Never mind that his team finished with a 22-60 record. When John Paxson addressed the media after the Chicago Bulls' worst season since 2001-2002, the executive vice president of basketball operations told reporters he was confident in his team's trajectory.
There is truth to what Paxson is preaching. Chicago returns a starting five with an average age of 22.8, cap space to build out the bench and the No. 7 pick in the draft.
The Bulls' next step in rebuilding their roster starts with the 2019 NBA draft on June 20 and resumes 10 days later in free agency. Let's look ahead to the decisions facing this franchise.
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Evaluate the roster after the trade deadline
Before Fred Hoiberg's December firing, the Bulls had recorded just 10 wins in as many weeks. Two months and one deadline trade later, Chicago was playing some of its best basketball of the season. With the addition of Otto Porter Jr. -- and All-Star play from Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen -- the Bulls found their offensive identity.
The Bulls played 21 sets of starting lineups that led to a combined 9-42 record on the season. In the nine games from Feb. 8 to March 1, however, Chicago produced a 6-3 record. The starting lineup in seven of those nine games -- Kris Dunn, LaVine, Porter, Markannen and Robin Lopez -- finished the season 12-12.
That lineup will look slightly different next season if Lopez decides to leave in free agency. Former first-round pick Wendell Carter Jr., who last played Jan. 15, is his likely replacement. Carter started just nine games before a thumb injury sidelined him for the season. The Bulls will need to decide if that late-season play is sustainable with Carter in the lineup.
Find a solution at point guard
This is not an indictment against Dunn. There is a role for Dunn on this Chicago team, just not as the long-term point guard.
"Kris is going to have opportunity because he's under contract," Paxson said at an April news conference. "But we understand as an organization that's a position that if we're to make a step in the right direction, that we're going to have to address. No beating around the bush on that one."
How the Bulls address the need at point guard comes down to these two scenarios:
They can draft one with their No. 7 pick -- ESPN projects Chicago taking North Carolina point guard Coby White -- and use the $23 million in cap space to address their bench.
Use $13 million to $14 million of room to target a player like Utah's Ricky Rubio with the balance and $4.8 million room midlevel exception spent on the bench.
While White's high motor and pace are a good fit for Chicago, the 19-year-old is considered more of a combo guard and is still learning how to run a team -- as evidenced by his 4.0 assists to 2.7 turnovers in his freshman year.
Improve the depth: Hit singles in free agency
When Hoiberg was fired in December, ESPN's Zach Lowe noted that Bulls management hadn't put their former coach in a position to succeed.
Missed opportunities in the draft (Denzel Valentine), trades that did not materialize (Cameron Payne) and the failed signings of Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jabari Parker resulted in consistent turnover from the bench. What remains of the second unit -- Cristiano Felicio, Shaquille Harrison, Valentine, Chandler Hutchison, Walter Lemon Jr. and Antonio Blakeney -- looks more like Chicago's G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.
How the Bulls improve will depend on several factors:
Targeting veteran free agents who have a winning pedigree and are interchangeable position-wise
Not winning the news conference in free agency (Wade and Rondo in 2017, Parker in 2018)
Exploring the option of signing free agents Wayne Selden, Ryan Arcidiacono and Lopez
Dunn transitioning to a bench role
Aside from Porter, no player on the roster has postseason experience. The young team could benefit from the addition of veterans who have played in meaningful games after the All-Star break.
Summer cap breakdown
A year after the failed Jabari Parker experiment, Chicago elected to start free agency early when they acquired Porter at the deadline. Trading for the small forward signaled that Chicago management was willing to risk cap flexibility in July for a player with an established track record who can help accelerate the rebuild.
Taking on the $27.25 million Porter salary leaves the Bulls with a projected $18.6 million in room to use in free agency or trades. The cap space reflects all free-agent holds renounced except for their first-round pick and restricted free agents Selden and Arcidiacono. The maximum amount of room available is $23.7 million if both players are not brought back and the $1.6 million non-guaranteed contracts of Harrison and Lemon are waived.
The Bulls also will have the $4.8 million room midlevel to use once cap space is used.
Resources available to build the roster
The draft
Cash to buy draft picks
Cap space
Own free agents
Room midlevel and minimum exception
Dates to watch
• The Bulls have until June 30 to extend qualifying offers to Selden and Arcidiacono.
• Seldon's three-month audition yielded a career-high average of 22.9 minutes in 43 games, including 13 starts. Expect the Bulls to extend him a $1.9 million, one-year offer. A two-way player a year ago, Arcidiacono started 25 games this season. Like Selden, he is likely to receive a $1.8 million offer. Giving both players a qualifying offer presents no risk for the Bulls, who can pull the contract by July 13 without the consent of either player.
• The Bulls have until Aug. 15 to guarantee $175,000 of Harrison's $1.6 million salary. Expect Harrison to be on the roster by then, competing for a final spot in training camp.
• Lemon's $1.6 million contract is non-guaranteed and can be waived anytime without a financial penalty.
Restrictions and extension candidates
• The Bulls completed three separate trades before the deadline that used the $5.2 million cash allotment to receive in a trade. If the Bulls do make a trade -- like selling a draft pick -- that involves cash coming back, they'll need to wait until after July 1 when the new salary cap year begins.
• The trade restriction on LaVine's contract will be lifted July 8. Until then -- because the Bulls matched Sacramento's $78 million offer sheet -- LaVine has to approve of any trade and cannot be dealt to the Kings.
• Chicago has four players -- Dunn, Cristiano Felicio, Valentine and Porter (Aug. 6) -- who are extension-eligible. Expect the Bulls to be quiet when it comes to extensions.
The draft assets
For a third consecutive June, Chicago will be looking to add a foundation player to its roster. While the front office has faced criticism over how it has constructed the roster, former lottery picks Markkanen and Carter give the Bulls a starting power forward and center for the foreseeable future.
Here's how ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have Chicago selecting in June:
No. 7 (own): Coby White | PG | North Carolina
No. 38 (via Memphis): Jalen McDaniels | SF/PF | San Diego St.
The Bulls own all of their future first-round picks.