5:44pm: Jones has been waived, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log.
1:22pm: The Bulls are waiving guard Carlik Jones, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
It has been a big year for Jones, who was named the 2023 G League MVP after averaging 26.1 points per game on .483/.360/.789 shooting in 24 regular season contests (38.3 MPG) while also contributing 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds per night. That performance helped earned him a promotion from his two-way contract to Chicago’s standard roster in March.
Jones then represented South Sudan during this summer’s World Cup, helping the program claim a spot in the 12-team Olympic field for the first time ever . The 25-year-old had some monster performances against international competition, averaging a double-double (20.4 PPG, 10.6 APG) in five World Cup games.
Unfortunately, it appears the Bulls’ cap and roster situation means that Jones is the odd man out to open the regular season. Chicago was hovering right around the luxury tax line with 13 players on guaranteed contracts and non-guaranteed salaries for Jones and Terry Taylor. The Bulls may intend to open the season with just 14 players on standard deals, with Terry making the team, though that hasn’t yet been confirmed.
Jones’ $1.93MM salary would have become partially guaranteed for $250K on opening night. Since he’ll be cut before then, Chicago won’t be on the hook for any of his salary. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers and would be free to sign with any team (including the Bulls on a new deal).
Bad move
Dude has shown massive potential and the Bulls are going no where this season, might as well have seen what he had, what a dumb move.
Y’all they have too many guards already
Agreed. Bulls already have LaVine, White, Carter, Dosunmu and Caruso.
Worst guard rotation in the league
Unbelievable the G League MVP isn’t on a roster when the season starts
DeM DeR >>>>> to Knicks ….
That would not help Carlik, in fact that would have to waive several others to do that at this point unless it’s straight up for Randke.
He looked terrible in preseason. Wonder if this gets the Bulls under the luxury tax now.
Yeah, they’re a little under without Jones’ salary on the books.