Like Neuqua Valley’s other seniors, guard Darius Brockington has seen limited playing time this season.

The Wildcats have flipped the usual script. They don’t start any seniors.

Brockington and his fellow seniors — guard Tyler Tepas, forwards Marcus Magee and Andrew Hoffmann, and center Darlin Aghomi — don’t play more than a couple of minutes at a time. Hoffmann is the only one who regularly gets on the court.

“It’s making the most of the opportunities that you get and then always having the energy on the bench,” Brockington said. “There are younger guys that play, so it’s just about leading and making sure that they know what they’re doing.

“They always do a good job and make it easy for us older guys coming in.”

The 5-foot-10 Brockington did a good job when he came into the game against host Naperville North on Wednesday. After Hoffmann scored inside to give the Wildcats an 8-7 lead early in the second quarter, Brockington made three consecutive 3-pointers.

Neuqua Valley’s Darius Brockington (12) looks for an open teammate during a DuPage Valley Conference game against Naperville North in Naperville on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

The last, which came off an assist from junior forward Luke Balgro, extended the lead to 17-12 with 3:12 left in the half, and Neuqua Valley eventually won 40-32 to cap an undefeated DuPage Valley Conference campaign.

Despite playing less than 10 minutes, Brockington finished with nine points for the Wildcats (29-1, 10-0). He shared game-high scoring honors with Balgro and Naperville North senior guards Carson Loughlin and Miles Okyne.

Incredibly, Brockington finished with more points than stars Cole Kelly and Mason Martin had combined. Kelly, a sophomore forward with an offer from Illinois and others, scored five points, and Martin, a junior guard who has committed to Illinois, had three points.

The Huskies (23-8, 8-2) used a triangle-and-two defense to limit Kelly and Martin and a patient offense to keep the game low-scoring. But the Wildcats were not surprised.

“All week (Neuqua Valley’s coaches) said they were going to be in a triangle-and-two and other people were going to have to hit shots,” Brockington said. “They told me I had to be confident coming in shooting the ball, and I think that’s what I did.”

Brockington made 3 of 4 shots. Neuqua Valley coach Todd Sutton thought Brockington could have shot more frequently.

“I told him if he would lock in, he could get 18 instead of nine,” Sutton said. “He’s a real good shooter.”

But Brockington doesn’t have a lot of experience in big games — or any varsity games, for that matter. Brockington didn’t play for the Wildcats in the previous two seasons.

Neuqua Valley’s Darius Brockington, right, passes the ball under pressure from Naperville North’s Max Steele during a DuPage Valley Conference game in Naperville on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

“I focused on AAU, and I played football as well,” he said. “But I really love basketball, and I knew that they had a special group of guys. It’s a really fun team. So I wanted to come back and play basketball for one more year and be a part of it.”

Brockington’s contributions have come mainly in practice, particularly early in the season as he got readjusted to Sutton’s expectations.

“He had a slow start,” Sutton said. “He hasn’t played since freshman year, so he’s really started way behind and has made big strides.”

Junior guard Carter Coviello, whose steal and layup with 3:31 remaining in the fourth quarter started a decisive 7-0 run that put the Wildcats up 37-27, has seen those strides up close.

“Darius is a special player,” Coviello said. “Toward the beginning of the season, he didn’t really get that many minutes. He worked his way up, just like everyone else, earned the backup spot, and comes in, hits some shots. He helps us in a lot of ways.”

But few could have envisioned the help Brockington provided against the Huskies, who were seeking a share of the conference title.

“It made me really happy because me and Darius are very close,” Coviello said. “I just want to see him succeed the whole time because when he’s doing good, that helps us.

“It lets us know how deep our team is and gives us more confidence that we can keep going, keep winning games.”

Neuqua Valley’s Darius Brockington looks to make a play during a DuPage Valley Conference game against Naperville North in Naperville on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (Jon Cunningham / Naperville Sun)

The Wildcats have won 26 straight games. None were as memorable for Brockington as the latest triumph.

“I kind of thought about that, with missing those two years, this is our last conference game, one of our biggest games,” he said. “I knew that I wanted to come in here with energy.

“We knew what zone they were going to be in, I knew what type of shots were going to come, so I knew it was just about knocking down those shots.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/neuqua-valley-high-school-basketball-darius-brockington/ 

Former Prince Andrew Arrested In UK Probe Into Suspected Epstein-Linked Misconduct In Public Office

Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/19/2026 – 07:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/former-prince-andrew-arrested-uk-probe-suspected-epstein-linked-misconduct-public-office 

MESA, Ariz. — Amid a whirlwind 36 hours within the Major League Baseball Players Association, new interim executive director Bruce Meyer and MLBPA personnel kicked off their annual spring training visits that brought them to the Chicago Cubs’ complex Wednesday afternoon.

Hours later, the MLBPA player board — comprised of 72 major- and minor-league players — unanimously appointed Meyer to his interim role and made Matt Nussbaum interim deputy executive director. Meyer replaces longtime union head Tony Clark, who abruptly resigned Tuesday.

“All of us on the staff are focused on what’s best for the union,” Meyer said. “At this point, we’ve all dedicated our careers to the union, to these players. … Whatever the players determine that’s in the best interest of the union, we are supportive internally. We are all rowing together and working as a team, and ultimately the players will make those decisions.”

The MLBPA met with Cubs players for more than an hour. Afterward, Meyer kept the topics of conversations with Cubs players private but acknowledged the issues baseball faces as the expiration of the league’s collective bargaining agreement looms in December.

“A lockout is all but guaranteed at the end of the agreement,” Meyer said. “The league has pretty much said that their strategy and bargaining has always been to put as much pressure on the players as they can to try and create divisions and cracks among our membership. It’s never worked. I don’t think it ever will work.”

An implementation of a salary cap is expected to be sought by the league in the next CBA.

MLB players association senior director Bruce Meyer answers a question at a news conference on March 11, 2022, in New York. (Richard Drew/AP)

“This is something they’ve always wanted,” Meyer said. “It’s not new. It appears they’re going to make a concerted push forward. Our union historically has been against it because we believe it’s quite simply not good for players. That position is not going to change.”

“We see what they say, what they’ve said in the media. You’ve seen really an uptick over the last year of owners coming out and talking about salary caps or the commissioner’s office, they don’t always use the words, but it’s very clear what they’re talking about.”

Kevin Alcántara eager to seize opportunity, put injury behind him

Kevin Alcántara walks to a practice field before warming up during the first day of the Chicago Cubs full-squad workout at spring training at Sloan Park on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Offseason surgery for a sports hernia has Kevin Alcántara fully healthy as he battles for a spot on the opening day roster as a backup outfielder.

Alcántara revealed on Wednesday that he had sustained the hernia injury last February and opted to play through the discomfort. Now pain-free, Alcántara acknowledged it was a tough injury to play through, but he wanted to remain available to the team. He put up strong numbers at Triple-A Iowa last year despite not being totally himself, producing a .266 average, 349 on-base percentage, .818 OPS with 26 doubles, 17 home runs and 69 RBIs in 102 games.

After appearing in just 10 games for the Cubs in 2025, Alcántara understands he might not get a lot of chances again this season. He experienced the playoffs by being on both of the Cubs’ postseason rosters.

“I need to be focused for whatever opportunity I have to do my job,” Alcántara said. “I was only thinking win. If I’m going to have my opportunity to help the team, I’ll help the team. That’s the only thing I think in this moment. I want to take advice from the old guys, what I need to do for me to have the opportunity over there, I take it.”

Starting pitchers announced for first two Cactus League games

Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon participates in a discussion during the Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk on Jan. 17, 2026. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

The Cubs’ two starting pitchers playing in the World Baseball Classic are kicking off the team’s Cactus League schedule.

Right-hander Jameson Taillon is scheduled to start Friday’s exhibition opener against the White Sox at Sloan Park, while left-hander Matthew Boyd goes Saturday versus the Texas Rangers in another home spring game. Taillon (Canada) and Boyd (USA) are among the eight players on the Cubs’ 40-man roster who depart next week for the WBC.

Manager Craig Counsell wasn’t sure yet how many starting position players might be in the lineup this weekend, though Seiya Suzuki is expected to play in center field in the Cactus League before leaving for Tokyo on Monday to help prepare him to play that position with Japan.

“You’re more likely to see them than other people, other more veteran players that aren’t in the WBC, but kind of just individualizing that a little bit at the beginning,” Counsell said Wednesday of the team’s lineups. “Some guys won’t start for a couple days because I don’t think they need to, but the WBC guys all definitely have more urgency to get started.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/chicago-cubs-mlbpa-kevin-alcantara/ 

MILAN — Alysa Liu will try to end a 24-year drought for American women in Olympic figure skating on Thursday night when the “Blade Angel” attempts to chase down Japanese rivals Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto in the free skate at the Milan Cortina Games.

The 20-year-old Liu scored 76.59 points for an impeccable short program on Tuesday night, leaving the freethinking native of the San Francisco Bay area just over two points behind Nakai and less than a point back of Sakamoto in the individual competition.

The U.S. has not had a woman stand atop an Olympic podium since Sarah Hughes at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

Bold new US trio eyes Olympic figure skating gold while serving as role models for a new generation

Asked whether Liu thinks she can upstage Nakai and Sakamoto, she replied: “I don’t think about stuff like that. Whether I beat them or not is not my goal. My goal is just to do my programs and share my story and I don’t need to be over or under anyone to do that.”

It is exactly that kind of attitude that has allowed Liu to succeed in a comeback from a two-year retirement.

The youngest figure skater ever to win the U.S. championship, when she triumphed in 2019 at the age of 13, Liu seemed destined for stardom. She could hit the big triple axels that only the best women in the world could pull off, and her grace and skill had placed her in the line of succession behind the likes of Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski and other great American skaters.

She qualified for the Beijing Games at the age of 16, finishing sixth — and then she quit.

What all those people neatly categorizing her as the next U.S. star didn’t realize was that she was burned out. Liu had spent most of her childhood in rinks, her father dropping her off in the mornings and picking her up at night. Later, she would move to Colorado to focus on her training, and her life revolved around a dorm room, school work and practices.

“The rink was my home for far too long,” Liu told The Associated Press ahead of the Winter Games. “And I didn’t have a choice, you know what I’m saying? Like, I kind of had to go with it. I was away from my family. I had to live by myself the entire time, and the last few years I was getting really homesick. I was missing Christmas and Thanksgiving. And I was like, ‘This is not right.’”

Liu had graduated high school at 15, so upon her sudden retirement in 2022, she enrolled at UCLA to study psychology.

She spent time with friends on skiing trips. She hiked to the base camp of Mount Everest. She did all the things that she had wanted to do for so long but could not because of the grueling practice and competition schedule of international skating.

“I really despised skating because I thought that was the reason why all that had to happen to me,” Liu said. “Through time I realized, like, it’s not the case. It doesn’t have to be like that. And yeah, I just don’t have to take the sport very seriously.”

Even at the Olympics.

Last year, Liu became the first American to win a world title since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. And now, after her short program that earned a career-best 76.59 points on Tuesday night, she can end an Olympic drought that stretches back even longer.

‘Now I want to be here’: Alysa Liu thrives for the US at the Olympics with a new outlook on life

Sound like pressure? Not for Liu. Not anymore.

“Competitions are my guilty pleasure, basically,” she said, “but the training is like, where my heart is, because I can do whatever I want. Free range, no rules, for however long I want. I can skate to whatever songs and just do my own thing.”

That do-my-own-thing attitude is reflected in her unique style. Liu has colored her hair in brown and brunette stripes to represent the growth rings on a tree, and plans to add one each year to symbolize her own growth. She has a unique frenulum piercing that glints in the light in front of her teeth when she smiles. Even her clothing is a reflection of her individualism.

“I love the process of creating things,” Liu said. “Skating is one way to express myself.”

The rest of Liu’s teammates struggled in the short program Tuesday night. Amber Glenn missed a crucial triple loop that left the three-time reigning U.S. champion in 13th place, while Isabeau Levito made enough smaller mistakes to fall to eighth place.

That means Liu is the last of the “Blade Angels” with a chance at Olympic glory Thursday night.

“I’m OK if I do a fail program. I’m totally OK if I do a great program,” she said. “No matter what the outcome is, it’s still my story.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/alysa-liu-olympic-free-skate/ 

MILAN — Jordan Stolz’s path to multiple speedskating gold medals at the Milan Cortina Olympics began at age 5 in front of a TV at home in Wisconsin, sitting with his older sister, Hannah, to check out the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“They saw the opening ceremonies. Everything looked pretty and cool. They loved it. Then they started watching the figure skating — and I turned around, and both kids were gone. They were unimpressed,” their mother, Jane, recalled. “And then Apolo Ohno came on for short track, and — Boom! — they were right back into it and watching, They liked skiing, too. They liked anything fast, really. They really got obsessed with the speedskating, for some reason.”

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Soon, their father, Dirk, was in the family’s backyard, clearing snow off a frozen pond so the kids could try skating — while wearing lifejackets, at Mom’s insistence. “I remember going out there,” Dirk said, “and Jane’s yelling at me, ‘They’re not going out on that ice! They’re going to fall through the ice!’” And, well, here we are: Jordan Stolz, now 21, already owns a pair of golds from Milan seeks another in Thursday’s 1,500 meters.

“It’s a success, but it’s more so of a partial success if I don’t win the 1,500,” Stolz said after winning the 500 on Saturday to follow up on his victory in the 1,000 on Feb. 11, both in Olympic-record times, “just because I’ve been so good in that distance for so long. So I hope I can win that one.”

Truth is, he’s so good at every distance he commits himself to. That includes a pair of world titles each at 500, 1,000 and 1,500.

Stolz’s origin story is an oft-told tale, particularly well-known to those who follow speedskating, yet it bears repeating as the American continues his quest for a total of four titles at these Olympics; he’s also entered in the mass start on Saturday.

Thinking back all those years to when he cheered for Ohno, an eight-time medalist for the U.S., the generally soft-spoken Stolz’s voice rises.

“That really intrigued me. That was something that caught my eye,” Stolz said. “All the other sports didn’t really interest me.”

What was it about speedskating?

“Just watching them go really fast and pass each other,” Stolz said, noting that he started off in Ohno’s sport, short track, before shifting the focus to long track about 10 years later. “It was something I actually paid attention to.”

Now the world is paying full attention to him. And he has not shown a single sign of being bothered by the expectations that accompany him at his second Olympics.

As it is, he is only the second man in history to complete the 500-1,000 speedskating double at one Winter Games, joining Eric Heiden, who collected five golds at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

Heiden, who also grew up skating on a Wisconsin pond, has been following Stolz’s career for years and attended his first two events in Milan.

“If you have confidence and mental toughness, it’s easy. For me, it was the same thing,” Heiden said. “You’re physically skilled, you’re mentally tough. Jordan is the same thing. He goes to the starting line and, I would suspect, he thinks he’s probably going to win.”

At about midnight the nights before his first two races, Stolz called his parents for a quick chat. When they spoke after the 500, he sent his mom a photo of that gold medal sitting on his pillow.

Next on the to-do list for Stolz would be becoming the first man since Johann Olav Koss at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics to grab three victories in long track speedskating at one Winter Games (the Norwegian won the 1,000, 1,500 and 5,000).

“If I have a good 1,500,” Stolz said, “it should turn out well. I’m hoping for gold in that.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/jordan-stolz-olympics-wisconin-pond/ 

LONDON — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

While Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to the late financier have dogged the royal family for more than a decade.

Tom Pritzker, citing Epstein connection, steps down as Hyatt’s executive chair

Thames Valley Police said that a man in his 60s from Norfolk in eastern England was arrested and remained in custody. The force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain, but pointed to the statement when asked to confirm if Andrew was arrested.

Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on Thursday, moved to his brother King Charles III’s estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle earlier this month.

Thames Valley Police previously said it was “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential trade reports to Epstein in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Those reports stemmed from correspondence between the two men that was among the millions of pages of documents from the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein that were released last month.

“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,’’ Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement. “We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”

The arrest came after pictures circulated online that appeared to show unmarked police cars at Wood Farm, Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, with plainclothes officers gathering outside.

The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his ties to Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC.

But more details about the relationship emerged in a book published last year, and Charles stripped him of the right to be called a prince and ordered him to move.

Then came the unprecedented announcement last week that Buckingham Palace was ready to cooperate in the event of a police inquiry into Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein.

Charles was forced to act after the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of Epstein documents that revealed the extent of his relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor and showed that their correspondence continued long after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges brought by federal prosecutors in New York in 2019. He took his own life in jail while awaiting trial.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested/ 

The final countdown is on for the end of the NBA regular season. But this year looks different for the Chicago Bulls.

After skidding into the All-Star break on a six-game losing streak — and losing nine of their last 10 games — the Bulls have taken a sharp turn in strategy to close the 2025-26 season. The front office finally has traded the play-in tournament for the draft lottery.

But just because a team is embracing losses doesn’t mean there aren’t important assignments to monitor while playing out the string. Here are five questions the Bulls need to answer over the next 27 games.

1. Will Josh Giddey return to the rotation?

Giddey missed 19 of the last 23 games with a hamstring strain, and the Bulls went 6-13 without him.

This is a question of strategy as much as health and wellness. After returning at the end of January to average 13.5 points and 7.3 assists over a four-game stretch, Giddey missed the final eight games before the break. The Bulls benefited, in a roundabout way, from his absence as they cratered into that losing streak.

Giddey has been fairly hardy throughout his young NBA career, notably bouncing back in a week from an ankle sprain last season. But the Bulls have no reason to be reckless with him over the next eight weeks, which could mean a more conservative approach. Whether they continue to hold out Giddey might reflect their overall stomach for tanking, which often requires the sidelining of a top player to be fully effective.

Similarly, the Bulls held guard Tre Jones out of the final 11 games before the break, also with a hamstring injury. The front office and coaching staff consider Jones a “winning” player, and while injury prevention is the focus, every game he misses can help the Bulls achieve their bigger-picture goal of losing in the short term.

Both guards participated in parts of practice Tuesday and Wednesday, and Giddey said he plans to be available for Thursday’s game against the Toronto Raptors. But assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. — who will stand in for Billy Donovan for at least one game while the Bulls coach spends time with family after the death of his father — warned that both Jones and Giddey will be held under minutes restrictions when they do return.

2. Which of the new players should stay?

Bulls guard Rob Dillingham makes a move on Nuggets guard Julian Strawther on Feb. 7, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Only a handful of the seven players acquired at the trade deadline are being considered for a long-term stay in Chicago. Five of them will hit some form of free agency this summer. Guerschon Yabusele might not even play in the NBA next year. So who’s worth extending?

The Bulls are committed to Rob Dillingham’s contract through next season, and they have until Oct. 31 to exercise a club option for 2027-28. The second-year guard showed flashes of promise in his first few games with the Bulls — and will be able to show more with extended playing time after riding the bench in Minnesota — but his size and defense draw a fair amount of concern.

The only other new player under contract past this season is Leonard Miller, a cheap ($2.4 million a year) end-of-bench option who isn’t expected to play into future roster plans.

The remaining four — Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton, Anfernee Simons and Nick Richards — have more to prove over the final stretch. Ivey will be a restricted free agent whom the Bulls currently hope to re-sign. Richards will have time to make his case as the backup center for a team seriously lacking size. But Sexton and Simons will be fighting for oxygen in a cluttered backcourt, especially when Giddey and Jones return.

3. Can the Bulls tank hard enough to get a high lottery pick?

Bulls guard Collin Sexton walks to the locker room after a 136-120 loss to the Nuggets on Feb. 7, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The Bulls already have achieved the most important step toward improving their potential draft position — dropping out of the top 10 in the Eastern Conference so they can avoid the play-in tournament and ensure they’re part of the lottery. Coming out of the break, they’re two games behind the ninth-place Charlotte Hornets and 1½ behind the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks, cushions that should grow over the coming weeks.

The Bulls (24-31) are percentage points ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks (23-30), but dropping below the Bucks — who are expected to get Giannis Antetokounmpo back this week — is relatively doable. The rest is harder. The other eight teams currently below the Bulls include some of the most egregious tankers in the league, teams such as the Utah Jazz that are happy to swallow six-figure fines if it means benching their stars in the fourth quarter to pick up valuable losses.

Strength of schedule offers some relief. The Bulls have the fourth-hardest schedule in the league over the final stretch, with two games apiece against the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks plus games against the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs. But even with that helping hand, it’s difficult to lose more games than teams that are willing to flout league rules in order to protect their lottery position. Ninth or 10th in the lottery order might be the best the Bulls can manage.

4. Will the Portland Trail Blazers’ pick convey to the Bulls?

Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija drives toward the basket as Timberwolves forward Julius Randle defends Feb. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Besides their own, the Bulls have another first-round pick to monitor in the final weeks — that of the Trail Blazers, who owe the Bulls a protected pick that would convey this year if they make it to the Western Conference playoffs.

The Blazers are making a strong playoff push, currently ninth in the West and projected for the play-in tournament — though they’re seven games out of sixth place and an outright playoff spot.

Strength of schedule is again on the side of the Bulls. Portland plays the league’s easiest schedule over the remainder of the season, with a handful of matchups against tankers such as the Jazz and Sacramento Kings.

This likely will come down to the play-in tournament. But if the Blazers can make it to a first-round series, the Bulls would go into this draft process with two first-rounders in hand.

5. What are the top needs this summer?

Pelicans center Yves Missi puts up a shot as Bulls center Jalen Smith defends Dec. 31, 2025, at the United Center. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

One thing is clear: The Bulls need to get bigger.

The current roster is almost laughably undersized, especially when Jalen Smith has been out of the rotation because of injury — or just needs a breather because he can’t play every minute. Smith is the only big under a full contract past this season, so the Bulls need significant maneuvering to rebuild the frontcourt over the summer.

What’s less clear is how the Bulls want to achieve this goal. They could add size through the draft, which should offer solid options at power forward and center — such as Washington’s Hannes Steinbach or Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg — in the general area of their projected draft pick. And if they have multiple first-rounders courtesy of Portland, the Bulls could stock up on a couple of big prospects and begin investing long term in the frontcourt.

Free agency is another option. The Bulls have struggled to land big-time free agents, but that doesn’t mean they can’t take a swing to bring in a mid-tier big. The issue is this free-agency class lacks any notable centers who don’t have serious injury or health concerns.

Age is also key here — the Bulls wouldn’t help themselves by picking up a big who’s already in his late 20s, aging him out of the current plan focused around 21-year-old Matas Buzelis. If the Bulls don’t use the draft to shore up the frontcourt, they likely would need to trade for reinforcements, which would be harder to do with few reasonable trade assets left on the roster.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/chicago-bulls-questions-remainder-season/ 

Epstein Ally Was Talking To Feds About Flip, Wanted $3 Million To Keep Quiet, Then Backed Off Deal

Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/19/2026 – 06:55

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/epstein-ally-was-talking-feds-about-flip-wanted-3-million-keep-quiet-then-backed-deal