Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky just might be sneaky deal of the summer

The versatile vet was acquired in a July sign-and-trade with the Wizards, and has the Bulls buzzing about what he can bring to the roster.

“Siri, who is Tomas Satoransky?’’

The likely initial reaction for most Bulls fans back on July 1.

Heck, unless you were deep into fantasy basketball, were a closet fan of the Washington Wizards, or were an avid watcher of the NBA package, that was the likely reaction to the sign-and-trade that delivered Tomas Satoransky from the nation’s capital to the Bulls for most NBA fans.

Much different for those inside the industry, however.

“My first reaction was, ‘Damn, the Bulls pulled a fast one,’ ‘’ said one former league executive to the Sun-Times this week. “Sneaky.’’

And not just “sneaky’’ good as far as Bulls coach Jim Boylen was concerned. No, he’s hoping for “sneaky’’ great.

“Here’s what I love about ‘Sato’ [Satoransky],’’ Boylen told the Sun-Times in a Wednesday phone interview. “He knows he’s going to play because he doesn’t have any fear. See, we have guys in this league that are scared, scared of competition, scared of competing, scared of, ‘Am I going to play?’ ‘Sato’ has no fear he’s going to play. He doesn’t worry about that. When he plays he’s going to play his balls off, and there’s beauty in that.’’

And Boylen isn’t the only beholder of that beauty.

Not only did the Bulls shell out future second-round draft picks for the 6-foot-7 versatile guard, but then quickly signed him to a three-year, $30 million deal, with only the final season having some protection for the franchise.

A leap of faith for a 27-year-old coming into his own? Not in Boylen’s world.

“When I presented to ownership and management on [April 24], and we’ve talked about this, but we needed to bring in the right kind of guys that can start or not start, but help us win,’’ Boylen said. “That understand that when we win everyone eats, when we win the high tide raises all boats, that kind of mentality. Of course everybody wants to start, but we all know that the best NBA teams it’s eight or nine guys, 10 guys that can play. So in my conversation with [vice president of basketball operations] John [Paxson] and [general manager] Gar [Forman] it was about what kind of character can we bring in that can still play, that can help us win, because what we’ve needed is durability and availability. We haven’t had that.

“In looking out over the free agents and the guys we felt we could get, just looking at where Washington was and what they were trying to do, having some [cap] issues, and he was the guy we targeted for all those characteristics I believe in.’’

It didn’t hurt that the Bulls had an insider to help sell them on Satoransky, getting the full blessing from Otto Porter. Like Satoransky, Porter was part of the Wizards salary cap purge, coming to the Bulls last February in a deadline deal that sent Bobby Portis and malcontent Jabari Parker packing.

Porter was there to watch Satoransky eventually come over from the Czech Republic after being drafted back in 2012, get his turn to shine when John Wall went down with a season-ending injury, and then run with it.

Of course he was all in on the move, and when Porter speaks the Bulls listen. That’s how much respect they already have for their veteran leader.

“Otto loved him and ‘Sato’ [Satoransky] loved Otto,’’ Boylen said. “Otto is a big part of this team. His trade is not talked about enough. We were 7-5 in February because of, first of all, we got rid of [Jabari Parker], and again we added a guy that brings synergy and chemistry. Otto has that synergy and chemistry with ‘Sato.’ ‘’

Xs and Os

So who loses minutes because of the addition of Satoransky?

That’s the wait and see.

In all likelihood, he will challenge Kris Dunn for the starting point guard spot, but is also versatile enough to play multiple positions, as well as play on and off the ball.

Make no mistake, Boylen has serious plans for his newest toy, and that’s why he already visited Satoransky in Europe this summer, before the guard headed off to play in the FIBA World Cup for the Czech Republic.

“The thing about ‘Sato’ is he can play the one, two or three,’’ Boylen said. “He can play three and actually handle the ball and play like a one. He can guard one, two or three. We needed flexibility, availability, durability, positional size. He can post, we’ve seen him do that with the World Cup team. He can make plays, so I just wanted a versatile guy that can play basketball. He throws the ball ahead very well. We’re going to run more. We’re putting in a running game and we’re going to run more. Sometimes guys have the excuse of, ‘Well, I’m not going to run out because no one is going to throw it to me.’ Well this [bleeping] guy is going to throw it ahead. He fills a lot of boxes for me.’’

As easily as the guard fills a box score.

In 54 starts this past season, he averaged 8.9 points, five assists, 3.5 rebounds, and shot just under 40 percent from three-point range.

In his first four games in the World Cup – including a loss to Team USA – Satoransky averaged 15.8 points, seven assists and 5.5 rebounds per game.

In Boylen’s vision, Satoransky will continue that upward trend, and more importantly, being a huge tool in building the team around Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen.

“He fits with what we will do,’’ Boylen said. “He can play off [the ball], he can play on it, and then you’ve got his vision of how the game should be played. With toughness and with selflessness. He was the perfect fit. We didn’t know if we could get him, we worked at it, and I think John and Gar did a terrific job of getting it done.

“When we first spoke, I just told him the truth. It’s amazing how guys respond to the truth. When you promise a guy something he says to himself, ‘Who else is he promising [bleep] to?’ When you don’t promise anyone anything except coming in and doing work so we can be a team, it resonates with these guys now.’’

The off-the-court presence

Satoransky isn’t the typical Euro.

He gets punched, best believe he’s punching back.

It’s that make-up that has Boylen just as excited with the addition.

“I think he actually grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I just didn’t know him when I was growing up,’’ Boylen – who was raised in Grand Rapids – joked. “Because he’s a nasty bastard.

“The thing that sold me on him was remember when he played here [Feb. 10, 2018], he had a big game and I think Bobby [Portis] took him out [on a flagrant foul]. I saw him in the hallway after that game. I walked up to him and he was already showered and dressed, talking to some people, and I said, ‘Hey, how you doing man?’ Because that was a nasty fall if you recall. He was like, ‘Coach, I’m going to be fine. I’m ready to play tomorrow.’ It wasn’t, ‘Yeah Coach, I’m banged up or he hit me hard.’ It was ‘I’m fine, I’m fine.’ I mean he looked like he had a full concussion, but I just like that mindset of, ‘No, I’m playing.’ ‘’

A mindset that Boylen hasn’t seen a ton of with the Bulls.

Dunn has been in and out of the training room frequently since arriving in the Jimmy Butler trade, and the same could be said of LaVine and Markkanen. Satoransky and the other key offseason addition in Thaddeus Young, have a little different mentality.

If it isn’t hanging off or broken, play.

“He values the parts of the game where you’ve got to bring an edge,’’ Boylen said of Satoransky. “That’s what we need more of, that’s what we’re talking about, that’s what we have to get better at, and then within that he can play in a system. He can make people better on and off the ball. He can communicate.

“I went over to Europe and spent a few nights there with him. I watched his team, ate with him, rode on the bus, had good talks with him. He’s one of these guys that as I’m talking to him about what we value, he’s nodding his head, ‘I got it coach, I know. I know what we have to do, I know where we’re going.’ He’s never asked about minutes, never asked about starting, he never asked about shots, the offense, and it’s not because he’s a dumbass. He just knows what really matters.’’

And Boylen feels like Bulls fans will see that quickly.

Fall camp is set to tip off at the end of September. Spots will be won and loss in that three-week time, and Satoransky will have a big say in that.

“Trust me,’’ Boylen said. “If fans don’t know him yet, they will soon.’’