Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Sign Marcus Domask To Exhibit 10 Contract

June 28th, 2024 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 9: The Bulls have officially signed Domask, according to RealGM’s transaction log.

JUNE 28: Undrafted rookie free agent Marcus Domask is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Bulls, according to a tweet from the Illinois men’s basketball team.

A Wisconsin native, Domask played a “super-senior” year with the Illini in 2023/24 after spending his first four college seasons at Southern Illinois. In 2023/24, the 6’6″ wing started all 38 games he played, averaging 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 34.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .453/.297/.872.

That three-point mark was well below Domask’s average at Southern Illinois, where he knocked down 35.9% of his tries from beyond the arc.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Giddey, Ball, Craig

June 27th, 2024 at 10:49am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls appear to be “open for business” following Wednesday night’s draft and could emerge as the NBA’s biggest wild card when free agency begins this weekend, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Reading between the lines of a post-draft press conference held by executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, Mayberry suggests the organization may be recognizing the need to assemble to a younger and more athletic team.

That could mean parting with free agent DeMar DeRozan, possibly in a sign-and-trade, and taking the best deal they can find for Zach LaVine. Mayberry notes that Karnisovas sidestepped a question Wednesday night about the team’s commitment to keeping DeRozan.

“As I said also before, we’re going to look at everything,” he responded. “Everything is on the table. It’s still an option.”

DeRozan has been Chicago’s best player since joining the team in 2021, and he’s coming off another stellar season, averaging 24 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 79 games. However, he’ll turn 35 this summer and may not be a wise long-term investment for a team that’s trying to escape mediocrity.

Mayberry also points out that this would be a good time for the Bulls to consider rebuilding because their first-round pick in what’s viewed as a strong draft next year is top-10 protected. If it falls outside that range, it will convey to San Antonio as part of the sign-and-trade deal that brought DeRozan to Chicago.

There’s more on the Bulls:

Karnisovas defended the price he paid for Josh Giddey twice during his 17-minute meeting with reporters, Mayberry adds. Many observers were surprised that the Bulls didn’t receive any draft compensation when they acquired the 21-year-old guard from Oklahoma City last week in a one-for-one deal for Alex Caruso, one of the league’s best defensive guards. “Bringing a very talented guard that is an elite play-maker and rebounder with elite size, his game is predicated on making everyone better around him, those guys are hard to find and they’re not available,” Karnisovas said. “We were fortunate to get him. And it comes at a high price, which was A.C.”
Karnisovas said Lonzo Ball, who has been sidelined with knee issues since January of 2022, is “moving along” in his recovery, per Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times. Ball has already picked up his $21.4MM player option for next season, which marks the final year of his contract. “We don’t know what he’s going to look like in a month or two, so we’re just going to take one step at a time, and hopefully he’s going to be ready for training camp,” Karnisovas said.
The Bulls haven’t received any indication of whether Torrey Craig plans to exercise his $2.8MM player option for next season, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The veteran forward has until Saturday to make his decision.

Free Agent Rumors: KCP, Nuggets, DeRozan, Williams, Jones, Hartenstein

June 27th, 2024 at 8:21am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth made it clear that the team wants to retain potential free agent wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but is prepared for the possibility of losing him. Caldwell-Pope has until Saturday to decide whether or not he’ll pick up his 2024/25 player option.

“I think we have to look at everything, and the nature of free agency is, he’s unrestricted,” Booth said, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “So we can try to bring him back, and if he doesn’t want to come back or opts to go somewhere else, that’s his prerogative. So we’ll have to work with that. But I think we’re prepared to plug and play, so to speak.”

As Durando notes, Booth identified third-year swingman Christian Braun as the top candidate to replace Caldwell-Pope in the starting lineup if necessary, citing Braun’s net rating in various lineups as a positive indicator for his ability to take on a larger role.

“I think when you look at some of the teams that have been good in the past, they have to find a way to replace fourth, fifth starters, sixth men off the bench and still keep rolling,” Booth said. “… I think if (Braun) has to step into the starting lineup, I think we’ll be OK, if KCP doesn’t return.”

Booth added that the Nuggets have interest in re-signing veteran free agents DeAndre Jordan and Justin Holiday, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

Here are a few more free agency rumors and notes from around the NBA:

There has been “growing buzz” that DeMar DeRozan won’t be back with the Bulls next season, whether he simply walks as a free agent or departs via sign-and-trade, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Within his latest Substack article, Marc Stein relays that his podcast partner Chris Haynes said extension talks between the Bulls and DeRozan have “gone cold,” increasing the likelihood that the veteran forward reaches the open market.
On the other hand, “all signs” point to the Bulls re-signing free agent forward Patrick Williams, says Johnson. Chicago was the first team to officially tender a qualifying offer to a free agent this summer, issuing Williams a QO on Monday to ensure he’ll be a restricted free agent.
There have been “league-wide rumblings” that the Magic have interest in point guard Tyus Jones, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports writes within a breakdown of the draft’s first day. Jones will be an unrestricted free agent and is widely expected to command a salary above the mid-level; the Magic will have the cap room necessary to make him a competitive offer if they so choose.
Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein is another potential target to watch for Orlando. With Hartenstein nearing unrestricted free agency, Stein writes at his Substack that the Magic and Thunder continue to be named most frequently by rival executives as potential suitors for the big man.

Central Notes: Cavs, Gohlke, Bucks, Pistons, DeRozan

June 26th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers hold the No. 20 pick in tonight’s draft and currently don’t have another selection. However, they’re actively looking to get involved in Thursday’s second round, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor in a subscriber-only story. Sources tell Fedor that the Cavs have had numerous talks with each team holding a second-round pick to determine the cost of moving into Thursday’s portion of the draft. Cleveland’s own second-rounder is currently owned by the Pacers.

We have more from the Central Division:

Guard Jack Gohlke recently worked out for the Bucks, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The three-point specialist made a big splash in the NCAA Tournament when Oakland University shocked Kentucky in the opening round.
If the Bucks want to draft a center, it’s probably best to just wait and see who falls to them at No. 23 tonight, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Nehm doesn’t believe that packaging the No. 23 and 33 picks will be enough to make a significant move up the draft board, plus there are a number of center prospects who could be available in the latter stages of the first round.
There’s a “very high” chance the Pistons will trade the No. 5 pick and move into the back half of the lottery, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic. He views the Bulls, Grizzlies, Thunder and Trail Blazers as the most likely candidates to work out a deal for that pick. Cody Williams and Tidjane Salaun could be targeted in the back half of the lottery if Detroit moves down. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has reported that the Jazz, who have the No. 10 overall pick, might look to move into the No. 5 slot.
If Paul George leaves the Clippers, they might target Bulls free agent wing DeMar DeRozan, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. There reportedly has been little traction in talks between the Bulls and DeRozan, who will be an unrestricted free agent if those negotiations fizzle.

Bulls Notes: Giddey, LaVine, DeRozan, Waters, Draft, Williams

June 25th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Bulls guard Josh Giddey said that both he and Thunder executive Sam Presti agreed it was best for him to be traded rather than accepting a second-unit role, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes.

“Obviously, I came off a tough year. My role shifted a little bit,” Giddey said. “I was playing a lot more off ball and a role different from what I’ve done in my career. So there were no secrets it was going to take some flexibility from my part to kind of fit in with the team that we had and the structure that we had and the type of players that we had. And he spoke to me about looking at potential different roles, coming off the bench, running the second unit. And I just said to him at this point in my career, I’m 21 years old, it wasn’t something that I was overly eager to do. And he completely understood.”

Giddey was swapped out for Alex Caruso. League sources tell Johnson that the Knicks and Kings both made offers featuring draft capital for Caruso but Oklahoma City opted to take the hard-nosed Caruso in a one-for-one deal. The Bulls envision Giddey as their starting point guard, though he said his role has yet to be defined.

“My job is just to make the game easy for everybody else. Come in and make sure guys are getting easy looks, guys are comfortable on the floor,” he said. “When you’re a point guard and you can get other people around you going and making them involved in the game and getting them feeling good early, it opens the game up for everybody. That’s how I see myself, making basketball easy for my teammates around me.”

We have more on the Bulls:

While it’s well-documented the team is shopping Zach LaVine, who has three years left on his contract, his shooting ability and scoring efficiency could be a strong fit alongside Giddey, Johnson opines. However, the relationship between the team and LaVine, who is still recovering from foot surgery, would have to be repaired.
The team would prefer to resolve a possible trade of LaVine before trying to re-sign DeMar DeRozan, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report (hat tip to RealGM). There reportedly has been little traction in talks between the Bulls and DeRozan, who will be an unrestricted free agent if those negotiations fizzle.
Eric Waters will be the team’s new director of health and performance, Johnson tweets. Waters served as a Bulls assistant trainer from 2000-04 and head athletic trainer for the Wizards (2004-16) and Jazz (2017-22).
The Bulls have held conversations to both move up and back in the draft, Johnson reports. Chicago currently holds the No. 11 pick.
In the same story, Johnson reports that several rival executives are under the impression the Bulls will either re-sign or match an offer sheet presented to restricted free agent Patrick Williams. The team has extended a qualifying offer to Williams, making him a restricted free agent.

Draft Rumors: Hawks, Wizards, Sarr, Knicks, Kolek, Bulls, More

June 25th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

In their latest mock drafts ahead of Wednesday’s first round, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic each say there’s no clarity yet on what the Hawks will do with the No. 1 overall pick. Both mocks still have Zaccharie Risacher going to Atlanta first overall for the time being, but haven’t ruled out the idea of a trade down (possibly for Donovan Clingan) or a different choice at No. 1.

While there has been some chatter linking French big man Alexandre Sarr to Atlanta, both Givony and Vecenie suggest those rumblings may be a smokescreen designed to get the Wizards to consider a possible move up to No. 1 so that they can land the player widely viewed as their top target. A year ago, the Wizards moved up one spot in the lottery from No. 8 to No. 7 in order to nab Bilal Coulibaly.

According to Givony, there’s a belief that Sarr would be comfortable ending up with the Wizards, whose rebuild may offer him a more immediate path to a significant role. Meanwhile, during a Tuesday radio appearance on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Hawks general manager Landry Fields confirmed that Sarr hasn’t visited his team, as Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks relays (via Twitter).

“He was scheduled to come work out,” Fields said of Sarr. “We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out.”

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which is just one day away:

Both Vecenie and Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link) have received similar feedback on the quality of this year’s draft class. According to Vecenie, while this year’s top 10 is considered weak, the depth in the 10-25 range is viewed as strong, with the rest of the class at about the usual level. A veteran general manager offered a similar assessment to Goodman. “The depth of this draft, especially in the back half of the first round, isn’t much different than in most years,” that GM said. “But the top five – and even top 10 – collectively is as underwhelming as I’ve ever seen it.”
Among the many sourced notes in Vecenie’s mock draft: The Knicks have had interest in Marquette guard Tyler Kolek throughout the season, while the Bulls are believed to be fans of Illinois wing Terrence Shannon. Kolek may be off the board by the time New York picks at No. 24; conversely, Chicago’s No. 11 pick would be higher than expected for Shannon, who has been viewed as a late first-rounder in most mocks.
Confirming prior reporting, Josh Robbins of The Athletic cites a team source who says the Wizards are “amenable” to acquiring another first-round pick. Washington currently controls the second and 26th overall selections. However, one scenario suggested by Robbins would involve the Wizards sending out a veteran player, the No. 26 pick, and the No. 51 pick for matching salary and a higher first-round pick, which would mean upgrading their second first-rounder rather than adding a third one.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Yves Missi going to the Pelicans at No. 21, and a recent HoopsHype report also linked New Orleans to the former Baylor center. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Pelicans met with Missi at the draft combine in Chicago and also brought him to New Orleans for a workout. While Clark expects Missi to get serious consideration from the Pels if he’s available at No. 21, he says it’s unclear whether the team will prefer a player who is more NBA-ready.

Bulls Extend Qualifying Offer To Patrick Williams

June 24th, 2024 at 7:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have issued a qualifying offer to forward Patrick Williams, making him a restricted free agent, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports tweets.

Williams’ qualifying offer is worth $12.97MM. Chicago will now have the option of matching an offer sheet for the No. 4 pick of the 2020 draft.

Williams has not lived up to his draft billing but he’s still only 22 and could still become an impact player. This past season, he averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per night in 43 games, including 30 starts. He has made 41% of his 3-point attempts over the course of his career.

Williams’ season was cut short by left foot surgery in February after being diagnosed with a foot stress reaction. He played his last game on Jan. 25. He was limited to just 17 contests in ’21/22 due to a wrist injury, though he appeared in all 82 games the following season.

A sign-and-trade scenario could develop, as several teams could be intrigued by Williams’ untapped potential. The Thunder are one team that has been linked to Williams.

Kings Rumors: No. 13 Pick, Caruso, Fox, Siakam, Kuzma, LaVine

June 24th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings‘ No. 13 overall pick is “very available” in trade talks, according to Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who report that Sacramento included that lottery selection in an offer for Alex Caruso before the Bulls decided to send the veteran guard to Oklahoma City instead.

As Slater and Amick detail, the Kings have brought in several late-lottery prospects for pre-draft workouts, including Purdue center Zach Edey. Former Duke standout Jared McCain also recently visited Sacramento for a workout, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, there’s “more of an appetite” within the organization to add a veteran who could help the team win right away instead of a rookie, according to The Athletic’s report.

The ideal outcome for Sacramento, Slater and Amick write, would be acquiring a “mid-prime” player who can grow with the core of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk. The Kings believe they have a three-to-six year window to contend with those players and would be willing to attach extra draft assets to this year’s No. 13 pick for the right trade target.

Here’s more on the Kings from The Athletic:

Fox will be extension-eligible starting in July, but he has decided he won’t sign a new contract this offseason, sources tell Slater and Amick. The star guard has two guaranteed years left on his current deal, so there’s no urgency to get anything done yet. Fox wants to see how the roster takes shape and could also still qualify for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024/25.
The Kings came close to acquiring Pascal Siakam from Toronto before he was sent to Indiana, having backed off in large part because they weren’t confident about their chances of re-signing him. League sources tell The Athletic that there’s some level of regret within the organization about not pulling the trigger and trying to convince the star forward to sign long-term.
Ever since nearly trading for Kyle Kuzma in 2021, Kings general manager Monte McNair has maintained some level of interest in the Wizards forward, who is expected to be on Sacramento’s radar again this summer. League sources also confirm to Slater and Amick that Bulls guard Zach LaVine is a possible target for the Kings, though they’d likely have to be incentivized to take on his maximum-salary contract, which still has three years remaining.
After coming off the bench for the past two seasons, Monk has expressed a desire to start, but he agreed to re-sign with the Kings without having received any assurances about his role going forward, per Slater and Amick.

Central Rumors: LaVine, Bulls, Pistons, Cade, Bucks, Cavs, More

June 24th, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls continue to seek a deal involving Zach LaVine, but last week’s four-year, $78MM contract agreement between the Kings and Malik Monk may have removed a prime suitor from the picture, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says some rival executives believe retaining Monk will take Sacramento out of talks for LaVine. As Scotto has previously reported, Kings wing Kevin Huerter has fans within Chicago’s front office, so if the two teams did explore a trade involving LaVine, it seems safe to assume Huerter would be involved.

In other Bulls news, Chicago is interested in re-signing center Andre Drummond, league sources tell Scotto. The big man will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after spending the past two seasons backing up Nikola Vucevic.

Scotto also states that – prior to last week’s Alex Caruso/Josh Giddey swap – there was a belief around the league that the Bulls and Thunder would consider a possible sign-and-trade deal involving Patrick Williams. It’s unclear if that idea is off the table now or if the two clubs will look into making a second offseason trade.

Finally, Scotto reports that before they struck deals to add Wes Unseld Jr. and Dan Craig to Billy Donovan‘s coaching staff, the Bulls also reached out and talked to former head coaches Nate McMillan and Dwane Casey.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Central:

The Pistons – along with the Magic – were expected to be in the mix for Monk before he reached an agreement to return to Sacramento, according to Scotto, who says Detroit will continue to explore the trade and free agent markets for shooting help this offseason.
Elsewhere on the Pistons front, Scotto writes that a number of executives around the NBA believe Detroit will come to terms on a maximum-salary rookie scale extension for former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham.
The Bucks, still very much in win-now mode, are open to the idea of trading the No. 23 pick in the draft, league sources tell Scotto. Executives with rival teams also get the sense that Milwaukee would be willing to move Bobby Portis and/or Pat Connaughton in order to upgrade the roster, though Scotto notes that both players have come up in trade talks in the past and nothing has come of it to this point.
James Borrego was considered the frontrunner for the Cavaliers‘ head coaching job last week before the front office met with team owner Dan Gilbert, per Shams Charania, Joe Vardon, and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. After that meeting between management and Gilbert, Kenny Atkinson‘s candidacy “gained considerable momentum,” The Athletic’s trio adds. Assistant coaches Jordan Ott and Trevor Hendry, who worked with Atkinson in Brooklyn, are viewed as potential additions to his new staff in Cleveland, notes Scotto.

Sixers Rumors: George, Butler, Anunoby, KCP, LaVine, Maxey

June 24th, 2024 at 11:18am CST by Arthur Hill

A report last week suggested the Sixers‘ interest in acquiring Clippers star Paul George has “waned,” but sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that Philadelphia still has “significant interest” in signing George if he opts for free agency.

George, the number one name on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents, has until Saturday to decide whether to exercise his $48.8MM option for next season. If George is unable to reach an extension agreement with L.A. by then, he can either decline the option and test free agency or opt in and demand a trade.

George has long been considered an offseason priority for Philadelphia, which has the ability to create more than $60MM in cap room. The Magic are among the teams that are also expected to pursue George if he reaches the open market.

Sources inform Scotto that a trade for Heat forward Jimmy Butler remains a viable option for the Sixers if they can’t acquire George. Butler spent most of the 2018/19 season in Philadelphia before being traded to Miami and has maintained a strong relationship with Joel Embiid.

Another option, according to Scotto, could be a “short-term, higher market average annual salary” deal with Knicks free agent forward OG Anunoby. Scotto also hears the Sixers may also offer Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a two-year contract similar to what Bruce Brown got last year, with a large salary for next season and a team option for 2025/26.

There’s more on the Sixers, all courtesy of Scotto:

Sources tell Scotto that Philadelphia has less interest in trading for Bulls guard Zach LaVine now that Alex Caruso can no longer be part of the deal. Caruso was shipped to Oklahoma City on Friday in a trade for Josh Giddey. The Sixers are reluctant to take on the three years and $138MM left on LaVine’s contract without other assets attached.
Tyrese Maxey is considered virtually certain to sign a max extension this summer, but Klutch CEO Rich Paul may want something in return for waiting a year while the team worked to maximize its cap space, Scotto adds. He suggests Paul might ask for a player option on the final year of Maxey’s next contract, along with a 15% trade kicker.
With Buddy Hield possibly departing in free agency, Scotto sees Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter as a potential replacement in the draft. He notes that Walter has a 6’10” wingspan and is considered a much better perimeter defender than Hield.