Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Extension Notes: Giddey, Green, Gobert, Gordon

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Noting that Bulls guard Josh Giddey was among the top rookie scale extension candidates who didn’t sign a new contract before Monday’s deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link) that the two sides didn’t seem to gain any real traction in their negotiations ahead of the regular season.

“From what I understand, there were never really any meaningful negotiations there, which was a surprise to me,” Windhorst said. “I thought the Bulls were going to be under some amount of pressure to get him done because they had traded Alex Caruso for him.”

Giddey will now be on track for restricted free agency in 2025, with the Bulls getting the opportunity to evaluate him for a year before deciding how significant an investment they want to make in their new point guard.

Meanwhile, Windhorst and his podcast guest Bobby Marks singled out the unusual extension that Jalen Green signed with the Rockets – which gave him a third-year player option and a 10% trade kicker – and suggested that the unique terms of the deal signal that Green could become a trade candidate before his contract expires.

“This is a contract that a lot of people in the league think was signed for the option to be traded,” Windhorst said, adding that the 10% trade kicker was the biggest one handed out in any of this week’s extensions. “I’m not saying the Rockets are definitely going to trade him. I’m just saying this contract was designed to allow him to be traded.”

Here are a few more notes on the contract extensions that were completed this week:

Discussing his new three-year, $110MM agreement with the Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert said he didn’t want to be too “greedy” in negotiations and that he wanted the team to maintain some spending flexibility after locking him up, according to Chris Hine of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. As part of the deal, Gobert declined a $46.7MM player option for 2025/26 and will replace it with a cap hit that comes in $10MM+ below that. “It’s about finding balance,” Gobert said. “Every year, every time I sign a contract I always try to leave a little bit for the team, be able to realize that I’m grateful being able to earn what I’m earning coming from where I come from.”
Aaron Gordon made a similar concession in his extension with the Nuggets, picking up a $22.84MM player option for 2025/26 as part of the deal and allowing the team to put off his 40% raise until ’26/27. Gordon, who said he was “ecstatic” to finalize a long-term deal with Denver, referred to the extension as a “win-win” for him and the team, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Playing alongside Joker (Nikola Jokic), Jamal (Murray), MPJ (Michael Porter Jr.), and being coached under Mike Malone, what more can you ask for?” Gordon said. “From the moment that I got here, Mike Malone has put me in a position to succeed and flourish. He’s put me in the right place, and he’s encouraged me to just be myself, and he’s coached me and allowed me to be myself. So to be coached under him is a great thing. And then just playing alongside these great players and continuing to build a friendship, a bond, a brotherhood, and a team, I’m really excited for it.”
John Hollinger of The Athletic takes a deep dive into the extensions signed this week and considers which teams made out the best and which clubs were smart to hold the line. Hollinger called the Rockets‘ five-year, $185MM deal with Alperen Sengun a “home run” for Houston and lauded the Pelicans for locking up Trey Murphy on a four-year, $112MM extension.

Central Notes: Ball, Giddey, THT, Middleton, Holland, Cavs

October 22nd, 2024 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Bulls point guards will enter the 2024/25 season on expiring contracts. Lonzo Ball is entering the final season of the four-year deal he signed with the team back in 2021, while newcomer Josh Giddey is on track for restricted free agency in 2025 after not coming to terms with Chicago on a rookie scale extension.

Ball will be eligible for a veteran extension throughout the season, but he’s an unlikely candidate for a new deal prior to free agency after missing the past two-and-a-half years. For now, he’s just happy to be back on the court. Head coach Billy Donovan said the plan will be to have Ball play about 14 to 16 minutes against New Orleans in the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).

Giddey was a more viable extension candidate ahead of the season, but he’s not stressed about not completing a deal. He told reporters on Tuesday that he “loves being here” and that the contract situation will “take care of itself,” as Johnson relays (via Twitter).

While Giddey admits that the prospect of an extension weighed on him last season, he doesn’t expect to be distracted by his impending free agency this season. It probably helps that the Bulls specifically targeted him in a trade this past summer, whereas his place in Oklahoma City’s long-term future was always uncertain.

We have more from around the Central:

Chicago native Talen Horton-Tucker officially made the Bulls‘ regular season roster, making him the only player on an Exhibit 10 contract this fall to have that deal become a standard non-guaranteed deal. He called it a “dream come true” to be opening the season with his hometown team, tweets Johnson.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers confirmed today that forward Khris Middleton still hasn’t participated in a 5-on-5 scrimmage and won’t play on Wednesday vs. Philadelphia. However, Middleton hasn’t experienced any setbacks in his recovery from offseason ankle surgeries and is considered day-to-day (Twitter links via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “I would say if this is a playoff game, he’d probably be playing or close to it,” Rivers said.
Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been impressed by rookie forward Ron Holland‘s team-first attitude this fall, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com relays. “The only thing that matters to him is impacting winning,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s important that at his age he understands the intangibles that impact winning. His mindset isn’t, ‘I’ve got to go out and score 30 points, take 30 shots.’ His mindset is, ‘What needs to be done right now to help this team?’ That’s why he’s fit in so well and can fit in with different groups because he has the ability to fill the intangible parts of the game.”
After standing pat while most of their Eastern Conference rivals shook up their rosters this summer, the Cavaliers will have to show they can take a step forward in 2024/25 with their current core, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). If the Cavs season ends like ’23/24 did, with a second-round playoff exit, the front office will have more significant decision to make in the 2025 offseason, according to Fedor.

Central Notes: Middleton, Winslow, Cavs, Bulls, Ivey

October 21st, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks forward Khris Middleton isn’t expected to be active for the team’s regular season opener against Philadelphia on Wednesday, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN. Middleton spent the offseason recovering from surgical procedures on both ankles and the team is taking a cautious approach to his return this fall, Charania explains.

Although Middleton recently expressed a desire to play in 70-plus games in 2024/25, it doesn’t come as a major surprise that he’s not quite ready for the start of the regular season. He didn’t appear in any preseason contests and head coach Doc Rivers said on Saturday that the three-time All-Star would need to play 5-on-5 before Wednesday in order to suit up for opening night (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).

The Bucks haven’t issued any sort of official update on Middleton, but it sounds like he’ll probably be considered day-to-day going forward, with a chance to make his season debut before the end of the month. That’s just my speculation based on comments from Rivers and recent reporting though, so we’ll keep an eye out for more news on the 33-year-old’s status.

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ G League affiliate, acquired the returning rights to Justise Winslow and Darryl Morsell from the Raptors 905 in exchange for the rights to Wenyen Gabriel, Marques Bolden, and Deonte Burton, plus the No. 15 pick in this year’s G League draft, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). As Murphy notes, several of those players are currently competing overseas, but Milwaukee signed Winslow to an Exhibit 10 contract during the preseason — securing his rights means he’ll now be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus worth $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the Herd.
The Cavaliers were much better when Max Strus was on the court last season than when he wasn’t, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who considers in a subscriber-only story how the club will get by without one of its top floor-spacers for the next six weeks while Strus recovers from an ankle injury. Fedor views Dean Wade as the favorite to replace Strus in the starting five, since he’s a solid defender and a strong three-point shooter. Caris LeVert‘s ball-dominant game is a better fit in the second unit, Fedor suggests, while Isaac Okoro is another candidate to play with the starters.
Lonzo Ball, Matas Buzelis, and Julian Phillips are a few of the Bulls players whose preseason performances provided reasons for optimism entering the season, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes in his latest stock report. On the other hand, offseason additions Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith and newly re-signed forward Patrick Williams have had up-and-down Octobers so far, as Mayberry details.
Jaden Ivey saw his role reduced under Monty Williams last season, but the Pistons guard is once again an offensive focal point under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Ivey was the Pistons’ leading scorer during the preseason and earned praise from Bickerstaff for his efforts. “He works his tail off and then he’s playing with confidence,” Detroit’s coach said earlier this month. “When you work as hard as he works and puts as much time in, and then you play with that confidence and belief, the work is going to pay off.”

Gap Remains in Josh Giddey Extension Talks

October 20th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s still a gap between the Bulls and Josh Giddey as Monday’s deadline for rookie scale extensions nears, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Johnson notes that the team’s recent practice has been to let the final year play out and re-sign players as restricted free agents, as it did with Coby White and Patrick Williams.
Strong performances from White and Zach LaVine, along with an encouraging return by Lonzo Ball, give the Bulls reasons for optimism, Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune notes in a recap of the preseason. However, there are concerns about Williams, who had to leave two preseason games with wrist and ankle injuries.

Bulls To Retain Talen Horton-Tucker

October 19th, 2024 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Talen Horton-Tucker will open the season with the Bulls, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the sixth-year guard has made the team as its 15th man.

The 46th overall pick in the 2019 draft, Horton-Tucker spent his first three NBA seasons with the Lakers and his last two in Utah. While he showed some promise with each team and logged regular rotation minutes in each of the past four seasons, he hadn’t taken a significant step forward during that time — his 39.6% field goal percentage last season represented a career low.

Still, Horton-Tucker is just 23 years old (24 in November) and made a strong impression this fall in Chicago on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

The 6’4″ guard averaged 13.0 points per game in five preseason outings despite playing just 17.8 minutes per contest. He also took good care of the ball (0.8 turnovers per game) and knocked down three-pointers at a better rate (33.3%) than he has in any of his five NBA seasons.

Horton-Tucker is on a minimum-salary contract that will pay him $2,425,403 and will count against Chicago’s cap for $2,087,519 if it becomes fully guaranteed. For now, he’ll earn $13,939 for each day he spends on the roster, with the Bulls having the option of waiving him on or before January 7 to open up that 15th spot and avoid paying his full-season salary.

Barring any last-minute moves, the Bulls’ roster looks ready for the regular season, with 14 players on guaranteed contracts, Horton-Tucker on his non-guaranteed deal, and three players occupying the two-way slots.

Horton-Tucker is the first player on an Exhibit 10 contract confirmed to be making his team’s standard opening night roster.

Bulls Convert E.J. Liddell To Two-Way Deal

October 19th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 19: Liddell’s conversion to a two-way contract is now official, the Bulls announced in a press release.

OCTOBER 18: The Bulls are converting E.J. Liddell‘s Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way deal, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Chicago currently has an open two-way spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary to promote Liddell.

An Illinois native who starred in college at Ohio State, Liddell was selected with the 41st pick of the 2022 draft. Unfortunately, he missed his entire first season with the Pelicans after tearing his ACL in Summer League, but the team kept him on a two-way deal for the 2022/23 campaign.

Liddell, a 6’7″ forward, was promoted to a multiyear standard deal in July 2023. He spent most of last season in the G League, only making eight NBA appearances for 23 total minutes with New Orleans in ’23/24.

Liddell was traded twice during the offseason, first to Atlanta in the Dejounte Murray deal, then to Phoenix in a salary dump by the Suns (former first-rounder David Roddy was sent to Atlanta). Phoenix subsequently waived Liddell, making him a free agent until he signed a training camp deal with Chicago.

Since the Bulls didn’t release anyone, they still have 18 players under contract, which is the regular season limit.

As we previously relayed, it seems like the team plans to keep Talen Horton-Tucker into the regular season after waiving Onuralp Bitim and Kenneth Lofton, though that could change before Monday’s final cut-down deadline. Horton-Tucker, who has been a standout in preseason, was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal but is ineligible for a two-way contract due to having five years of NBA experience.

Kuminga, Suggs, Giddey Among Extension Candidates Seeking $30MM+ Annually

October 19th, 2024 at 10:43am CST by Tristan Tucker

The deadline for teams to sign players to rookie scale contract extensions falls on Monday and will force several clubs to make tough decisions.

The Warriors have two players under consideration for rookie scale extensions: Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. As we relayed Friday evening, Moody appears more likely than Kuminga to receive an extension by Monday. Moody is in line to receive minutes at the wing spot in the wake up Klay Thompson‘s departure, and NBA insider Jake Fischer reports he could earn more than $10MM per season on his extension (Threads link).

However, Kuminga is seeking a near-max contract that would pay him north of $30MM annually. According to Fischer, the Warriors have “never seemed intent” on paying the forward that kind of money ahead of the season. That tracks with earlier reporting, which suggested that both sides are content to wait to see if Kuminga takes another step forward in 2024/25 and helps propel the team back into contention as its second- or third-best player. In that scenario, he would presumably be rewarded in restricted free agency next offseason.

Moody averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last season while Kuminga broke out, averaging 16.1 PPG on 52.9% shooting from the field.

We have more on this year’s rookie scale extension candidates:

According to Fischer, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson is facing a similar situation to Kuminga. However, there’s “far more optimism” that the Hawks and Johnson will finalize a deal worth north of $30MM each year, which is said to be the starting point for negotiations with the former Duke standout. Johnson broke out in a big way last season, jumping from 5.6 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 2022/23 to 16.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG. He’s primed to be a long-term fixture in Atlanta as one of the Hawks’ franchise cornerstones.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs is seeking an extension worth more than $30MM annually in talks with Orlando, NBA insider Marc Stein reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether or not Orlando is prepared to make that sort of offer, but Suggs emerged as one of the best defensive guards in the league last season, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team, averaging 12.6 PPG and 1.4 SPG, improving his outside shooting to 39.7%, and helping the young Magic to a 47-win season.
Immanuel Quickley‘s five-year, $162.5MM contract with the Raptors is said to have set a benchmark for young guards across the league, Fischer says, confirming previous reporting. Bulls guard/forward Josh Giddey is also seeking at least $30MM per year on his next extension. However, the Bulls are more interested in seeing how Giddey fits with the team before committing that kind of money to him. Chicago traded Alex Caruso for Giddey in June.
The Rockets haven’t been willing to this point to approach a maximum-salary deal for either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, according to Fischer. We relayed Friday that the Rockets have held productive conversations with both players, submitting offers to each, but that those offers were below the max. Fischer indicates that Houston is completely fine with not agreeing to terms with either before the year begins.
Clippers guard Bones Hyland and Nets young players Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe are not expected to agree to terms on a rookie scale extension, according to Fischer. However, there remains some optimism that Hornets guard Tre Mann, Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson and Wizards wing Corey Kispert will be able to sign extensions by Monday’s deadline.
Quentin Grimes has emerged as a real candidate to receive an extension by Monday, according to Stein (Twitter link). Grimes was acquired by the Mavericks in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason and he’s averaged 8.5 PPG across three NBA seasons. His deal would presumably be in the ballpark of Moody’s, perhaps a bit more than $10MM per year.

Bulls Notes: Ball, Future, Vucevic, Smith, Reinsdorf

October 18th, 2024 at 2:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball made his long-awaited return to the court on Wednesday and received a standing ovation from the United Center crowd when he checked in, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Wednesday’s preseason victory over Minnesota marked Ball’s first official NBA game since January 14, 2022 — nearly three years ago (33 months).

“Felt a lot better playing than watching,” Ball said after the game. “I couldn’t even put it into words how it felt being out there. … It was definitely a moment I’ll never forget.”

Ball, who has battled chronic left knee soreness and underwent three surgeries since his last game, made an immediate impact in his return, recording 10 points (on 4-of-6 shooting), one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block in 15 minutes. He said he didn’t think about his knee “at all” during the game and he plans to suit up again in Friday’s preseason finale vs. Cleveland.

“My game is pretty simple,” Ball said, per Darnell Mayberry and Jenna West of The Athletic. “I know what I can do out there. It’s not too complicated. I’m going to go in, give good minutes and hopefully contribute to winning. All the instinctive plays, that’s not going to go anywhere. It’s more about the on-ball and getting over screens like I used to; getting that back. But off the ball, I feel comfortable.”

While it was a very encouraging return, Ball will be closely monitored throughout the season. He’ll likely be given regular rest days and will be on a minutes restriction for the foreseeable future.

“We have a good handle right now, but I think it’s going to change throughout the year,” Ball said, according to Collier. “Every day is going to be a different challenge we just have to overcome.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

If Ball can stay healthy and steadily increase his minutes, the former No. 2 overall pick could become a valuable trade target for a contending team, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times contends. Ball, who turns 27 years old later this month, is on an expiring $21.4MM contract, and the Bulls have a glut of guards on their roster, making his return somewhat awkward from a rotation standpoint, Cowley observes.
The Bulls have been playing at a much faster pace in the preseason compared to the past few seasons. Veteran center Nikola Vucevic isn’t known for his mobility, but he will remain in the starting lineup, with free agent addition Jalen Smith serving as his primary backup, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. “We’ve done stuff in practice where we’ve mixed and matched teams,” head coach Billy Donovan said Wednesday. “We’ve moved guys around. We have done that. But I would envision Vooch starting and [Smith] backing him up. And then [Smith] gives us a little different dynamic in terms of the small-ball five.” Donovan added that the two big men could share the court together at times, as both are capable of stretching the floor.
The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling MLB’s White Sox and is in active discussions with a prospective ownership group. Would a potential White Sox sale impact the Bulls? According to Cowley, the answer is a resounding no — Reinsdorf and his son Michael view the Bulls as a long-term family investment that will continue to grow in value over time.

Bulls Waive Onuralp Bitim, Kenneth Lofton Jr.

October 17th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls have waived Onuralp Bitim and Kenneth Lofton Jr., the team tweets.

Bitim was battling for the last spot on the roster on a non-guaranteed contract. The 25-year-old would have received $350K if he had made the opening night roster. He underwent surgery for a detached retina in the spring.

Bitim began last season on a two-way contract but was promoted to Chicago’s standard roster in February. After making his NBA debut on February 22, he appeared in 22 total games for Chicago, averaging 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .381/.273/.800.

Lofton, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract in August, began last season on the Grizzlies’ 15-man roster, but was waived in December. He spent a couple months on a two-way deal with Philadelphia, then was waived again in March and signed a rest-of-season contract with the Jazz, who cut him before his ’24/25 salary became partially guaranteed.

Assuming Lofton isn’t claimed, he’ll receive a bonus worth $77.5K if he joins the G League’s Windy City Bulls and remains with them for at least 60 days.

The Bulls camp roster now stands at 18, including a pair of two-way players.

These moves would seemingly improve the chances of Talen Horton-Tucker making the roster. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract last month.

Central Notes: Ball, Giddey, Trent, Swider

October 16th, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball has undergone three arthroscopic procedures on his left knee since his last NBA game in January of 2022. With so much to overcome, Ball describes himself as “full of joy” to be returning to the court for tonight’s preseason contest with Minnesota, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“I think it’s the belief in myself — knowing what I was feeling, knowing that I was a good age to come back from it,” Ball said. “I’m just trusting in the doctors and people around me.”

Ball added that he never lost confidence in his ability to make a comeback, even though he had to consult with numerous knee specialists along the way. He received medical clearance to participate in five-on-five scrimmages in August and showed up a few weeks before training camp to work out with his teammates. He experienced some soreness in the knee, but no major setbacks, and the Bulls’ medical staff has developed a plan to regulate his workload as he gets used to playing an NBA schedule again. Ball will be limited to 16 minutes in tonight’s contest.

“It’s not the same body I started off with,” he said. “But I think I can still be productive and effective on the court. That’s why I’m still trying to play.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Josh Giddey is eligible for a rookie scale extension through Monday, but the Bulls will likely wait to see what he does this season before making a long-term commitment, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Giddey is off to a strong start in his first preseason with Chicago — averaging 11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and five assists in just less than 23 minutes per night — but Cowley believes the Bulls want some evidence that they can build a title contender around Giddey and they’re more likely to wait and deal with him as a restricted free agent next summer.
Gary Trent Jr. looks ready to become the Bucks‘ next successful shooting guard, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Several shooters have benefited from the open space that comes from playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, and coach Doc Rivers is urging Trent to be ready to fire away. “If you have an open look, put it up,” Trent replied when asked about Rivers’ advice. “He communicated that to me and everybody on the team as well. Everybody has a certain green light, obviously with a certain amount of control and a certain thinking process, but other than that, it’s free flowing. Telling you to go out there, play hard, let it fly and let it fly. Just make sure it’s a good shot.”
Cole Swider seems like a good bet to make the Pacers‘ roster after Kendall Brown was waived Tuesday, but it’s not certain that he’ll receive a standard contract, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana could decide to open up a two-way slot for Swider, who is in camp on a non-guaranteed deal.