The Fastbreak: Why Noa Essengue & Matas Buzelis are frontcourt of the future, Giddey’s RFA market
Welcome in everybody to another edition of the fast break. I am Casey Johnson. It is summer league week. We actually just had some access after practice of the advocate center which we will get into in a moment. But we’re going to start this episode with the news of the day or shall I say the lack of news of the day and that is the ongoing saga that is Josh Giddy’s restricted free agency. The panic meter is pretty high at least uh from the fan uh reaction I get crossing my sphere on Twitter and email and social media etc. I’m here to tell you that this is just the reality of restricted free agency. The teams have the power and the Bulls from my seat are playing this smart. Um, we’ve all documented all along that the Brooklyn Nets were the only team with significant salary cap space to sign Josh Giddy to a massive offer sheet. That space dried up with their trade acquisition of Michael Porter Jr. from the Denver Nuggets. So Josh Giddy has nowhere to go unless there is a signin trade. And I can tell you as of today, I’ve not heard of any sign and trade machinations involving Josh Giddy. That’s not to say that one could materialize down the road, but I could also emphasize as I’ve said ad nauseium, both the bulls and giddy want to get a deal done. The bulls knowing that the market is scarce and the free restricted free agency market has very little movement not only for Josh Giddy but for other big names like Jonathan Kaminga are playing the slow game here. Um, I don’t have particular numbers other than to say that Josh Giddy’s $30 million a year price tag that’s been well documented in media and out there since last fall when the rookie contract extension was discussed um, has not ever crossed my radar. I’ve never heard the Bulls mention that number. So, I would not expect Josh Giddy to sign a $30 million deal. Now, what you’re asking is worst case scenario. Um, again, the Bulls have all the power here. So, if Josh Giddy and his representative and the Bulls cannot hit on a long-term deal, there is a world in which Josh Giddy could sign his one-year qualifying offer, which yes, has been tendered by the Bulls to give them matching rights on his restricted free agency. That qualifying offer is $11.1 million a year, and it will allow Josh Giddy to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Now, this would not be ideal for the Bulls because they obviously want Josh Giddy in their long-term plan. So, they are negotiating in good faith, but obviously keeping the number down because there’s nowhere for Josh Giddy currently to go in the restricted free agent market. So, look, when this story breaks at and at some point it will this summer, we will obviously have all the details and more of the ramifications of it. But just like Jonathan Kaminga and the Warriors, Josh Giddy and the Bulls are currently at a stalemate. Uh I’ve heard that it’s not acrimonious. I’ve heard that it’s positive. And I’ve emphasizing once again that I do believe Josh Giddy will be in a Bulls uniform next year. At what number and how many years? TBD, but we will be all over it. All right, on the happier topics. Bulls summer league. Yes, we got our first chance other than draft night to talk to the first round pick from France, Noah Esen. He is uh very poised, very mature. Those would be my first impressions of him, especially for a guy who will not turn 19 until December. And as mentioned, Adnauseium is the second youngest person in the draft behind Cooper Flag. And um we also got a chance to talk to Modis Buzzelis and Billy Donovan III who is coaching the Bulls summer league team, the Bulls Windy City coach, Windy City Bulls G-League coach. Um let me tell you some first impressions from those guys. Uh because their words are far more impactful than mine. Uh Billy Donovan III uh when asked for some things that stood out about Noah Asen said uh maturity. Um he said he’s been asking a lot of questions about the defensive end which really stood out to him. Um just like Modis did um last year um you know at this time um he talked about his running ability fitting into the Bulls style of play which you know is well documented. They underwent such an offensive transformation last season and Noah Asen’s ability to run the floor and get out in transition will fit right into that. Again it’s early. It’s summer league. But those are some first impressions from Billy Donovan thei. As for Modis Buzzelis, uh this was very telling to me. He said, uh just like Billy Donovan the third talked about maturity, Modis Buzzelis when asked for first impressions said Noah is mentally strong. And how does he know this? He said Noah is trying to go at Modis in practice every day in scrimmaging. This is a good sign if you’re a Bulls fan because this is a young hungry kid similar to Modis Buzzelis last year. Another cool thing that Modis Busellis said about Noah Assen, he said that uh what I do is I look for love of the game in a player because if you have love for the game, then you’re going to hit your potential, whatever that is. And he said this guy has love for the game. How does Modis Buzzelis know that? He said Noah Assen actually beat him to the practice facility on the first day of practice, summer league practice at Advocate Center and Modis Bisellis prides himself on that. He said it’ll never happen again. So, this is a guy who’s in the gym early, staying late. Obviously, a lot is being thrown at him. As for Noah, I asked him if this experience has been overwhelming. There’s a lot being thrown at him. He’s living in America for the first time. He’s learning a new city. He just learned English two years ago. and he said the intensity and pace of even summer league practices is probably a step higher than what he was experiencing overseas playing professionally in Germany. So, this is going to be an adjustment period for him, but he seemed very poised and mature in talking about that and he says he’s looking mostly to impact the game at the defensive end. That’s a great base from which to start and it ties into the second point I want to make and that’s the package deal about Modis Buselis and Noah Esen. We’ve talked many times about how this could be the Bulls front court of the future and you cannot overlook the fact that Modis Buzzelis was just in this position a year ago as a teenager and now Noah Essen is in it as a teenager as well. So is obviously taking Noah under his wing as much as possible. And look, the fact that both these players have positional size, have athleticism, have defensive awareness, that’s really something that stands out to me because if you find young players, oftentimes they’re mostly focused on the offensive end. Both of these players to me are focused on being impactful two-way players, and that’s a nice base from which to start. In fact, Modis, his direct quote was, “Defensively, we’re going to be a problem.” And you’re talking to a guy who led the Bulls in blocks last year as a rookie in Modis Buselis. Um, another cool thing about Modis is we know that he’s probably going to be limited to one, maybe two games out in summer league in Vegas. and Modis reiterated today that he wants to play all the games because he loves basketball so much, but obviously is going to listen to what the front office says. Um, as far as Noah Essen’s uh perspective about his pairing with Modis Buselis, he said, “We have the same goal, and that’s to win and be the best players we can be.” So when you have that shared mindset, again, I cannot overstate how cool it is that both these guys are similar in age, similar in experiences, modus can kind of take Noah under his wings, show him some ropes, and when you project them out to be the front court of the future, the fact that they are both so defensively minded, I think is really, really unique and potentially impactful. All right. Lastly, we got to close with a little fun anecdote that from Noah Sen’s uh media session with us because he casually was talking about experiencing the city of Chicago and the global brand that is the Bulls. Uh his mom is over here with him from France. They’ve obviously put out on the Bulls social media account some of the touring of the city. They’ve been out on Lake Michigan. They’ve been to Millennium Park to see the bean, etc., etc. But he casually referenced the goat. And I asked them, you know, is that Michael Jordan or somebody else? Because a lot of 18 year olds didn’t grow up with Michael Jordan. They grew up with either Kobe Bryant or even more pertinently, uh, LeBron James as their goat. And I said, “Are you just saying the GOAT because you’re in Chicago in a Bulls uniform now?” And he said, “No, I actually think when you look at impact in the game and the way that he changed the game, Michael Jordan is probably the GOAT.” He did admit that growing up with LeBron that you can make an argument for him being the GOAT. So, he was a little politically correct, but the point is he understands Michael Jordan’s impact not only on this city and this franchise, but also the game of basketball. And I think the fact that an 18year-old from a foreign country who is learning the language recently has that perspective is something telling and interesting and fun to close this episode of the fast break with. So, we certainly appreciate you checking us out. I will be heading out to Vegas to catch the first couple games of Summer League. So, we’ll definitely have some more content from you there on all of our social media and YouTube channels. And, uh, we’ll have another episode of the Fast Break when I get back from Vegas. Thanks for checking this one out. We’ll catch you next time.
K.C. Johnson sits down to discuss the TRUTH about Josh Giddey’s restricted free agency market and why there’s nothing to panic about, why Noa Essengue & Matas Buzelis are the frontcourt of the future and more as the Bulls get set to head to Vegas for NBA Summer League.
0:20 – 3:12 – The truth about Josh Giddey’s restricted free agency market
3:13 – 8:02 – Why Noa Essengue & Matas Buzelis are a perfect front court pair
8:03 – 9:30 – Noa Essengue’s appreciation for Michael Jordan
#chicagobulls #nba #basketball
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24 Comments
Now of all times is not the time for the bulls to play smart.
kc what do u think matasโs role will be this season. will he get more shots how many do u think he will get this year?
Too much fake content, you must be Thaddeus. That is a good draft pick.
Sweet, weโll look forward to many future play-in games.
When asked about the GOAT, i was hoping Noa would have given an honorable mention to Joakim Noah, who also has French ties ๐
Giddey signโs for 1 and then walks . Giddey is going to get that money
Vegas Baby!
Awesome, another young kid who needs development for 4 years that we can trade away for peanuts or severely overpay. Bulls will forever be a feeder team.
It is wild that Patrick Williams is an afterthought now. Didnโt even put up a fight to remain a starter
More delusional than the front office lol
I don't know if we expected too much from Patrick Williams because perhaps he wasn't as talented as we thought or was he disappointing because he threw his talent away and didn't have the drive to be great?
Of course, we wanted to see greatness from him, but he didn't seem to want greatness for himself, when a guy with his size and ability isn't starting on his own team you have to question, why? Is it him? Is it the coach? I know the management thought he might be the next Kawhi Leonard , Jimmy Butler, or whatever. But he was so disappointing, a bit dull, he didn't have much personality, and he had no zest for basketball. He didn't have the drive and character to be great. I know some people see that in Zach Levine, the guy is super talented, he's got charming character, but he doesn't have that Killer instant, you would think he would have Michael Jordan abilities, and Michael Jordan Jordan's mindset, but I guess it ain't that easy. Even if you had Scottie Pippen's mindset, both these guys would be so much better. I like this new kid Noah, and I like that he's hanging out with.Mattas.. i'm not sure what's happening with Lonzo Ball, but if he can get back to his regular self and be the starting point guard and possibly work with Josh in the back court, they might have a really decent team with potential. They do have some young talent, and if they can keep adding size and defense along with shooting and passing, I think the bulls will take another step forward. Will Michael Porter Junior become him self the way people expected him when he first came out to the NBA? At least they're giving him a chance because they got nothing to lose with this guy. If they can turn him into a great young player along with these other young guys that we have this team is actually looking very skilled, talented, useful, energetic, and with a few guys who are now veterans, which is also what they need, they need that mindset, that killer, instinct, that no more bullshit mentality because they have to get past the play in game, and make it to the playoffs already. But at least they're there instead of not there.
I don't know if we expected too much from Patrick Williams because perhaps he wasn't as talented as we thought or was he disappointing because he threw his talent away and didn't have the drive to be great?
Of course, we wanted to see greatness from him, but he didn't seem to want greatness for himself, when a guy with his size and ability isn't starting on his own team you have to question, why? Is it him? Is it the coach? I know the management thought he might be the next Kawhi Leonard , Jimmy Butler, or whatever. But he was so disappointing, a bit dull, he didn't have much personality, and he had no zest for basketball. He didn't have the drive and character to be great. I know some people see that in Zach Levine, the guy is super talented, he's got charming character, but he doesn't have that Killer instant, you would think he would have Michael Jordan abilities, and Michael Jordan Jordan's mindset, but I guess it ain't that easy. Even if you had Scottie Pippen's mindset, both these guys would be so much better. I like this new kid Noah, and I like that he's hanging out with.Mattas.. i'm not sure what's happening with Lonzo Ball, but if he can get back to his regular self and be the starting point guard and possibly work with Josh in the back court, they might have a really decent team with potential. They do have some young talent, and if they can keep adding size and defense along with shooting and passing, I think the bulls will take another step forward. Will Michael Porter Junior become him self the way people expected him when he first came out to the NBA? At least they're giving him a chance because they got nothing to lose with this guy. If they can turn him into a great young player along with these other young guys that we have this team is actually looking very skilled, talented, useful, energetic, and with a few guys who are now veterans, which is also what they need, they need that mindset, that killer, instinct, that no more bullshit mentality because they have to get past the play in game, and make it to the playoffs already. But at least they're there instead of not there.
Of course, when he was drafted, most people had no idea who he was, but then again, who gets drafted that high coming off the bench? And why is he coming off the bench? I guess you see it in his personality, or lack there of. He's quiet, a bit shy, he's not going to force the issueโฆ And that's the problem. Great players don't only need the talent. They need the mindset that they're gonna beat you no matter what, they have to hate losing and love winning if they don't want to be great you don't drop them. It doesn't matter if you're the first pick or the last pick if you don't want to be great in the NBA, you shouldn't be playing in the NBA.
I don't know if we expected too much from Patrick Williams because perhaps he wasn't as talented as we thought or was he disappointing because he threw his talent away and didn't have the drive to be great?
Of course, we wanted to see greatness from him, but he didn't seem to want greatness for himself, when a guy with his size and ability isn't starting on his own team you have to question, why? Is it him? Is it the coach? I know the management thought he might be the next Kawhi Leonard , Jimmy Butler, or whatever. But he was so disappointing, a bit dull, he didn't have much personality, and he had no zest for basketball. He didn't have the drive and character to be great. I know some people see that in Zach Levine, the guy is super talented, he's got charming character, but he doesn't have that Killer instant, you would think he would have Michael Jordan abilities, and Michael Jordan Jordan's mindset, but I guess it ain't that easy. Even if you had Scottie Pippen's mindset, both these guys would be so much better. I like this new kid Noah, and I like that he's hanging out with.Mattas.. i'm not sure what's happening with Lonzo Ball, but if he can get back to his regular self and be the starting point guard and possibly work with Josh in the back court, they might have a really decent team with potential. They do have some young talent, and if they can keep adding size and defense along with shooting and passing, I think the bulls will take another step forward. Will Michael Porter Junior become him self the way people expected him when he first came out to the NBA? At least they're giving him a chance because they got nothing to lose with this guy. If they can turn him into a great young player along with these other young guys that we have this team is actually looking very skilled, talented, useful, energetic, and with a few guys who are now veterans, which is also what they need, they need that mindset, that killer, instinct, that no more bullshit mentality because they have to get past the play in game, and make it to the playoffs already. But at least they're there instead of not there.
Of course, when he was drafted, most people had no idea who he was, but then again, who gets drafted that high coming off the bench? And why is he coming off the bench? I guess you see it in his personality, or lack there of. He's quiet, a bit shy, he's not going to force the issueโฆ And that's the problem. Great players don't only need the talent. They need the mindset that they're gonna beat you no matter what, they have to hate losing and love winning if they don't want to be great you don't drop them. It doesn't matter if you're the first pick or the last pick if you don't want to be great in the NBA, you shouldn't be playing in the NBA.
What about Julian Phillips? Question: What if Julian Phillips has developed offensive moves to the basket over the summer? Is Bulls nation ignoring JP. LOL! Work on your handles kid. #seered
%16 of the cap.. not a penny more.. period. they give him more than that under this new CBA they will be cooked for the life of that contract. They already have to trade coby, dont couple that with making ANOTHER bad contract that will be impossible to get rid of under the new cba.
Great breakdown! The Bulls are trending towards two way players with length and speed. Seems Bill Simmons might be missing the bigger picture but no surprise there.
Never heard of a positive stale mate lol
Thanks for the update KC
Tuh, they could never amount to Bairstow and Zipser
If Josh Giddey isn't resigned with the bulls, Chicago will not even make play ins without him. And i want people to hold me to that i'll be back here in 9 months to see.
KC, you say the Bulls are playing it smartโso how smart is it really if Giddey ends up taking the QO and walking for nothing?
You donโt trade for a 22-year-old potential cornerstone just to play hardball and risk losing him in a year.
If Chicago believes in Giddey, they need to lock him up nowโnot gamble on a Qualifying Offer that could blow up in their face.
Smart teams donโt let young talent slip away over a few million.๐๐คทโโ๏ธ
What about olbricht?
A young core is developing. Giddey may or may not be worth it–he's better than advertised, but still has major defensive issues. I love White, but even at 6'5" he struggles with other two guards on D (even though he tries hard). Who goes? Ayo is better on D than both, but has a less well-rounded offensive game. I wonder if White would be better suited as a Vinnie Johnson type sixth man. Unloading the Williams contract should be a priority, given who they drafted, and his lack of production. Sadly, it's another summer of bargain signings, and 35-37 wins. For now.
If the bulls keep playing hardball with Giddey, he's not going to hang around. They're penny pinching for reasons that make no sense. If he's not the future he should be traded away.