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Bulls Waive Torrey Craig, Chris Duarte To Finalize LaVine Trade

February 3rd, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have officially announced the completion of their three-team trade with the Kings and Spurs that sends Zach LaVine to Sacramento and lands Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter in Chicago.

In order to accommodate the one-for-three deal, Chicago has officially waived veteran wing Torrey Craig and fourth-year swingman Chris Duarte. Both players will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday if they’re not claimed on waivers.

Craig, 34, exercised a $2.85MM player option last June in order to remain in Chicago for a second season after averaging 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 53 outings (14 starts) in 2023/24.

However, Craig was limited to just nine appearances this season — he has battled injuries and wasn’t a significant part of the rotation even when healthy. He appeared to be nearing a return from a right ankle sprain that had sidelined him since December 30, so he may draw some interest on the open market.

As for Duarte, the former 13th overall pick was sent from Sacramento to Chicago as a salary-matching piece in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade in July.

A former standout at Oregon, Duarte got off to a solid start in the NBA when he averaged 13.1 points per game with a .369 3PT% as a rookie in Indiana in 2021/22, but his playing time and his production has declined every year since then. He played just 74 total minutes across 17 appearances as a Bull.

Within their press release announcing the trade and the Craig and Duarte cuts, the Bulls included a statement thanking LaVine for his time with the organization.

“Zach has been a cornerstone for this organization and the city,” executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “He truly embraced what it means to be a Bull. His work ethic and passion for the game have been inspiring. During his time here, he not only grew as a player but also started a family, and we watched him develop into the person he is today.

“We also sincerely thank Chris and Torrey for their professionalism and contributions. Our organization is extremely appreciative of everything each of these guys have given to the team.”

The Bulls continue to explore their options on the trade market, including potentially flipping Jones and/or Huerter, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links).

Johnson adds that there’s some optimism within the organization about the possibility of acquiring draft capital in a Lonzo Ball deal. He also notes that the Bulls engaged with the Bucks about a possible LaVine trade before shifting their focus to the deal with the Kings and Spurs.

The full story on that three-team trade can be found here.

Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Craig, Duarte, LaVine Trade, Phillips

February 3rd, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The three-team deal that will send Zach LaVine to Sacramento could be the start of an active stretch for the Bulls before Thursday’s deadline, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Parting with LaVine indicates that vice president Arturas Karnisovas is now fully committed to rebuilding, which means veteran center Nikola Vucevic and a few others could be heading out next.

Cowley reveals that Vucevic thought he had already been traded when he woke up Sunday morning and found his phone filled with text messages. They all turned out to be about the shocking deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

“I went early to bed; I’m 34, you gotta go to bed earlier,” Vucevic said. “I woke up, and I had, like, 50 messages. I was like, ‘Oh, where am I going?’’’

Cowley notes that the Doncic trade creates a major opportunity for the Bulls to move Vucevic. With Anthony Davis gone from L.A., the team needs help in the middle and may be a logical destination for Vucevic, who is having one of the best offensive seasons of his career.

“I don’t play the linked game much,” Vucevic said. “I don’t really get involved with that too much. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a more interesting answer. You never know. Things happen. But I don’t think anyone in the world knew this trade was going to happen besides [Mavericks general manager] Nico Harrison and [Lakers GM] Rob Pelinka, and it happened. I’m focused on what I can control.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

A source tells Cowley that more trades are expected this week as the front office tries to remake the roster. He reports that Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley both returned to Chicago after road games over the past week to plot the team’s deadline strategy. Before the Doncic or LaVine deals were reported, one player told Cowley that this year’s deadline feels different, indicating that the locker room is bracing for major changes.
Because they’re taking back three players and only sending out one, the Bulls will have to open up two roster spots before the LaVine trade can be finalized. Cowley reports that the team is trying to trade Torrey Craig and Chris Duarte, but isn’t finding much interest and may have to place them on waivers.
While Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Tre Jones seems like a meager return for LaVine, who was putting up huge scoring numbers, Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune says the trade should be judged in context. The Bulls tried for more than a year to find a taker for LaVine, and parting with the nearly $95MM he’s owed over the next two seasons will give them much more financial flexibility. From Chicago’s standpoint, the key to the deal was getting back full control of this year’s first-round pick from the Spurs. Poe notes that rebuilding teams need all the draft assets they can get, but adds that the franchise shouldn’t be in this position after giving up the pick on a protected basis when it acquired DeMar DeRozan from San Antonio in 2022.
In a separate story, Cowley talks to Julian Phillips about his reduced playing time after coach Billy Donovan recently shook up his rotation. The second-year small forward had been seeing regular minutes earlier in the season. “It hasn’t been frustrating for me,” Phillips said. “You kind of have to go with what the team thinks is best. And whatever that is from a coaching standpoint, it’s what it’s going to be, so I can only do the best I can to stay ready whenever I do get that opportunity.”

Bradley Beal Reluctant To Change Teams Again

February 3rd, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There have been reports that it would take a contending team in a warm-weather city for Bradley Beal to consider waiving his no-trade clause, but there’s another reason he prefers to remain in Phoenix, according to Fred Katz, Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

A source familiar with Beal’s thinking tells the authors that he doesn’t want to uproot his family again less than two years after being traded to the Suns. Since that deal was made, the family moved from Washington to Los Angeles before finding a home in Phoenix. Another trade would either mean moving again or playing out the rest of the season away from his wife and their two children.

The source informs Katz, Amick and Nehm that Beal would approve a trade to a handful of cities, but the list is short. His priority is being with a contender, and although he doesn’t like the cold, he’s willing to accept it to get to the right situation.

The authors cite a report from last week that Beal wouldn’t be willing to accept a trade to the Bulls, who offer both cold weather and a remote chance to reach the playoffs. As they point out, that’s the dilemma for the Suns, who are hoping to find a taker for Beal’s contract so they can complete a trade for Jimmy Butler. Any team willing to pay Beal more than $110MM over the next two seasons is likely to be in the midst of rebuilding.

Katz, Amick and Nehm add that Beal would be interested in going to Miami, but the Heat don’t want him because of his salary, the multiple years left on his deal, and his no-trade clause. Once Butler is gone, Miami will be focused on creating cap room for a stellar free agent class in 2026.

The Suns are still considered to be the most aggressive suitor for Butler, but Beal’s situation may be too difficult to solve by Thursday’s trade deadline.

Warriors Halt Jimmy Butler Trade Talks

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cross the Warriors off the list of potential Jimmy Butler suitors, at least for now.

Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link). In response, trade talks between the Heat and Warriors have halted, according to Windhorst.

The Warriors are reportedly interested in making a significant move before the trade deadline and Butler was one of the logical candidates to fulfill that goal. However, it’s well-known that Butler wants to be dealt to the Suns, who are hamstrung in making a blockbuster move because they’re operating over the second tax apron.

The only way Phoenix can complete such a deal to allow Butler to join forces with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant would be to send out Bradley Beal‘s contract. Miami hasn’t shown any interest in acquiring Beal, who has two years remaining on his contract after this season, including a $57.1MM option for 2026/27. Beal also has a no-trade clause and would have to agree to waive it whether he was routed to Miami or a third party.

The Suns are still the team pushing the hardest to land Butler ahead of Thursday’s deadline, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang reports. In any Butler trade, the Heat want to acquire at least one quality player who can help the team this season, Chiang adds.

Butler, who has been suspended indefinitely by Miami for repeated violations of team rules, holds a $52.4MM option on his contract for next season.

Golden State also seriously explored trade proposals to acquire both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučevic from the Bulls before opting to pursue other deals, NBA insider Marc Stein tweets. LaVine is on the move to Sacramento.

Bulls Notes: Ball, LaVine, Vucevic, Buzelis

February 1st, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2024/25 season has already been a huge success for Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball, who returned from a two-and-a-half-year absence and three knee surgeries and has been an effective role player through his first 28 appearances of the season.

However, Ball continues to push for a larger role within Chicago’s rotation, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times and Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune detail. While playing in back-to-backs remains off the table for the former No. 2 overall pick, team doctors agreed this week to increase Ball’s minutes restriction to 28, according to Poe.

“Every stage, they’ve wanted to see how he’s managed the minutes along the way,” head coach Billy Donovan said, per Cowley. “So it started at 16, then up to 22, then we got to 24. And as long as he feels good and he’s responding, that’s the biggest thing. How does he look the next day? And if he does have any swelling or soreness the next day, any difficulty, then they would start to monitor his minutes. But everything he’s done up to this moment with the restrictions that have been on him has been positive.”

Ball’s per-game averages of 7.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 21.1 minutes are all career lows, and his shooting percentages of 36.9% from the floor and 34.7% on three-pointers are below his career rates.

However, like he did in his first season with the organization back in 2021/22, Ball has made the Bulls a better team when he’s on the court. Chicago has outscored opponents by 4.6 points per 100 possessions during his 590 minutes of action and has been outscored by 6.1 points per 100 possessions during the 1,767 minutes he hasn’t played.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

The Bulls have remained in contact with the Suns and Warriors with the trade deadline just five days away, a source tells Cowley, as the front office monitors where those two teams stand in the Jimmy Butler talks. Either one of those clubs could pivot to pursuing Zach LaVine and/or Nikola Vucevic if they don’t end up getting Butler, Cowley notes, though Golden State would be better positioned than Phoenix to make a run at one of those Bulls veterans. Chicago also remains interested in getting involved in a Butler deal as a facilitator, but that’s a longer shot, Cowley adds.
Vucevic isn’t pushing for a trade and said he’s not thinking about leaving Chicago, given that he won’t be a free agent until 2026, but he acknowledged to Poe that – at age 34 – he wouldn’t mind being closer to title contention than he is this season with the 21-28 Bulls. “I’m getting closer to the end of my career,” Vucevic said. “I would like to be somewhere that’s in win-now mode.”
Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis has been playing some of his best basketball of the season as of late. The first-year forward scored 12 points in each of his past two outings and was a plus-18 in 26 minutes of action in Friday’s win over Toronto as he continues to earn Donovan’s trust. “The biggest growth I’ve seen with him is quite honestly he plays a lot harder now,” Donovan said after Wednesday’s loss to Boston, according to Cowley. “Not that he didn’t play hard, but I don’t think he understood the level of intensity and energy he needs to raise himself up to.”

Injury Notes: Nets, Quickley, Craig, Wolves, Davis

January 31st, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The banged-up Nets, who have seven players listed as out for Saturday’s matchup with Houston, provided updates on a handful of their injured regulars on Friday, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype relays (via Twitter).

Guard Cam Thomas, who has been unavailable since January 2 due to a left hamstring strain, is expected to make his return shortly after February’s All-Star break, per the Nets. Big man Noah Clowney will also likely remain on the shelf through the All-Star break after being diagnosed with a left ankle sprain.

Forward Cameron Johnson, meanwhile, is still day-to-day with the right ankle sprain that has cost him the past four games. He won’t play on Saturday.

The injury news in Brooklyn isn’t all bad. After leaving Wednesday’s game with left hamstring tightness, center Day’Ron Sharpe isn’t on the injury report for Saturday. Neither is forward Trendon Watford, who made his return on Wednesday after missing 21 consecutive contests while recovering from a left hamstring strain.

“It was good,” Watford said of his first game back (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “I’m just glad to be back out there with the guys, back playing basketball. Missing 21 games, I’ve been missing it ever since I left the game in Cleveland. It was great to be back.”

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

Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley will be active on Friday vs. the Bulls after missing eight games due to a right hip strain, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. It was the third extended injury absence of 2024/25 for Quickley, who is appearing in just his 10th game of the season and will be on a minutes restriction against Chicago, Lewenberg adds.
Bulls wing Torrey Craig will be inactive for a 15th consecutive game on Friday due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to be nearing a return — he participated in shootaround today, per head coach Billy Donovan (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle will miss his first game of the season on Saturday, having been ruled out vs. Washington due to a right groin strain, according to the team (Twitter link). However, Minnesota did pass along more positive injury news, announcing that rookie Terrence Shannon has been cleared for full-contact 5-on-5 activities and is being listed as questionable to play on Saturday (Twitter link). Shannon, who sustained a right mid-foot sprain while on a G League assignment, last saw the court for the NBA club on December 23.
According to Lakers head coach J.J. Redick, the team isn’t expecting an extended absence for Anthony Davis, who was ruled out for at least a week due to an abdominal strain. Redick is hopeful Davis will be back in action at some point next week, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link).

Warriors Looking To Make ‘Significant’ Trade?

January 30th, 2025 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite an impressive win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday, the Warriors‘ front office seems realistic about the state of the team’s roster and is prepared to make a “significant” deal ahead of next week’s trade deadline, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported on NBA Today (YouTube link).

“This is not really a replicable situation and that’s one of the reasons why you keep hearing the Warriors’ names in trade talks,” Windhorst said Thursday (hat tip to RealGM). “And I know a couple of weeks ago Steph Curry said, ‘We don’t need to do anything desperate’ and all of a sudden they were out.

“I’m telling you, in the last few days, I hear the Warriors are dipping their toes back in the trade market to make a significant move. And just not necessarily for some of the names you’ve heard in the past. I think everybody is kind of riding the fence here, not sure which way this team goes.”

Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic confirmed on Wednesday that Golden State had some new discussions with Miami about Jimmy Butler, though they cautioned that the Warriors had reservations about trading for the 35-year-old. According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, both Curry and head coach Steve Kerr are wary about Butler’s possible fit in the locker room.

Slater and Thompson also revealed that the Warriors were more intrigued by Bulls star Zach LaVine than Butler. They still have reservations about his injury history and the players they’d have to give up to acquire him, but view LaVine as a better culture fit — he’s also six years younger than Butler. Slater and Thompson identified Bulls center Nikola Vucevic as a “secondary” target.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network hears the Warriors are actively engaged in trade talks with several teams and are evaluating multiple scenarios, with LaVine and Vucevic being two of them (Twitter link). Johnson points out (via Twitter) that Kerr was an assistant coach with Team USA in 2021 when LaVine helped the Americans win the gold medal, later praising him for the way he accepted his role.

“He just got it. He understood what the team needed,” Kerr said.

Central Notes: Siakam, Bickerstaff, Horton-Tucker, White, Garland

January 30th, 2025 at 9:36am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pascal Siakam enhanced his case for All-Star consideration with a 37-point performance against the Pistons on Wednesday. The Pacers forward is averaging 20.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Siakam has been selected to the All-Star Game twice during his career. The reserves will be revealed during a TNT broadcast tonight.

“He’s unbelievable,” point guard Tyrese Haliburton told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “In the mid-range, he’s really tough to guard. Ever since he’s got here, that low post and mid post has been one of the most efficient shots in basketball. Keep feeding him, he gets the ball in the right spots. We played a lot of two-man game today. He just stayed with the ball and that allowed me to get him the ball and get him open shots.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Pistons‘ 133-119 loss to Indiana was their third straight after starting out a five-game road trip with a pair of victories. Things got heated, as Isaiah Stewart was ejected for a flagrant foul, while coach J.B. Bickerstaff and a couple of players picked up technicals. It’s perhaps a signal that the old Detroit-Indiana rivalry has restarted. “Our guys care and compete at a high level,” Bickerstaff said. “There is no opponent that we are going to shy away from. We are going to be who we are. We are going to earn the respect of this league, whoever it is. Everybody is going to respect the Pistons and the way we compete.”
Talen Horton-Tucker suffered a left shin injury during the Bulls loss to Boston on Wednesday, the team tweets. On the flip side, Coby White returned from a four-game absence due to a bone bruise in his left ankle. He started and played 31 minutes, contributing 16 points, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune notes.
The Cavaliers rested Darius Garland and had only 10 players in uniform for their game against Miami on Wednesday, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). It didn’t matter, as they never trailed in a 126-106 romp that featured a 34-point outing from Donovan Mitchell.

Bulls’ Coby White To Return Against Celtics

January 29th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In a bit of a surprise, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told reporters that guard Coby White is set to return from an injury absence on Wednesday against the Celtics, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).

White has been on the shelf with a right ankle bone bruise since January 19.

Chicago is in the midst of a three-game road trip. As recently as Tuesday, Donovan had expected White to at least miss the Boston clash, as he apparently has been dealing with some pain in the ankle fairly recently.

All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine, meanwhile, will be away from the team Wednesday while he awaits the birth of his third child. According to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, LaVine may end up missing the Bulls’ entire three-game road trip, which runs through Sunday.

The 20-27 Bulls are currently the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, just one game ahead of Philadelphia for the East’s final play-in tournament spot. The team has gone 2-2 in its four games without White.

The 6’5″ vet is averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds through 40 healthy contests this season. White has posted a .437/.364/.874 shooting line.

The 24-year-old almost instantly outperformed the three-year, $36MM free agent deal he inked with Chicago ahead of the 2023/24 season as a restricted free agent. Provided he stays healthy, White could be in line for a major raise when that agreement expires in 2026.

Warriors Rumors: LaVine, Butler, 2025 Pick, Vucevic, Tax

January 29th, 2025 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Having reported at the start of the month that the Warriors were unlikely to pursue Heat star Jimmy Butler, Anthony Slater of Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reiterate that there was “zero push” at any level of the organization to go after Butler at that time due to concerns about the price and his fit.

However, Slater and Thompson confirm that Golden State has some renewed interest in the 35-year-old now that Miami’s asking price has dropped, though they caution that team sources have downplayed the Warriors’ involvement in the Butler sweepstakes.

The drama Butler has caused in Miami is “not lost on this locker room” in Golden State, according to The Athletic’s reporters, who say that Bulls guard Zach LaVine might be of more interest to the Warriors if the front office decides to make a run at a maximum-salary player.

LaVine is several years younger than Butler and his cap hit is a few million dollars lower. There’s also a sense that he’d be a good culture fit and a belief that the Warriors need a second legitimate scoring threat to complement Stephen Curry, Slater and Thompson write.

On the other hand, LaVine’s longer-term contract and history of health issues make him a risk, and the Warriors have concerns about what they’d have to give up to match salaries for a player like LaVine or Butler. Andrew Wiggins ($26.3MM), an important two-way contributor, would likely have to be involved, and potential trade chips on expiring contracts like Gary Payton II ($9.1MM) and Kevon Looney ($8MM) have been valuable locker-room presences, per The Athletic.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Golden State is willing to move a protected form of its 2025 first-round pick in the right deal, according to Slater and Thompson, who hear from league sources that the Warriors aren’t enamored with the prospects expected to be on the board in the second half of the first round. Moving a lottery-protected 2025 first-rounder would allow Golden State to either convey the pick in June and then dangle future first-rounders (starting with 2026) during the offseason or – if the ’25 pick lands in the top 14 – give the front office a valuable asset in a top-heavy draft to use or trade this summer.
Although it’s not their top priority, the Warriors are mulling the idea of acquiring a stretch center, The Athletic’s duo says. Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is viewed as a “secondary” target, with varying opinions within the organization about how much he’d help. For what it’s worth, Vucevic considers Golden State a desirable landing spot if Chicago trades him, per Slater and Thompson.
Ducking out of luxury tax territory this season isn’t mandatory, with the Warriors prioritizing present and future on-court improvements, team sources tell The Athletic. If the club ends up getting out of the tax as a result of a trade, it would be viewed as an “added benefit.” Golden State is currently operating nearly $6MM over the tax line.