bucks made the playoffs with a record of 34-48. That's right 14 games under .500%! That is ridiculous and the NBA should seriously reconsider having two conferences. It really was a difficult end to the regular season with all the injuries and with all the losses, it really feels like we're backing into post season. On the bright side, only Connaughton remains on the injury report and of course Lavine was lost for the year back in January. FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORD 47-35 (1st - Central 12-4) Offensive Rating - 6th (111.1) Defensive Rating - 15th (107.5) Key Injuries 1/26 - SG Zach Lavine (Torn ACL - Out until 11/22) 4/6 - SG Pat Connaughton (Mild Concussion - Out until 4/17 FINAL CONFERENCE STANDINGS EASTERN | WESTERN PHI 63-19 | LAL 56-26 NYK 55-27 | HOU 54-28 BKN 48-34 | GSW 52-30 CHI 47-35 | NOP 52-30 DET 46-36 | UTA 49-33 BOS 45-38 | DAL 49-33 ATL 44-38 | LAC 48-34 MIL 34-48 | DEN 45-37 ----------|---------- CHA 33-49 | POR 44-38 IND 32-50 | PHO 43-39 MIA 32-50 | SAS 42-44 ORL 25-57 | MEM 38-44 WAS 25-57 | OKC 36-46 CLE 20-62 | SAC 34-48 TOR 16-66 | MIN 23-59 ---------------------

MARCH 2021 Injuries, injuries, injuries...There is really not much else to say. It was bad enough losing Zach Lavine for the season with an ACL tear, but one after another, key players fell to the injury bug. Wendell Carter, then Derrick Favors, followed by Jaren Jackson and Rui Hachimura. Literally every starter, with the exception of Kyrie Irving "Knock on Wood" went down with an injury in the month of March. Consequently, our hopes of a 50 win season are very likely dashed with only six games remaining on the schedule. 3/10 Kyrie named the NBA player of the week. REGULAR SEASON RECORD 42-32 (1st - Central 12-4) Offensive Rating - 5th (111.1) Defensive Rating - 14th (107.2) Key Injuries 1/26 - SG Zach Lavine (Torn ACL - Out until 11/22) 3/2 - C Wendell Carter (Broken Finger - Out until 4/14) 3/7 - C Derrick Favors (Strained Calf - Out until 3/20) 3/11 - PF Jaren Jackson (Mild Concussion - Out until 3/22) 3/19 - SF Rui Hachimura (Bruised Abdominal - Out until 4/9) CONFERENCE STANDINGS EASTERN | WESTERN PHI 58-18 | HOU 52-24 NYK 52-24 | LAL 52-25 BKN 46-30 | GSW 50-27 CHI 44-32 | NOP 48-28 DET 44-32 | UTA 46-30 ATL 41-34 | DAL 46-30 BOS 39-36 | LAC 45-31 MIA 30-46 | DEN 42-35 ----------|---------- IND 29-47 | SAS 40-36 MIL 29-47 | POR 39-37 CHA 29-48 | PHO 39-37 ORL 25-52 | MEM 34-42 WAS 24-52 | OKC 34-43 CLE 18-58 | SAC 30-45 TOR 14-63 | MIN 23-53 ---------------------

FEBRUARY 2021 New arrival Lou Williams has played well at times, but his shooting has been somewhat streaky and his defense has been suspect at best. However, filling the shoes of a star player like Zach Lavine is a big ask for the 34 year-old. Also, center Zhou Qi tore his MCL while playing for the Bison in the G-League, so we do not have anyone we can call up in the event of an injury to Derrick Favors or Wendell Carter. Consequently, I decided to sign free agent center Isaac Humphries to a one-year $1.5 mil contract to provide a little short-term depth at the position. REGULAR SEASON RECORD 39-23 (1st - Central 11-3) Offensive Rating - 6th (111.5) Defensive Rating - 11th (106.8) Key Injuries 1/26 - SG Zach Lavine (Torn ACL - Out until 11/22/21) CONFERENCE STANDINGS EASTERN | WESTERN PHI 47-13 | HOU 42-20 NYK 44-19 | NOP 40-21 CHI 39-23 | LAC 41-22 DET 38-23 | GSW 38-23 ATL 36-25 | UTA 37-24 BKN 35-27 | DAL 37-25 BOS 31-28 | LAC 37-25 MIA 25-37 | SAS 33-29 ----------|---------- CHA 24-37 | PHO 31-29 IND 23-38 | DEN 33-31 MIL 22-39 | POR 31-30 ORL 19-43 | MEM 26-34 WAS 18-44 | OKC 26-37 CLE 15-45 | SAC 24-36 TOR 12-50 | MIN 17-44 ---------------------

JANUARY 2021 Well...I just had to say it didn't I. "Barring any injuries, I think we are poised to make a deep run in the playoffs, which would thrill Mr. Reinsdorf." Never, ever, ever suggest that everything is going to be great, barring an injury, unless your looking for the basketball gods to strike down your starting guard. Yep, Zach Lavine is lost for the season with an ACL tear. Zach is an integral part of this team. No one gets more minutes than Zach and his 18.1 ppg is going to be sorely missed. Since we don't have a lot of depth at that position, I decided to see if any team would be willing to part with a veteran player who was in the final year of his contract. Rent-a-guard so to speak. Enter guard Lou Williams. Williams is a 6'-1", 175 lbs, 34 year-old shooting guard from the L.A. Clippers. He has excellent ball handling skills and is a good shooter. Lou is in the final year of his $8 mil contract and looking for playing time, so he fits the bill perfectly. I was able to obtain him from the Clippers for SG Allan Crabbe and two second round draft picks. Williams will jump right into the starting role vacated by Lavine. REGULAR SEASON RECORD 34-18 (1st - Central 11-3) Offensive Rating - 3rd (112.2) Defensive Rating - 12th (107.1) Key Injuries 1/6 - SG Pat Connaughton (Sprained Wrist - Out until 1/18) 1/26 - SG Zach Lavine (Torn ACL - Out until 11/22/21) CONFERENCE STANDINGS EASTERN | WESTERN PHI 38-11 | LAL 36-16 NYK 37-15 | HOU 36-17 CHI 34-18 | NOP 32-17 DET 31-18 | DAL 31-19 ATL 28-22 | LAC 30-21 BOS 26-22 | UTA 29-21 BKN 28-24 | GSW 28-22 IND 21-28 | PHO 27-23 ----------|---------- CHA 20-31 | SAS 28-24 MIA 19-32 | POR 26-25 MIL 18-33 | DEN 25-29 ORL 17-33 | OKC 23-28 WAS 15-35 | MEM 21-29 CLE 13-37 | SAC S0-30 TOR 08-44 | MIN 15-36 ROSTER PG | 4.0 | Kyrie Irving SG | 3.0 | Lou Williams SF | 3.0 | Rui Hachimura PF | 3.5 | Jaren Jackson C | 3.0 | Derrick Favors BENCH C | 2.5 | Wendell Carter PG | 3.0 | Coby White SG | 2.0 | Pat Connaughton PF | 2.0 | Luke Kornet SF | 2.0 | Chandler Hutchison PG | 2.5 | Chris Chiozza PF | 2.0 | Daniel Gafford G-LEAGUE SF | 2.0 | Torrey Craig C | 2.0 | Zhou Qi INJURED (Season Ending) SG | 3.5 | Zach Lavine CONTRACTS Player | Pos| Ht | Wt |Age | Contract Wendell Carter Jr. | C | 6-9 | 259 | 21 | $5,448,840/2y Daniel Gafford | PF | 6-10| 234 | 22 | $1,517,981/3y Chandler Hutchison | SF | 6-7 | 197 | 24 | $2,443,440/2y Luke Kornet | PF | 7-2 | 240 | 25 | $2,304,878/1y Zach LaVine | SG | 6-6 | 181 | 25 | $19,500,000/2y Jaren Jackson | PF | 6-11| 242 | 21 | $7,257,360/2y Coby White | PG | 6-4 | 185 | 20 | $5,572,680/2y (RO) Kyrie Irving | PG | 6-2 | 195 | 28 | $33,329,100/3y Derrick Favors | C | 6-9 | 246 | 29 | $15,404,013/4y Rui Hachimura | SF | 6-8 | 230 | 22 | $4,692,840/2y (RO) Chris Chiozza | PG | 5-11| 175 | 25 | $1,517,981/1y Pat Connaughton | SG | 6-5 | 209 | 28 | $1,954,634/1y Lou Williams | SG | 6-1 | 175 | 34 | $8,000,000/1y Torry Craig | SF | 6-7 | 215 | 30 | $75,000 (2W-GLG) Zhou Qi | C | 7-1 | 210 | 25 | $75,000 (2W-GLG) TEAM SALARY $109,033,747 CAP STATUS +$6,466,253 ---------------------

DECEMBER 2020 The 76ers are still the best team in the NBA, but Joel Embiid went down with a broken ankle on Dec. 10th against the Warriors and Philadelphia has looked rather pedestrian, going 6-5 in his absence. It could be worse though, as the Toronto Raptors have been absolutely wretched. They are ranked 30th overall in offense and 24th in defense. On the bright side, they did manage to win three games in the Month of December and that is a vast improvement over their 1-20 start to the season. For the Bulls, we continue to play well and went 7-2 after Kyrie went down with an injury. It's good to know that we have enough depth to stay competitive even when our best player is sidelined with an injury. We are a little over a month away from the trade deadline, but I don't see any reason to mess with success at this point. Barring any injuries, I think we are poised to make a deep run in the playoffs, which would thrill Mr. Reinsdorf. REGULAR SEASON RECORD 26-11 (1st - Central 7-2) Offensive Rating - 2nd (112.8) Defensive Rating - 11th (106.8) Key Injuries 12/15 - PG Kyrie Irving (Strained Hamstring - should return 12/30) CONFERENCE STANDINGS EASTERN | WESTERN PHI 28-09 | LAL 28-10 CHI 26-11 | LAC 24-13 DET 24-11 | HOU 24-13 NYK 27-13 | NOP 22-13 BKN 19-17 | DAL 22-14 BOS 18-18 | POR 22-14 ATL 18-19 | UTA 22-15 IND 15-19 | GSW 21-15 ----------|---------- CHA 14-22 | PHO 18-17 MIA 14-22 | SAC 17-18 MIL 12-24 | SAS 18-20 ORL 12-24 | DEN 16-21 CLE 10-26 | OKC 16-21 WAS 10-27 | MEM 12-25 TOR 04-13 | MIN 11-24 ---------------------

NOVEMBER 2020 This time last year we were 8-12, so the 14-8 start is much improved. Kyrie is ranked 7th in the league in scoring, averaging 27.2 ppg and the team is far better defensively than it was last year. More importantly, Jaren Jackson is ranked 24th, averaging 21.5 ppg, which is significantly better than the 15.9 ppg of Lauri Markkanen. I know it's only two months into the season, but I'm starting to feel much better about the future of this team and Skip Bayless can go suck it. We are currently ranked 2nd in the league in points per game and lead the league in blocked shots with 8.1 bpg. Not bad for a team with the second lowest payroll in the league...did I mention that Skip Bayless can suck it, because he can. Interesting note: The 76ers are a league best 19-1 and are currently on a thirteen game winning streak. Their only loss was a 95-88 defeat on Nov. 1st to the Portland Trailblazers. The Utah Jazz are also on a twelve game winning streak of their own and the woeful Toronto Raptors have only won one game all year. The Raptors have lost eleven straight and their only victory was an 88-79 win over the Orlando Magic. REGULAR SEASON RECORD 14-8 (2nd - Central 2-2) Offensive Rating - 6th (111.4) Defensive Rating - 11th (106.9) Key Injuries 11/3 - SF Rui Hachimura (Sprained Ankle - should return 11/13) CONFERENCE STANDINGS EASTERN | WESTERN PHI 19-01 | LAL 19-04 DET 14-06 | UTA 18-04 CHI 18-08 | POR 15-06 NYK 14-09 | GSW 15-06 BOS 10-11 | HOU 14-07 ATL 10-12 | NOP 13-08 BKN 09-12 | PHO 12-08 CHA 08-13 | LAC 13-09 ----------|---------- IND 07-13 | DAL 12-09 ORL 07-13 | SAS 12-10 MIL 06-14 | SAC 10-11 MIA 06-14 | DEN 09-13 CLE 06-16 | MEM 07-13 WAS 05-16 | MIN 07-15 TOR 01-20 | OKC 05-15 ---------------------

OCTOBER 2020 In the season preview we were ranked #1 in the Division and #2 in the Conference. However, that was before the two trades that sent Markkanen to the Grizzlies and Allen to the Pelicans. Consequently, the slow start to the season is somewhat concerning. No one has hit the panic button just yet, but this isn't the best of starts and some pundits are already calling for my head. However, it's still early days and as I anticipated, we are marginally down in scoring, but much improved on defense. Last year we were ranked 2nd in offense and 28th in defense; so far this season we are 7th in offense and 14th in defense. REGULAR SEASON RECORD 3-4 (4th - Central 0-0) Key Injuries 10/31 - PG Kyrie Irving (Sore Back - should return 11/3) ---------------------

TRADE UPDATE Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen were in the final years of their contracts, so my first order of business was to try and extend their deals. Unfortunately, we couldn't settle on a mutually beneficial salary structure and I decided to trade them instead. Obviously, I wanted to secure players of similar talents, with an emphasis on shoring up our defense. Ultimately, I traded Markkanen to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson and Allen to the New Orleans Pelicans for Derrick Favors and their 2022 1st round pick. Favors salary is far higher than Allen's, but we'll have him for the next four years and he brings some veteran talent to a team that is quite young. We are certainly giving up some offensive power, but we should be able to counter that with better defense. Well, at least that's the plan. ROSTER PG | 4.0 | Kyrie Irving SG | 3.5 | Zach Lavine SF | 3.0 | Rui Hachimura PF | 3.5 | Jaren Jackson C | 3.0 | Derrick Favors BENCH C | 2.5 | Wendell Carter PG | 3.0 | Coby White SG | 2.0 | Pat Connaughton SG | 2.0 | Allen Crabbe PF | 2.0 | Luke Kornet SF | 2.0 | Chandler Hutchison PG | 2.5 | Chris Chiozza PF | 2.0 | Daniel Gafford G-LEAGUE SF | 2.0 | Torrey Craig C | 2.0 | Zhou Qi CONTRACTS Player | Pos| Ht | Wt |Age | Contract Wendell Carter Jr. | C | 6-9 | 259 | 21 | $5,448,840/2y Daniel Gafford | PF | 6-10| 234 | 22 | $1,517,981/3y Chandler Hutchison | SF | 6-7 | 197 | 24 | $2,443,440/2y Luke Kornet | PF | 7-2 | 240 | 25 | $2,304,878/1y Zach LaVine | SG | 6-6 | 181 | 25 | $19,500,000/2y Jaren Jackson | PF | 6-11| 242 | 21 | $7,257,360/2y Coby White | PG | 6-4 | 185 | 20 | $5,572,680/2y (RO) Kyrie Irving | PG | 6-2 | 195 | 28 | $33,329,100/3y Derrick Favors | C | 6-9 | 246 | 29 | $15,404,013/4y Rui Hachimura | SF | 6-8 | 230 | 22 | $4,692,840/2y (RO) Chris Chiozza | PG | 5-11| 175 | 25 | $1,517,981/1y Pat Connaughton | SG | 6-5 | 209 | 28 | $1,954,634/1y Allen Crabbe | SG | 6-5 | 212 | 28 | $2,257,194/1y Torry Craig | SF | 6-7 | 215 | 30 | $75,000 (2W-GLG) Zhou Qi | C | 7-1 | 210 | 25 | $75,000 (2W-GLG) TEAM SALARY $103,209,941 CAP STATUS +$12,209,059 ---------------------

2020-2021 SEASON We are currently $23.3 million under the cap and we have six players who will become free agents at the end of the season. Two of those free agents are starters; C Jarrett Allen and PF Lauri Markkanen. Both players are young and each has three bird years remaining, so signing each of them to an extension is certainly a possibility. I'm also toying with the idea trading for someone who can compliment Kyrie and provide us some much needed defense, but I know I'm going to have to give up a lot to do that. Parting with Markkanen would be a difficult decision, but I guess that's why I get paid the big bucks. Lastly, I picked up the rookie option for SF Chandler Hutchison. He doesn't play much, but he is still young and could develop into a decent bench player and it never hurts to have a little depth. ROSTER PG | 4.0 | Kyrie Irving SG | 3.5 | Zach Lavine SF | 3.0 | Rui Hachimura PF | 3.5 | Lauri Markkanen C | 3.0 | Jarrett Allen BENCH C | 2.5 | Wendell Carter PG | 3.0 | Coby White SG | 2.0 | Pat Connaughton SG | 2.0 | Allen Crabbe PF | 2.0 | Luke Kornet SF | 2.0 | Chandler Hutchison PG | 2.5 | Chris Chiozza PF | 2.0 | Daniel Gafford G-LEAGUE SF | 2.0 | Torrey Craig C | 2.0 | Zhou Qi CONTRACTS Player | Pos| Ht | Wt |Age | Contract Wendell Carter Jr. | C | 6-9 | 259 | 21 | $5,448,840/2y Daniel Gafford | PF | 6-10| 234 | 22 | $1,517,981/3y Chandler Hutchison | SF | 6-7 | 197 | 24 | $2,443,440/2y Luke Kornet | PF | 7-2 | 240 | 25 | $2,304,878/1y Zach LaVine | SG | 6-6 | 181 | 25 | $19,500,000/2y Lauri Markkanen | PF | 7-0 | 240 | 23 | $6,731,508/1y Coby White | PG | 6-4 | 185 | 20 | $5,572,680/2y (RO) Kyrie Irving | PG | 6-2 | 195 | 28 | $33,329,100/3y Jarrett Allen | C | 6-11| 243 | 22 | $3,909,902/1y Rui Hachimura | SF | 6-8 | 230 | 22 | $4,692,840/2y (RO) Chris Chiozza | PG | 5-11| 175 | 25 | $1,517,981/1y Pat Connaughton | SG | 6-5 | 209 | 28 | $1,954,634/1y Allen Crabbe | SG | 6-5 | 212 | 28 | $2,257,194/1y Torry Craig | SF | 6-7 | 215 | 30 | $75,000 (2W-GLG) Zhou Qi | C | 7-1 | 210 | 25 | $75,000 (2W-GLG) ---------------------

FREE AGENCY We did not fair well in the free agent market. We weren't looking to hit the lottery, but the players we were targeting were far too expensive and since we are using this year to get our young players some experience, all we really need is some seasoned veterans to provide some stability coming of the bench. However, since we were unable to sign a single player, we will have to wait now until the season starts to fill out the roster. SIGNINGS SG Pat Connaughton 6-5 / 209 lbs / 28 years old (1-Year $1.9 Mil) SG Allen Crabbe 6-5 / 212 lbs / 28 years old (1-year $2.2 Mil) SF Torrey Craig 6-7 / 215 lbs / 30 years old - (Two-Way G-League Contract - $75000 for 2 years) C Zhou Qi 7-1 / 210 lbs / 25 years old - (Two-Way G-League Contract - $75000 for 2 years) ---------------------

SUMMER LEAGUE ASSIGNMENTS (Active Roster) G Chris Chiozza G Torrence Jackson F Chandler Hutchison F Daniel Gafford F Luke Cornett (Free Agents) C Ante Zizic C Angel Delgado G Yogi Ferrell G Rashad Vaughn G Tyrone Wallace F Julius Perry G Morgan Spruel I don't really give a lot of credence to the summer league, but the team we assembled went a surprising 8-0. Even more surprising was the play of center Ante Zizic. The 23 year-old from Croatia was originally drafted by Cleveland with 23rd overall pick. Although I don't ever see him as a starting center, he definitely could provide some valuable minutes coming off the bench. I'm seriously thinking about signing him, but his $5 mil asking price might be more than I'm willing to pay. ---------------------

2020-2021 SEASON PRE SEASON REPORT OWNER MEETING Jerry wanted to know what to expect this year and I told him that I thought we could make a good playoff run. He said, "A deep run in the playoffs is certainly respectable and maybe we can win it all next year?" I'm thinking this guy has dementia, because even though we might be a solid playoff team, there is no way this lineup is going to win an NBA championship unless we get Kyrie some help. Plus, the annual salary increases were more than I expected and I still have three roster spots to fill! Jerry then says, "Success comes at a price-what's the cost of our success going to be? Which I took as an opportunity to see just how deep a dive I could take into the Reinsdorf wallet. No owner wants to pay the luxury tax, but we were going to have to exceed the cap to bring in real talent, so I said, "You won't have to pay the luxury tax" and then held my breath. He said, "Okay" and I knew it was time to start combing the free agent market. STAFF CONTRACTS Both Chris Fleming and Nate Loenser are in the final years of their respective contracts. I don't think I'm going to find two better assistants for the money, but I'm going to wait until the end of this season to renegotiate their contracts. The problem is that it will be virtually impossible to give both of them what they want. I really need Jerry to pony up more money for staff contracts, but there doesn't seem to be a mechanism to do so. If the staff budget isn't increased by the end of the year, we will easily exceed our budget next year and Jerry hates paying too much for staff. Meaning, my job is going to be in jeopardy. DRAFT REPORT We only had a single draft pick and since it was the 54th overall pick, I didn't put much effort into evaluating rookies. Ultimately I chose Torrence Jackson, a shooting guard from Oklahoma State, where he averaged 7.5 ppg and 4.1 rpg. In my opinion, he isn't NBA talent. I considered signing him to a rookie contract, just to fill a roster spot, but I knew I would immediately send him down to the G-League. Since I had no confidence that he would ever develop into an NBA caliber guard, I didn't see the point in tying up nearly $1 mil on a player that would never see the court. He will be released. UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS Forward Davis Bertans - I was really hesitant to renounce his rights. He is an excellent outside shooter and a welcome addition to the team, but his asking price of $14 was simply too much. Plus, I have my eyes on a couple of free agent power forwards and I need the cap space. Guard Denzel Valentine - I felt that the $5 mil a year asking price was rather reasonable for someone with Denzel's talents. I chose to retain his rights and I would happily resign him at that price. Guard Isaiah Thomas - He never really played a role on the team and there wasn't much of a future for him here with so many talented guards ahead of him on the bench. I renounced his rights. After all was said and done, I managed to free up an additional $17 mil in cap money that will go a long ways towards signing a big name free agent. ---------------------

OFF SEASON REPORT League News The salary cap for the 2020-2021 season has been set at $115.5 mil and the luxury cap is now $140.9 mil. That puts us $13.1 mil under the cap. Contract News I decided to pick up the rookie options for guard Coby White, forward Rui Hachimura and center Wendell Carter. I can still option a fourth year for both White and Hachimura later. Chandler Hutchison, forward, also has a rookie option available, but I don't plan on picking it up. Contracts for forward Davis Bertans, guard Denzel Valentine and guard Isaiah Thomas are expiring at the end of the year. Bertans played significant minutes for the team and was a valuable player. Is he worth $7 mil a year, maybe not, but he was solid coming off the bench. I'm sure he is going to test the free agent waters, but I wouldn't mind having him back at a reasonable price. Valentine is also a solid contributor off the bench, logging solid minutes all year long. He is a bargain at $3.3 mil a year, but I'm certain he is going to demand a lot more. Like Bertans, he would be a welcome addition at a reasonable price. Thomas played less than ten minutes all year long and although his contract is a mere $2.3 mil a year, there might be better options available. Thomas, Bertans and Hachimura were part of the Young, Felicio trade with the Wizards. Meeting with Jerry Reinsdorf If I had to sum up my meeting with Jerry in one word, the word would be pleasant. Surprisingly, Jerry is quite affable when your not throwing away his money. He was not thrilled about us getting bounced in the first round, but who would be. Jerry actually asked me rather nicely if I'd like to return as the Bulls GM and I didn't hesitate to accept his offer. ---------------------

2019-2020 SEASON AWARDS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Stephen Curry (Guard GSW) 32.7 ppg / 5.5 apg / 5.8 rpg / 1.7 spg / 0.6 bpg. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Giannis Antetokounmpo (Forward MIL) 21.5 ppg / 6.4 apg / 11.8 rpg / 2.3 spg / 1.9 bpg SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR Hassan Whiteside (Center POR) 11.1 ppg / 0.8 apg / 7.5 rpg / 0.6 spg / 1.4 bpg ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Ja Morant (Guard MEM) 22.1 ppg / 7.3 apg / 4.3 rpg / 1.5 spg / 0.4 bpg COACH OF THE YEAR Quin Snyder - Utah Jazz 62-20 ALL-LEAUGE 1st TEAM G Stephen Curry (GSW) G Devin Booker (PHO) F LeBron James (LAL) F Anthony Davis (LAL) C Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) ALL-LEAGUE 2nd TEAM G Damian Lillard (POR) G Bradley Beal (WAS) F Paul George (LAC) F Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) C Nikola Jokic (DEN) ALL-LEAGUE 3rd TEAM G Kemba Walker (BOS) G Jrue Holiday (NOP) F Kawhi Leonard (LAC) F Kristaps Porzingis (DAL) C Joel Embiid (76ers) ALL-DEFENSIVE 1st TEAM G Kemba Walker (BOS) G Jrue Holiday (NOP) F Paul George (LAC) F Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) C Joel Embiid (76ers) ALL-DEFENSIVE 2nd TEAM G Stephen Curry (GSW) G James Harden (HOU) **cough**bullshit**cough** F Kyle Anderson (MEM) F Kristaps Porzingis (DAL) C Rudy Gobert (UTA) ALL-ROOKIE 1st TEAM G Ja Morant (MEM) G R.J. Barrett (NYK) F Rui Hachimura (CHI) F Brandon Clarke (MEM) C Bruno Fernando (ATL) ALL-ROOKIE 2nd TEAM G Darius Garland (CLE) G Kendrick Nunn (MIA) F De'Andre Hunter (ATL) F P.J. Washington (CHA) C Goga Bitadze (IND) ---------------------

PLAYOFFS (FINALS) NBA FINALS GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3 | GAME 4 | GAME 5 | GAME 6 | GAME 7 | (1) BOS 105 (0) | BOS 115 (0) | BOX 104 (1) | BOS 109 (1) | BOS 96 (1) | (1) LAL 121 (1) | LAL 119 (2) | LAL 98 (2) | LAL 120 (3) | LAL 122 (4) | GAME 1 (Staples Center) Boston versus Los Angeles for the NBA title. Adam Silver must have been thrilled at his good fortune. Obviously, with two storied franchises meeting in the finals, the marketing machine was on full tilt. In the early going, the game seemed destined to live up to all of the hype and the two teams end the first period all knotted at 24 a piece. Unfortunately, the Celtics came unraveled in the second period and were outscored 42-19. The Lakers went in the locker room with a 66-43 lead. The game was never really in doubt at that point. POTG: Anthony Davis - forward (LAL) 37 points / 4 assists / 19 rebounds / 5 blocks / 4 steals GAME 2 (Staples Center) Well LeBron haters, your greatest nightmare is nearly upon you, as the Lakers inch ever closer to an NBA title. Once again the Lakers jumped out to a big halftime lead (67-50) and then held off a late Celtics charge to go up two games to none. Although neither team could have been happy with the officiating, there were a total of 57 fouls called between the two teams, James once again seemed to get more than his fair share of calls. James was 11-17 from the free throw line, which was more than twice as many as Kemba Walker, who went to the line only eight times. POTG: LeBron James - forward (LAL) 35 points / 11 assists / 3 rebounds / 0 blocks / 2 steals GAME 3 (TD Garden) Although Boston fans will rejoice in the Celtics 104-98 victory, Laker fans will point to their teams horrendous 3-point shooting as the reason for the loss. L.A. shot a dismal 1-17 (5.9%) from three, with Rajon Rondo making the lone three pointer for the team. The game was once again a festival of fouls and although the 81 total fouls doesn't come close to a league record, the referees were once again at the forefront of the post game banter. POTG: Kemba Walker - guard (BOS) 38 points / 8 assists / 2 rebounds / 1 blocks / 2 steals GAME 4 (TD Garden) LeBron James scored 31 points and moved one step closer to his fourth NBA title, as the Lakers thumped the Celtics 120-109. Javale McGee dominate the paint, scoring a series high 26 points and Anthony Davis provided 28 points of his own in the victory. The only bright spot for the Celtics was guard Kemba Walker, who went 15 of 30 from the field and 6 of 14 from three to finish the game with 38 points. POTG: Anthony Davis - forward (LAL) 28 points / 6 assists / 15 rebounds / 5 blocks / 1 steals GAME 5 (Staples Center) This wasn't a basketball game in as much as it was a coronation for LeBron and obnoxious Laker fans. For Boston fans and LeBron haters around the world, the loss certainly was a difficult pill to swallow, but they way the Celtics laid down in the second half made it all that much worse. Trailing 63-55 at the half, Boston was very much still in the game, but a 38-31 third quarter put the Lakers up by 14 and the fourth quarter was a complete debacle. The Lakers only managed 21 points, but that more than doubled the Celtics paltry 10 points...yes...a professional basketball team in the NBA finals could only manage 10 points in the final quarter. Pathetic. POTG: Anthony Davis - forward (LAL) 34 points / 9 assists / 21 rebounds / 6 blocks / 2 steals ---------------------

PLAYOFFS (CONFERENCE FINALS) PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3 | GAME 4 | GAME 5 | GAME 6 | GAME 7 | (1) BOS 122 (1) | BOS 105 (1) | BOS 103 (2) | BOS 110 (3) | BOS 100 (3) | BOS 114 (3) | BOS 104 (4) | (7) PHI 119 (0) | PHI 115 (1) | PHI 92 (1) | PHI 99 (1) | PHI 113 (2) | PHI 126 (3) | PHI 90 (3) | WESTERN CONFERENCE GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3 | GAME 4 | GAME 5 | GAME 6 | GAME 7 | (1) LAL 113 (1) | LAL 119 (2) | LAL 103 (2) | LAL 122 (3) | LAL 116 (4) | (3) DEN 110 (0) | DEN 98 (0) | DEN 117 (1) | DEN 120 (1) | DEN 99 (1) | ---------------------

PLAYOFFS (2nd Round) PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3 | GAME 4 | GAME 5 | GAME 6 | GAME 7 | (1) BOS 122 (1) | BOS 113 (2) | BOS 122 (3) | BOS 144 (4) | (5) CLE 103 (0) | CLE 98 (0) | CLE 115 (0) | CLE 105 (0) | (6) NYK 114 (1) | NYK 87 (1) | NYK 109 (2) | NYK 103 (2) | NYK 98 (2) | NYK 93 (2) | (7) PHI 107 (0) | PHI 100 (1) | PHI 94 (1) | PHI 126 (2) | PHI 115 (3) | PHI 97 (4) | WESTERN CONFERENCE GAME 1 | GAME 2 | GAME 3 | GAME 4 | GAME 5 | GAME 6 | GAME 7 | (1) LAL 114 (1) | LAL 139 (2) | LAL 133 (3) | LAL 113 (3) | LAL 126 (4) | (4) LAC 86 (0) | LAC 127 (0) | LAC 121 (0) | LAC 124 (0) | LAC 115 (1) | (3) DEN 92 (0) | DEN 85 (0) | DEN 114 (1) | DEN 123 (2) | DEN 91 (2) | DEN 106 (3) | DEN 113 (4) | (2) UTA 105 (1) | UTA 106 (2) | UTA 98 (2) | UTA 119 (2) | UTA 102 (3) | UTA 88 (3) | UTA 108 (3) |

PLAYOFFS (Completing the 1st Round) The 76ers win game seven and both the Lakers and Clippers come back from 3-1 deficits to advance to the next round. Now I don't necessarily follow the other games as closely as my own, but I was very interested to see how the Lakers avoided getting bounced in the first round. I'm not a LeBron hater per se, but I must admit that I was routing for a Pelicans upset. When I glanced at the box score I noticed that LeBron put up 37 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds. Just one rebound away from a triple-double. Impressive...then I looked a little closer and noticed he made less that half of his 25 shots from the field and he was only 1-9 from three point range. How did he manage to score 37 points? I'm glad you asked. LeBron went to the free throw line no less than 19 times! NINETEEN! He was 12 of 19 from the charity stripe. The next closest player in the game was Zion Williamson who was 2-6 for New Orleans. For perspective, the entire Pelicans team only shot 16 free throws! That's three less that LeBron alone. Who said the NBA doesn't play favorites. [Insert eye roll here] The crazy thing, he isn't even the most fouled player on the team. LeBron is only averaging 9.0 FTA per game, while Anthony Davis is a whopping 10.4 FTA per game, which is highest in the league. As a matter of fact, way back on November 21st we played the Lakers, losing 132-123. Davis went to the line 24 times! He was 20-24 from the free throw line...yea...he scored twenty points from the line and that's not all. Rondo went 10-14, James 8-14, Howard 3-4 and McGee 1-2. The Lakers shot 58 free throws to our 29...Did somebody let Tim Donaghy back in the league!?! PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) BOS --- (4) (8) DET --- (0) (4) CHI --- (2) (5) CLE --- (4) (3) MIL --- (2) (6) NYK --- (4) (7) PHI 110 (4) (8) IND 101 (3) WESTERN CONFERENCE (1) LAL 131 (2) (8) NOP 104 (3) (4) LAC 127 (2) (5) POR 112 (3) (3) DEN 111 (3) (6) MEM 92 (2) (2) UTA --- (4) (7) SAS --- (0)

PLAYOFFS ROUND 1/GAME 6 (April 22nd/23rd) Cavaliers 126, Bulls 108 Despite all five Bulls starters being in double figures, the game was never in doubt. The Cavaliers opened up an early lead and never trailed in the 126-108 victory. The highlight of the game for the Bulls was guard Denzel Valentine, who came off the bench to score 21 points in 25 minutes. Valentine, a good long range shooter, could never have imagined having such a great night. Valentine shot 8-10 from field and 5-6 from the three point line, but unfortunately for him and the Bulls, Jordan Clarkson and Kevin Love combined for 53 points and Collin Sexton added 24 points of his own. It was just too much to over come and the season sadly comes to an early end. In the Eastern Conference the Knicks upset the Bucks and will face the winner of the 76ers/Pacers series. In the Western Conference, both the Lakers and Clippers stave off elimination, sending their respective series to a seventh game. The Nuggets finally put away the Grizzlies in a game that set back the NBA by approximately four decades. Neither team shot better than 32% from the field and Memphis could only muster 31 points by the half. That's only one point more than Memphis guard Jamal Murray had for the entire game. Denver didn't play much better and if not for Jaren Jackson's 24 points, the series would surely have gone to a game seven...and nobody wanted to see that. PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) BOS --- (4) (8) DET --- (0) (4) CHI 108 (2) (5) CLE 126 (4) (3) MIL 106 (2) (6) NYK 120 (4) (7) PHI 96 (3) (8) IND 109 (3) WESTERN CONFERENCE (1) LAL 133 (3) (8) NOP 120 (3) (4) LAC 131 (3) (5) POR 124 (3) (3) DEN 84 (4) (6) MEM 79 (2) (2) UTA --- (4) (7) SAS --- (0) ---------------------

PLAYOFFS ROUND 1/GAME 5 (April 20th/21st) Cavaliers 127, Bulls 113 Disaster! Kyrie went down in the third minute with a broken elbow and he will miss the remainder of the playoffs. Kyrie is the key to this franchise's success and his shoes will be all but impossible to fill. Regardless, Coby White will now be asked to carry on in Kyrie's absence and it must be noted that despite the loss, White played well, scoring 21 points in the Bulls defeat. White has excellent ball handling skills, has a high basketball IQ and is a better than average defender. Unfortunately, he is also quite young and prone to rookie mistakes. At 19, he is the youngest player on the team and has not been asked to provide significant minutes all year. White is used to coming off the bench to spell Irving for a few minutes, but he now steps into the starting lineup with the team down 3-2...so...no pressure. PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) BOS --- (4) (8) DET --- (0) (4) CHI 113 (2) (5) CLE 127 (3) (3) MIL 126 (2) (6) NYK 110 (3) (7) PHI 107 (3) (8) IND 95 (2) WESTERN CONFERENCE (1) LAL 131 (2) (8) NOP 104 (3) (4) LAC 127 (2) (5) POR 112 (3) (3) DEN 111 (3) (6) MEM 92 (2) (2) UTA --- (4) (7) SAS --- (0) ---------------------

PLAYOFFS ROUND 1/GAME 4 (April 18th/19th-Western Conference) Bulls 126, Cavaliers 106 It was a dominating performance, with all five Bulls starters in double figures. Bulls guard Zach LaVine led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 11-15 from the field and 3-3 from the three point line. Cavs scored first, but that was the last time they would hold a lead and the Bulls cruised to an easy twenty point victory. With the series now tied at two games a piece, the teams will head back to Chicago for a key game five. Unfortunately for the Bulls, both power forwards Lauri Markkanen and Davis Bertans are injured and will miss the remainder of the series. This poses a major hurdle for coach Wittman and it leaves the Bulls very thin at the position. Center Wendell Carter is the obvious choice to step into the starting lineup in place of Markkanen, but the loss of Bertans means Luke Kornet will likely see increased playing time. Kornet is a better than average defender with an excellent touch at the free throw line and his defensive skills might just be what the Bulls need to shut down the Cavs Offense. Only time will tell if Kornet is up to the task. In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics swept the Pistons in four and now await the winner of the Bulls/Cavs. The Knicks are a game away from upsetting the Bucks and the 76ers and Pacers are all knotted at two games a piece. In the Western Conference, the Spurs were swept by the Jazz and both the Trailblazers and Pelicans are poised to advance. The Pelicans 3-1 lead over the L.A. Lakers is the most unexpected. The Lakers finished the season a league best 69-13, while the Pelicans finished the season 41-41 and sure the Lakers are without Demarcus Cousins, due to a torn ACL, it's hard to believe that a LeBron James, Anthony Davis led team might get ousted by Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram. PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) BOS 122 (4) (8) DET 96 (0) (4) CHI 126 (2) (5) CLE 106 (2) (3) MIL 113 (1) (6) NYK 128 (3) (7) PHI 98 (2) (8) IND 103 (2) WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 18th) (1) LAL 108 (1) (8) NOP 111 (2) (4) LAC 101 (0) (5) POR 106 (3) (3) DEN 111 (1) (6) MEM 94 (2) (2) UTA 116 (3) (7) SAS 112 (0) WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 19th) (1) LAL 100 (1) (8) NOP 103 (3) (4) LAC 111 (1) (5) POR 104 (3) (3) DEN 106 (2) (6) MEM 105 (2) (2) UTA 109 (4) (7) SAS 98 (0) ---------------------

PLAYOFFS ROUND 1/GAME 3 (April 17th) Cavaliers 126, Bulls 124 Frustrating loss after being up 14 at the half. Cleveland just kept chipping away at the lead and Sexton hit a last second bucket to send the game into overtime. In overtime we traded the lead more than a half dozen times, but when Irving fouled out late in the extra period, the Cavs took advantage of his absence and sealed the game with a Tristan Thompson three. Cleveland guard Collin Sexton led all scorers with 38 points, shooting 10-24 from the field and 5-7 from three point range. As predicted, Allen's presence was surely felt, as we dominated points in the paint 54 to 34, but Sexton wasn't to be denied and he couldn't have picked a better time to have his best game of the year. As bad as it was to lose game one, this one felt worse and unless we can comeback and tie the series before heading home, I have a fear we won't make it to the second round. PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) BOS 124 (3) (8) DET 106 (0) (4) CHI 124 (1) (5) CLE 126 (2) OT (3) MIL 98 (1) (6) NYK 118 (2) (7) PHI 94 (2) (8) IND 102 (1) ---------------------

PLAYOFFS ROUND 1/GAME 2 (April 15th/16th-Western Conference) Bulls 124, Cavaliers 106 Oh what a difference a day can make. After a 36-36 first period, we outscored the Cavs 44-32 in the second period and never looked back. Irving, LaVine and Markkanen were all in double figures, with Kyrie leading the way with 29 points. We outscored the Cavs 42-40 in the paint and split the second chance points 18 a piece. With the series now even, we head to Cleveland for two games. Cleveland will likely be favored in games three and four, as we are not a very good road team, but Jarrett Allen returns to the starting lineup after missing two games to injury. Allen's presence should bolster the defense and his rebounding prowess may give us the edge we need to steal a game or maybe two. PLAYOFF TREE EASTERN CONFERENCE (1) BOS 111 (2) (8) DET 106 (0) (4) CHI 124 (1) (5) CLE 106 (1 (3) MIL 99 (1) (6) NYK 109 (1) (7) PHI 108 (2) (8) IND 92 (0) WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 14th) (1) LAL 102 (0) (8) NOP 112 (1) (4) LAC 116 (0) (5) POR 124 (1) (3) DEN 100 (0) (6) MEM 107 (1) (2) UTA 101 (1) (7) SAS 88 (0) WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 15th) (1) LAL 126 (1) (8) NOP 117 (1) (4) LAC 89 (0) (5) POR 103 (2) (3) DEN 89 (0) (6) MEM 109 (2) (2) UTA 126 (2) (7) SAS 114 (0) ---------------------