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Bulls Reportedly Trying To Deal For Damian Lillard

September 20th, 2023 at 8:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls are trying to get involved in the bidding for Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports said on a podcast on Wednesday.

Neubeck hears that Chicago has been exploring the possibility of moving Zach LaVine in a multi-team deal to see if can get a combination of players and picks in return that would interest Portland. He notes that there were trade rumors circulating around LaVine earlier this summer, but the Bulls have publicly denied that he’s being made available.

Neubeck also admits that Lillard might not be happy on a team like Chicago, where his best teammates would be Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan. He adds that the Bulls may be the Eastern Conference mystery team in the Lillard race that ESPN’s Marc Spears alluded to earlier this week.

Derek Bodner confirms on the podcast that he has heard the Bulls mentioned in conversations with other reporters, but he calls it a “borderline crazy gamble.” Bodner believes there are teams that should call Lillard’s bluff about not wanting to play anywhere but Miami, such as the Sixers, who could become legitimate title contenders by pairing Lillard with Joel Embiid. However, he’s not convinced that Chicago would have that type of leverage if acquires Lillard.

Rich Hofman says the Bulls are in a desperate position, so a big swing on a Lillard-type deal might be understandable. He adds that team president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley may have to start worrying soon about their job security, but he doubts Chicago could make a run at a title even with Lillard on the team.

The three writers also considered the possibility of the Sixers making an offer for LaVine, but they agreed that it’s unlikely because of his contract. He’s entering the second season of a five-year, $215MM extension, and his salary will rise from $40MM to $48.9MM over the next four years.

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Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Central Division

September 18th, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the next week, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re beginning our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Central Division. Let’s dive in…

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have a full 21-man offseason roster and won’t need to make any major changes or decisions during the preseason. In order to set their opening night roster, they would simply need to waive their Exhibit 10 players and decide whether they’re keeping either Jones or Taylor — or both.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if both Jones and Taylor begin the season on the 15-man roster, since neither contract will become guaranteed until January. If the Bulls want to waive one of the two in November or December, they’d simply owe him his prorated minimum salary for the first month or two of the season.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Given their proximity to the luxury tax line, the Cavaliers are a good bet to open the season with just 14 players on standard contracts, rather than the maximum allowable 15. While it’s possible they’ll bring in another veteran to compete for the 13th or 14th spot at some point, the simplest route to open the season would be to retain Thompson and Merrill along with their 12 players on guaranteed deals.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons likely have a move or two up their sleeves before the regular season begins. To start, they’re a virtual lock to add a third two-way player, either by converting one of their Exhibit 10 contracts or by adding someone new.

They’re also well below the luxury tax threshold, so it would be a little surprising if they opt to carry just 14 players on standard contracts to open the season. That 15th man probably wouldn’t factor into the rotation, but it still makes sense to fill that spot with a developmental player.

If they’re not interested in promoting an Exhibit 10 or two-way player to the standard roster, signing a free agent, making a trade, or placing a waiver claim on a player cut by another team would all be options to fill that 15th spot.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers’ 18-man regular season roster (15 standard, three two-ways) looks pretty set, but the team figures to remain active in the coming weeks, signing and waiving players to Exhibit 10 contracts for G League purposes.

Milwaukee Bucks

I’m a little surprised the Bucks filled all 15 roster spots, given how far over the tax line they are. But it seems they’re prepared to carry a full 15-man standard roster into the regular season, to go along with their three two-way players.

One potential preseason storyline to watch is whether one of Milwaukee’s camp invitees on an Exhibit 10 contract impresses the club enough to earn a conversion to a two-way contract. Wigginton’s two-way deal carried over from last season, so his roster spot may be a little less secure than that of Moore, who signed a new two-year contract, or Washington, a 2022 first-rounder whom the Bucks may want to take a longer look at.

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On Outside Looking In Among Conference's Six Top Teams

September 17th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The Bulls remain outside the top six in the Eastern Conference’s pecking order, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. They are not a serious threat as currently constructed, though all the teams above them are flawed, Cowley writes. The Bucks and Celtics take the top two spots in Cowley’s rankings.
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Bulls Have Three Stars Under New Player Participation Policy

September 13th, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill
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Bulls Sign Henri Drell To Camp Contract

September 12th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed free agent swingman Henri Drell to a training camp contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Drell, 23, has spent the last two seasons playing for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate. He didn’t have a major role in 2021/22, but became a starter last season, averaging 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 31.3 minutes per night (29 regular season games). He posted a shooting line of .486/.341/.750.

Given that the Bulls specifically described Drell’s deal as a camp contract, he looks like a good bet to be waived prior to the regular season and return to the G League. In that scenario, assuming his agreement includes Exhibit 10 language, he’d be eligible to receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with Windy City.

Chicago now has a full 21-man offseason roster. That group includes 15 players on standard contracts (13 guaranteed), three on Exhibit 10 deals, and three on two-way pacts.

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The NBA Teams Best Positioned To Make Waiver Claims

September 12th, 2023 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

In order to claim a player off waivers, an NBA team must be able to fit the player’s current-year salary into either cap room, a traded player exception, or – if the player is in the final year of his contract – a disabled player exception.

This rule doesn’t apply if the waived player is on a one- or two-year minimum-salary contract. In that case, any team can claim him using the minimum salary exception.

Waiver claims aren’t particularly common in the NBA, and claims involving players earning more than the minimum salary are even less frequent. Still, it’s worth knowing which teams have the most flexibility to make waiver claims in case an intriguing player on a reasonable contract hits the wire.

On Monday, for instance, the Spurs waived veteran point guard Cameron Payne, who is on an expiring $6.5MM deal. Payne has played well in Phoenix over the last four seasons, averaging 9.8 points and 4.2 assists in 20.2 minutes per game across 174 appearances, with a .434/.384/.833 shooting line. That’s pretty solid production for the price.

In all likelihood, Payne will pass through waivers unclaimed and sign for less than $6.5MM with a new team, but there will be teams around the NBA that at least consider making a claim. The Grizzlies should be one of them, in the view of John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link), who notes that Memphis could use another point guard and has a trade exception large enough for the team to take on Payne’s salary without getting too close to the tax line.

Memphis is one of nine teams with the ability to claim Payne off waivers. Here’s the full list, along with the value of their biggest trade exception (unless otherwise noted):

  • Atlanta Hawks: $23,019,560
  • Brooklyn Nets: $19,928,571
  • Washington Wizards: $12,354,400
  • Chicago Bulls: $10,232,559
    • Note: This is the amount of the Bulls’ disabled player exception, not a trade exception, so the team could only use it to claim a player on an expiring contract.
  • Miami Heat: $9,450,000
  • Portland Trail Blazers: $8,300,000
  • Indiana Pacers: $7,493,593
    • Note: This is the maximum amount of cap room the Pacers could create by renouncing the cap holds for their remaining free agents.
  • Memphis Grizzlies: $7,492,540
  • New York Knicks: $6,803,012

Many of these teams wouldn’t have interest in a point guard like Payne and wouldn’t necessarily be in position to add another $6.5MM in salary to their books. Claiming Payne would put the Bulls into luxury tax territory, for instance. These are simply the clubs capable of placing a claim if they so choose.

A total of 10 other teams have the ability to claim non-minimum players off waivers, but wouldn’t be able to take on Payne specifically:

  • Phoenix Suns: $6,500,000
    • Note: The Suns’ trade exception is technically large enough to take on Payne, but they’re ineligible to claim him after trading him to San Antonio.
  • Boston Celtics: $6,202,500
  • Orlando Magic: $5,056,771
    • Note: This is the maximum amount of cap room the Magic could create by renouncing the cap holds for their remaining free agents.
  • Dallas Mavericks: $4,953,980
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: $3,688,117
  • Los Angeles Lakers: $2,700,000
  • Philadelphia 76ers: $2,448,846
  • Golden State Warriors: $2,337,720
  • Denver Nuggets: $2,201,520
  • Charlotte Hornets: $1,930,681

Even though the Hornets‘ largest trade exception is less than the minimum salary for a two-year veteran ($2,019,706), it could still come in handy for claiming certain younger players on non-minimum deals.

For example, if the Thunder – facing a roster crunch – were to waive Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who is earning $1.9MM in the third year of a four-year contract, Charlotte would be able to claim him using its trade exception. A club with only the minimum salary exception available wouldn’t be in position to place a claim on Robinson-Earl.

Here are the 11 teams without a TPE, DPE, or cap room available to claim a player earning more than the minimum:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Utah Jazz
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Eastern Notes: Giles, Nets, Harden, Bucks Prospects

September 8th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Harry Giles‘ one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Nets includes an Exhibit 9 clause, but not an Exhibit 10, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Giles likely won’t be a candidate to join the Long Island Nets in the G League if he’s waived by Brooklyn before the season, since he wouldn’t be eligible for an Exhibit 10 bonus (worth up to $75K). He also can’t have the deal converted into a two-way.

A former first-round pick (20th overall in 2017), Giles was once one of the highest-rated prospects in his class, but sustained a couple of serious knee injuries. The 25-year-old has been out of the league the past two seasons.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Trade talks involving Sixers guard James Harden are reportedly on ice. The team failed to gain traction in negotiations with the Clippers — Harden’s preferred landing spot — and then took him off the market. Still, given his comments about president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, it seems inevitable that Harden will eventually be moved. Which teams might be motivated to pursue Harden if things go awry during the season? Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype cites the Bulls, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers as possible destinations that could make some sense.
  • Instead of prioritizing veterans like they have the past handful of seasons, the Bucks instead have filled out the back end of their roster with young players. Over at The Athletic, Eric Nehm spoke to draft expert Sam Vecenie to see how MarJon Beauchamp, Andre Jackson and Chris Livingston might fit with Milwaukee in 2023/24. Vecenie likes the defensive potential of second-year wing Beauchamp and 2023 second-rounder Jackson, but writes that both players will have to improve their jump shots to have a shot at regular minutes alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. As for Livingston, who was the final pick of 2023, Vecenie believes the former Kentucky wing is a long-term developmental project who is unlikely to make much of an impact in the NBA, particularly early on.
  • In part two of their conversation about the Bucks‘ youngsters, Vecenie says he’s high on TyTy Washington‘s offensive upside and believes the 21-year-old guard has a legitimate shot at being converted to a standard contract. A first-round pick last year, Washington was released by Oklahoma City in August after spending his rookie season with the Rockets, later signing a two-way deal with Milwaukee. Nehm and Vecenie also discuss the potential of second-year sharpshooter A.J. Green, who is on a standard deal, and rookie Omari Moore, who is on a two-way contract.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Bulls Sign Quenton Jackson, Max Heidegger To Camp Deals

September 8th, 2023 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed shooting guard Quenton Jackson and point guard Max Heidegger to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Jackson joined the Wizards for training camp last fall after going undrafted out of Texas A&M. He was waived before the start of the regular season, but rejoined the NBA club in February on a two-year, two-way contract. He finished the season with Washington, then was cut in July.

While he played a limited role in nine NBA games for the Wizards, Jackson had a solid rookie year in the G League, averaging 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game across 29 regular season appearances for the Capital City Go-Go. He posted a shooting line of .535/.395/.775.

Heidegger, 26, has been playing professionally in Europe since going undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2020, spending team with teams in Israel, Germany, Turkey, and Spain over the last three seasons. He was a lights-out three-point shooter during his college career, making 44.0% of 568 total attempts from beyond the arc, including 67-of-125 (53.6%) as a senior.

Chicago now has 20 players under contract, one away from the offseason limit. That total includes 13 players on guaranteed contracts, two on non-guaranteed deals, two on Exhibit 10 contracts, and three on two-way deals.

Jackson and Heidegger will likely end up playing for the Windy City Bulls, where they could earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Chicago’s G League affiliate.

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And-Ones: Title Threats, Ennis, Storylines, Top Coaches

September 5th, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Which team is the Nuggets’ biggest impediment to a second straight title? ESPN’s panel of experts believes the Bucks, Warriors, Suns and Celtics are all potential threats to a Denver repeat. As for just making the playoffs, the Mavericks, Bulls, Timberwolves and Pelicans are among a group of teams that can’t afford to fall short of postseason participation or else risk major rebuilds or superstar demands for trades.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA guard Tyler Ennis has signed with Italy’s Gevi Napoli Basket, according to a team press release. A first-round pick in 2014, Ennis has not played in the NBA since the 2017/18 season, when he appeared in 54 Lakers games. In recent years, Ennis has played mainly in Turkey. He also had a stint with the Raptors’ G League team.
  • The trade demands of James Harden and Damian Lillard, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future with the Bucks, are some of the storylines that will be closely followed this NBA season, The Athletic’s Sam Amick writes.
  • Who are the top five coaches in the NBA? Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times tackles that subject, ranking the Heat‘s Erik Spoelstra and the Spurs‘ Gregg Popovich first and second. The third choice may surprise some people. Cowley rates the Knicks‘ Tom Thibodeau at that spot due to his ability to take downtrodden franchises and make them playoff teams.
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Eastern Notes: DeRozan, Turner, Simmons, Powell

September 3rd, 2023 at 3:14pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Bulls small forward DeMar DeRozan is eligible for a four-year contract extension worth up to $179MM, prompting K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago to consider the case for Chicago’s retention of the 34-year-old wing.

Across his two seasons with the Bulls, DeRozan has posted impressive regular season averages of 26.2 PPG, 5.0 APG and 4.9 RPG. Chicago returned to the playoffs in one of those two seasons, falling in five quick games to the Bucks in 2022.

Johnson believes that the Bulls might want to consider keeping DeRozan on a deal closer to Khris Middleton‘s new three-year, $102MM agreement with Milwaukee, and wonders if the three-time All-NBA honoree and Chicago could come to terms on a new contract that would make both sides happy.

There’s more out of the East:

  • Three-and-D Pacers center Myles Turner is hoping to elevate his shooting to an elite level this season. The 6’11” big man indicated in a new conversation with hosts Alex Golden and Michael Facci on their Setting The Pace podcast (h/t to Tony East of All Pacers for the transcription) that he wants to join the 50/40/90 shooting club, something few players in league history have ever done. “Working on multiple things,” Turner said. “Obviously, still improving my shot. Get my numbers up there. I really strive to be like a 50/40/90 guy… I think it’s possible… a lofty goal at that, but something I know I’m capable of doing.” In 2022/23, Turner averaged 18.0 PPG on .548/.373/.783 shooting splits, along with 7.5 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 1.4 APG and 0.6 SPG. He has never shot better than 80.9% from the charity stripe in a single season, or better than 38.8% on three-pointers.
  • The revamped Nets are hoping that former All-Star point guard Ben Simmons can return to his winning ways. Simmons was out of the team’s rotation by the end of the year. Per Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily, a recent site survey shows that a majority of fans (62%) are optimistic Simmons will be the club’s starting point guard in April. 87% of Brooklyn fans are also convinced that the team will win more than 38 contests in 2023/24.
  • Clippers reserve guard Norman Powell recently looked back on the 2021 trade that sent him from the Raptors to the Trail Blazers (Twitter video link via Basketball On X). “I didn’t want to leave Toronto,” Powell revealed. “I wanted to stay. The core that we had with Fred [VanVleet], Pascal [Siakam], OG [Anunoby], me, could’ve been what Boston Celtics are today.”
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