- Lonzo Ball continues to defy the odds in his latest attempt to come back from knee surgery, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Ball was recently cleared to start full-contact scrimmages and has started that process on schedule with no setbacks, Cowley reports. The veteran point guard has been participating in scrimmages in Los Angeles. The next step for Ball will be to run with his Bulls teammates at the team’s practice facility, which will allow Chicago’s medical staff to evaluate him and devise a plan for him heading into the preseason.
Speaking at All-NBA point guard Goran Dragic‘s farewell game in Slovenia, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic reflected on the team’s disappointing results over the past three seasons. The 6’10” big man noted that everything changed after point guard Lonzo Ball suffered a left meniscus tear midway through the 2021/22 season, per Milun Nesovic of Meridian Sport (hat tip to BasketNews for the transcription).
Chicago went 22-13 during the 35 games Ball was healthy, and hovered around the top of the Eastern Conference. The club then fell to the No. 6 seed and was eliminated by the Bucks in a brisk 2022 first-round playoff series. Ball has undergone three knee surgeries, but has yet to return to the hardwood.
“Since Lonzo Ball’s injury, we haven’t been able to achieve the results we could have,” Vucevic said. “When he played, we were at the top of the East for a while, which maybe wasn’t a realistic result, even though we were playing well, but with him, we would have fought for anything between third and sixth place in the end.”
Chicago hasn’t had Ball available since January 2022. It’s probably not realistic to expect him to contribute at the same level he did, if he ever can come back.
The conversation is well worth reading in full. Here are some more highlights:
- Vucevic also blamed constant trade chatter for distracting the team during its subsequent two seasons, when Chicago made very few transactions and ultimately missed the playoffs. “Trade talks also affected us, preventing us from achieving the results we thought we could, but when results don’t follow, changes come,” Vucevic said.
- The team parted ways with two of its top players, six-time All-Star swingman DeMar DeRozan and All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso, this summer. DeRozan inked a lucrative three-year deal with the Kings via sign-and-trade, while Caruso was dealt to the Thunder for Josh Giddey. Vucevic is aware that the club is trying to pivot. “DeRozan left, Caruso left, the team got younger, and they wanted to go in a different direction,” Vucevic said. “We’ll see how the season goes, and then decisions will be made based on that.”
- The 33-year-old center, who is owed $41.5MM over the next two seasons, also addressed his own future in the league. “I’m aware that I’ve been in the NBA for 13 years now, that the end is not that far off,” Vucevic acknowledged. “I don’t believe I’ll play another 13 years, but I have two more years with Chicago, and I’d like to play two more after that… I think I can play at a high level for that long, and then I’ll see.” A two-time All-Star while with the Magic, Vucevic has seen his shooting efficiency fall off somewhat in recent seasons. After connecting on 40% of 6.3 three-pointers per game in 2020/21, he has averaged 32% on 4.3 long range attempts across the ensuing three seasons. Though he averaged a respectable 18.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 76 games last season, Vucevic’s lack of athleticism has made him a major defensive liability, unable to switch in pick-and-roll situations and incapable of effectively protecting the rim. Offensively, the ball often sticks in his hands and disrupts the club’s scoring.
As he prepares for his second NBA season, Sixers swingman Ricky Council has been participating this summer in the private runs held in Los Angeles by Sixers assistant Rico Hines, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Council is working on fine-tuning his game in the hope of earning rotation minutes in Philadelphia in 2024/25.
“This summer has been a whole lot of work, maybe even more than last year,” Council said. “Keeping my shooting touch up, working on different finishing moves, just learning the game, playing against good competition every day. All that’s going to help me in the long run.”
Having spent most of his rookie season in 2023/24 on a two-way contract, Council didn’t see a ton of action at the NBA level, but he impressed in his limited minutes, averaging 5.4 points in 32 outings (9.0 MPG), with a shooting line of .482/.375/.746. He knows that in order to get more playing time in ’24/25, he’ll have to show he can excel in a complementary role.
“We have Paul George. We have Tyrese Maxey and we have Joel Embiid,” Council said. “I don’t expect they’ll need much off the dribble in that nature. So I just need to be able to hit open shots and guard people.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- There’s “zero truth” to rumors that billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is interested in bidding on the Celtics, a source close to Bezos tells Nick Wingfield of The Information. As Kurt Helin of NBC Sports notes, there has been speculation in league circles that Bezos may have interest in being involved in an expansion franchise in Seattle, but it doesn’t sound like he’s looking to gain control of the defending champions, whose majority ownership group put its stake up for sale earlier this summer.
- Appearing on the Club 520 Podcast (YouTube link), Bucks guard Damian Lillard admitted that his first year in Milwaukee last season was a “harder transition” than he expected. In addition to going through a tumultuous period in his personal life at the time, he also found it challenging to adjust to playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton after being traded from Portland to Milwaukee just days before training camp. “I’m having to get used to playing with two (great) players and I don’t want to stop them from doing what they do,” Lillard said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “But I got to find how to be the best version of me within this too, so it was just a lot of moving parts. It was more difficult than I thought it would would be.”
- The Celtics sit atop ESPN’s predictions for the 2024/25 Eastern Conference standings, followed by the Knicks, Sixers, Cavaliers, and Bucks, in that order. The Magic round out ESPN’s projected group of top-six playoff teams, followed by the Pacers, Heat, Hawks, and Bulls in the play-in group. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s panel sees a big disparity between the the top two and bottom two play-in teams, projecting 46 wins for Indiana and 45 for Miami, compared to 31 for Atlanta and 30 for Chicago.
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Chicago Bulls.
Free agent signings
Patrick Williams: Five years, $90,000,000. Fifth-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.- Jalen Smith: Three years, $27,000,000. Signed using non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
- Marcus Domask: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Kenneth Lofton Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
Trades
- Acquired Josh Giddey from the Thunder in exchange for Alex Caruso.
- Acquired Chris Duarte, RaiQuan Gray (two-way), the Kings’ 2025 second-round pick, the Kings’ 2028 second-round pick, and cash in a three-team trade in exchange for DeMar DeRozan (signed-and-traded to Kings).
- Note: Gray was subsequently waived.
Draft picks
- 1-11: Matas Buzelis
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $23,950,723).
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free agents
- DeMar DeRozan (Kings)
- Henri Drell (Trail Blazers)
- Andre Drummond (Sixers)
- Javonte Green (unsigned)
Other moves
- Waived Andrew Funk (two-way).
Salary cap situation
- Operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
- Carrying approximately $166.1MM in salary.
- Hard-capped at $178,132,000.
- $4,250,571 of mid-level exception available.
- Full bi-annual exception available.
- Two traded player exceptions available (largest worth $17,506,232).
The offseason so far
There was some good news for fans in Chicago this summer, as the Bulls’ front office finally accepted that roster changes were needed and that the group in place since 2021 wasn’t about to finally break through and become a contender.
The bad news? That decision probably came too late for the Bulls to get the most out of their veteran trade chips.
Chicago acquired a pair of future second-round picks along with Chris Duarte – a former first-round pick still on his rookie contract – in a sign-and-trade deal sending DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento. That’s a better outcome for the Bulls than letting their top scorer walk for nothing, but it’s a pretty modest return compared to what they might’ve gotten for DeRozan if they’d put him on the trade block before he reached unrestricted free agency.
The other two members of the Bulls’ one-time “big three” – Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic – didn’t go anywhere this offseason and may both still be on the roster on opening night. Their contracts (three years, $138MM for LaVine; two years, $41.5MM for Vucevic) are viewed as somewhat onerous relative to their on-court contributions.
While they could be traded, Chicago shouldn’t expect to receive much of value in return for either LaVine, who is coming off season-ending foot surgery, or Vucevic, who will turn 34 years old this October. In fact, moving off LaVine’s maximum-salary deal would probably require attaching assets at this point, so it might make more sense for the team to retain him in the hopes that he’ll increase his value by playing well this fall.
The most interesting move of the Bulls’ summer was trading defensive ace Alex Caruso for former lottery pick Josh Giddey, who had a tumultuous season both on and off the court in 2023/24. Based on reports that Chicago was seeking multiple first-rounders for Caruso, it came as a surprise that the club didn’t acquire a single pick in the deal, especially from a Thunder team loaded with future draft assets.
I understand the Bulls’ thinking to some extent. While his unreliable outside shot made him something of a liability in the postseason, Giddey is a talented ball-handler and play-maker who is still just 21 years old and is on his way to becoming a better pro than most mid-first-rounders in a typical draft class. A player with Giddey’s three-season track record certainly has a higher floor than an untested 19-year-old prospect.
On the other hand, Giddey is entering his fourth season and is currently eligible for a rookie scale extension. Even if he’s not extended by October 21, he’ll be due a major raise next summer when he reaches restricted free agency, whereas a draftee would’ve been on a team-friendly rookie contract for four seasons.
With Giddey expected to take over point guard duties, Patrick Williams back under contract on a five-year, $90MM deal, Jalen Smith added to the frontcourt on a three-year, $27MM contract, and lottery pick Matas Buzelis on track to play a role as a rookie, the Bulls are well on their way to leaning into a youth movement. However, the ongoing presence of LaVine and Vucevic complicates matters, leaving the team somewhat caught in the middle between play-in/playoff contention and a full-fledged rebuild.
Up next
Assuming there are no trades involving LaVine, Vucevic, or any other Bulls before opening night, 14 standard roster spots look spoken for, while the 15th is up for grabs.
Onuralp Bitim and Kenneth Lofton are among the players on non-guaranteed deals who appear to be in the mix for that last roster spot, and it’s possible the club will bring in one or two more players to compete for it in camp. Carrying a player with a non-guaranteed salary as the 15th man would give Chicago the flexibility to make an in-season change if need be.
The Bulls also have an open two-way slot, with Adama Sanogo and DJ Steward occupying two of those three openings for now. It’s possible that spot could be up for grabs in a camp competition too — Lofton and Marcus Domask are both on Exhibit 10 contracts that could be converted into two-way deals before the season begins.
Newcomers Giddey and Duarte are eligible for rookie scale extensions and I’d expect the Bulls to seriously consider signing Giddey. His stock could be much higher in a year than it is right now, assuming he thrives in Chicago with the ball in his hands more often, so locking him up sooner rather than later could pay off in the long run. A preseason agreement with Duarte, who has seen his playing time and production decline in each of his three NBA seasons, is hard to envision.
The only other Bull who is eligible for an extension is Lonzo Ball, but it’s safe to say that’s not happening either. Just getting on the court this fall would be a huge win for Ball, who has been sidelined for over two-and-a-half years due to knee issues. Barring an unlikely bounce-back season for the former No. 2 overall pick, he’s a strong candidate to have his expiring contract traded by February’s trade deadline — or to be waived before the end of the season, if he continues to miss time for health reasons.
As our list of traded player exceptions shows, six NBA teams currently control TPEs worth more than $10MM apiece. Those exceptions are as follows:
- Atlanta Hawks: $25,266,266 (expires 7/7/25)
- Brooklyn Nets: $23,300,000 (expires 7/7/25)
- Chicago Bulls: $17,506,232 (expires 7/8/25)
- Dallas Mavericks: $16,193,183 (expires 7/7/25)
- Memphis Grizzlies: $12,600,000 (expires 2/3/25)
- Washington Wizards: $12,402,000 (expires 2/10/25)
A trade exception allows a team to acquire a player’s contract without sending out matching salary in return. So in theory, the exceptions listed above could put these clubs in position to take on a sizable salary in a preseason or mid-season trade, perhaps acquiring a draft asset or two in the deal for their troubles.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception]
In practice though, it will be difficult for any of these teams to make full use of their large TPEs in that sort of move. The Hawks, Nets, Bulls, Mavericks, and Wizards are all hard-capped at the first tax apron, while the Grizzlies would be if they were to use any portion of their exception.
Atlanta, Brooklyn, and Memphis also don’t have much breathing room below the luxury tax line, while Dallas is already in the tax, so they won’t be eager to take on much extra salary anyway.
Chicago could get about $6.6MM below the tax line by waiving Onuralp Bitim‘s non-guaranteed salary, while Washington could get about $11.9MM below that threshold by waiving their non-guaranteed players, so accommodating modest salary dumps could be in play for those clubs — especially the Wizards, whose big TPE will expire at the trade deadline. But generally speaking, these trade exceptions might not prove all that useful until the 2025 offseason.
Our TPE list uses italics to show which exceptions are currently ineligible to be used. As a reminder, teams operating above either tax apron can’t use trade exceptions generated during the previous regular season (2023/24) or the previous offseason (2023), while teams operating above the second tax apron can’t use new TPEs created from sign-and-trades.
That means, for example, that the Timberwolves are ineligible to use the $4MM exception they generated in February when they traded Troy Brown to the Pistons. They’re also ineligible to use the $8.8MM TPE they generated by signing-and-trading Kyle Anderson to Golden State last month. However, they could use the $2.5MM TPE created in July’s Wendell Moore deal, since it’s new since the season ended and wasn’t the result of a sign-and-trade.
AUGUST 17: Lofton’s deal with the Bulls is official, according to RealGM’s transaction log. It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.
AUGUST 16: Free agent forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. has agreed to a one-year contract with the Bulls, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While Charania doesn’t provide any other details on the deal, he says Lofton will have the opportunity in training camp to compete for a spot on Chicago’s regular season roster. That suggests it’ll be a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract.
Lofton, who turned 22 on Wednesday, began his professional career with the Grizzlies in 2022 after going undrafted out of Louisiana Tech. The bulky 6’6″ forward spent most of his rookie year on a two-way contract with Memphis, appearing in 24 NBA games.
After being converted to a standard contract in April 2023, Lofton began the 2023/24 season on the Grizzlies’ 15-man roster, but was waived in December when Ja Morant was activated from the suspended list. He spent a couple months on a two-way deal with Philadelphia, then was waived again in March and signed a rest-of-season contract with the Jazz, who cut him last month before his ’24/25 salary became partially guaranteed.
Although Lofton didn’t play much at the NBA level in ’23/24, he finished the year strong in Utah, averaging 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 22.8 minutes per game across four April outings for the Jazz. He also had a big year in the G League, earning All-NBAGL First Team honors after putting up 25.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.6 BPG in 19 regular season games (30.1 MPG) for the Delaware Blue Coats and the Salt Lake City Stars.
The Bulls currently have 14 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with Onuralp Bitim on a non-guaranteed deal, so if Lofton impresses in camp, he could become the team’s 15th man. Chicago also has a two-way spot available, though Lofton would only be eligible to have his contract converted to a two-way deal if it includes Exhibit 10 language.
According to VegasInsider.com, the opening odds for the Bulls’ projected win total sit at 30.5. In order to exceed that figure, the Bulls will need a few breakout seasons, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry writes.
Coby White, Josh Giddey, Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith are some of the players in line for a statistical jump, given the state of current roster. The Bulls could get even younger as the season unfolds. They have been looking to deal Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic without success but that could change prior to next season’s trade deadline.
- In case you missed it, the Bulls are signing Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a one-year contract. Get the details here.
The NBA revealed its full schedule for the 2024/25 regular season on Thursday, and while there generally aren’t any surprises on that schedule (it’s not like the NFL, where a team plays fewer than half of the league’s other clubs), it’s still worth circling specific dates and marquee matchups.
Zach Harper of The Athletic, Chris Mannix of SI.com, and ESPN did just that, with Harper highlighting 35 games he’s looking forward to, Mannix naming 10 games to watch, and ESPN identifying 23 games not to miss.
Unsurprisingly, the Knicks/Celtics regular season opener (October 22), Paul George‘s return to Los Angeles with the Sixers (November 6), and Klay Thompson‘s return to Golden State with the Mavericks (Nov. 12) made all three lists.
The other two matchups that showed up on all three lists? Wizards at Hawks on Oct. 28 in the first regular season matchup between this year’s top two draft picks (Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr) and Spurs at Thunder on Oct. 30 in this season’s first Victor Wembanyama/Chet Holmgren showdown.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- A total of seven NBA teams operated under the cap and used room to make moves this offseason. As Keith Smith of Spotrac writes, those clubs used their cap space in very different ways, with some – like the Sixers and Thunder – making splashes in free agency, some (such as the Hornets) focusing on taking in salary in trades, and one (the Jazz) using most of its room to renegotiate a star player’s contract.
- Which NBA teams have been the “cheapest” in recent years and which have been most willing to spend? Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores that questions, ranking each team by its spending from 2017-24 and considering whether clubs should have been willing to invest more on those rosters. The Warriors, Clippers, and Bucks have been the biggest spenders over the last seven years, while the Bulls, Pistons, and Hornets are at the other end of the list.
- In a three-part series for The Athletic, David Aldridge ranks all 30 NBA clubs based on how much they improved their rosters with their offseason moves. Aldridge’s list, which is sorted by which teams improved most in the short term rather than which clubs made the “best” moves, features the Thunder, Sixers, and Magic at the top. Not coincidentally, those clubs made three of the summer’s biggest free agent signings, adding Isaiah Hartenstein, Paul George, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, respectively.
There are concerns about Jamal Murray following a lackluster Olympic performance with Team Canada, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. After dealing with injuries during the latter part of the season, the Nuggets guard was limited to 36.6% true shooting and a 4.7 PER in four Olympic games.
While Hollinger admits that’s a small sample size, he notes that Murray wasn’t any better in Canada’s exhibition contests and didn’t look like the same player he was during Denver’s 2023 title run. Hollinger observes that Murray played without “zip” while having a hard time getting separation from his defender and finishing at the rim. If there’s a physical issue affecting Murray, it could be a significant story heading into training camp and the start of the season, Hollinger adds.
A report in late June stated that the Nuggets and Murray were nearing agreement on a four-year, $208MM extension. Hollinger wonders if the team might be reconsidering that offer in light of Murray’s recent downturn.
Hollinger shares a few more thoughts on the Olympics:
- Guerschon Yabusele helped his NBA prospects tremendously with his Olympic performance, but Hollinger is skeptical that he’ll join the league this season. A league source confirms to Hollinger that Yabusele has a $2.5MM buyout in his contract with Real Madrid. Any NBA team that signs him would have to pay that amount, which would count against the cap above the $850K maximum international buyout, along with Yabusele’s salary. Hollinger sees a better chance for Yabusele to return to the NBA next summer when he’ll be a free agent.
- Australia used Josh Giddey as its primary ball-handler, a role he’ll assume with the Bulls this season. Hollinger points out that although Giddey could have used better outside shooting around him, he was effective running the offense. He made 11 three-pointers in four games, easing some of the concerns about him in Oklahoma City, while taking on a 30% usage rate.
- Hollinger believes Raptors swingman RJ Barrett could be headed for a breakout season. Playing for Canada, Barrett ranked fourth in the Olympics in scoring at 19.8 PPG with 58/44/84 shooting splits. Hollinger adds that Barrett was impressive after being traded to Toronto last season and should have a high-usage role on a rebuilding team.
- Khem Birch may have sparked NBA interest after being Canada’s top center in France, per Hollinger. Birch will be 32 by the time training camps open, but Hollinger suggests he could fill a role as a third center.
- Mathias Lessort, who helped France reach the gold medal game, could be a “last-resort option” for the Knicks next summer if they still haven’t found a reliable backup center, Hollinger states. The 29-year-old big man is under contract with Panathinaikos in Greece this season.
- Isaac Bonga is a free agent after wrapping up a strong Olympics with Germany. Hollinger notes that Bonga is only 24 and could return to the NBA and a three-and-D specialist, even if it doesn’t happen right away.
The Bulls are hiring former NBA guard — and former Bull — E’Twaun Moore as a scout, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Moore hails from East Chicago, Indiana, which is approximately 18 miles from downtown Chicago, Illinois.
Moore, 35, was last under contract in 2021/22 with Orlando, though he didn’t appear in any regular season games for the Magic. He was waived in February 2022 to make room on Orlando’s roster just before the trade deadline.
The 55th pick of the 2011 draft after starring in college at Purdue, Moore spent 11 seasons in the NBA with Boston, Orlando, Chicago, New Orleans and Phoenix. He played for the Bulls from 2014-16.
Moore hasn’t officially announced his retirement from playing, but he’s been out of the league for two consecutive seasons now. As of January 2023, Moore was still working out in the hope of receiving a call from an NBA team; however, he was also preparing for his post-playing career, including some successful investments.
The 6’3″ guard averaged 7.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .455/.388/.742 shooting in 598 regular season games over the course of his career, including 191 starts (21.0 minutes per contest).