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David Sinclair on Solutions Within Decades – Lifespan.io News

In this new interview, David Sinclair, Harvard professor and the author of Lifespan, explains his theory of aging, shares parts of his health routine, and reveals which directions in todays aging research excite him.

In the longevity field, when it comes to name recognition, theres David Sinclair and all the rest. Like in many other areas, this gap in popularity doesnt necessarily reflect the actual professional hierarchy. Dr. Sinclair, a Harvard professor, is undoubtedly a very prominent aging researcher, but he would probably agree (although we didnt ask) that he has many equally worthy colleagues.

Some of Dr. Sinclairs popularity stems from his highly successful Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Dont Have To, a great entry-level book that did a lot to introduce the science of aging and the ideology of life extension to the public consciousness. Now, a new book is in the works, and it differs from the first one, Dr. Sinclair told us, in that Lifespan is the textbook, Lifespan II is the guidebook. That probably means we can expect some expert wisdom on how every one of us can stay healthier and live longer. Dr. Sinclair maintains an interesting personal routine, which we also asked him about.

Today, Dr. Sinclair is one of the most visible longevity advocates, expertly broadcasting the message of life extension from top-tier platforms such as Joe Rogans and Peter Diamandis podcasts. He carefully chooses his appearances at conferences, where he receives rock star-like attention.

All this does not mean that Dr. Sinclair has completely morphed into a public figure. On the contrary, he and his team at Harvard continue to produce some of the most interesting results in the field, which we have covered extensively. He is one of the pioneers in practical applications for partial cellular reprogramming, having demonstrated that it can regenerate crushed optic nerves in mice and non-human primates.

Like many high-profile researchers, Dr. Sinclair has his pet theory of aging. The current ruling paradigm is the Hallmarks of Aging, the processes that include genomic instability and telomere attrition. Together, they are responsible for the phenotype of aging that we are all familiar with. Scientists know that many if not all these processes are interconnected, but is there an actual hierarchy?

Dr. Sinclairs answer to that is yes. According to his Information Theory of Aging, cells health and function depend heavily on epigenetic information, a set of instructions in the form of slight chemical alterations to DNA molecules that governs the expression of genes and other elements of our DNA, such as retrotransposons. This is what tells cells into which cell type they should differentiate and how they should perform this types duties.

With time, various stressors throw our epigenome into disarray. Imagine pages of a manual being accidentally torn out, having coffee spilt over them, and so on. Epigenetic alterations are indeed one of the Hallmarks of Aging, and their contribution to aging is widely acknowledged. However, Dr. Sinclair takes it one step further.

First, those changes, he says, are responsible for a very significant part of aging that is, they are high upstream and influence many or all other hallmarks. Second, he postulates that there is a copy of the manual that can be used to restore the epigenome to its youthful state. We can see hints to this in cellular reprogramming, where cells can be either thrown back to their pluripotent (undifferentiated) state and almost completely rejuvenated, or partially reprogrammed and partially rejuvenated.

If we can find that pristine backup copy of cellular epigenetic information and learn how to use it, the possibilities are endless. A recent study by Sinclair et al. presents findings in support of the theory. Its not conclusive evidence yet, but definitely hope-inspiring. For more on this and other topics, we turned to David himself, and he kindly agreed to answer a few questions.

According to the Information Theory of Aging, epigenetic changes that disrupt gene expression patterns as we age are driven by cell stress and damage, such as DNA breaks. This process causes cells to lose their function and identity, to become exdifferentiated, and this may be a cause of many of the changes seen during aging, including some major age-related diseases.

Its not yet known how potent the effects of in vivo epigenetic reprogramming will be. We know it can improve the function of the eye to cure blindness in mice and monkeys and even improve the function of the brain, but whether it can fix the many problems that occur with age in the human body is not known.

The hypothesis predicts that there is chemical information in cells that encodes the youthful structure of the epigenome so that it can be reset, and gene expression can be restored to an earlier age. We know that it is possible to reset gene expression. We dont yet know for sure how and where this information is stored, but we are working hard to find these answers.

The hypothesis is that the backup copy stores the cells youthful chromatin structure that controls which RNAs and proteins are expressed. Resetting these structures allows the cell to regain its differentiated state and its youthful functions.

The hypothesis is that rejuvenation is important for germ cells and embryos to maintain youth. We speculate the putative backup copy is also important for the rebuilding of damaged organs and tissues. Many species can regrow entire body parts, from limbs to heads. With the exception of our livers, which can regrow after damage or surgery, we humans have largely lost the ability to regrow organs and limbs.

Species that live a long time are known to have a more stable epigenome than those that live shorter. We suspect this might be because they are better at preventing and repairing DNA damage, which we have shown can accelerate age-related changes.

Antagonistic pleiotropy is a process that is advantageous when organisms are young, but they cause problems later in life, when the force of natural selection is so weak they continue to exist in the germline. The processes that disrupt the epigenome seem to be useful in young organisms because they recruit chromatin factors to sites of broken DNA and increase DNA repair and stabilize chromosomes. We first saw this in yeast cells in Lenny Guarentes lab in the late 1990s, then later in mammals, in my own lab in the 2000s. The problem is that the recruitment doesnt reset fully, and chromatin regulators lose their place on the genome, causing exdifferentiation of cells. In 2007, we called this the Relocalization of Chromatin Hypothesis of Aging or RCM, and it was later incorporated into the Information Theory of Aging.

We have not seen any evidence for this claim after a decade of studying the system, the results of which are in the paper showing cells do not experience cytotoxicity. Our detailed response to the claim has been published in Cell.

We have a long way to go. Most people havent heard of aging research or the results that are being produced. Most doctors are also unaware of the advances in the field.

I think our biggest bottleneck is having access to old mice that we can study. One solution would be to have a source of them for all researchers.

Saying there is no known upper limit doesnt mean we can live for decades or centuries longer. I dont know of any technology that would allow Longevity Escape Velocity currently, but I also know saying something is impossible is a dangerous thing in this time of human history.

Im excited about senolytics, epigenetic reprogramming, and the use of AI in healthcare.

I have hopes we will be able to rejuvenate people in the next few decades. If all goes well, Life Biosciences will be testing vision restoration in humans in 2025.

Im not simply relying on anecdotes. Changing my lifestyle has resulted in changes to my blood biomarkers that are consistent to long-term health. Vegan diets are considered some of the healthiest of all, and this is backed by multiple human studies. Skipping meals so that my eating window is shorter, which is what I try to do, is backed by evidence indicating that it improves metabolic health and lowers inflammatory markers, among other benefits.

We know their safety profile. Metformin has been in tens of millions of people. Metformin and low-dose rapamycin appear to be relatively safe. Whether they are effective at slowing aging and safe in combination is not yet known.

After this interview was taken, David Sinclair has stepped down as President of the Academy for Health & Lifespan Research, as announced on X by another co-founder, Nir Barzilai.

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David Sinclair resigns as President of the Academy for Health & Lifespan Research – Longevity.Technology

On Wednesday, Dr Nir Barzilai, one of the co-founders of the Academy for Health & Lifespan Research took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce that Dr David Sinclair, also a co-founder of the Academy, had resigned as President.

Sinclair, who is Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, had been chosen by his peers for the position in June of last year, succeeding Dr Felipe Sierra (now Chief Science Officer at Hevolution).

Longevity.Technology: The Academy for Health & Lifespan Research (AHLR) is dedicated to studying the mechanisms of aging and developing interventions to slow and reverse the process. With a current membership of 60 of the worlds foremost researchers and geroscientists, it elects members annually based on their scientific contributions and commitment to the community.

Barzilai made Wednesdays announcement on behalf of Eric Verdin, Laura Neiderhofer, Andre Bertram and himself. He thanked Sinclair for his service, and indicated that the academys Executive Director Risa Starr will temporarily handle the administrative responsibilities of the Presidency until its board can confirm a new president. Barzilai also asked members of the academy to immediately submit their nominations, either for others or themselves, and said the academy plans to announce the new president at its meeting on 3rd April.

We regret all the events that led to Davids resignation and take the lessons to heart, wrote Barzilai in his tweet. We hope we can move past these events. The Academy is about science and scientists; all else is secondary [1].

He added that the academy has decided to postpone its 2024 election of new members until after the confirmation of its next president.

Sinclairs resignation comes a week-and-a-half after former academy member Dr Matt Kaeberlein tweeted that after careful consideration he was renouncing his academy membership, citing ongoing behavior by Academy President Dr. David Sinclair that I find both personally and professionally unacceptable [2].

Commenting on Wednesdays announcement of David Sinclairs resignation, Longevity.Technology CEO and founder Phil Newman said: Strong personalities are important in the early stages of a new industry some lead, some challenge, and some both lead and challenge; either way, we need to thank these individuals for their contributions and preparedness to take the lead publicly. This exposure brings the benefits of social followers and commercial opportunities, but it also brings the challenges of scrutiny.

[1] https://twitter.com/NirBarzilaiMD/status/1767981636405043227 [2] https://twitter.com/mkaeberlein/status/1764361555557380198

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David Sinclair on Human Trials of Anti-Aging Compounds – Lifespan.io News

A new review authored by three acclaimed geroscientists paints a promising picture of past and ongoing human clinical trials of prospective anti-aging drugs [1].

The biology of aging is an exciting new field, but most of its successes have been in animal models, from the early breakthroughs in yeast [2] and nematode worms [3] to the robust findings by the ITP (Intervention Testing Program) in mice [4]. Human data, however, is much scarcer. Some potentially geroprotective interventions, such as cellular reprogramming, are brand new, so they are yet to be tested in clinical trials. Others are well-known drugs that have been in use for various indications, and we have reasons to believe that they might also prolong human lifespan.

In this new review published in Cell Metabolism, three renowned aging researchers David Sinclair of Harvard, Leonard Guarente of MIT, and Guido Kroemer of Universit Paris Descartes summarized the current state of affairs in human trials of potentially geroprotective drugs. They focused on eight categories: metformin, NAD+/sirtuins, GLP-1, rapamycin, spermidine, senolytics, probiotics, and anti-inflammatories. After providing a brief overview of the related compounds and their mechanisms of action, the authors delved into past and ongoing trials.

Metformin was isolated decades ago from French lilac, which is a traditional anti-diabetes medication. However, it has only been used widely since the 1990s, to great success. Interestingly, it remains unclear how exactly metformin helps diabetes patients, but the leading theory is that it weakly inhibits mitochondrial respiratory complex I, which via the activation of AMPK kinase lowers glucose production and stimulates mitochondrial activity. However, other explanations have been proposed.

Metformin became gerosciences darling after a 2014 study showed that diabetes patients on metformin tended to live longer than age-matched healthy people. A recent 2023 study questions this assumption, but the authors interpret its results as less than a death blow to metformins prospects as a geroprotective drug.

So far, in human trials, metformin has been shown to protect heart function in diabetics, improve immune function (in a small-scale trial), and lower one marker of inflammation (CRP), but not another marker (IL-6). The authors also note that metformin slightly dampens the effects of aerobic exercise, probably due to attenuation of mitochondrial function. However, it is not clear at this point whether it should be seen as a serious problem for people who exercise a lot.

NAD+ is a ubiquitous and multi-purpose molecule that mediates energy production and serves as a substrate for the family of enzymes called sirtuins. Sirtuins play various roles, including in DNA repair and mitochondrial maintenance, and their activation has been shown to extend lifespan in numerous animal models. In addition to NAD+ supplementation, some sirtuins can be activated directly by compounds such as resveratrol, quercetin, and fisetin.

Human trials on the NAD+ precursors NMN and NR have shown that those can reliably elevate NAD+ levels. One NMN trial led to higher physical performance and lower biological age in middle-aged adults. Two trials of SIRT1 activator pterostilbene demonstrated improved liver function. MIB-626, an NMN polymorph developed by Sinclairs company Metro Biotech, was found to improve lipid profile and diastolic blood pressure. NR trials in patients with Parkinsons, Alzheimers, or ALS have shown some promise, and many more trials are currently running.

GLP-1 is a hormone produced in response to food intake and it is known to stimulate insulin secretion and mediate satiety. GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide, are novel anti-diabetes drugs that have become widely popular due to their impressive effectiveness in promoting weight loss.

Since diabetes and obesity are strongly associated with one another and with various diseases of aging, GLP-1R agonists have the potential to be highly effective anti-aging agents. Accordingly, two large trials showed that semaglutide and liraglutide improve cardiovascular function and decrease cardiovascular mortality. Two other studies demonstrated some positive effects of GLP-1R agonists in Parkinsons patients.

Rapamycin is yet another FDA-approved medication that has been around for many years. It is mostly used as an immunosuppressant, but it has also been found to extend lifespan and healthspan in various animal models, including mice, even when given late in life. Rapamycin works by inhibiting mTOR, a protein complex that mediates protein production and cell growth.

Studies of everolimus, a rapamycin analog, showed increased immune response to influenza vaccination and lower infection rate over a one-year period, which is somewhat surprising given that rapamycin is an immunosuppressant. The authors suggest that everolimus, which selectively targets only one of the mTOR components, TORC1, might be less toxic. Rapamycin was also shown to reduce a subset of pro-inflammatory T cells in lupus and to cause some skin rejuvenation.

The authors, however, emphasize rapamycins side effects. By slowing protein synthesis, it probably blunts the effects of exercise and slows wound healing, among other things. Just like metformin, rapamycin might be ill-advised for people with high levels of physical activity, although this remains to be seen.

Spermidine is a natural metabolite of the polyamine family that has been found to increase lifespan in animal models, including in mice, albeit modestly, compared to rapamycin. Spermidine is known to induce autophagy, the process of clearing out accumulated cellular junk such as misfolded proteins.

Since autophagy targets protein aggregates, including amyloid beta, spermidine has been tested for possible cognitive function effects and shown to improve cortical thickness and hippocampal volume in older adults. Two other studies demonstrated cognitive improvements.

Spermidine is found in food, so populational studies are possible. Two retrospective studies, from Italy and Austria, reported inverse correlation between spermidine intake and mortality.

Senolytics are a completely new class of drugs that didnt exist just several years ago. They supposedly clear out senescent cells those that became dysfunctional and stopped proliferating, but remain in the body, causing inflammation and other types of harm.

Despite the amount of interest in senolytics both in academia and in the private sector, completed human trials are still very sparse. The authors mention mostly those that show the ability of senolytics to clear out senescent cells. However, many trials are underway, so stay tuned. Interestingly, the review does not mention the failure in 2020 of UNITYs lead senolytic candidate, UBX0101.

The importance of microbiome for aging is a relatively new finding. Studies have demonstrated that aging changes gut microbiota composition and that transplanting young microbiota confers various health benefits and can increase lifespan in progeroid mice.

Probiotics have been demonstrated to improve immune function, increasing the number of T cells and lowering the number and duration of common infectious diseases. Several studies have reported that a healthier microbiome can improve cancer outcomes.

Microbiota naturally have a big impact on metabolism. Beneficial bacteria (mostly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) can improve lipid profiles and increase insulin sensitivity. Probiotics can also lower inflammation and improve cognitive function.

Finally, since chronic inflammation is one of the hallmarks of aging, the whole formidable arsenal of anti-inflammatory drugs, including steroids, analgesics, and monoclonal antibodies against particular inflammatory molecules, have considerable anti-aging potential. Most of the completed trials, according to the authors, deal with the inflammatory cytokine IL-6. Reducing its levels has been shown to improve the symptoms of irritable bowel disease and ulcerative colitis.

The authors, however, warn about tinkering with inflammatory cytokines, since those mediate immune responses. One study reported that treatment with tocilizumab, an IL-6-neutralizing antibody, leads to an increase in infections. Among other anti-inflammatories, the good old aspirin is featured in several ongoing trials, including for prevention of cancer in at-risk patients. One completed trial found that aspirin was associated with lower mortality in people at least 70 years old. As with other drug categories mentioned in the review, there are numerous ongoing trials of anti-inflammatory agents.

Aging research over the past three decades has unveiled numerous pathways that may be targeted for interventions to slow aging processes and their accompanying diseases. This review has sketched out some of the leading candidates under current scrutiny, although it is possible that other approaches will reveal themselves in the future. We believe that the next few years will present a tipping point, when the most viable approaches will become evident and move us toward a more widespread use of interventions targeting aging processes. While aging is not a disease as prescribed by the FDA, one might expect approval of these interventions to treat aging-fostered diseases.

To do this, we need your support. Your charitable contribution tranforms into rejuvenation research, news, shows, and more. Will you help?

[1] Guarente, L., Sinclair, D. A., & Kroemer, G. (2024). Human trials exploring anti-aging medicines. Cell Metabolism.

[2] Kaeberlein, M., McVey, M., & Guarente, L. (1999). The SIR2/3/4 complex and SIR2 alone promote longevity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by two different mechanisms. Genes & development, 13(19), 2570-2580.

[3] Kenyon, C., Chang, J., Gensch, E., Rudner, A., & Tabtiang, R. (1993). A C. elegans mutant that lives twice as long as wild type. Nature, 366(6454), 461-464.

[4] Harrison, D. E., Strong, R., Sharp, Z. D., Nelson, J. F., Astle, C. M., Flurkey, K., & Miller, R. A. (2009). Rapamycin fed late in life extends lifespan in genetically heterogeneous mice. nature, 460(7253), 392-395.

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How perfect do we have to be to age well? – Sydney Morning Herald

The ones who have raged with vitality against the dying of their lifes light have often raised as many questions as they have provided answers on longevity.

What does it take to age well? Getty

Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, and claimed her breasts remained as firm as two little apples, ate half a kilo of chocolate a week as well as drinking a glass of port each evening. British World War I veteran Henry Allingham suggested he had made it to 113 thanks to cigarettes, whisky, and wild, wild women. US World War II veteran Richard Overton, who lived to 112, that one secret to his long life was smoking cigars and drinking whisky, as he often did on the porch of his Austin home.

These centenarians are not poster children for the longevity secrets of sugar, tobacco and hard liquor. Rather, they are .

And, sadly for the rest of us, to hasten the end of our life, or at the very least, our health span.

Centenarians live longer because they get chronic diseases 20 to 30 years later than everybody else, says Dr Peter Attia, the author of the New York Times non-fiction bestseller, Outlive. Now their genes do that for them. [But] were going to have to use medicine, nutrition, sleep, exercise, etc to delay the onset of those chronic diseases.

So, how perfect do we have to be to do that? And how much room is there to have fun in our lives without compromising our health?

I guess it depends on what you consider fun, Attia tells me. Say my definition of fun is heroin and cocaine, then theres probably not a lot of room for fun because I think those risks are pretty high. Or if a person says, my idea of fun is never exercising, then its going to be really hard.

But Attia insists we dont have to be pristine to extend our health span.

I certainly dont consider myself a monk when it comes to food, says Attia, who adds that alcohol, for instance, is not good for us at any dose. But does that mean we should never, ever consume it? My view is if it gives you pleasure, it gives me pleasure.

He limits his favourite drinks tequila and red wine to four a week and tries not to drink within three hours of bedtime, so it doesnt disrupt his sleep. He adopts the same attitude of moderation towards chocolate or other foods that we enjoy.

I am no longer a dogmatic advocate of any particular way of eating, he writes, adding that the idea there is one perfect diet that works best for everyone is absolutely incorrect. Rather, he focuses on whether we are under or over-nourished, under or adequately muscled; and metabolically healthy or not.

What he is monk-like about is exercise, which includes , recommending that we move more than the bare minimum of the physical activity guidelines.

If a person wants to add a decade to their life, theyre going to have to do more than see the doctor and take their blood pressure and cholesterol medicine, he says, clarifying that those things still matter.

Along with physical activity, getting good sleep and nutrition, doing more may mean taking risks, something that he and others pursuing longevity and health span are willing to do to varying degrees.

We need to do more than the bare minimum, but do we need to be perfect? Getty

Harvard-based Australian biologist David Sinclair, a leading voice in anti-ageing research and lifespan extension, takes NAD+ booster supplement NMN, as well as resveratrol (which is reduced inflammation and risk of dementia) and metformin (which improves cardiometabolic health and increases lifespan ). Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, whose popular podcast explores longevity and health optimisation, also takes NMN (which theoretically boosts energy production and supports cellular repair, but comes with ), while podcaster Joe Rogan injects testosterone and , which advocates believe can boost growth hormone.

Yet there is a lack of good evidence in humans for most of these approaches. There are dosing and the interactions between different drugs.

Attia, who takes the medicine rapamycin, which , thinks about risk through the lens of investment. You could do nothing with your money and take no risk, or you could be sitting in Las Vegas gambling taking enormous risks, with enormous potential reward. There is, of course, a spectrum in between.

I think where you want to be on the spectrum is where you have the highest expected return, not the highest potential return. And I think the same is true in health, although its more difficult to quantify, Attia says.

That means considering the risk versus the expected return. He asks his patients whether they understand how a drug or supplement works; do they have a nutritional deficit or believe that super normal levels offer some benefit; is there a biomarker to track if its working; is there robust human data and if not, is there data across different species that demonstrates safety and efficacy. Finally, is it prescription-based or is it completely unregulated?

Dr Rosilene Ribeiro, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Sydneys Charles Perkins Centre, is more risk-averse than Attia. I would not recommend taking medication that has not been thoroughly tested and approved for human consumption, she says, adding that some of these drugs may and can interact with our diet in unknown ways.

Rapamycin has also been shown to affect immune function and cause adverse effects such as anaemia, leukopenia [low white blood cell count], elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, she says.

And although we are unlikely to ever attain it (and who would want to if it makes our life miserable?), Ribeiro believes we should strive towards lifestyle perfection. While genetics and environmental factors also play a significant role in our health and lifespan, lifestyle is one of the only factors we can generally control, she says. I would recommend that [people] focus their efforts there rather than taking medications with unknown side effects.

When thinking about how we approach risk and perfection in our pursuit of living well for longer, Attia believes one final question is worth considering.

After years of constantly tinkering and experimenting with different approaches to maximise his longevity and thinking of it as an engineering problem to be solved, he had a realisation:

Longevity is meaningless if your life sucks. Or if your relationships suck. None of it matters if your wife hates you. None of it matters if you are a shitty father ... all these need to be addressed if your life is to be worth prolonging - because the most important ingredient in the longevity equation is the why. Why do we want to live longer? For what? For whom?

Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. every Monday.

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Ask Sam Mailbag: Looking at the fit of the Bulls roster – NBA.com

Len Artick: We kept hearing that the Bulls are better than their record.At their best, they certainly are, but how about those other nights?You measure a team by consistency; not peak performance.People say, If they could do that every gameI say that if they could they would! If the Bulls truly are better than their record, there are only two questions: (1) Do the pieces fit? and (2) Does coach use them well?

Sam: Or you are what your record says you are? I dont believe they were, which is why I believe some substantial change is necessary. I agree with Karniovas not the blow it up kind. There seem to me enough there still to be a good core. But I do believe management and the coach has to get on the same page about the way the coach wants to play. If its more in transition, then they need some rebounding size. And if they want to stay more in the half court with someone like DeRozan, then definitely more shooting. I've suggested previously about maybe running more offense through Vuevi that could allow Coby White to be a point guard in the Denver model. But if not, some who is a more natural facilitator. Because after a year and a half out and with little likelihood Lonzo Ball will at least play next season or if he were to at any similar level, its difficult to make a case this group is better than a play-in candidate team. The appealing part as put on display in these playoffs is the Bulls with a few changes really may not be that far away given the incredible parity as play-in teams like Miami and the Lakers play for a chance to actually win the championship.

Brian Tucker: Whats your take on Ayton?Obviously talented but is he worth it to have on your team?Is he really a problem child on that Suns team, or is it a case of a young talent establishing ones game in the presence of stars being a tough challenge. I feel like he could be the scapegoat again and could be available.I wonder if theyd think a professional veteran like Vooch is a missing piece for their veteran roster, which would make for a sign-and-trade opportunity. I havent watched Ayton enough to know if that would be a good move for us, or if wed be better off keeping Vooch or looking elsewhere for a frontcourt refresh.

Sam: It does seem like its the end there for him and sitting out Game 6. He will be the scapegoat, and already has been among the fans in Phoenix. Remember, he got benched at the end of their also blowout closing game loss to Dallas last season and then the Suns only matched his free agency offer from the Pacers. Myles Turner deal? Then Ayton came to camp and said he never spoke with the coach about the benching. He hasnt produced in the playoffs, but they rarely run much for him with Booker and Durant dominating everything with Chris Paul out. By the way, its obvious you cant count on Paul by playoff time with injuries. They can save $45 million on his $60 million/two years if they release him next month. Will they? I was doing some lobbying for Ayton before the trade deadline when it looked like you maybe could get him in a package that included Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder and maybe a pick. I thought if you packaged up DeRozan and Vuevi with some veterans like maybe Alex Caruso you could quickly remake your team and the Suns would be in better position for the short term to get the first title in franchise history. But they obviously were holding out for Durant. I cant blame them for that. But now they dont have much but Aytons $32 million salary. He has potential, but he alone would be too much risk, it seems to me. Id try to retain Vuevi and build more offense through him.

Luis Rodriguez: I would like to know what your opinion is in regards to signing Nikola, I believe a combination of Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma or Jakob Poetl and Christian Wood or any combination of the four is a betterfit for me. This would address two positions improve shooting rebounding and defense overall, without breaking the bank.

Sam: Unless the Bulls were to release Vuevi and trade DeRozan into cap room (basically giving him away for nothing or draft picks) they would not be far enough under the salary cap to acquire top free agents. Plus, it seems like Lopez, Kuzma and Poeltl are committed to resigning with their teams. I believe the Bulls are at the early stages of their development for the 23-24 season, which starts with the lottery next Tuesday. If the Bulls happen to get a top-four pick and No. 1, which surely will be Victor Wembanyama, that would likely set a new direction. Which wouldnt mean going all into the draft and trading away veterans. But more so adding a young player to the current core without too many major changes. I believe Karniovas when he said at this point he is mostly committed to the players he has. But as we saw in the summer of 2021 when he added DeRozan, Ball and Alex Caruso, he seems like the kind of executive who is flexible and willing to quickly recalibrate. I expect that to be the agenda as the trading season and free agency unfolds and players become available. You never know what is going on within a team, and rival executives dont know, either, until they get a call asking if theyd be interested. I expect changes with the Bulls, but I cannot even guess at this time what they may be.

Ed Zelnis: I find myself wondering where we'd be if the Bulls had stuck by their draft picks through thick and thin, and also had not made the bad coaching hires they did. If the current Bulls starting five consisted of Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, and Coby White, with a bench of Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, P-Will, Ayo, and maybe Dalen Terry or Doug McDermott, coached by either Billy Donovan or Tom Thibodeau, do you think such a team could still be playing in May? When I look over that list, it's hard to find fault with the front office in the draft department, but it's a scathing indictment of their coaching and player development.

Sam: There's no way to do that with injuries, contract issues (short contracts and a salary cap) and players upset with limited opportunity who want to move on. Remember, Jimmy is with his third team since the Bulls. Derrick, of course, was virtually out of the league at one point with so many injuries. Wendell and Lauri were pretty anxious to find new homes (and the community seemed to agree), and Thibs wanted his own team so he could be his own GM. That also didnt work out too well. Thats why two of the greatest societal evils of recent memory are social media and fantasy sports.

Rui Dias: What's your take on Joki and the fact that he wasn't the MVP or even in the All-NBA First Team? For a guy who average 24.5PTS , 11.8REB, 9.8AST per game. Shot 63% from the field including 38% from three-point range... was he robbed? Rules next season would exclude him from awards since he didn'tplay 70 games?

Sam: I would have voted for Embiid if only for when theres a tie at least give it to the guy who hasnt won before. I think Joki deserved it more this season than last when his team finished sixth. No matter how good you are, you shouldnt win MVP with a team that cant get one round of home court advantage no matter whos missing. You dont need MVPs to finish sixth. Embiid should have won last year. So maybe the makeup call, which Im fine with. But Embiid did average 33 points per game, the most for a center other than Wilt or Kareem (Bob McAdoo wasnt really a center; I think Gar Heard was defending a lot of the big scorers). And the 76ers had another winning season, which also is justification. If Embiiid is the MVP, then he has to be first team. Joki was second team, so thats correct. Both would have qualified since the NBA is changing the requirement to 65 games, which both barely made. Id rather see it at 70, but then the NBA wouldnt have many awards to give out.

John Leichenko: Is Embiid what Shaq should have been if he had developed his game? Ive never known what Shaqs claim as the most dominant player of all time means. He didnt dominate like Wilt. Or Michael. He didnt have much big center competition most of his career either. If there is any super hero that Shaq most resembles its the Hulk.

Sam: Lets not get too carried away since Embiid isnt quite Shaq yet. Sure, Embiid is more skilled with basketball requisites like shooting and ball handling. Which makes Shaq that much more impressive to have accomplished as much as he did. Imagine if he could shoot. So yes, Hulk-like, there never has been as physically an imposing a player in the NBA. And few ever got fouled more without going to the free throw line since it was so difficult to hurt Shaq or for him to even notice a 225-pound man was hitting him that the officials wouldnt call fouls. But Shaq was light on his feet and skilled enough around the basket to make basketball plays. Perhaps the league was fortunate that Shaq didnt really care about basketball that much. He was great fun to be around, generally the most popular player on the team who was glad to dress up as Santa and loved to entertain kids. It was the genesis of the issues between he and Kobe. Kobe was all about basketball and was offended Shaq not only was never in shape to start the season, but often took months to even try to get in shape. And then hed be the Finals MVP every time and dominate the playoffs. Its also why his decline was so abrupt when he went to the Suns, Cavs, Heat, etc. Shaq had a more wonderful attitude for life than the legends of the game like Michael, Kobe, Russell, Kareem, West who were so much more dedicated. Youd rather have spent time with Shaq more than any of them. Perhaps thats good for the NBA and competition. Because if Shaq really did care and had developed a game its difficult to contemplate what he could have accomplished.

Michael Wise: Who is the Bulls rep at the lottery Tuesday?

Sam: Its supposed to be Dalen Terry. Id have asked Steve Schanwald if I were the Bulls. The then marketing director who basically created the entertainment atmosphere that the Bulls are known for was the representative when the Bulls with a 1.7% chance moved up from ninth to No. 1 and selected Derrick Rose. No one talks about it much these days, but it wasnt the slam dunk to take Rose. There was not only among some Bulls staff but in the community some sentiment for Michael Beasley because the Bulls needed shooting (see, thats not new) and Beasley was being viewed as the next Kevin Durant. Basically until he got caught hiding women and drugs at the rookie orientation camp. The Bulls this year come into the Tuesday lottery at No. 11 with a 1.8% chance for No. 1. Rose became the star of that draft as the youngest ever MVP. But with his injuries, the players who have endured from that draft are No. 4 Russell Westbrook, No. 5 Kevin Love, No. 7 Eric Gordon and No. 10 Brook Lopez. Among others more than worth their spots were Robin Lopez at No. 15, JaVale McGee at No. 18, Serge Ibaka at No. 24, Nicholas Batum No. 25, George Hill No. 26 (so much for those mock drafts) and Goran Dragi No. 45. The big busts were in the top 10, Beasley at No. 2, OJ Mayo at No. 3 and Joe Alexander at No. 8. No. 9 where the Bulls were to pick was DJ Augustin.

Mike Sutera:I know you wouldn't want to trade him East, but I'd give DeMar to the Knicks. They have some tempting pieces. For Grimes, Fournier, and a 2023 first?

Sam: I think thats the kind of deal youd want to look at if they were moving DeRozan because hes basically just a one-year rental now at 34 with no guarantee hell resign. I can see hed make some sense for the Knicks as they need shooting and Thibs doesnt care for Fournier. And when Thibs is down on you, you are out. Fourier just has one more year left with a team option after that, and I think he's close with Vuevi. So maybe a revival.And he is a career 38% on threes with several seasons at 40 or more. Grimes also can make some shots, though they don't run much for him. Maybe you can get the Knicks to throw in Toppin, who Thibs also doesnt seem to like. Maybe flip Derrick Jones Jr. Plus, the Bulls want to get into this draft if they cant get a top four pick next week in the draft lottery. Id have to look at that because the Bulls really need to get bigger and get Patrick Williams at that starting wing position.

David Sinclair: Something that does not seem to be talked about after acquiring Pat Beverley and winning some games was that DeRozan had been moved to the 4 spot. A position he had played a lot in SA. Is there any positives of playing him more at the big forward spot long term?

Sam: No. I can expand on that. No way. I get it was a gimmicky kind of thing that had some success late in the season with the style Billy Donovan wanted to use in playing faster with more disruption on defense. But the Bulls shouldnt be fooled that its sustainable. You can see in these playoffs how much rebounding turns games, and you just cant keep putting those undersized guys out there at most every position. Not only for the lack of rebounding, but it also makes them more vulnerable to injury. The Bulls have sized down enough already since DeRozan really is a shooting guard. But it worked well enough with a big point guard in Lonzo Ball. Not a six foot Beverley. You maybe noticed in the play-in it took an historic Zach LaVine game to even get the Bulls past the first one, and then Miami just wore them down at the end.

Pete Ferro: Most of us seem to agree that theBulls need point guard help and better shooting but we don't have the budget to make this happen.Seems to me that giving Carlik Jones more of a run would makesense, at the very least as a back-up to say Coby.What am I missing?

Sam: There seems to be a stigma with being in the G League with some guys. I like Jones and believed he would have helped the Bulls because hes an actual point guard who can run a team and is a good shooter. But teams become beholden to the players they have invested in, so he wasnt going to get a chance ahead of Dosunmu and Dalen Terry. And then they brought in Patrick Beverley. A lot of life is opportunity, and if you dont get one no one really knows. His size probably is an issue with the team because he is listed at 6-foot, which usually means less. The Bulls seem determined like in the 2021 summer to prioritize a point guard, so he probably doesnt get a chance. But I wouldnt be opposed to seeing him. You know those Radford guys tend to be more than the experts believe they can be.

Ian Osorio: From what I have read Memphis isn't going to sign Dillon Brooks and I was wondering if the Bulls should get him now that he was announced as part of All NBA defensive second team. A potential lineup of Beverly, Zach, Demar, Brooks, VoochWith a second unit of Ayo, Coby, Caruso, PWill, and DrummondI don't know how to play it with DJJ and Javonte

Sam: Still kind of small since Brooks is about 6-foot-6. I know you can get away with smaller forwards in this NBA, but more like Draymond Green. And you saw Boston responded better going with Horford and Williams in Game 6. Little guards are cute. But if they are not Steph Curry, get some size.

Brodie Larsh: Assuming the Bulls don't get a draft pick, it seems like plan is to resign Vooch and Coby, and trade DeRozan for a PF. Have you heard a better trade than DeRozan to the Hawks for John Collins and Saddiq Bey? A sign and trade Jerami Grant for DeRozan may make sense as well with his connection to Donovan in OKC.

Sam: It might work for the Bulls since Bey was a nice addition, but I dont see how it makes much sense for Atlanta since they have the two point guards and DeAndre Hunter and want to work in AJ Griffin. They have wanted to move Collins, who doesnt ever seem to do much. But I might take a shot. Grant is a free agent looking for a big deal and really a wing player. Already with five teams, Id be cautious about a big deal for him. Ive mentioned the Lakers for DeMar since DeMar has expressed interest in playing there back home. But with two players (LeBron and Davis) making a combined $95 million the Lakers dont have much to offer. By the way, theres no Bulls plan to trade DeRozan for a power forward. Thats mostly fan and media speculation for now.

Mack Worth: Disney Rematch? Is this the NBAs worry? If 7th and 8th seed (Heat and Lakers) meet who will ever care about the regular season? Just more guys will coast and sit out and just be happy with getting 7-10 range.

Sam: Parity is welcome and makes for an exciting playoffs, which this has been. And should give more fan bases hope. You know, if those guys can get to the FinalsBut it strikes me as an existential problem for the NBA. I know theyre going to the 65 games thing for the awards. But those award bonuses are not much compared to their salaries. Some guys, like the Bulls three main guys, like to play and will play, so good for them. But you see, for example, with Miami Kyle Lowry obviously took the season off since all of a sudden hes playing 30 minutes every game at a high level. And, after all, if youre not an MVP candidate why worry about getting those 65 games to qualify? You know the league has to be rooting for Denver, which no one would ever say. But they were a rare top team to take at least most of the regular season seriously. You know Thibodeau teams will, but too many wont. Now just having to beat out five teams to get into the post season is an awful low bar. And it may actually work backward for the NBA with its new midseason tournament. I can see guys sitting out October and November and then playing since that's where they can make extra money in the tournament. The NBA should return to its long ago absence rules that if you want to miss a game you basically need a note from a league doctor. And if you dont get one you can lose pay for that game.

Art Alenik: Do you think think the salary cap has worked the way it was supposed to?Or even close?It probably does help with parity, so the richest teams cannot simply outbid the others and stack themselves with stars.But wasnt it also meant to curb the inflationary spiral of player salaries?It sure hasnt done that.We see now teams spending $20-40MM for a few stars and scrounging to fill out the roster without hitting the cap, or at least the luxury tax, with rookies or young players who havent established themselves yet.Its harder and harder to build a good balanced team without some luck.The owners dont care because their profits (and franchise values) keep increasing too.They just jack up the prices.The only real losers are the average fans who can no longer afford to attend a bunch of games.

Sam: Ive debated often about the owners not caring; look, the NBA has some owners who make a spectacle of themselves at games that I doubt is for the appearance fees. No one acts like that who doesnt care. The spike in franchise values was a surprise to everyone. So it became a great investment; but so was Microsoft and Nike. Theres hardly anyone who got into the NBA who couldnt have made more money in other ventures. I know what fans often believe out of frustration. But when your day is filled with questions (and criticisms) about how your team did, Im pretty sure you care more about its success than most anyone else. The salary cap, meanwhile, never was supposed to equalize salaries or create a ceiling. The players in negotiations were opposed to that. Its more what the owners preferred. But like in baseball when A-Rod one time wanted to take a lower deal to go to the Red Sox, the union overturned it on the precedent that it could suppress salaries. The player unions in most sports operate on the assumption of the rising tide floats all boats. Though with a salary cap and luxury tax penalties, the true result is creating the increasing income gaps that are familiar in society as a whole. The unions, though they'll deny it, generally operate for the benefit of the highest salaries players whose agents tend to have the largest voices with the unions. Isiah Thomas was a polarizing figure. But many of those issues surfaced when he was players union chief and tried to fund more for the so called middle class. Thats a lot what led to his estrangement with some of the games top stars.

Mitch Tobin: I've been watching the NBA for decades, and perhaps its just my imagination, but it seems as if all the complaining to the officials on virtually every play has become an annoying plague. Has it always been this way, or has it gotten worse? Whats particularly annoying is when players lag play going the other way while they gesticulate to the officials, as if that will make a difference.Props to Steph Curry, though. Sacramento was playing him pretty physically, hand checking him outside the three-point line on almost every play, and he rarely complained. I thought that hand checking was not supposed to be allowed anymore.

Sam: Let me assure you players always have complained to officials, and fans always have found conspiracies in the way their teams were treated by the officials. Though its more modern history, the Phil Jackson/Pat Riley referee debates were legendary game to game stuff in the 90s playoffs. Phil famously called hall of fame referee Dick Bavetta Knick Bavetta because Bavetta was from Brooklyn and grew up a Knicks fan. The league was not amused. But like with a lot of parent disciple or lack of with the trophies for all trend the NBA hasnt allowed its officials to, say, sternly remind Luka Doncic and LeBron they were not fouled on every single play of the season. A bit of the difference was years ago you had two officials per game who were stronger and somewhat more empowered who took some complaints and then began ejecting guys no matter their reputations. Players adjust quickly. They did then to some extent. Its really on the league to legislate, and for now it doesnt care to.

Larry Jurkens:It sure seems the officials are allowing significantly more physical play... and why do they quite often seem to wait to see if a shot went in before they call a foul? Shouldn't a foul be a foul no matter what?

Sam: Because if they called everything that the rule book states is a foul remember its not supposed to be a contact sport then the games would last about eight hours with 500 free throws. I believe NBA officials despite the flaws are the best in sports. Baseball is pretty easy, though we see plenty of strikes called outside those boxes. I assume before too long AI takes care of all that officiating; though I would enjoy it if it were Allen Iverson. Football is ridiculous. The announcers who generally are former players still cant figure out what is a catch. And have you ever seen a play without at least seven guys holding? I like what the NBA officials do because they come to understand the game and want to continue the flow. So theyll sometimes let fouls go if they see the guy is scoring. If the ball doesnt go in, theyll call something to equalize the play. Im also an advocate of the makeup call that used to be more common. The great officials want the players to decide the game; so when they make a mistake theyd often try to equalize it on the next play and then basically the statement to the players that the rest is on you. The playoffs are a bit different, but the regular season skews the game because so many of the home team announcers are whining about fouls that should have been called for their team and forget the fouls and flops of their team. If you watch just one team broadcast you tend to get caught up in what seems like bias. Id say a greater problem than the officials missing calls is all the fakery going on among the players trying to trick the officials into making calls. How do you justify complaining about what an official misses if so many players are basically trying to cheat the game with their face flag operations? Sorry, I don't have much sympathy.

Steve Walter: I've seen this Bulls team have crazy turnovers when pressed. A ball handler as a backup/replacement for Ball makes sense. It appears the organization doesn't see Carlik in this role. Shooting a respectable % from deep must be a priority for any new acquisitions. Assuming Vooch stays, a defensive minded, quick rotating four is critical to avoid the constant layup line we saw in so many Bulls losses. It would be so cool to see Derrick Jones Jr, Pat Williams, and Javonte playing the small wing against players their own size. Bobby Weiss, Wilbur Holland, and Mickey Johnson would make this team Champs!All the best from Fantasy Island.

Sam: Wilber is deceased and Bobby and Mickey dont quite move like they once did, so its probably not a plan for now.

Got a question for Sam?Submit your question to Sam atasksam@bulls.com

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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Ask Sam Mailbag: Looking at the fit of the Bulls roster - NBA.com

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Comedy Night benefits Library Foundation | Wareham – Wareham Week

The Wareham Library Foundation is laughing all the way to the bank.

The foundation raised $5,484 at its second annual Comedy Night fundraiser on Saturday, May 6.

Were trying to reach different people to support the library, said Wareham Library Foundation President Eileen Scully.

About 70 people came to Stone Path Malt on Kenrick Road for food, beer, cornhole, ping pong, the Kentucky Derby and, most importantly, live comedy.

Three Massachusetts comedians performed: Host Pat McLoud from Weymouth, David Sinclair from New Bedford and headliner Chris Zito from Boston, who hosts a radio morning show on Mix 93-1 in Springfield and 96-1 SRS in Worcester.

The comedians performed some South Coast-specific humor, including a joke from Sinclair about his hometown of Fall River and the imprisonment of former mayor Jasiel Correia. The most popular topics for jokes were marriage and children.

Its like talking to an oak tree, Zito joked about his less-than-chatty 17-year-old son.Who is that kid?

Marion resident Gayle Santello said Zito was her favorite of the three comedians, and she loved having an opportunity to get out and laugh.

Its been kind of a stressful week, she said, and this is just what the doctor ordered.

She appreciated being able to support the library at the same time.

Libraries, when I was growing up, [were] my safe space, Santello said. I dont know what I would have done without the library.

The Wareham Library Foundation was founded in 2007 to raise funds for the Wareham Free Library. About 20% of the librarys overall funding comes from the foundation, which helps pay the salaries of the librarys part-time employees.

Along with proceeds from ticket sales, the foundation raffled off prizes, many of them donated by the 16 area businesses that sponsored Comedy Night.

Prizes included gift cards, bottles of wine and sports memorabilia, such as a hockey puck signed by Jake DeBrusk of the Boston Bruins.

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Comedy Night benefits Library Foundation | Wareham - Wareham Week

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