David Pivnick

So I think the frustration is it's a very light return, and ultimately the Bulls have gone through, you know, the Lonzo Ball era because of injury was completely worthless, and they've basically given up DeRozan, Levine, and Alex Caruso for effectively a bag of beans. And so... That's unfortunate because the Bulls should be in a full rebuild, and they don't have a lot to show for it.

I think Bruzella, the kid they drafted last year, looks promising, and they've got a couple other young pieces like Kobe White and Io, and Patrick Williams could be an okay role player. But for a team that's been bad for many years, or at least mediocre, they don't really have a lot of foundational pieces to excite you going forward, which I think puts them –

I think Bruzella, the kid they drafted last year, looks promising, and they've got a couple other young pieces like Kobe White and Io, and Patrick Williams could be an okay role player. But for a team that's been bad for many years, or at least mediocre, they don't really have a lot of foundational pieces to excite you going forward, which I think puts them –

almost at the start of a rebuild, which is unfortunate when they should be probably in year six or seven.

almost at the start of a rebuild, which is unfortunate when they should be probably in year six or seven.

Correct. I mean, I think he's a nice complementary piece. I think he could be a great bench big or potentially – a great effort and defense big on a contender with a lot of scoring around him, but he certainly wasn't, he didn't develop into what they were hoping for when they took him forth overall a few years ago.

Correct. I mean, I think he's a nice complementary piece. I think he could be a great bench big or potentially – a great effort and defense big on a contender with a lot of scoring around him, but he certainly wasn't, he didn't develop into what they were hoping for when they took him forth overall a few years ago.

You know, the comparison I'm going to make, which is far more complimentary to Jimmy Butler than Dennis Rodman, but it's problematic because he's Jimmy Butler, is I think he's got the mentality of Michael Jordan, but he's not Michael Jordan. So he goes to all of these teams and he's done it at every team he's been to. He's elevated the level of play of his teammates. He's elevated the team.

You know, the comparison I'm going to make, which is far more complimentary to Jimmy Butler than Dennis Rodman, but it's problematic because he's Jimmy Butler, is I think he's got the mentality of Michael Jordan, but he's not Michael Jordan. So he goes to all of these teams and he's done it at every team he's been to. He's elevated the level of play of his teammates. He's elevated the team.

He is a singular talent. I mean, the guy is an excellent basketball player, but it's just clear he's not able to work within a team structure and turn off his own competitiveness and his own attitude to work with his teammates. And I think Michael Jordan had two main differences. I think he was wired in the same sort of competitive killer instinct way.

He is a singular talent. I mean, the guy is an excellent basketball player, but it's just clear he's not able to work within a team structure and turn off his own competitiveness and his own attitude to work with his teammates. And I think Michael Jordan had two main differences. I think he was wired in the same sort of competitive killer instinct way.

But one, Michael Jordan was the best player ever. So I think there was a layer of tolerance there. for the folks around him in leadership, coaching staff, general manager, and teammates, that you had to take a little bit of grief because you were playing with the best ever, and he could get away with punching a Steve Kerr, allegedly, in practice or things like that because he was Michael Jordan.

But one, Michael Jordan was the best player ever. So I think there was a layer of tolerance there. for the folks around him in leadership, coaching staff, general manager, and teammates, that you had to take a little bit of grief because you were playing with the best ever, and he could get away with punching a Steve Kerr, allegedly, in practice or things like that because he was Michael Jordan.

Jimmy Butler had the grace on his teammates, coaches, management alike, and I don't think he has that same level of grace. And then the second part of it is, ultimately, I think Jordan recognized that he was the elephant, he was the guy, but that his teammates were really, really important. And I think there is an element where Jimmy Butler views Jimmy Butler as being most important.

Jimmy Butler had the grace on his teammates, coaches, management alike, and I don't think he has that same level of grace. And then the second part of it is, ultimately, I think Jordan recognized that he was the elephant, he was the guy, but that his teammates were really, really important. And I think there is an element where Jimmy Butler views Jimmy Butler as being most important.

And the notion that he's offended at comments Pat Riley made last summer about his contractor, that he's now effectively rejecting trades and trying to force himself only to Phoenix. I just find stuff like that is somewhat off-putting when he's getting paid, you know, the better part of $60 million a year to play basketball.

And the notion that he's offended at comments Pat Riley made last summer about his contractor, that he's now effectively rejecting trades and trying to force himself only to Phoenix. I just find stuff like that is somewhat off-putting when he's getting paid, you know, the better part of $60 million a year to play basketball.

The heat of putting together what could be a contending team, if Jimmy was playing like he frankly has the ability to play, then he demands a trade and they try and ship him out, and now he's going to try and control where he's going and be difficult on that front as well.

The heat of putting together what could be a contending team, if Jimmy was playing like he frankly has the ability to play, then he demands a trade and they try and ship him out, and now he's going to try and control where he's going and be difficult on that front as well.

A hundred percent. I mean, that's, Jimmy Butler has always viewed it as my way or the highway. That's been how he's been from day one in the league. He is definitely a very talented player. And I think he's a guy you could build and win around, but he is difficult in the way that he expects everything to be done his way.