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Bulls, Markkanen Continue Discussing Extension

December 18th, 2020 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls and Lauri Markkanen have both expressed interest in working out a rookie scale extension for the fourth-year forward prior to Monday’s deadline, and conversations between the two sides are ongoing, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said he’ll leave those negotiations to executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and Markkanen’s agent, but referred to the former lottery pick as an “important piece to our team.” For his part, Markkanen confirmed that there have been contract discussions, but couldn’t offer any additional updates, telling reporters, “We’ll see what happens.”

With or without an extension in place for Markkanen, the Bulls project to have a significant chunk of cap room available in 2021, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Now that a number of potential top 2021 free agents have signed extensions and will be unavailable, the Bulls’ new front office regime may have to get creative when it comes to using that cap room, Johnson observes.

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Patrick Williams Gets First Starting Opportunity

December 16th, 2020 at 8:14pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • The Bulls gave first-round pick Patrick Williams a start in their third preseason game, notes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. The decision was based partly on the team’s shortage of personnel due to injuries and COVID-19 concerns, but coach Billy Donovan also wanted to see how Williams would respond to opportunity. “It’s just more to see, like, OK, what does Patrick look like with that first group,” Donovan said. “Does Otto (Porter Jr.), you know, give us a little bit of a punch off the bench from a scoring standpoint? We’re gonna have to make some sacrifices all the way around as a team in terms of how we need to play, and then also what guys’ roles may be, just because of the uniqueness of what we’re all dealing with at this point in time.”
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2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

December 16th, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll turn today to the Central…

Milwaukee Bucks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bucks poll.

Indiana Pacers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pacers poll.

Chicago Bulls

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bulls poll.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Cavaliers poll.

Detroit Pistons

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pistons poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)

Northwest:

  • Denver Nuggets (44.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • Utah Jazz (42.5 wins): Over (59.9%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (41.5 wins): Over (70.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (29.5 wins): Under (50.3%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (22.5 wins): Under (64.4%)
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Bulls Missing Six Players For Road Trip

December 15th, 2020 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls will be without six players when they travel to Oklahoma City this week for a pair of preseason games, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to Garrett Temple (coronavirus), Denzel Valentine (hamstring strain), and Thaddeus Young (lower leg infection), the club will also be missing Devon Dotson, Adam Mokoka, and Tomas Satoransky, who are simply listed as “not with team.”

As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago noted on Sunday when those three players – and Noah Vonleh – were given excused absences for the Bulls’ previous exhibition contest, those vague designations will likely become common over the course of the 2020/21 season as teams navigate the NBA’s coronavirus protocols.

While Vonleh eventually confirmed he had tested positive for COVID-19, that doesn’t mean the same is true of Dotson, Mokoka, and Satoransky. It’s possible they’re being kept away from the Bulls temporarily for contact tracing purposes, or even for a reason unrelated to the coronavirus. With teams not formally announcing which of their players have tested positive for the virus, we may be left to speculate in situations like this throughout the coming season.

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Noah Vonleh Tests Positive For COVID-19, Waived By Bulls

December 15th, 2020 at 7:19am CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 15: Vonleh’s release from the Bulls is now official, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

DECEMBER 14: Veteran forward Noah Vonleh has tested positive for COVID-19 and will be waived by the Bulls, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Teams won’t be announcing which of their players test positive for the coronavirus this season, but Vonleh confirmed his diagnosis to Haynes.

“Unfortunately, I have tested positive for COVID, and so my time with the Bulls has come to an end,” Vonleh said in a statement to Yahoo Sports. “Thank you to the organization for everything. Though it was a short time, I appreciate the opportunity. I am thankfully feeling good, and I look forward to working my way to another NBA opportunity once I’m cleared to play again!”

The Bulls are carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts and Vonleh isn’t one of them, so his positive test likely just accelerated his release — unless he earned a spot on the regular season roster, he would’ve been waived within the next week anyway. He’ll undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine as he awaits medical clearance, Haynes notes.

The ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Vonleh began his career in Charlotte before moving on to Portland, Chicago, and New York. In 2019/20, he began the season in Minnesota before being traded to Denver as part of the four-team mega-deal involving Clint Capela and Robert Covington.

In total, Vonleh averaged just 3.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 36 games (10.5 MPG) for the Timberwolves and Nuggets last season. He was more productive in 2018/19 for the Knicks, recording 8.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 68 games (25.3 MPG), and is still just 25 years old, so he should get another NBA opportunity.

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Bulls Notes: White, Young, Temple, Williams

December 12th, 2020 at 6:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coby White got the start at point guard in the Bulls‘ preseason opener, but he has a long way to go to earn that job on a regular basis, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. White had an uneven game, finishing with 15 points and six assists in 23 minutes, but he missed his first three shots as Chicago fell into an early 17-point hole.

White’s main competition for the spot will be Tomas Satoransky, who started 64 games last season. New head coach Billy Donovan said he will make the decision based not only on White’s individual performance, but how he affects his teammates.

“As a point guard, it’s not always going to be about how well (White is) playing but how well the group is playing,” Donovan said. “And I think that’s his maturation — that’s the process he has to go through in terms of understanding that he has to be a connector. And it’s not only him — it’s the group that’s out there together. How can they make each other better? How can they function with one another? How can they play off each other? How can they make the game easier for each other? That’s going to be the biggest thing.”

There’s more from Chicago:

  • Veteran forward Thaddeus Young was scratched from Friday’s game because of a lower leg infection and won’t play Sunday night either, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Young is listed as day to day, but has no set timetable to return. “He’s doing much better, which is good. Things haven’t gotten worse,” Donovan said. “But I think the doctors want to keep a close eye on him with that infection and just make sure he’s healing properly.”
  • Garrett Temple is still in the league’s COVID-19 protocol and it’s uncertain when he might be able to return, Schaefer adds in the same story. Temple tested positive on November 28.
  • The Bulls like what they saw from lottery pick Patrick Williams in his first NBA game, according to Sam Smith of NBA.com. Williams came off the bench with 12 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes. “I think he’s got a chance to be a really good player,” Donovan said. “He has a really good feel for the game. He very rarely forces shots, he makes good decisions, he’s a good passer. He is really good when he gets into that elbow, paint area where he can shoot those one-handed lean-in shots. I’m sure he was a little anxious and nervous, but he’s got a good pace and good way he plays and he can get into the mid range. I thought he played very well considering the fact that there was no real Summer League or build up to training camp, and he had to come here after the draft and get started.”
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Valentine Has Tweaked Hamstring; Markkanen Could Get Extension By Deadline

December 10th, 2020 at 6:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • Bulls reserve shooting guard Denzel Valentine will miss Chicago’s first two preseason games with a tweaked hamstring, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Injuries have limited Valentine to appearing in just 170 of 393 possible regular season contests during his first four seasons with Chicago. “I’ve been working with the medical and training staff right now. It’s pretty much day by day,” Valentine said.
  • In a new mailbag, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago expressed optimism that the Bulls will be able to work out a rookie scale contract extension with eligible power forward Lauri Markkanen before the December 21 deadline. Johnson anticipates that new coach Billy Donovan will emphasize Markkanen moving without the ball this season.
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Bulls Add Center Simisola Shittu

December 6th, 2020 at 2:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bulls have announced that they have added big man Simisola Shittu, according to the team’s official Twitter account.

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes that, with the Shittu signing, the Bulls have now filled their 20-man roster for training camp (via Twitter link).

The 6’10” big man went undrafted in 2019 out of Vanderbilt. Inked to a training camp contract by the Bulls last season, Shittu went on to play 40 games for the Bulls’ G League affiliate (including 18 starts), the Windy City Bulls. He averaged 12.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG for the club in 20.2 MPG.

Though joining the Bulls’ regular season roster looks like a long shot, signing his second training camp deal with Chicago could suggest that a second trip to the Windy City Bulls this season is on the table for the 21-year-old.

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Central Notes: Bulls, Temple, S. Lee, Bjorkgren

December 6th, 2020 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Several Bulls players showed up early for training camp to get to know new head coach Billy Donovan and his staff, writes Jamal Collier of The Chicago Tribune. The team hasn’t played since March, so players were eager to get started on the new season.

“Billy has come in and made a lot of changes,” Daniel Gafford said. “He came in and basically put his foot down and made sure that everything was laid out on the table on what he wanted to do with the team. I like that as a coach. It’s a big job. He really came in and just made sure that he built a relationship with the guys before we got to work. Once he built that relationship and we got on the floor, it was flowing right after that.”

Since the abrupt end of last season, Chicago has seen management changes as well as a coaching overhaul. New executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have been regulars at the team facility as they become familiar with their personnel.

“They just want to make this franchise better,” Thaddeus Young said. “They want to come out and get it right on the first go-around as opposed to trying to take a whole bunch of shots and missing on all those shots. They’re making sure they take the time and do their due diligence on everything that they’re doing. They’re very precise on what they want to do.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Bulls guard Garrett Temple tested positive for COVID-19 on November 28, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Temple will have to pass a series of safety protocols before he can report to camp, and he hopes to receive clearance by Wednesday. Temple said he got tested because he was experiencing a headache and feelings of fatigue. He believes he has recovered from most of the symptoms.
  • Second-round pick Saben Lee made a strong impression during his pre-draft interview with the Pistons, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Bryce Drew, who coached Lee during his first two seasons at Vanderbilt, believes he has the personality to make an impact in the NBA. “In the basketball world, I’ve coached quite a few players and he’s probably tried to dunk on more people than anyone I’ve ever coached,” Drew said. “Even though you’re polite off the court, you can be a lion on the court. At his size, he’s not scared to go try to dunk on anybody.”
  • Pacers players are adapting quickly to new head coach Nate Bjorkgren, tweets J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. “This is the most fun I’ve had in a training camp in my career. … The overall vibe,” Doug McDermott said. “He’s got a great vibe to him. It feels different. … He’s a guy everyone here will go to war for.”
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