- With Zach LaVine sidelined due to a right foot ailment, Ayo Dosunmu has seen a minutes bump and he’s seized the opportunity, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes. The Bulls have won two straight with Dosunmu averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 36.0 minutes per game while shooting 70.6%. “I think you can see a different player right now than maybe he was a year ago,” coach Billy Donovan said. Dosunmu re-signed with Chicago on a three-year, $21MM deal this offseason.
The Pistons are currently mired in a league-worst 17-game losing streak. If Detroit isn’t able to somewhat right this ship, even while clearly headed for the lottery this year, general manager Troy Weaver should be fired so a new front office can thrive, opines Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press.
Windsor writes that the Pistons are currently on a 7.5-game win pace for the rest of the season, which would shatter the current record for a full 82-game NBA slate.
Given that the club will have lots of space under the league’s projected salary cap next summer, through which it could add veterans and make significant transactions to improve, Windsor submits that Weaver should not be in a decision-making role with the Pistons at that juncture — barring some kind of growth this year.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Following a November 14 surgery to correct a partial tear in his left adductor, Bucks reserve forward Jae Crowder is on the mend, having resumed individual on-court work within the last week, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “When I touched the ball, I was like, ‘All right, I’m getting close,’” Crowder said. The 33-year-old combo forward was a solid two-way contributor for Milwaukee when healthy this year. In his nine healthy games, he’s logging 8.1 PPG on .532/.416/.583 shooting splits, along with 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG and 0.8 SPG.
- Bulls starting point guard Coby White is enjoying an excellent start to the season for a struggling 7-14 Chicago club. His willingness to shoot from distance early and often has played a part in the team’s current two-game mini-win streak, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The 6’5″ guard is averaging 15.0 PPG on .427/.403/.846 shooting splits, 4.2 APG, 3.1 RPG and 0.9 SPG. He’s connecting on a career-best 40.3% of his career-most 7.1 three-pointers per night.
- Bulls All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan seems to be rediscovering the passing game that he developed during his three-year stint with the Spurs, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. To wit, he notched a season-most 10 dimes during Chicago’s surprise 124-118 win over the Pelicans on Saturday. “Just being unselfish, pushing the pace,” DeRozan said of his — and the team’s — approach to the victory.
There is currently no market league-wide for Bulls star guard Zach LaVine, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (Twitter link). This reporting comes less than a month after the news that both LaVine and Chicago were increasingly open to exploring a trade.
“There is not a market for Zach LaVine right now in the NBA,” Wojnarowski said. “That’s not because Chicago has not tried to find it and [they’re] currently trying to find it.”
Wojnarowski goes on to explain opposing teams’ trepidation with potentially acquiring the two-time All-Star, stating that his contract and production are giving teams pause.
“I think the question for teams is, how much does Zach LaVine impact winning?” Wojnarowski said. “Especially with his salary and a new salary cap where you’re asking yourself, ‘Are we trading for our best player? No. Our second-best player? No. So he’s our third-best player, do we want to pay that kind of money?’”
LaVine has $178.1MM and four years remaining on the five-year contract he signed in 2022. At a remaining average annual salary of $44.5MM, LaVine is under contract through at least 2026, with a player option worth roughly $49MM for the 2026/27 season.
Wojnarowski says the Bulls want to get a decent return for one of their top scorers, but explains that in order for Chicago to get what it wants, teams are going to want to see an uptick in LaVine’s production and impact on winning. Through 20 games, the Bulls are 6-14 and LaVine is averaging 21.0 points per game on 44.3% shooting, both of which are his lowest averages since his first year in Chicago in ’17/18. LaVine has 18 appearances this year but is out for at least one week with a foot issue.
Though LaVine has experienced individual success in Chicago, averaging 25.1 PPG and shooting 38.8% from three (7.1 attempts) over the past five seasons, his team has finished with a winning record just once in his 10 seasons in the league. The Bulls were among the top tier of the Eastern Conference for the first half of the ’21/22 season, but after Lonzo Ball and others suffered injuries, LaVine and the Bulls finished at 46-36 and fell in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bulls acquired LaVine alongside Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen in 2017 in exchange for Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton. The Bulls are 194-291 since trading for LaVine. He holds career averages of 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per night.
Of course, as Wojnarowski says, teams are still trying to figure out their identities at this point in the season, and talks will become more substantial across the league when free agents signed in 2023 become trade eligible on Dec. 15 and Jan. 15.
Chicago figures to be at the center of many trade conversations around the league after a disappointing start has the team sitting with a 6-14 record — 13th in the East — after 20 games.
Along the same lines, scouts and executives Sam Amick of The Athletic has spoken to believe Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan is “very likely” to be traded prior to the February deadline. According to Amick, the Heat and Knicks are teams that appeal to DeRozan, who is on an expiring $28.6MM contract.
DeRozan, 34, was an All-Star each of the past two seasons for Chicago and earned an All-NBA Second Team nod in 2021/22. His numbers are down a bit this season, but he’s still averaging 21.3 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.2 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .450/.364/.810 shooting in 18 games (35.2 MPG).
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Keith Smith of Spotrac believes the Bulls should tear down their roster and basically start from scratch. Smith takes an in-depth look at Chicago’s assets and salary cap situation, and lists five trade proposals to kick-start a rebuild, though he acknowledges the Bulls are highly unlikely to undergo such a drastic overhaul.
- Third-year guard Ayo Dosunmu got his first start of the ’23/24 season in Thursday’s overtime victory over Milwaukee and played well, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Dosunmu, who finished with 14 points (on 6-of-8 shooting), six rebounds, six assists and three steals in 39 minutes, received praise from head coach Billy Donovan. “He was great because his tempo and pace in pick-and-roll was really good. He wasn’t rushed,” Donovan said. “He read the floor. He read the defense. He made really good decisions, not only for himself but he generated shots for other guys. He got Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) a lot of opportunities.” Dosunmu is likely to continue to receive more run with Zach LaVine set to miss the next week due to foot soreness, Johnson adds.
- Julian Phillips, a second-round pick who was selected 35th overall in this year’s draft, played a season-high 14 minutes on Thursday with both LaVine and DeRozan (ankle) sidelined, Johnson notes in another story. The 20-year-old small forward missed all three of his field goal attempts, but he played with aggression and had three rebounds and three assists, Johnson writes.
- Fourth-year forward Patrick Williams, a restricted free agent in 2024, is starting to turn things around after an extremely slow start, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Patrick has done a good job,” Donovan said. “He’s been more consistent (with) being physical and feeling his presence out there.” Williams is averaging 13.6 PPG and 5.0 RPG on .520/.474/.875 shooting over the past five games, including four starts (31.5 MPG).
Bulls guard Zach LaVine will be sidelined for at least the next week due to right foot soreness, the team announced today (via Twitter).
LaVine initially sat out the Bulls’ game on November 22 due to what was listed on the injury report as right foot soreness, though he referred to it during a media session as a mid-foot sprain. The issue flared up again during Tuesday’s loss to Boston, forcing him out of action for Thursday’s contest vs. Milwaukee.
It sounds like the Bulls want to give LaVine some time to rest and recover so that the issue doesn’t become a recurring one over the course of the season. Based on the timeline announced by the club, he’ll at least miss games vs. New Orleans (on Saturday) and Charlotte (next Wednesday). The Bulls will visit San Antonio next Friday.
LaVine, 28, has averaged 21.0 points per night on .443/.336/.866 shooting in 18 appearances (35.3 MPG) so far this season. The scoring average and field goal percentage represent his lowest marks since the 2017/18 season.
LaVine is one of the NBA’s top trade candidates, so it’s safe to assume teams around the NBA will be keeping a close eye on the status of his right foot in the coming days and weeks.
Frustrated by his slow recovery from a severe right ankle sprain, Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome has adjusted his treatment plan in the hopes of accelerating his return to the court, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).
As Fedor details, Jerome recently had the ankle immobilized within a cast, which he’ll wear for about a week. The hope is that he’ll be able to resume individual workouts after having the cast removed.
“He is recovering,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said on Tuesday. “They’re doing different steps with him and trying some new things, different things in order to help him. He’s doing another treatment now and I’ll let the medical staff talk about timeline when they put all that together. He’s trying something different than just the normal rehab.”
Jerome has long been a favorite of Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman, according to Fedor. When he signed a two-year deal with the team this past summer, the plan was for him to be mentored by veteran point guard Ricky Rubio.
Instead, due to Rubio’s absence, Jerome was thrust into the backup point guard role to open the season, then suffered the ankle injury in just his second game as a Cavalier. While it hasn’t been an ideal start to his time in Cleveland, Jerome is trying to look at the bright side, telling Fedor, “Guess it’s better to be injured early rather than late.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Following a team-record 15th consecutive loss on Wednesday, Pistons head coach Monty Williams suggested that “this group struggles with adversity,” which is one reason why the slump has only gotten worse, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic expects lineup changes to be around the corner, with Bojan Bogdanovic likely to start when he makes his season debut — that could happen as soon as this Thursday or Saturday, says Edwards.
- Pacers center Jalen Smith‘s leg injury isn’t as serious as the team initially feared, but he has been diagnosed with a left knee bone bruise and a left heel contusion and will miss at least the next two games, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Isaiah Jackson is the leading candidate to take Smith’s spot in the rotation, while two-way player Oscar Tshiebwe is being called up from the G League to provide depth, Dopirak adds.
- In an in-depth story for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jim Owczarski takes a look at the journey Pat Connaughton has taken to secure his place in the NBA as a reliable role player for the Bucks, as well as the work he has done in Milwaukee off the court.
- While it’s one thing to be beaten by more talented teams, the slumping Bulls have also had more “low-effort moments” during their recent losing streak, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bulls‘ final chance to make a statement in the in-season tournament ended with a 27-point loss at Boston and that wasn’t the extent of the bad news, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Zach LaVine left the game midway through the third quarter with foot soreness, a condition that caused him to miss last Wednesday’s contest at Oklahoma City. DeMar DeRozan also got pulled from the game in the third quarter after getting knocked down on a foul and experiencing pain in his left ankle.
It has been a frustrating season for Chicago, which went 0-4 in the tournament and has now dropped eight of its last nine games. With trade rumors swirling around several players, LaVine said it’s important to focus on each game rather than the bigger picture.
“You go out there and play, man,” said LaVine, who added that he’s “day to day” with the soreness. “You got a lot of season left. You don’t play the scoreboard. You look at the standings, obviously. But you try to win every game you step into and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Coach Billy Donovan tried a lineup change on Tuesday, starting Patrick Williams and moving Alex Caruso to the bench to stabilize the second unit, notes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Donovan continues to search for a spark that will snap the team out of its early-season funk. ‘‘Yeah, I take ownership in this, too, in terms of what I’ve got to do,” he told reporters. “I’m not obviously making the decisions that maybe (president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas) is making or Jerry and Michael (Reinsdorf) are making, and I’m not making decisions on the court that the players are making. But what do I have control over? What’s my responsibility? Where can I get better and how can I improve to help? I’m a big believer in you are what your record says you are. I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Well, we had a couple of tough losses, and we could be .500.’ No, this is what we are, and how can we get better?’’
- Blame for the Bulls’ failure should be directed at Karnisovas, who assembled a roster that ranks 26th in offense and 22nd in defense, states Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry argues that Karnisovas should have broken up the core of the team at the February trade deadline and could have done more in free agency than just signing Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter.
- This season will be defined more by what Karnisovas can do on the trade market rather than wins and losses, Johnson states in a separate story. League sources tell Johnson that the organization is focused on finding an acceptable trade for LaVine, and Karnisovas is telling teams calling about other players that he wants to see what his roster looks like after a LaVine deal before beginning any of those discussions.
Moses Moody hit several big shots in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, but he wasn’t on the floor for the closing minutes as the Warriors fell to the Kings. That’s something coach Steve Kerr may have to change if the third-year guard remains productive, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
Moody scored 11 points in the first seven minutes of the quarter, making all four of his shot attempts. However, Kerr opted to replace him with Andrew Wiggins with 4:26 remaining.
“Moses was awesome tonight,” Kerr said. “We needed (Wiggins) on the floor for defense against (De’Aaron) Fox, and we decided to go with Klay (Thompson) and our vets. We thought about keeping him out there. But we made the move that we made.”
Kerr’s loyalty to his veterans cost the Warriors an important division game and a possibly a chance to reach the in-season tournament quarterfinals, according to Marcus Thompson. With Moody and rookie Brandin Podziemski both playing well, Thompson believes Kerr will eventually have to trust them with a game on the line.
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Stephen Curry remains as productive as ever, but Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are no longer playing at a championship level, contends Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. He notes that Thompson has been forcing shots and can’t stay in front of quicker players on defense, while Green’s intensity has been out of control lately, resulting in a five-game suspension for an incident with Rudy Gobert and a near ejection for mocking the officials in Tuesday’s game. O’Connor’s recommendation is for the Warriors to shake up their roster with a trade, using Chris Paul‘s salary and some of their young talent. He suggests targets such as the Raptors‘ Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the Bulls‘ Alex Caruso, the Wizards‘ Kyle Kuzma, or possibly Lauri Markkanen from the Jazz or Kawhi Leonard or Paul George from the Clippers if those teams continue to struggle.
- Golden State could be heading toward a difficult place with Thompson if he can’t shake his early-season slump, observes Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. Thompson has an expiring contract, and if he can’t prove that he’s worth the four-year, $220MM extension that he reportedly expects, his only choices next summer will be to either leave the Warriors or re-sign for significantly less.
- A pair of injuries added to the team’s woes in Tuesday’s loss, notes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Paul was ruled out with lower left leg soreness shortly after halftime, and Gary Payton II hobbled to the locker room with a right calf injury late in the third quarter.
After making several significant changes to their roster during the 2023 offseason, the Rockets figure to remain active on the trade market during the season. League sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that Houston has interest in pursuing further roster upgrades, with Victor Oladipo, Jock Landale, Jeff Green, and draft picks among the team’s potential trade chips.
None of those three players are owed guaranteed money beyond 2023/24 and all are being paid between $8-10MM this season, making them logical salary-matching pieces. Forward Jae’Sean Tate has also generated exploratory interest from playoff-caliber clubs in recent years, according to Scotto, who adds that Reggie Bullock also had several suitors before signing with Houston, making him a name to watch too.
One player we shouldn’t expect to end up in Houston? Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Scotto says the Rockets aren’t involved in the LaVine sweepstakes.
Scotto has more trade-related items of interest from around the Western Conference. Here are a few:
- Sharpshooter Luke Kennard and forward John Konchar are among the Grizzlies players who are candidates to be dealt before February’s deadline, Scotto writes, identifying the Celtics, Warriors, and Lakers as some of the teams that have “kept tabs” on Konchar.
- Rival executives think the Jazz may attempt to stabilize their backcourt by acquiring a veteran point guard, according to Scotto. While rookie Keyonte George has played well, he’s more of a combo guard, Scotto explains, naming Talen Horton-Tucker and Kelly Olynyk as a couple potential trade candidates on Utah’s roster.
- Keegan Murray is the Kings player whom potential trade partners would covet most, but Sacramento views the young forward as an important part of its core and would be more inclined to move future first-round picks in any deal for an impact player, per Scotto.
- Three executives who spoke to Scotto believe the Trail Blazers could land a protected 2024 first-round pick – or a similar asset – if they decide to trade Malcolm Brogdon this season.
Appearing on Hoops Tonight (Twitter video link), Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirmed that the Lakers have some interest in Bulls guard Zach LaVine, but said there are a couple other Chicago players who may be higher on Los Angeles’ wish list.
“I’ve actually heard that they’re more interested in DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso,” Buha said. “AC, he’s the one that got away. Lakers fans, it still bothers them. Inside the organization, it’s a very divisive topic. And then DeMar is someone that the Lakers have courted for several years. Both of those guys are on more manageable contracts (than LaVine).
“… I think both of those guys make more sense within what the Lakers need. There’s real interest in all three guys, but from what I’ve been told, DeMar and Alex are higher on their priority list.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s two L.A. teams:
- Within a comprehensive look at potential trade candidates around the NBA, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says that rival executives believe D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura are among the Lakers players worth monitoring as the trade deadline nears. Scotto also cites one exec who suggests keeping an eye on the possibility of an Amir Coffey trade if the Clippers want to try to reduce their tax bill at all.
- No Clippers players have had their minutes more affected by James Harden‘s arrival than Bones Hyland. He averaged 26.2 minutes per night before Harden’s debut; since then, he has logged 12.9 MPG with six DNPs. As Janis Carr of The Orange County Register details, head coach Tyronn Lue has told Hyland his opportunities will come and the young guard is determined to remain patient. “Obviously everybody would be (bothered), especially for someone who wants to play like myself,” Hyland said. “But at the end of the day, sometimes the coaches see different things and maybe it’s not my time for a reason. … My whole life I try to stay positive, so I don’t let little things throw me off or change my attitude and stuff like that.”
- Speaking today to reporters, Lue said that he isn’t considering a starting lineup change but that he’s thinking about tweaking his rotation, adding that the Clippers need Harden to be “more aggressive” (Twitter thread via Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times).