The Chicago Bulls set a clear direction by trading All-Star Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night last week.
As for whether they got enough in return? Vice president of basketball operations John Paxson will let others debate that.
The Bulls had plenty of people talking after they traded one of the NBA's top two-way players for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and No. 7 overall pick Lauri Markkanen. The three newcomers were introduced at a news conference on Tuesday.
The Finnish Markkanen, a former freshman star at the University of Arizona, was asked about the 'soft' label often given to European players.
"I know the stereotype is there, but, I don't include myself in that," said Markkanen. "I'm not soft. I play hard. I see what's there but I think its changing slowly from players overseas and changing that."
Paxson says debating which team got the better end of the deal is "the wrong way to look at it" at the moment. He says Chicago "defined a direction" and that he's "not worried about perception."
