Joel Lorenzi

Uh, the Bulls reportedly had interest in him, but r- reports started to come out that the Bulls did not want to give in to ... demands he was making, or allegedly de- making, making to start and to close games, uh, with the Bulls.

This comes from our guy, uh, Joel Lorenzi, per The Athletic.

But the Bulls expressed definite interest in Kuminga, according to a league source, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss front office strategy.

Bulls lead executive Bryson Graham was part of the Atlanta Hawks front office that traded for Kuminga last season, and a reunion was welcomed in Chicago with the understanding Kuminga wouldn't displace the prioritized chips in the rebuild.

[upbeat music] Good morning, and welcome to The Athletic NBA Daily.

Coming up, we're talking about the Chicago Bulls with Joel Lorenzi.

[upbeat music] Good morning, everybody.

The NBA season is near and dear.

[laughs] Do it again.

Do it again.

But near and dear to our hearts, near and dear to our hearts is Joel Lorenzi.

Joel, how's it going, man?

Who is your fifth?

So they say Joel Lorenzi.

So Joel says that he can hoop.

Joel Lorenzi? The Chicago Bulls athletic reporter?

Yeah.

He say he can hoop.

The Mathren thing, that was overblown, whoever reported that.

I think Joel Lorenzi and myself have both tweeted out that the Mathren and the interest in Mathren was highly overrated and highly overreported.

That was a social media guy, I think.

I don't know.

I'm totally embarrassing myself right here with his name.

Joel Lorenzi?

Yes.

Yes, Joel Lorenzi.

That's right, and he pushed back, like, "You know, like, I don't know.

The, the, the interest might be overblown." But, um, it seems like they were kind of in this down to the end.