Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Pod

Jason and Ricky welcome NBA Draft analyst Latif Love of Love My Takes to the show to recap the NBA Draft Combine and take a deep dive into the Bulls' options with picks 4 and 15.

Before all the draft chatter, the guys discuss Bryson Graham hiring Stephen Mervis and Acie Law IV as his top lieutenants in the front office. Next up is the head coaching search, with The Stein Line's Jake Fischer reporting Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Thunder assistant Dave Bliss, James Borrego and Tiago Splitter among the named candidates. (NOTE: Fischer later also named Hornets assistant Lamar Skeeter and Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt as candidates, but they weren't discussed on this pod.)

Moving on to the draft, Ricky breaks down his experience at the combine and some of his highlights at the annual event in Chicago. Ricky and Latif then go back and forth with a full breakdown of Caleb Wilson, the Bulls' likeliest pick at No. 4. They go over strengths, weaknesses and how he fits with the Bulls' other core players. While Wilson is likely a tier below the top three guys in this draft and has a lot to work on, the potential is tantalizing. 

Ricky and Latif then go over a number of options for the Bulls at No. 15. Will Aday Mara actually still be around? How about Mara's Michigan teammate Morez Johnson? Cameron Carr was a big combine winner, but there are question marks. Plus a look at several others. 

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Bryson Graham and the Bulls got some NBA Draft Lottery luck on Sunday, moving up from No. 9 to No. 4. This sets up Graham especially well for his first offseason as the Bulls' lead exec and will allow him to put his stamp on the roster. Graham acquitted himself well in his introductory press conference earlier in the week before the lottery, and now he'll get to put his money where his mouth is with the No. 4 pick, the No. 15 pick, the No. 38 pick and nearly $60 million in cap space. 

As for that No. 4 pick, Ricky and Jason break down all the possible scenarios. The likeliest selection right now  is UNC's Caleb Wilson (Ricky gives his full sales pitch), but there's always a chance for a surprise, whether it's somebody else falling or a trade. Ricky is a big Cameron Boozer guy, and some of the recent buzz suggests he could drop. Darryn Peterson could also be a fall candidate because of his bizarre freshman season at Kansas, which was apparently caused by heavy creatine usage. 

Whatever happens, the Bulls should get a great prospect at the top of this draft, and then they'll have a chance to add another at No. 15. What's the ideal outcome for this draft and offseason? 

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The Bulls have their man to run the front office as Arturas Karnisovas' replacement, and it's a bit of a curveball. Instead of bringing Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd back to the franchise as speculated, the Bulls decided to hire Hawks exec Bryson Graham to run the show. Graham, 39, spent 15 years with the Pelicans organization, starting as an intern and rising up to GM before leaving for the Hawks when Joe Dumars took over in NOLA. 

Ricky and Jason give their immediate reactions to the hire, which is definitely a surprise but brings some excitement given the blank slate Graham will start with. While some fans may be upset with a young first-timer, especially after seeing the Mavericks hire Masai Ujiri earlier in the day, Graham should be given time to prove he's the right man for the job. 

Of course, Graham is being thrown right into the fire with an important draft coming up with two first-round picks and around $60 million in cap space in free agency. He'll have his chance to put his stamp on the roster right away in addition to building out his front office, reportedly with full autonomy to do as he sees fit. Will the Reinsdorfs be an obstacle to anything Graham wants to do? It's understandable to be skeptical given their history, but hopefully Graham can advocate for himself and do what needs to be done to build the infrastructure needed for long-term success. 

There's also the matter of hiring a coach, though there hasn't been a whole lot of buzz about candidates just yet. That will come in time, but the immediate focus now turns to Graham's introductory press conference on Wednesday and Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery. 

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The Bulls' front office search is moving forward with a group of finalist candidates: Matt Lloyd, Dennis Lindsey, Bryson Graham and Dave Lewin. Jason and Ricky discuss this candidate list reported by The Stein Line, as well as the details that John Paxson is taking a key role in the search and the Bulls are talking "rebuild" in their interviews. 

A new hire is expected before the NBA Draft Lottery on May 10, which will be a big day for the Bulls as they learn the fate of their first first-round pick. And as the Bulls move forward under a new regime, the NBA's anti-tanking reforms will have an impact on how they build. (NOTE: This episode was recorded before ESPN's latest report on the league's anti-tanking efforts, which involve different changes than the ones discussed.) 

Before getting into Ricky's latest SB Nation mock draft, the guys make sure to give a shoutout to Ayo Dosunmu for his heroic 43-point effort for the Timberwolves against the Nuggets. But while it's awesome to see Ayo succeed in the playoffs, trading him still wasn't the wrong move. 

As for Ricky's mock draft, he gives the Bulls a pair of college teammates at No. 9 and 15, but there are a number of enticing options with both picks. 

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Billy Donovan finally made his decision on his future with the Bulls, and he's walking away after six seasons. While the Reinsdorfs wanted Donovan to stick around with a new front office, Donovan felt it was better to give them a clean slate and pursue other opportunities. 

Ricky and Jason give their final thoughts on the Donovan era, which was mostly underwhelming, albeit not necessarily because of him. The bigger failure was above Donovan in the front office, which gave him substandard rosters he squeezed the most out of. 

But while Donovan is a good coach, getting that clean slate is for the best. This allows the new lead exec to come in and pick his own coach and start a proper rebuild of the roster. A patient approach should be taken given the circumstances, with no reason to try to skip steps in a desperate attempt to get to contention. 

But who will be running the show? ESPN's Shams Charania released a list of six names, with former Bulls exec Matt Lloyd a notable candidate. While Lloyd's Bulls ties make him seem like a good bet to get the job, perhaps there will be a surprise. 

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