Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
Chicago Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas made the media rounds Tuesday, first appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio and then the ESPN2 broadcast of his team’s NBA Summer League contest with the Sacramento Kings.
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Karnišovas addressed for the first time the free-agency additions of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, the latter whose signing has yet to be officially announced by the team. Karnišovas did so in the context of expecting for Lonzo Ball to miss his second straight season following yet another knee surgery.
“Unfortunately, we’re going to miss ‘Zo,” Karnišovas said on ESPN2. “He’s the player that pushes the ball, pushes the tempo, gives you 3-point shooting. So we tried to address this this offseason. And I think we got toughness, some shooting and some guys who play with energy and a motor.”
Joking that Carter is “going to fit in well” because he’s a local product, Karnišovas also traveled his well-worn path of continuity, acknowledging that re-signing Nikola Vucevic to team with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan remains the core, along with Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams and the re-signed Coby White.
“We just tried to add to that group,” Karnišovas said on ESPN2. “I think the parity in the league is obvious. We lost a lot of close games last year. So we added a couple guys and hopefully the parity in the league will help us compete in every game.
Chicago Bulls
“We proved last year---our record after the All-Star game was 14-9---that we had a very good record against good teams last year. We just needed to be more consistent. In Chicago, we always want every game to be a tough out. We’re bringing those kinds of guys. . . . We added a couple guys who can defend and play with a high energy and motor.”
The ESPN2 interview was noteworthy for the fact Karnišovas spoke to his college coach at Seton Hall, P.J. Carlesimo, who served as analyst for the game. The two remain quite close.
In other summer league news, Justin Lewis will miss the remainder of action following his left ankle injury. It’s the latest setback for the two-way contract signee, who missed all of last season following an ACL injury and surgery.