Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Stop All Team Activities

March 12th, 2020 at 4:12pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bulls have announced that the team will be suspend all team activities for the next few days, but will keep its players in the Chicagoland area, per a team press release (Twitter link).

The NBA has suspended its 2019/20 season indefinitely due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. That may come as some relief to the Bulls, who sport just a 22-43 record. They are presently the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference, eight games behind the 30-35 Magic. Chicago’s best player, shooting guard Zach LaVine, has been hampered by a sore left quad throughout March.

According to the team press release, the Bulls had to be returned home from Orlando last night – where they had been scheduled to play their next game – after the season was postponed. No Bulls are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, according to the team.

Though teams have been cleared to practice with their players during the indefinite season suspension, Chicago medical personnel recommended this more drastic course of action to prioritize social distancing and curtail risk. Team owners apparently want commissioner Adam Silver to reappraise the situation in 30 days.

Bulls’ Hutchison Undergoing Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

March 11th, 2020 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on March 17, the Bulls announced today in a press release. The procedure, which will address Hutchison’s acromioclavicular joint injury, has a projected recovery timeline of 12-16 weeks and will bring his season to an early end.

The news doesn’t come as a surprise, since a weekend report indicated that Hutchison was weighing the possibility of going under the knife. He’s the latest Bulls player to be ruled out for most or all of the rest of the 2019/20 campaign — Kris Dunn and Luke Kornet appear unlikely to return due to knee and foot injuries, respectively.

Hutchison, who was a first-round pick in 2018, has seen both of his two professional seasons cut short by health issues. In total, he has appeared in just 72 games (19.8 MPG), averaging 6.2 PPG and 4.1 RPG on .458/.295/.595 shooting since arriving in Chicago.

The Bulls have Hutchison under contract for a guaranteed $2.44MM salary in 2020/21 and will have to make a decision in the fall on his $4.02MM option for the 2021/22 season. Even if the 23-year-old is fully healthy for training camp, there’s no guarantee that option will be exercised.

Coby White Set To Make First Start

March 10th, 2020 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

In a pair of Bulls stories, Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes that Coby White is set to make the first start of his NBA career on Tuesday against Cleveland, while K.C. Johnson and Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago examine Zach LaVine‘s past, present, and future in Chicago as the team’s leading scorer approaches extension eligibility.

Chandler Hutchison May Be Done For Season

March 8th, 2020 at 3:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Bulls small forward Chandler Hutchison may have suited up for his last game this season, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.

Hutchison is considering arthroscopic surgery to treat the injured right shoulder that has limited him to just 28 games in his second season. A sesamoid foot fracture cut his rookie season short too. He played just 44 games in 2018/19. He will have played just 72 of a possible 164 games heading into his third year with the Bulls.

“This next week is kind of the final push on testing what I can do with [the shoulder] and if I’m going to be able to get out there or do something and make a decision,” Hutchison said. “Hopefully, I can get past the rehab and really focus on the summer.”

The defensive-oriented 6’7″ wing was drafted with the No. 22 pick out of Boise State by Chicago in 2018. He sports season averages of 7.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.9 APG, and has started in 10 games this year.

Although Bulls have had some players get healthy lately, they’re still down a few. Kris Dunn and Luke Kornet will likely miss the rest of the season with knee and foot injuries, respectively.

Bulls Notes: White, Harrison, Boylen, Collins

March 7th, 2020 at 10:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls coach Jim Boylen is reversing his stance on not starting rookie guard Coby White for the rest of the season, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. With the playoffs out of reach, White may be inserted into the starting lineup soon as the team focuses on developing players for next season.

“I think that day is probably coming,” Boylen said after practice this morning. “We’ve talked all year about developing and winning. Is that day coming? I would say, ‘Yes, probably.’ When, I’m not exactly sure.”

White is making a strong case for a starting role with his recent performance. He is averaging 27.7 points and 3.9 assists over the past seven games, and Schaefer notes that his defense and decision making have improved.

“He’s been great, man,” Zach LaVine said. “Just seeing his growth over the last month, he’s getting better every game. Even if it’s not like he’s getting 30 like he was, he’s still doing things that we’re progressing on. He’s growing every game.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Shaquille Harrison used his new-found 3-point stroke to put up a career-high 25 points last night, Schaefer writes in a separate story. He has made nine of his last 11 from beyond the arc after shooting 27.7% on 3-pointers for his career. With restricted free agency looming this summer, Harrison is looking for any edge he can find to prove his worth. “I was undrafted, I had a couple offers coming out of high school,” he said. “I’ve always been that last guy they’re looking at, and I knew I had to make an impression that one opportunity or chance I get. So, it’s usual for me, it’s nothing new. I take pride in that, a lot of guys can’t do that.”
Boylen is denying reports of a rift with senior advisor Doug Collins, relays K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. The dispute reportedly involves Collins’ presence at coaching staff meetings. “All my interaction with Doug has been very positive. He’s been in my meetings and on the floor with the team,” Boylen said. “I don’t control his schedule or if he’s here or not here. We’ve had a very good, close relationship since he’s been here.”
Despite another disappointing season, Boylen continues to have strong backing from ownership and executive vice president John Paxson, Johnson writes in another piece.

Mokoka Details Journey to NBA

March 5th, 2020 at 10:05pm CST by Jovan Alford

When the Pacers play the Bulls on Friday night, they could be without a few notable players, including Malcolm Brogdon.

Who is Adam Mokoka? If you asked Bulls fans earlier this season, they might not be able to answer that question. Fast-forward to March, and the 21-year-old is starting to carve out a role for himself with Chicago. Mark Schanowski of NBC Sports Chicago looks at the road the Bulls’ two-player has taken from his early playing days in France, Serbia, and now Chicago.

Bulls Notes: Presti, Paxson, Boylen, Markkanen

March 5th, 2020 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Sam Presti has been mentioned as a possible target in the Bulls‘ front office shakeup, but K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago doesn’t believe the organization is willing to spend heavily on a new executive. He estimates it would take an offer in the neighborhood of $10MM a year to get the attention of Presti, the current president of basketball operations for the Thunder.

Johnson adds that Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf is exploring multiple options, which likely include both Presti and Raptors executive Masai Ujiri. Toronto isn’t expected to let Ujiri leave while he still has a year left on his contract, but because Presti is a close friend with Oklahoma City owner Clay Bennett, the feeling around the league is that Bennett wouldn’t stand in his way if he wanted to leave the organization. Even so, Johnson expects the Bulls to make several hires for the new front office, rather than investing so much in a single executive.

Johnson believes John Paxson will accept whatever role ownership wants him to and speculates that Paxson is actually behind the management restructuring plan. The Bulls also intend to revamp their scouting department, which Paxson originally proposed.

There’s more from Chicago:

Front office candidates will likely be asked to keep an open mind about the future of coach Jim Boylen, Johnson relays in the same piece. Boylen received a contract extension after last season and has kept the support of management despite a poor win-loss record. He recently objected to senior advisor Doug Collins’ presence at coaches meetings, Johnson adds, so Collins’ role in that area has been reduced.
Lauri Markkanen played nearly 21 minutes last night after being sidelined since January 21 with a stress reaction in his pelvis, Johnson writes in a separate story. Markkanen posted 13 points and four rebounds and believes he’s ready for more time once he’s cleared by the medical staff. “I thought he tried. I thought he was active. I thought he was moving pretty good. I thought he showed his whole game — inside, outside,” Boylen said. “… He showed his full game in the minutes he played. I think it was a good first showing for him.”
Last night’s game between the Bulls and Timberwolves matches two franchises that are currently linked by bad decisions, states Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Those include the shared choices to get rid of Jimmy Butler and coach Tom Thibodeau.

Bulls Interested In Sam Presti?

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

As the Bulls consider changes to their front office, Sam Presti‘s name is one that has now surfaced multiple times. Discussing the situation last week, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times cited the Thunder‘s head of basketball operations as an example of a big-name candidate Chicago could pursue. This week, David Kaplan said during an appearance on ESPN 1000 that Presti is the Bulls’ top target (Twitter link via Daniel Greenberg).

Kaplan’s comments signal that Cowley’s mention of Presti last week probably didn’t come out of nowhere, so I don’t doubt that the Bulls have interest in the Thunder executive. Still, I’m skeptical that Presti would leave a favorable situation in Oklahoma City – where the team has accumulated more first-round picks than it knows what to do with – for a position in which he’d rank below John Paxson in the Bulls’ organizational hierarchy.

While it’s worth keeping the Bulls’ reported interest in Presti in mind, we may not get a more concrete sense of which candidates are realistically in play for the team until after the season.

Clippers Notes: Dunn, George, Jackson

March 4th, 2020 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been buzz throughout the 2019/20 season that the Clippers are expected to be among the teams that will show interest in Kris Dunn when he reaches free agency this summer, says K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. It’s not clear how Dunn’s season-ending knee injury will affect L.A.’s potential interest, Johnson adds.

The Clippers’ interest level may also be impacted by how the Bulls handle Dunn’s situation — he’ll be a restricted free agent if Chicago extends a qualifying offer worth $4,642,800, which seems likely and which would increase the Bulls’ leverage.

While Dunn’s offensive numbers aren’t great, he was one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders when healthy, leading the league with 2.9 steals per 36 minutes. That would make him an intriguing fit on a Clippers roster that’s already packed with talented defenders, including Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Patrick Beverley.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

After he enjoyed a career year in 2018/19 in Oklahoma City, Paul George is still trying to get comfortable amidst an injury-plagued first season with the Clippers, writes Royce Young of ESPN. “I’m a work in progress,” George said on Tuesday. “It’s been a tough year being injured. Being in the rotation, being out of the rotation. And then just playing in a whole new system, new players, new teammates, new coaches, new playing style. So it’s been a bit of an adjustment for me.”
Reggie Jackson has had an impressive impact on the Clippers’ second unit since arriving from Detroit, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who notes that Jackson’s ball-handling ability has freed up Lou Williams to play off the ball more frequently.
In case you missed it, we identified Jackson as one of 2020’s best buyout-market signings in a Community Shootaround discussion earlier today.

Injury Updates: Markkanen, Lillard, Hawks, Zion, KD

March 4th, 2020 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of former top-10 picks are expected to return to action on Wednesday night after somewhat lengthy injury absences.

One of those players is Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen, who has been sidelined since January 22 due to a stress reaction in his pelvis. According to the team (via Twitter), Markkanen will return to Chicago’s starting lineup tonight in Minnesota, making him the third frontcourt player in the last week to get healthy for the team — Wendell Carter and Otto Porter are also back in action.

More importantly for the playoff race, Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is being listed as probable for Wednesday’s game against Washington (Twitter link via Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com). Lillard has been out since injuring his groin on February 12. Including that game, Portland has gone just 2-5 since his injury, but the team remains in the postseason hunt, 3.5 games back of Memphis.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Hawks announced today in a press release that big men Clint Capela (foot) and Skal Labissiere (knee) continue to rehab their respective injuries and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Both players were acquired at the trade deadline, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll see much -if any – action for Atlanta this season.
In other Hawks-related injury news, swingman DeAndre’ Bembry, who is dealing with abdominal pain, has been cleared for non-contact work, head coach Lloyd Pierce said today (Twitter link via Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Bembry, a potential restricted free agent this offseason, hasn’t played since January 20.
Zion Williamson isn’t currently dealing with an injury, but the Pelicans have played it safe since he returned from knee surgery, opting not to play him in back-to-back sets. That’s expected to change tonight, with the No. 1 overall pick on track to play against Dallas after being active against Minnesota on Tuesday. Andrew Lopez of ESPN has the full story.
During TNT’s Tuesday broadcast (video link), Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports cited league sources who say Nets star Kevin Durant is making good progress in his Achilles recovery and is doing some 3-on-3 work. Durant is on track to be ready for training camp in the fall.