Josh Giddey

Bulls Notes: Ball, Tanking, Roster Keepers, Williams

February 19th, 2025 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Loyalty factored into Lonzo Ball‘s decision to accept a two-year, $20MM extension from the Bulls, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The second year is a club option, and if the Bulls exercise it, Ball’s total salary for the next two seasons will be less than the $21.4MM he’s making this year. It’s his way of repaying the team for believing in him while he was sidelined with knee issues for two and a half seasons.

“Just the overall picture,” Ball explained. “The doctor being out here, so not having to deal with the rehab process like I have the last couple years, the relationship I have with the front office, the coaching staff, the young guys here, it all made sense for me to stay. That’s what I wanted ultimately, and we were able to come to an agreement.”

The announcement of the extension was somewhat of a surprise considering that Ball had been heavily involved in trade rumors leading up to the February 6 deadline. He was also headed toward free agency this summer, which could have resulted in a much larger payday, but he prefers the stability of staying in Chicago.

“I’m in trade talks every year so that’s not a new thing to me, but I expressed to my agent (Rich Paul) that I wanted to stay, and they wanted to have me,” Ball said. “They stayed with me for probably the toughest journey in my life so far, so I was just trying to get back, man, and be loyal to who was loyal to me. I was brought up like that my whole life. I’m really big on family and I feel like it’s family here.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

The front office may regret not fully embracing a tanking strategy at the deadline, Cowley states in a separate story. Chicago sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento, but held onto Ball and veteran center Nikola Vucevic, sending mixed signals about which direction the franchise is headed. Cowley advocates emulating the 9-45 Wizards, as well as the Rockets and Pistons, who were able to quickly rebuild after tanking in recent seasons. Beyond having a better shot at Cooper Flagg, the top prize in this year’s draft, Cowley points out that there will be three potential franchise players in the 2026 class.
In another Sun-Times piece, Cowley tries to determine which players from the current roster should return next season. His list includes Ball, restricted free agent Josh Giddey, rookie Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and either Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu.
Patrick Williams will miss Thursday’s game at New York with soreness in his right quadriceps tendon, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Williams banged knees with another player in the final game before the All-Star break, but the injury doesn’t appear serious as he was able practice without restrictions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Ball, Vucevic, Dosunmu, Jones

February 6th, 2025 at 7:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zach LaVine might have felt more bitterness if the Bulls had traded him a year ago, but he had nothing but good things to say about his former organization after being dealt to the Kings, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

After trying for more than a year to unload LaVine’s pricey contract, Chicago sent him to Sacramento on Monday as part of a three-team deal. Cowley notes that there was a lot of mistrust between LaVine and the Bulls when he was first placed on the market, but that has dissipated since this season began.

“There’s no bad blood,” LaVine said. “I got traded early on in my career, and it hit me, but now you control what you can. I was taking my son on a walk when I got the call from [agent] Rich [Paul], and I was extremely excited. I appreciate everything and my time in Chicago, but now that I’m here, it’s time to take my career to the next step and continue that along. It’s always great to be in a place that you are wanted, and not everyone has an opportunity to have that, so I’m very thankful.”

LaVine was a leader in Chicago, and many of his former teammates were sorry to see him go, Cowley adds. Nikola Vucevic recalled how welcoming LaVine was when he was acquired in a 2021 deadline deal, rookie Matas Buzelis called him a mentor and Coby White said he was “shocked and sad” when he learned that LaVine was leaving.

“Everybody has to play the cards that they’re dealt,” LaVine said. “The situation that you’re in, the team that you play for, I always put my best foot forward and try to do everything I can to help the team. Are you always going to be able to? No, but for me now in my 11th year, being in one playoff series, you want to try to challenge yourself to get there. You want to compete for championships; you want to be in big games.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

The Bulls received a few trade offers for Lonzo Ball, but he preferred to stay in Chicago and was rewarded Wednesday with a two-year extension, Cowley states in a separate story. Ball’s teammates found out about the deal at halftime and offered their congratulations to Ball, who overcame more than two years of knee issues to return to the court. “Guys are very happy for him,” Vucevic said. “Guys have a certain respect and responsibility to step it up when he’s on the court because we know what he’s been through, we see how hard he competes every night. When you see that, you can’t help but try to match that and play hard for him. The way he plays, great team player, always tries to stay positive. You see him dive on the floor, fight for rebounds … you see that and what he’s been through, it just motivates you to play harder.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Bulls head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas raised eyebrows with some of his comments, suggesting that a “playoff push” could still be on the table this season and stating that he’s focused on building a solid 10-player group rather than focusing on finding stars, Cowley writes for the Sun-Times. “There’s different structures that you can try to get to a championship,” Karnisovas said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN (Twitter link). “There’s two or three star players and then a lot of role players or you can build it as nine or 10 very good players.” Karnisovas specified that the Bulls are attempting the latter route, Collier adds.
A source close to the situation tells Cowley that Karnisovas and his front office have a “more definite plan in place” than what he has conveyed publicly, and Cowley clarifies that the Bulls executive would only want to see the team making a second-half playoff push if it’s led by young players like Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey.
“We obviously value draft compensation and young players, and flexibility, I think in that order,” Karnisovas said on Thursday in explaining the decision to retain veterans like Nikola Vucevic. “But again, we have nine players that are between 20 and 25 (years old). You have to have a right mix of players to grow. You can’t just roll out all young players and they’re going to develop on their own. I think you need the right vets, experienced guys to be around. I see Vooch and keeping Zo (Ball) in that role.” According to Cowley, the Bulls considered the offers they got for Vucevic to be underwhelming and are hopeful they’ll improve in the summer when teams have more cap flexibility.
Multiple teams who spoke to the Bulls ahead of the trade deadline about their guards came away with the impression that the team views Ayo Dosunmu as a keeper, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Interestingly, Johnson also says that newly acquired point guard Tre Jones is a candidate to remain with the team beyond his expiring contract.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Latest On De’Aaron Fox

January 30th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Tristan Tucker

More than half the teams in the NBA have inquired on De’Aaron Fox since the Kings made him available for trade on Tuesday, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Talks with San Antonio, Fox’s reported preferred destination, are going to be particularly interesting, Amick writes, with the Spurs potentially in position to push negotiations into the offseason in an effort to further evaluate their options without losing out on Fox to another team.

One potential sticking point in negotiations between the two teams could be the inclusion of 2024 lottery pick Stephon Castle. Amick writes that there is skepticism in league circles that the Spurs would include their rookie who has shown real potential.

Additionally, from the Spurs’ perspective, it may make more sense to wait until the offseason to make a move for Fox because Chris Paul is continuing to help elevate their franchise at 39 years old.

While Fox is likely to sign an extension with the Spurs if he’s traded there, other inquiring teams are likely viewing him as a rental (he’s under contract through the 2025/26 season), and the quality of their offers figures to reflect that.

The general mood of the locker room in Sacramento could impact the Kings’ timing in moving Fox, as Amick says multiple players expressed frustration that this situation is poorly timed since it coincides with Sacramento playing well under interim coach Doug Christie.

One player the Kings are not interested in acquiring as part of any Fox deal is the Heat‘s Jimmy Butler. The Kings “do not see Butler as the answer,” according to Amick. As has been well-reported, the Heat are trying to trade Butler ahead of the 2025 deadline and the Kings’ star point guard would be a logical target for Miami, given his Kentucky connection with Bam Adebayo.

Fox hasn’t requested a trade from the Kings, but his unwillingness to commit long-term led the Kings to approach his representation and put him on the block. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Fox and his camp would have preferred to reach this point this summer when teams are more flush with draft capital and room to make offers.

The Nets are described by Fischer as a team who can be ruled out for an in-season acquisition of Fox but could make a run for the one-time All-Star in the summer.

Regardless of whether Fox becomes eligible for a super-max this season by making an All-NBA team, he has no intention of signing an extension with the Kings, Fischer writes. While Fischer suggests that the haul for Fox wouldn’t be the same as what the Cavaliers had to give up for Donovan Mitchell, as an example, it might not make sense for the Spurs to surrender multiple valuable assets for a player who is interested in signing with them in 2026 either way.

Pairing up with Wembanyama is still Fox’s ultimate goal, fueled by representation by Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul. According to Fischer, that destination was also in mind when Darius Garland‘s future in Cleveland was called into question last offseason. The Spurs have also envisioned potentially targeting Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball or Chicago’s Josh Giddey to pair with their franchise center, Fischer adds.

Here are some other recent tidbits about Fox:

The Lakers aren’t a potential Fox destination because Klutch knows Los Angeles wouldn’t give up Austin Reaves in any deal with Sacramento, Fischer writes.
As has been reported, the Rockets are looking to play out the rest of the season with their young core that has them in No. 2 in the Western Conference. However, that’s not the only reason they’re not currently exploring a trade for Fox. According to Fischer, the Rockets are skeptical of Fox’s fit with the team, even though the timeline makes sense.
A potential Fox trade could cause veteran DeMar DeRozan to reevaluate his future in Sacramento, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. “Yeah, it’s tough because looking at the landscape, before I came here, those are the guys I talked to was Fox, [Domantas Sabonis] and Malik [Monk],” DeRozan said. “Those are the core guys that made it easy for me to make my decision to play here, and a key player, a key juggernaut in Fox, not knowing the future of that, it does make it tough.“

No Untouchables In Bulls’ Trade Talks

January 27th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball have been the Bulls players most frequently cited this season as trade candidates, but head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas would be open to moving just about anyone on the roster if he thinks the deal is in the team’s best long-term interests and helps Chicago keep its top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

Cowley identifies Matas Buzelis as the only exception, but clarifies that the rookie forward isn’t “completely untouchable” either.

The report doesn’t come as a real surprise. Chicago has also reportedly made forward Patrick Williams available, and Cowley suggested last month that guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu aren’t off the table in trade talks.

The Bulls also aren’t likely to be especially attached to reserves like Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, Chris Duarte, Torrey Craig, and Talen Horton-Tucker, while youngsters Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips haven’t established themselves as long-term keepers.

That leaves Josh Giddey, who was viewed as Chicago’s probable point guard of the future when the team acquired him last summer from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso. Giddey didn’t sign a rookie scale extension last fall and has had an up-and-down first season as a Bull, but I’d still be a little surprised if he’s moved by next Thursday, given that his value on an expiring contract would be limited.

A source tells Cowley that Karnisovas has come down to some extent on what teams viewed as “unrealistic” asking prices for his top trade chips earlier in the season, though that doesn’t mean he’s simply willing to sell off players to the highest bidder.

Discussing the latest on Vucevic within a trade rumor round-up on his Substack, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that the Bulls are still seeking a first-round pick in return for the veteran center. Stein describes the Warriors as “at the front of the line” of Vucevic suitors, but says Golden State has been unwilling to offer more than second-round capital to this point.

As for LaVine, he was at the center of one of the season’s earlier notable trade rumors when a report in mid-December indicated that the Nuggets had real interest in the Bulls guard. However, LaVine has been on a tear since then, further increasing his value by staying healthy and averaging 27.0 points per game on .524/.467/.786 shooting over his past 18 games. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has heated up too, putting up 21.3 PPG and 5.9 APG with a .485/.404/.913 shooting line during the same time frame.

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, Murray’s resurgence will likely make “big-game hunting less of a priority” for the Nuggets, while LaVine’s heater will make it more difficult for Denver to meet Chicago’s asking price. So the odds of a trade sending LaVine to the Nuggets look slimmer than they did a month ago.

In case you missed it, we wrote about another Bulls-related rumor earlier today, passing along word that Chicago has talked to the Suns about Bradley Beal.

Bulls Notes: Buzelis, White, Giddey

January 23rd, 2025 at 2:53pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls have several young players on their roster, but only rookie forward Matas Buzelis has the raw talent to potentially change the team’s trajectory, argues Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. However, the 20-year-old from Chicago will have to improve in a number of different areas for that to happen.

“The one thing is, he has earned his minutes, which has been a positive,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “He has terrific upside and ability and talent. But he’s young.

“It’s kind of what we were talking about with [Patrick Williams]. All these guys get into a situation where when they come into the league at an extremely young age, there’s a pass given on, ‘They’re young. They have to learn.’ And rightfully so. But after a period of time, you have to be able to do this. And with Matas, [it’s] the consistency part from him of understanding the league, understanding personnel, understanding who he’s guarding.

“I’ve been really encouraged with the way he has responded, and I do think he’ll continue to improve. He’s a worker and gets in there and competes. But as a young guy, he has to learn.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune writes, Buzelis has shown flashes of tantalizing upside this season, but the No. 11 overall pick ranks just 32nd among rookies in minutes per game (12.8 in 42 appearances). After logging roughly his season average in the first half of Monday’s win against the Clippers, he didn’t play at all in the final two quarters, a trend that has been happening for some time. He says he only has himself to blame for that, per Poe. “I deserved it,” Buzelis said. “I was minus-11, wasn’t making shots, defensively messed up, missed a few offensive rebounds. It’s part of the learning process. I can’t get frustrated (with playing time) when I’m the one not playing well.”
Guard Coby White met with a foot doctor on Tuesday after undergoing imaging, and while nothing is structurally wrong with his ankle, he’s unlikely to suit up on Thursday at Golden State, Donovan said (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network). White, who missed Monday’s game, is officially listed as questionable with right ankle soreness.
Josh Giddey has had an up-and-down first season with the Bulls, struggling at times on defense, which is one of the primary reasons he hasn’t been a consistent part of closing lineups. That changed on Monday, when the fourth-year guard put up 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in 40 minutes in the win vs. the Clips. The 22-year-old will be a restricted free agent in the summer, and he admits he sometimes wonders about the uncertainty of his contract situation, according to Cowley. “I’m very happy here,” Giddey said. “I love the players, the coaches, everyone has been great here. I’d be lying if I said I never think about it. Every player in the country thinks about it, but you can’t let it impact the way you play. It’s a business. The contract will be taken care of at the end of the year, whatever it is, how long it is, where it is? It’s kind of out of my hands by then, so just play the season and do my best.”

Bulls Notes: Giddey, Dosunmu, Trade Talks, Buzelis

December 29th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Giddey returned to the lineup with a triple-double Saturday night as the Bulls got a much-needed win over Milwaukee, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. He missed the previous four games with a sprained right ankle that was originally feared to be much worse than it turned out to be. Giddey sparked the team with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, but he preferred to talk about his improved defense.

“Taking more pride on that side of the ball is something I wanted to buy into probably 10, 12 games ago,” he said. “I met with (coach Billy Donovan), and we spoke about it in order to close games and be an impact. Even when offense isn’t going great, you’ve got to be locked in on that side of the ball. So, I really tried to hone in that side. It’s not going to be perfect. It won’t be for anybody, but I just made an emphasis to really be locked in on that side of the ball.”

Giddey realized he needed to upgrade his defense after a November 15 game in which the Cavaliers repeatedly targeted him on that end of the court, Mayberry adds. He responded to the experience with extra film study and a commitment to bring more effort to his defensive responsibilities.

“There’s only so much film you can watch,” he said. “It’s your will and your want to do it. I flipped that switch, and I want to do it now. It’s something I’ve wanted to take pride in and put myself in those positions where I have to sit down and guard the ball. I’ve really tried to lock in on that side of the ball and make an emphasis of standing my ground and not being the weak link on that side of the ball. You get to a point in your NBA career where you are who you are, and I didn’t want to be that way on the defensive side.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Ayo Dosunmu will be reevaluated in 10 days after straining his lower right calf in a December 23 game, the Bulls announced (via Twitter). He sat out Thursday’s contest with a sore Achilles, and medical imaging on Friday revealed the cause of the pain, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Let it calm down,” Donovan said. “No tears or anything like that, but certainly a strain showed up. With the way he plays, it’s probably in an area that will continue to cause problems unless he rests it. You’re always going to be susceptible to causing more problems. It was something that was caught earlier, which is a positive.” Cowley notes that Dosunmu was coming off his best stretch of the season, averaging 14.2 points and 6.4 assists in his last nine games.
The Bulls appear to be quiet in trade talks, as Donovan indicated that team vice president Arturas Karnisovas hasn’t contacted him about any serious proposals, Cowley adds in a separate story. “I think he’s always been respectful that we’ve got games coming, and we’re talking about the team, the roster, where we’re at now, how we get better, how we improve, those type of things,” Donovan said. “But there hasn’t been anything of substance of ‘Hey, this is where things are at.'”
Matas Buzelis may already be the Bulls’ best shot blocker, notes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. The rookie forward had two more blocks Saturday night and leads the team in that category even though he’s only ninth in minutes played.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Vucevic, Ball, Giddey, Dosunmu, Carter

December 27th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there have been “whispers” about the Lakers as a possible landing spot for Bulls guard Zach LaVine for the better part of a year, the pieces that would need to be included in a deal between the two teams wouldn’t fit for Chicago, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, making Los Angeles an unlikely landing spot for LaVine.

Cowley, who previously confirmed that there was some “light momentum” in LaVine talks between the Bulls and Nuggets, says no additional progress has been made. The two teams have sent each other feelers about what a trade might look like, but discussions haven’t gone beyond that.

Cowley also takes a look at where things stand with Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, noting that the Bulls would ideally like to get draft assets and expiring salaries in exchange for both players.

While one report stated that Chicago is seeking a first-round pick in return for Vucevic, a source who spoke to Cowley suggests that’s not necessarily the case and that a package of multiple second-rounders is a more realistic return. Second-round draft compensation and matching expiring money would likely also be a best scenario in a Ball deal, Cowley adds.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Point guard Josh Giddey, who has missed four straight games due to a sprained right ankle, is listed as questionable to play on Saturday vs. Milwaukee, as are Ball (illness) and Matas Buzelis (illness). According to Cowley, head coach Billy Donovan seems confident that Ball will be available and said Giddey might be too. “I wouldn’t say it’s a long shot, but a lot is going to depend on how he responds off (Thursday’s) workout and then probably get another one in (Friday),” Donovan said of Giddey’s potential return. “That will probably be a pretty good tell on if he’ll be available on Saturday.”
While Giddey and Ball may be back on Saturday, it sounds like another injured Bulls guard, Ayo Dosunmu, will miss a little more time. He’s listed as doubtful to play in the Milwaukee game due to a right soleus (calf) strain. “It’s kind of lingered a little bit, gotten sorer and sorer,” Donovan said, per Cowley. “Some of it may be his minutes, I don’t know, but enough that they want to evaluate it and look at it. He is uncomfortable with it right now in terms of planting, pushing off, springing, jumping, that kind of stuff is bothering him.”
With the Bulls’ backcourt banged up, veteran guard Jevon Carter played 36 minutes and scored 26 points in Thursday’s loss to Atlanta. It was just the second time this season he’s played double-digit minutes and it was his highest-scoring game since he joined the Bulls as a free agent in 2023. In a separate story for The Chicago-Sun Times, Cowley writes that Carter has maintained a positive attitude despite his limited role as a Bull. “I’m happy for him personally, just because all of the time he puts in,” Donovan said. “The opportunities have been limited, but the ability and the maturity competitively just to keep himself ready at all times is really impressive to me. To see him rewarded for the work he puts in was great.”

Central Notes: Giddey, Mitchell, Cunningham, Beasley

December 24th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Should the Bulls give Josh Giddey a long-term contract? Giddey, currently sidelined by an ankle sprain, will be a restricted free agent after the season. Head coach Billy Donovan believes the fourth-year guard can be a foundation piece for the franchise.

“I think like any player, coach, we all need to get better, so I’ll just start there,” Donovan told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But I really felt like there was a learning curve with him with our team because one of his greatest strengths is his passing. The defensive part for him, I think he’s gotten better as time has gone on. I think the thing for him the last five or six games before he got hurt, I thought he was really impacting our team in a positive way as he started to figure things out, so I definitely think without question that he can be an important piece to us.”

The front office reportedly didn’t hold serious discussions on a rookie scale extension with Giddey prior to the October deadline.

We have more from the Central Division:

Donovan Mitchell has settled in with the Cavaliers after previously dealing with trade rumors and concerns about his long-term future, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports. “For years, everyone has talked about if I like Rudy (Gobert), or talked about me going to the New York Knicks or the Miami Heat,” he said. “So, it’s great to finally have that sense of peace.” Mitchell signed a three-year extension with Cleveland over the summer. “It’s hard to win championships. It’s hard to win in this league. Despite public opinion, I love being in Cleveland and I want to win a title with this group,” he added.
Accolades from the league’s superstars keep piling up for Pistons guard Cade Cunningham. After Kevin Durant offered high praise for Cunningham over the weekend, LeBron James also complimented him following Detroit’s win over the Lakers on Monday. “He’s just too big,” James said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “He’s got wide shoulders, big legs and he knows exactly what he’s doing. And he gets to it. Solid player. Very, very solid. He’s gotten better and better, and the best thing I think this year is that he’s been healthy. He was the No. 1 pick, right? That’s for a reason. They got a great one.”
After signing a one-year deal with the Pistons, Malik Beasley is proving to be one of the league’s best free agent pickups during the offseason. He’s averaging 16.6 points per game for the much-improved club and told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that he’s made himself an elite shooter. “A lot of people don’t work. A lot of people don’t come in and do extra work,” he said. “As much as I do it, you’d be surprised on how many guys don’t do it. How many guys don’t come in to work before shootaround? It’s not mandatory. But that’s what separates those guys. What separates me as an elite shooter? I’m not a Hall-of-Fame player. But I’m a Hall-of-Fame shooter. So you just keep pushing.”

Central Notes: Williams, Pacers, Bucks Tourney Run, Lillard

December 12th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Patrick Williams practiced in full on Thursday and is on track to play approximately 20-to-24 minutes on Friday, head coach Billy Donovan told K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network and other media members (Twitter link). Williams has been sidelined since Nov. 18 due to a foot injury.

The Bulls held guard Josh Giddey (back tightness) out of practice, but there’s optimism he’ll play on Friday against Charlotte.

We have more on the Central Division:

The Pacers practiced on Tuesday and Thursday due to a gap in their schedule. After losing five of their last six, the team was happy to get some time to try to fix its issues, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We certainly would have loved to have been a part of the quarterfinals like we did last year at the in-season tournament,” veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell said. “But we’ve gotta look at it a different way. It’s a different season. Guys are working their way back so it can be very beneficial to work on getting them back and stuff that we need to improve on.”
Following a very slow start, the Bucks are above .500 and headed to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals after defeating Orlando. Coach Doc Rivers said that the NBA Cup has provided some extra incentive. “You set a goal and you try to reach it, right?” Rivers said, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “Our goal is not just to get to Vegas, we want to win this thing.”
Damian Lillard has adjusted his game to fit the Bucks’ style and personnel. He’s driving into the paint more, though it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll take the shot. It often turn into a “hockey assist” or a direct assist to a teammate, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “It’s like completely changing your game and for someone that’s been the best at what he does his whole career, who’s going down as one of the greatest of all time, that’s such a wild ask,” center Brook Lopez said. “But for him to still be as good as he is and our team to be successful and winning right now, it’s a testament to the player he is. It shows he is one of the greatest of all time.”

Bulls Notes: Williams, Giddey, White, Ball, LaVine

December 5th, 2024 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who has been out since November 18 due to inflammation in his surgically repaired left foot, won’t play in either game of the team’s back-to-back set on Thursday (in San Antonio) and Friday (vs. Indiana), tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.

Although Williams didn’t practice with the team on Wednesday, he did work out individually, according to head coach Billy Donovan, who said the 23-year-old’s window to potentially return opens next week.

Given that he has yet to practice, Williams may not be ready to go for Sunday’s game vs. Philadelphia, but the Bulls will have four days off after that before hosting the Hornets next Friday — it sounds like he could return for that contest.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

While he admits that his first 22 games this season have been “up and down,” Josh Giddey said he’s doing his best to help the Bulls in any way he can and isn’t thinking about trying to make the team look good for its decision to give up Alex Caruso for him over the summer, as Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic relays. “Anytime you get traded for a player like (Caruso), I mean, there was a lot of talk about it, whether it was a good trade or a bad trade,” Giddey said. “I don’t buy too much into that. I’m confident in myself and what I can do. These guys make it easy for me to play. I’m not trying to come in here and be anything more than myself. Find ways I can fit in and make this group better.”
Coby White will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday due to a left ankle sprain, per Johnson (Twitter links), though Mayberry suggests White shouldn’t be out for an extended period. Another Bulls guard, Lonzo Ball, has been ruled out for Thursday’s game, according to Johnson, but that’s just a case of the team managing his usage in a back-to-back — the plan is to have him active on Friday against the Pacers.
Coming off a season-ending injury, surrounded by trade rumors, and facing questions about the size of contract, Zach LaVine could easily have come into camp as a disgruntled star this fall, but the Bulls continue to be impressed by his positive attitude, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. LaVine told reporters on Wednesday that he’s “in a really good spot mentally,” which hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach Billy Donovan. “Whatever his frustrations were, they were,” Donovan said. “But he’s been able to digest that, go through that himself mentally, and get to the place he is now. I really respect everything he’s done. … He’s in a really good headspace.”
LaVine added that he’s enjoyed being called upon for more challenging defensive assignments this season, as Cowley notes. “This year has opened my eyes up a little bit to where you look at guys that I watched: Kobe (Bryant), Michael (Jordan), D-Wade (Dwyane Wade), and it’s like, ‘I’ve always been in great shape, but OK, you have to be in top-tier … strong too.'” LaVine said. “Yeah, it takes a little bit away (from the offense), but mentally that’s where you have to dig deep and see how much you want it. I like taking on those challenges right now.”

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