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Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Vucevic, Ball, Karnisovas

January 16th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan intends to return to action from a right quad strain on Thursday, reports K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Chicago has gone 1-2 without the 6’6″ swingman, the team’s leading scorer and best player.

“You get a different perspective when you are sitting back and watching from afar,” DeRozan said of his absence. “We were just having too many lapses here and there, whether defensively or offensively, that put us in a hole and made it so tough for us to get back in a lot of games. And we’re still right there.”

If by “right there” he means barely in the play-in tournament bracket, then he’s right. At 20-24, the Bulls currently occupy the tenth seed in the East, though they are tied with the No. 11 Raptors.

There’s more out of the Windy City:

  • Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, a trade candidate given he’s on an expiring deal, tied his career high with 43 points in a 132-118 home win over the Warriors Sunday, writes Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago. Vucevic also contributed 13 points, four assists and four steals in a well-rounded effort. “He’s so dynamic because he can shoot the three, play the pocket, he can make the floater, the hook shot,” second-year guard Ayo Dosunmu raved. “He’s got all of that in his bag. He’s also unselfish, so sometimes he gets in the pick and roll, if he doesn’t have it he hits the weakside person.”
  • Starting Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball, who has missed just over a full calendar year following complications from two knee surgeries, conceded that he may not return to the floor for Chicago this season, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I mean, naturally, yeah, everything is on a time schedule,” Ball said when asked if missing the entire season is a possibility. “I would love to play. I would never count that out. It’s a long year, I feel like we’re hitting our stride right now. So hopefully I can keep getting better, the team will keep getting better and we can meet up.” 
  • Chicago team president Arturas Karnisovas addressed fans during a recent appearance on NBC Sports Chicago’s Bulls Talk podcast. “I enjoy the fan base and how much they love the team and how involved they are,” Karnišovas said (h/t to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports for the transcription). “It’s not fun when we lose. I’m a very competitive person. That’s what you need to know. I don’t take losses lightly. I get emotional just like you. We’re trying to turn this around.”
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Bulls May Have Quiet Trade Deadline

January 15th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Due to their up-and-down play so far this season, the Bulls have been a popular target for trade speculation, with outside sources wondering whether players like Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, or even Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan might hit the trade block.

However, multiple sources tell Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that it actually might be a “very quiet” trade deadline for the Bulls.

There’s still time for Chicago’s outlook to change between now and the February 9 deadline, but based on what we’ve heard from the reporters who cover the team, it doesn’t sound as if the 19-24 Bulls are as eager to sell as those outside the organization want them to be.

K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago stated earlier this week that he thinks the Bulls are actually more likely to be buyers than sellers. If that’s the case, it would mean players like Vucevic, Caruso, LaVine, and DeRozan almost certainly going anywhere.

Still, given that their record is just 19-24 and they’ve already traded away multiple future first-round picks, the Bulls seem unlikely to make a huge splash on the trade market as a buyer either. Johnson suggested that if they do seek a rotation upgrade, a deal might involve Coby White and the 2023 lottery-protected pick Portland owes to Chicago. That sort of package probably wouldn’t bring back an impact player or change the makeup of the roster too significantly.

Of course, it’s also possible that the Bulls simply decide to stand pat and hope that point guard Lonzo Ball is able to return to action at some point in the second half, boosting the team’s play-in and playoff chances. In that scenario, the front office could reassess the roster in the offseason as Vucevic becomes a free agent and DeRozan enters a contract year, deciding on a direction at that point.

Again, things could change between now and February 9. The Bulls are currently on a three-game losing streak that includes defeats to two current lottery teams (Washington and Oklahoma City) — if that slide continues, perhaps president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas will become more willing to sell. But as long as the club remains firmly in the play-in picture, it sounds like that’s not Plan A.

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Knicks Scouting Bulls, Alex Caruso

January 15th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams
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21 More NBA Players Become Trade-Eligible

January 15th, 2023 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

Today is Sunday, January 15, which means that nearly two dozen players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is worth more than the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Sunday:

(* Players marked with an asterisk have the ability to veto trades.)

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt. That group includes Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, who becomes trade-eligible on Monday, Bucks swingman Pat Connaughton (trade-eligible on Wednesday), and Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (trade-eligible on Friday).

There are also several players who won’t become trade-eligible before this season’s February 9 deadline, including Lakers star LeBron James. Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

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Bulls Notes: Ball, Jones, Trade Assets, Donovan

January 14th, 2023 at 5:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lonzo Ball isn’t close to returning, but he offered some hope to Bulls fans Friday by posting Instagram videos of himself dunking and running on a treadmill, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the torn meniscus that ended last season for Ball while the Bulls were 21-14 and fighting for the best record in the East. He was originally projected to miss six-to-eight weeks, but complications prevented him from returning at all. Those continued into the offseason and required an arthroscopic debridement in September that Ball is still working his way back from.

Coach Billy Donovan said the Instagram workouts are a sign of progress, but he cautioned that Ball still has a long way to go. He still feels discomfort in the knee, even though it has lessened, and hasn’t been medically cleared for cutting or full-speed running on the court every day.

“There’s going to be a pretty significant ramp-up period for him before he gets back on the floor,” Donovan explained. “Once they say, ‘Hey, he’s free to cut and sprint and take on contact,’ that’s just the first step of however long it’s going to take that process to get to a place where the medical guys and he feels comfortable that he’s built up enough endurance, strength and stamina that he can withstand coming back the next day and doing it again and doing it again.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

  • Derrick Jones Jr. has seen his playing time decrease this season, but he figures to get more minutes while Javonte Green is sidelined following knee surgery, Johnson adds in a separate story. Jones welcomes the opportunity, but doesn’t like the circumstances that caused it. “I’m happy I’m in the rotation now. But I’m also sad that my guy is out. That’s my brother and I’ve always said from day one that I want to see him be great,” Jones said. “We have a great relationship. That’s my ‘dawg.’ I want him back now.”
  • In another piece, Johnson identifies DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine as Chicago’s most valuable trade assets ahead of the February 9 deadline. Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White also make the list, along with a first-round pick from Portland that’s lottery-protected through 2028.
  • In the wake of Friday’s loss to Oklahoma City, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic laments the team’s lack of an identity and wonders whether Donovan has already accomplished as much as he can with the current roster.
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Central Notes: Green, Terry, Middleton, Haliburton

January 12th, 2023 at 8:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls forward Javonte Green underwent a right knee scope on Wednesday, and Chicago reportedly expects him to return in around a month. After that news broke, head coach Billy Donovan explained why the team and Green opted for surgery, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

“He obviously had that bone bruise, which was causing him some problems,’’ Donovan said. “He did swell from it. Medical guys thought that this was something that could be managed if we backed off of him. They had a bunch of different therapies that they could try to do. They did that, and there really wasn’t much progress after a week.

“Given Javonte’s options with where we’re at in the season … obviously it was Javonte’s decision to do it, but I didn’t think from what I got from medical, and even what I got from Javonte, that there was a lot of progress with the interaction of just resting him,” Donovan continued.

Green is on the second year of a two-season, $3.5MM contract he signed with the Bulls, and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 6’5″ vet has emerged as a tenacious, if undersized, defender, mostly playing small forward and power forward.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Rookie Bulls wing Dalen Terry is not currently in the rotation, even with the team missing key swingmen like DeMar DeRozan and Green. He is hoping to carve out rotation minutes at some point this season, Cowley writes in a separate piece. “I’m definitely anxious to get playing time,’’ Terry said. “With the position I’m in right now, it’s just like you’ve gotta embrace it, but you can’t ever get comfortable. I can’t get comfortable with learning every day and not playing. I just have to find that balance.’’
  • Bucks All-Star small forward Khris Middleton practiced with Milwaukee on Tuesday and was involved in the club’s subsequent shootaround Wednesday, but will require more practice reps before he can make his return to the floor, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He continues to try to progress from the knee soreness that has kept him shelved since December 15. “It’s the next ramp-up step in returning to playing,” Middleton said. “It went well. Really, no swelling that came back yesterday, feel pretty good today. I know people get frustrated, but it’s like a day-by-day thing where I have to put myself through these various steps and have to sustain it for a lot of time in order to be back playing without pain or swelling.”
  • Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a left elbow sprain and left knee bone contusion, and is set to miss at least the next two weeks before he is reassessed. Bob Kravitz of The Athletic writes that the team seems to have found a long-term keeper in Haliburton, a player who might actually love Indiana back for once, much like Hall of Fame shooting guard Reggie Miller, who spent all of his 18 NBA seasons trying to bring a title to the Pacers.
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Injury Notes: KAT, Kuminga, Wiseman, Green, DeRozan, LaVine, Sexton

January 12th, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns continues to recuperate from a right calf strain. According to Megan Ryan and Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link), Towns shared a minor update on his health on Thursday, though he didn’t offer a specific timeline for a return just yet.

“It’s a long process,” Towns said. “Definitely was a significant injury… I can’t wait to be back playing for the Wolves, doing what I do best on another level. The great thing about being injured, it gives you a lot of time to think, and I’ve been able to kind of be a coach and be sitting back watching our team and seeing what I, where I can implement myself even more and do… things better than I did before I was injured.”

Through his 21 healthy games this season, Towns was his usual productive self, averaging 20.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 5.3 APG.

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

  • The Warriors have provided updates on the health statuses of several injured players (Twitter link). Second-year wing Jonathan Kuminga, out since spraining his right foot December 30, has joined his Golden State colleagues in practice for the first time today, while power forward JaMychal Green and center James Wiseman are set to rejoin the club in the next few days. Green has been out for the Warriors’ past 10 contests due to a combination of COVID-19 health and safety protocols and a right lower leg infection. Wiseman has missed Golden State’s last five games with a left ankle sprain. All three players are out for tonight’s game against the Spurs as they continue to recover.
  • Bulls All-Star small forward DeMar DeRozan is considered doubtful to suit up against the Thunder tomorrow night, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (via Twitter). DeRozan suffered a right quad strain in a Chicago loss to the Celtics Monday, and missed the Bulls’ subsequent match on Wednesday. Johnson reports that DeRozan’s maximum-salaried teammate Zach LaVine is dealing with a right hand contusion, but is considered probable to play.
  • Jazz reserve guard Collin Sexton said today that he’ll return to the club on Friday following a five-game absence due to a hamstring injury, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “Definitely excited to be back on the floor,” Sexton said. “We pushed it yesterday a lot, we’ve been pushing it this past week, and then pushed it again today. I feel good. I’m excited — I’m ready to go.”
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Bulls Rumors: Williams, Caruso, White, Vucevic, DeRozan, Dosunmu

January 12th, 2023 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Based on his conversations with executives around the NBA, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype doesn’t believe Patrick Williams or Alex Caruso are on the trade block for the Bulls, as he told guest K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago in the latest episode of the HoopsHype podcast.

One executive who spoke to Scotto suggested the Bulls may have “devalued” Williams by holding onto him until now, but Johnson questions whether the No. 4 overall pick really had a ton of value last season or this past summer, given that a major injury limited him to 17 games in 2021/22.

Johnson and Scotto agree that Caruso would bring back a strong return if the Bulls were to make him available, with Johnson suggesting that Chicago could probably get a first-round pick and a player in exchange for the defensive-minded guard.

However, Johnson still believes the Bulls are more likely to buy than sell at the trade deadline. In that scenario, Johnson believes Coby White would be in whatever package Chicago sends out, perhaps packaged with Portland’s lottery-protected 2023 first-round pick. The Grizzlies previously had interest in White, Johnson adds, though it’s unclear if Memphis would still be a suitor at this point.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

  • The general consensus among executives around the league, according to Scotto, is that the Bulls are likely to keep center Nikola Vucevic beyond this season. The veteran center wouldn’t have a ton of value on the trade market and there’s a belief that Chicago won’t want to lose him for nothing in free agency after giving up so much to acquire him from Orlando.
  • Johnson would be surprised if the Bulls move any of their Big Three at this season’s deadline, but suggests DeMar DeRozan would have the most trade value and that Zach LaVine would also draw interest. Johnson notes that Chicago will face an interesting decision on DeRozan this summer, since he’ll be entering a contract year and “you can bet” he’ll be seeking an extension.
  • One NBA exec, speaking to Scotto, had the following to say about Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who can be a restricted free agent this summer: “Nobody will put a big offer sheet on him. His situation reminds me of Josh Hart. He could get that type of contract or bet on himself and take the qualifying offer.” As a restricted free agent in 2021, Hart signed a three-year, $38MM contract that wasn’t fully guaranteed; Johnson believes Dosunmu could end up with a three- or four-year deal in the range of $10-12MM per year.
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Bulls’ Javonte Green To Undergo Procedure On Knee

January 10th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls wing Javonte Green will undergo an arthroscopic debridement on his right knee on Wednesday, the team announced today in a press release.

According to the Bulls, Green will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks. Since that’s just the timeline for a reexamination, the 29-year-old will likely miss more time beyond that, but it sounds like it shouldn’t be a long-term absence. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the club is optimistic about Green’s chances to return within about a month.

Green has been a rotation regular for the Bulls when healthy this season, averaging 5.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG on .587/.382/.674 shooting in 28 games (16.0 MPG). However, right knee soreness has been a recurring issue leading up to today’s announcement from the team.

Green missed three games in early December due to his right knee ailment, then another five games later in the month. He returned on December 28, but only appeared in three contests before going down again. He has been unavailable for Chicago’s last five games.

In more positive Bulls injury news, DeMar DeRozan has been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Washington after leaving Monday’s loss to Boston in the third quarter due to a right quad strain, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. As Johnson wrote in a full story on DeRozan’s quad injury, it’s an issue he’s been dealing with for a while and doesn’t consider serious.

“It’s been bothering me for eight games. I just never said nothing. I do a lot of things that nobody don’t know,” DeRozan said. “… To me, when the season starts, physically we go through so much stuff that you just gotta deal with it. In my mind, knock on wood, as long as nothing is torn or broke, I try to assess myself and feel like I could play through almost anything. That’s all it is. It’s nothing too serious to be extra overly concerned about. It’s just one of those uncomfortable things that I don’t want to linger and keep worrying about.”

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Bulls Notes: DeRozan, LaVine, Trade Deadline, Bradley

January 8th, 2023 at 5:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls wings DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have exhibited improved chemistry in recent games, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. The Bulls have scored 121 or more points over the last four games, and both players surpassed the 30-point mark in a win over Utah on Saturday.

“It’s coming along. We had a lot of trial and error early on where you saw the inconsistency,” DeRozan said. “We’re just finding our rhythm, sharing the ball, understanding our spots.”

We have more on the Bulls:

  • LaVine feels he’s rounding into form and it’s a natural progression after undergoing left knee surgery in May, Johnson adds in the same story. “It’s what happens when you come off surgery, man,” he said. “Everybody expects you to come back and be yourself or better. But without a lot of training and rehab, you’re going to have to go through those ups and downs. I take it on the chin. I knew I was going to get back to what I was supposed to do.”
  • LaVine has pumped up his trade value with his recent surge, but if the Bulls stay hot, the team could stand pat or even become a buyer before the deadline. LaVine wants to stay in Chicago and believes the team is headed in the right direction, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Every year I get asked the same question [around the] trade deadline,’’ LaVine said. “Whoever is on our team, I fight with those guys, I play for them. I’m happy to be on this team, and I’m happy to say that whoever we play, I’m confident. Front office is going to do what they have to do because it’s their job and their livelihood. I do what I do on the court.’’
  • Center Tony Bradley was placed into the league’s health and safety protocols on Saturday, the first time this season a Bulls player tested positive for COVID-19, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. Last season, 18 Bulls players and coaches tested positive between Dec. 1, 2021, and Jan. 5, 2022.
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