Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Bulls, Mobley, Cavs, Diakite, Pacers

October 14th, 2022 at 11:27pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says he’s still tinkering with different lineup combinations and hasn’t decided which player will start at power forward, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

“Certainly, the rest of this week and going into next week, we’ll do that,” Donovan said when he was asked about experimenting with different looks and combinations.

Cowley writes that the Bulls are trying to determine whether Patrick Williams‘ development would be aided more by starting or coming off the bench. Javonte Green is his primary competition for the starting job.

Donovan has said “several times” during training camp that the power forward spot could fluctuate during the season, and it’s not clear if he’s prioritizing performance or matchups, according to Cowley.

2022/23 will be an important season for both players. Williams will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer after the Bulls exercised his fourth-year option, while Green will be an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers rested several key players in Friday’s 114-108 loss to Orlando, but Evan Mobley looked good, and more importantly healthy, in his preseason debut after dealing with a sprained right ankle, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Last season’s Rookie of the Year runner-up will be a huge piece of the puzzle for the Cavs if they hope to return to the postseason for the first time since 2018.
Both Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert made a strong case for the Cavaliers‘ starting small forward job in the loss to the Magic, Fedor adds in the same piece. Okoro finished with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added three rebounds, while LeVert had 15 points (on 5-of-12 shooting), four rebounds, three assists and four steals.
The Cavaliers preferred to keep their 15th standard roster spot open to maintain flexibility, but Fedor wonders (via Twitter) if Mamadi Diakite might be forcing their hand after a strong preseason performance. According to Fedor, Diakite has intrigued with his mix of activity, energy and productivity. He’s on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal after playing for the Bucks and Thunder the past two seasons.
John Hollinger of The Athletic previews the Pacers, projecting them to finish with a 27-55 record, 14th in the Eastern Conference. Though he expects them to be bad, Hollinger thinks the Pacers will be entertaining to watch and notes that they have a lot of interesting decisions to make, including potentially dealing away veterans and exploring ways to utilize their $29MM in cap space.

Bulls Convert Kostas Antetokounmpo To Two-Way Contract

October 14th, 2022 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have signed forward Kostas Antetokounmpo to a two-way contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Technically, Antetokounmpo, who was in camp with the Bulls on an Exhibit 10 contract, had that deal converted into a two-way pact. Teams are allowed to turn Exhibit 10s into two-ways at any time up until October 17, assuming the player meets the two-way criteria. Antetokounmpo, the younger brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo, has just three years of NBA experience, so he fits the bill.

Although he has appeared in NBA games in three separate seasons, Antetokounmpo has never played a regular rotation role during previous stops with the Mavericks and Lakers. The 24-year-old has logged just 87 total minutes in 22 games, putting up 21 points and 23 rebounds during his limited action.

Malcolm Hill and Justin Lewis had previously held the Bulls’ two-way contract slots. The Bulls haven’t announced that they’ve waived either player, but K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago suggests that Lewis, who sustained an ACL injury this summer, will be the odd man out. Lewis will remain around the team during his recovery process, Johnson writes.

In other Bulls roster news, the club has signed former NBA forward Okaro White to a contract, per RealGM’s transaction log. White is still listed as part of the roster on the team’s official website, but will likely be waived in the next 24 hours or so and eventually join the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League team.

Ayo Dosunmu To Take Over As Starting Point Guard

October 12th, 2022 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ayo Dosunmu will take over as the Bulls‘ starting point guard while Lonzo Ball is sidelined, per Annie Costabile of The Chicago Sun-Times. Coach Billy Donovan confirmed that Dosunmu won the role with his performance since camp opened. “Ayo right now is going to be the guy back there for us,” Donovan said. “He’s done a really good job this training camp and preseason.”

Bulls Sign, Waive Ethan Thompson

October 12th, 2022 at 7:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have signed and waived shooting guard Ethan Thompson, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

Thompson was in training camp with Chicago last year, but was waived before the start of the regular season. He spent the season with the G League’s Windy City Bulls, averaging 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 34 games, and he appears likely to end up with the team again if he clears waivers.

He signed with the Bulls last summer after going undrafted out of Oregon State.

Chicago has 19 players under contract, one short of the preseason limit.

Bulls Sign, Waive Henri Drell

October 12th, 2022 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls signed and then waived Estonian swingman Henri Drell, according to the official transaction logs at RealGM.com and NBA.com.

Drell, 22, went undrafted this year after joining the Windy City Bulls during the 2021/22 season. He appeared in 29 games for Windy City, averaging 5.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.0 BPG with a shooting line of .372/.308/.500 in 17.9 minutes per contest.

Despite Drell’s underwhelming numbers last season, the Bulls seem to like what they’ve seen from him. He suited up for Chicago’s Summer League team and now appears likely to head back to Windy City to begin the 2022/23 season.

Drell presumably signed an Exhibit 10 contract, which will allow him to earn a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Windy City Bulls this season.

After signing and waiving Drell, Chicago is still carrying 19 players on its preseason roster.

Goran Dragic Winding Down NBA Career

October 11th, 2022 at 1:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

At 36, Goran Dragic is savoring the latter part of his time in the NBA, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “This means I just want to enjoy basketball,” said Dragic, who signed with the Bulls in August. “I’m probably close to the end of my career. I just want to enjoy it and win games. I think this is a really awesome group that I’m a part of. Everybody is such a nice guy and having fun. And of course, now it’s all on us to start winning and it’s going to be much easier.”

Drummond Aims To Go Deep

October 10th, 2022 at 10:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls backup center Andre Drummond is looking to become a 3-point threat, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “It’s something that I spoke to the coaching staff in the summertime when I signed here, that it’s something that I’ve worked on, that I want to be able to stay on the floor, and I want to be able to add different facets to my game to be able to help this team win,” Drummond said. “And if I’m able to make that corner 3 when I’m wide open, it adds another element to our team.”

Bulls' Donovan Downplays Moving Patrick Williams To Bench

October 9th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan downplayed his decision to remove Patrick Williams from the starting lineup for the team’s two most recent preseason games, but the significance of that move is “clear for all to see,” argues Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Javonte Green, who earned the start in Williams’ place on Friday, has scored 50 points in 60 minutes this preseason and is playing like the Bulls want Williams to, Mayberry writes. “When you put Javonte out there, you know what you’re going to get,” Donovan said after Friday’s game.

Bulls Waive Javon Freeman-Liberty

October 8th, 2022 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have waived guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, the team announced today (via Twitter). The move reduces Chicago’s roster count to 19 players.

Freeman-Liberty went pro earlier this year after declaring for the draft following his senior year at DePaul, forgoing his additional year of college eligibility. In 2021/22, he averaged 21.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 3.2 APG on .430/.368/.739 shooting in 24 games (34.9 MPG) for the Blue Demons.

Freeman-Liberty played for the Bulls’ Summer League team in Las Vegas, then appeared in the team’s second preseason game on Friday, scoring eight points in just six minutes of action.

Because Freeman-Liberty had been on an Exhibit 10 contract, he’ll be eligible for a $50K bonus if he signs a G League contract and spends at least 60 days with the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate.

LaVine Staying True To Himself, Terry's Playing Time Unknown

October 7th, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says he hasn’t noticed a change in Zach LaVine‘s behavior after he signed a five-year, $215MM contract as a free agent this summer, calling him “a really grounded guy,” according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. However, Donovan says LaVine’s knee injury limited him on defense last season, and says “there’s another level he needs to get to” on that end of the court, per Cowley.
Donovan likes Dalen Terry‘s energy and competitiveness, but he’s not sure if he’ll have a spot in the Bulls‘ rotation, Cowley adds in the same piece. Donovan didn’t hesitate to play rookie second-rounder Ayo Dosunmu last season, so he seems to be quite fair about allotting minutes based on merit rather using a prescribed rotation, so Terry, Chicago’s first-round pick this year, could have a chance at playing time if he performs well.