Alex Caruso

Central Notes: Lillard, Middleton, Mathurin, Pistons, Caruso

November 9th, 2023 at 7:25pm CST by Rory Maher

While there’s no indication that it’s a serious injury, Bucks guard Damian Lillard was ruled out of Thursday’s matchup with Indiana due to right calf soreness, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It’s the second game of a back-to-back for both teams, Owczarski notes.

In all likelihood, the Bucks are just being cautious with their major offseason acquisition. However, Lillard missed several games last season with a pair of right calf strains, so he does have a history of injuries in that area.

Cameron Payne received the starting nod at point guard with Lillard out.

On a more positive note, forward Khris Middleton returned to action after missing Wednesday’s game due to right knee injury management, Owczarski adds. Middleton continues to ramp up his activity following offseason knee surgery.

Here’s more from the Central:

After an impressive debut season which saw him earn a spot on the All-Rookie First Team, Bennedict Mathurin had been struggling — on both ends of the court — with the adjustment of being a full-time starter in 2023/24, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. But the Pacers guard snapped out of his slump in Wednesday’s victory over Utah, recording 22 points (on 9-of-18 shooting), nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in 38 minutes. “I thought this was probably Benn’s best game in two years,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “People want to see him shoot a bunch of shots and score a bunch of points, but that isn’t necessarily what wins. What wins is being a part of a system, doing your job within a system, taking the right shots within a system, running to the corner when your job is to run to the corner and making simple plays. I thought tonight he took some major steps.”
The Pistons started the season strong, going 2-1 and looking much improved after being the worst team in the NBA last season. However, they have since lost six straight games amid a tough schedule to sit with a 2-7 record. Turnovers, injuries and excessive fouls have been the main culprits for the losing streak, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Still, there have been bright spots, with the strong play of rookies Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser particularly noteworthy, Edwards writes. And there’s reason to believe Detroit could start turning its close losses into wins if it gets some of its veteran shooters back healthy and fixes some of its preventable mistakes, says Langlois.
Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times argues the Bulls should insert Alex Caruso into the starting lineup, writing that the All-Defensive First Team guard can help mitigate the defensive lapses of the team’s “big three” while providing value on both ends of the court. “A hard worker who is going to do all he can for his teammates,” Suns star Kevin Durant said of Caruso. “That stuff right there (he does) makes up for a lot of mistakes. He’s a phenomenal player. I don’t want to even call him a role player; he’s a guy you can plug with any lineup and he will make the right reads and right plays on the defensive and offensive side and the Bulls are lucky to have him.” Chicago is being cautious with Caruso due to his all-out play-style, but Cowley thinks the Bulls need to make a change to right the ship after a 3-6 start.

Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Knox, Caruso, Phillips, Terry

November 9th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter of Wednesday’s win over Detroit, was hit with a second technical and ejected from the game early in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo briefly stared down Isaiah Stewart after a dunk, prompting the ejection (Twitter video link via Stephen Watson of Bally Sports Wisconsin). Antetokounmpo and his teammates were surprised by the decision, as Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details.

“He made like a little face and he took off running and he didn’t say a word,” Jae Crowder said. “I think that’s why he was so frustrated, like, ‘You really threw me out and I didn’t say anything?’ Like, the first tech, I think he would say he deserved it. He deserved that first tech. The second one was like, he didn’t say a word, so how do you throw him out for that? He definitely stared, but I don’t know if that’s a tech. I don’t know about that one.”

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin didn’t criticize the officiating decision during his postgame comments, instead suggesting that he has a responsibility to make sure his star player doesn’t end up in that situation again.

“I think I just have to do a better job,” Griffin said. “Giannis doesn’t complain to the refs. He’s really respectful to the refs and I think I’m letting him down in that sense. I think I need to be a little more, just vocal, during the games when he’s getting hit and kind of stick up for him a little bit better. I’ve been dropping the ball on that.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Seth Partnow of The Athletic considers whether or not it’s too early to be concerned about Milwaukee’s major drop-off in defensive efficiency this fall. Although the Bucks are off to a 5-2 start, they rank 25th in the NBA in defensive rating (115.8) and are the only team with a winning record that has been outscored so far this season.
The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Kevin Knox signed with the Pistons is non-guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If he plays out the contract, Knox would earn $2,144,320, the prorated portion of his minimum salary.
Alex Caruso isn’t one of the Bulls‘ “big three” stars, but his teammates know his value and rave about what he brings to the team — DeMar DeRozan tells Jamal Collier of ESPN he can envision Caruso winning a Defensive Player of the Year award.“He’s our Ray Lewis. He’s the Deion Sanders. He’s the Charles Woodson,” DeRozan said. “He definitely is one of those great, vocalist, communicators and competitors when it comes to that end of the ball.”
A crowded Bulls depth chart means there has been no room in the rotation early in the season for rookie forward Julian Phillips or second-year wing Dalen Terry. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes, the club intends to get both players some regular minutes in the G League and has mapped out the first month of the Windy City Bulls’ schedule to see how it coincides with Chicago’s schedule as it prepares a plan for those youngsters.

Bulls Notes: Williams, Caruso, White, Offense

November 7th, 2023 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls‘ 2017 lottery pick, Lauri Markkanen, spent his first four NBA seasons with the organization, but didn’t break out until two years later in Utah, well after Chicago signed-and-traded him away for a fairly modest return.

Head coach Billy Donovan doesn’t anticipate the team taking the same route with former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). While the fourth-year forward has yet to break out and was recently pulled from the starting lineup, the Bulls remain committed to giving him every chance to figure things out.

“I do know that the goal is to have Patrick here for the long term,” Donovan said. “That I would say has been pretty consistent all the way through.

“Do I think Patrick needs a change of scenery? I didn’t think Lauri needed a change of scenery, that was my opinion. I’m not surprised what he evolved into. He kind of went to a couple different places. Sometimes when you go through that you look internally too where, ‘Geez, I’m in Chicago, I’m in Cleveland, now I’m in Utah, like I’ve got to figure some stuff out here.’ And I think Patrick is pretty driven on figuring things out.

“I’ve got nothing at all from him where he’s like, ‘Hey, I need a change of scenery.’ There’s been none of that. He’s really good in determining what he needs to do, instead of point around and saying, ‘I need this, I need that.’ When guys get like that it never goes well.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Williams reciprocates Chicago’s interest in a long-term relationship, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I love it. I love it here. I love the city, I love the team. I love what we’re about,” he said on Monday. “We’re about winning. There’s no gimmicks. There’s no moral victories over here. Obviously, I love it.” The former No. 4 pick, who didn’t sign a rookie scale extension this offseason, admits he’d like “a big contract” eventually but says that’s not his priority right now. “My main focus now is helping this team get over the next hump and myself over that hump,” Williams said.
Donovan and the Bulls recently mulled the idea of moving Alex Caruso into the starting five, but decided against it in part because they want to manage his minutes and keep him within the 26-to-28 minute range, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times.
Coby White hasn’t just claimed the Bulls’ starting point guard job by default this fall, Cowley says in another Sun-Times story. White has also shown that he’s capable of being an “on-the-court general who is not afraid to use his voice,” Cowley writes, pointing to the 23-year-old’s evolution into a vocal leader.
After placing 24th in offensive rating last season, the Bulls brought back a similar roster but hoped to improve that ranking by changing their offensive approach. As NBC Sports Chicago notes, the results have been underwhelming so far. Even after a 130-point outburst on Monday vs. Utah, Chicago is just 19th in offensive rating this season.

Central Notes: Pistons, Williams, McConnell, P. Williams, Toppin

October 29th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s only three games into the season but Pistons owner Tom Gores is already impressed with the impact head coach Monty Williams has made, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Gores coaxed Williams into coaching the team with a six-year, $78.5MM contract.

“He’s made a real difference,” Gores said. “We’re organized. What makes the most sense with Monty is he threads the needle everywhere. He knows how to have discipline, but he knows how to have compassion. He really threads the needle to me. He’s an experienced coach, but at the same time he’s modern and listens.”

Gores said he didn’t hire Williams to go through another rebuilding season.

“We wouldn’t bring somebody like Monty in if we had a bunch of players who weren’t ready,” he said. “It took us a bit to create this foundation – Cade (Cunningham), (Jaden) Ivey, (Isaiah) Stewart. This is a very strong foundation. They want to win as bad as anyone. Patience with progress, right? We need to make progress this year, absolutely.”

We have more from the Central Division:

T.J. McConnell got a chance to play with the Pacers’ second unit on Saturday and immediately provided a spark. He delivered eight points and eight assists in 19 minutes, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes. “This morning I talked to the staff about, ‘Hey, let’s keep our eyes open and if there’s a point in the game where T.J. is the right guy, we have to pull the trigger decisively,'” coach Rick Carlisle said. “It was pretty clear in the first quarter that we needed him and what he brings.” McConnell is signed through next season but his $9.3MM salary for 2024/25 is only partially guaranteed for $5MM.
Patrick Williams didn’t receive a rookie scale extension from the Bulls and he hasn’t done anything to improve his value in the early going, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes. He was limited to no points, three rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes in the Bulls’ 118-102 loss to Detroit on Saturday. Coach Billy Donovan isn’t ready to bench him. “I wouldn’t do it from the standpoint of, ‘Oh, I’m just taking him out of the starting lineup because he’s got to do this, this and this, and he’s not doing it,’ ’ Donovan said. However, a lineup change may be in order if Williams doesn’t deliver more production, with Torrey Craig or Alex Caruso among the candidates to replace him.
Pacers forward Obi Toppin, another player who didn’t receive a rookie scale extension, feels more comfortable with his new team. He believes limited minutes with the Knicks held back his development, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I can learn from mistakes. I can get better,” he said. “I feel like it can take my game to another level.”

And-Ones: Extensions, Breakouts, B. Smith, Defenders

October 27th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Rory Maher

2023 set a record for rookie scale extensions, with 14 contracts signed before the October 23 deadline. Typically, rookie scale extensions go almost exclusively to stars or at least starters, but that wasn’t the case this year.

John Hollinger of The Athletic classifies it as a “middle-class revolution” with six players signing at or below the projected 2024/25 mid-level exception, and a couple others receiving slightly more than that. Several of those players come off the bench for their respective clubs.

As Hollinger writes, there are several reasons why both teams and players may have been motivated to reach new deals. For players, avoiding restricted free agency was surely a factor — Magic guard Cole Anthony and Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu recently said that was the case for them.

For teams, a salary cap that is projected to rise substantially in the coming years will help “water down” some of the contracts. Mid-sized contracts are also very useful for trade purposes, Hollinger observes, with free agency limitations likely a major consideration for the Celtics (Payton Pritchard) and Nuggets (Zeke Nnaji) due to their payrolls (both project to be over the second apron in ’24/25).

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

In another article for The Athletic, Hollinger lists 12 players he believes are primed for breakout seasons in 2023/24, with some fairly obvious choices and some under-the-radar picks as well. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and Hornets center Mark Williams are five of the players Hollinger thinks will see “big upticks in production.”
Former Cavaliers forward Bingo Smith has passed away at age 77, according to Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Smith played 10 season for Cleveland from 1970-80. Smith is still sixth in franchise history in points and fourth in games played, among other statistical marks. His No. 7 jersey hangs in the rafters as one of only seven players to have their number retired, Withers adds. “Bingo was always a giving teammate and one of the most fierce competitors I ever played with,” said former Cavs star and current broadcaster Austin Carr. “This is truly a sad moment in our franchise history and my heart goes out to his family.”
Jon Krawczynski and Josh Robbins of The Athletic ran an anonymous poll to see which players coaches identify as the best defenders in the NBA. Celtics guard Jrue Holiday was the only unanimous choice for first-team All-Defense, receiving all 12 votes. The remaining spots were filled by Jaren Jackson Jr. (forward), Brook Lopez (center), Alex Caruso (guard), OG Anunoby, and Draymond Green (the latter two tied for the second forward spot). Holiday was also third in the survey’s Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Jackson and Lopez, who finished first and second for the actual award last season. Evan Mobley, who was third in DPOY media voting last season and named first-team All-Defense, finished sixth in DPOY voting in The Athletic’s coaches poll and was second-team All-Defense.

Bulls Notes: White, Williams, Caruso, Vucevic, Terry

October 9th, 2023 at 1:40pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has publicly stated that the starting point guard position is up for grabs between Coby White, Jevon Carter and Ayo Dosunmu. However, in the team’s preseason opener against Milwaukee on Sunday, White got the starting nod and played well, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

White finished with 14 points (on 6-of-10 shooting), six rebounds, six assists and two steals in 23 minutes, Johnson notes. The seventh pick of the 2019 draft, White re-signed with the Bulls this summer as a restricted free agent, inking a three-year, $36MM+ deal.

As Johnson writes in another story for NBC Sports Chicago, White once again focused on ball-handling and decision-making this summer as he transitions from being a score-first combo guard to a lead guard, and Donovan has taken note of the improvement.

“I noticed this summer when I went out in June to see him. He physically looked different. The ball looked to be a little bit more on a string for him,” Donovan said after the game. “I think his confidence with the ball has really grown.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Forward Patrick Williams was the fifth starter alongside White, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, Johnson adds. Williams, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 23, was aggressive in looking for his shot, finishing with 13 points in 22 minutes, including going 3-of-6 from deep. Being consistently assertive is something the Bulls want to see from Williams, as is improving his rebounding; he only finished with two in the game, Johnson notes.
Donovan plans to be cautious with Alex Caruso in 2023/24, particularly in the preseason, due to his all-out playing style, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The veteran swingman has been limited to 108 regular season games over his first two seasons with the Bulls. Caruso, who earned a first-team All-Defense nod in ’22/23, played just seven minutes against the Bucks.
Despite having three offense-first All-Stars, the Bulls struggled to score last season, finishing 24th in offensive rating. One change they want to implement is running more actions through Vucevic to take advantage of his passing, according to Cowley. “The way our team is built, we need a change,” Vucevic said. “I think at times last year we got a little too predictable the way we were playing, and we became easy to guard. I think if we can throw different things at a defense, we’ll be tough to stop.”
Dalen Terry didn’t play much as a rookie, appearing in 38 games for an average of 5.6 minutes per night. That’s part of the reason why he was trying so hard and became frustrated with his poor Summer League showing, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. While he might be on the outside looking in for minutes again entering year two, Terry says he’s going to trust his work ethic no matter what happens. “Last year, I was killing myself when it came down to [not getting playing time], but I didn’t trust my work,” he said. “If I have to be honest, I didn’t trust my work. When this season starts, and if I’m not in the rotation, OK, cool. Just keep going, keep working. It’s going to all turn out how you want it to turn out. That’s just how it’s gonna go.”

Alex Caruso Discusses Starting Role, DPOY Dreams, Play-In Finish, More

October 8th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls guard Alex Caruso offered some clarity about which position he prefers to play in an extensive conversation with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“The power forward one is not my favorite,” Caruso, who started at both the point guard and power forward positions at various points last year, told Johnson. “It took a toll on me the second half. It was rough. That’s one of the added benefits I think I bring to a team. I feel I’m pretty unselfish.”

Caruso addressed the possibility that he may not start games with the club this year.

“I’ve talked to (head coach) Billy (Donovan) and some of the assistants about being more selfish at times,” Caruso said. “It’s almost putting a burden on the team when I’m not selfish at times, when I pass up shots or pass up opportunities to be aggressive or to speak up. So this starting stuff is what it is. I’d rather play late in the game than early in the game. When it counts, I want to be on the court.”

Caruso, who made an All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career last season, did not start in Chicago’s first preseason game on Sunday, a 105-102 loss to a Bucks team missing stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton.

Their entire chat is well worth reading in full. Here are some highlights:

Caruso on his next goals for end-of-season hardware:

“The way [Defensive Player of the Year] is kind of voted on and based off of now is the interior has the upper hand on that just because of blocks and rebounds. I probably don’t have enough of those to be under consideration. But you never know. I might have an incredible year.”

On how the Bulls’ two big new signings, Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, can positively impact the team:

“We’ve already seen it. There was one play in practice today where me and Ayo (Dosunmu) got a stop and then Torrey got a block and Jevon got a strip and we got another stop. If we have me and Ayo and Drum (Andre Drummond) on that second unit and we add those two pieces, it’s going to be hard to get a good shot off against that second unit if we’re locked in. Once we do, we have multiple ball-handlers and can break out and run a little bit. I’m excited. They fit really well for the mentality that me and Ayo and Drum have played with the last couple years.”

On how he felt watching the Heat advance to the NBA Finals after narrowly beating Chicago during their play-in game:

“The playoffs are so matchup-based and Jimmy (Butler) was going crazy in that first round against the Bucks. That propelled them. Who knows what would’ve happened if we had won that game? I thought we played so well. It was almost the opposite of Toronto where I thought Toronto played better than us for two-and-a-half, three quarters and then we kind of won the game late. I thought we played better than Miami for the majority of that game and it was a better matchup for us. We had won the season series. And then they just made more plays and more shots down the stretch.

“Basketball is a make-or-miss league. But I don’t think back to that game as much as I do to four or five games during the season that we should’ve won. We should beat the teams that are under .500, definitely at home. And then you’re not even in the play-in game. And that didn’t sit well with me as I tried to sleep at night.”

Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Williams, Craig, Donovan

October 5th, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu said he’s embracing the opportunity he has in training camp after an uneven second season. With Lonzo Ball still injured, there’s an open competition for the starting point guard role that also involves Jevon Carter and Coby White. The team invested in all three players this summer, re-signing Dosunmu and White while adding Carter in free agency.

“Ultimately, I think that competition is going to help our team in the long run,” Dosunmu said. “We go at each other and try to kill each other in practice. When we’re on the court together, it’s going to make our team much more smooth. Me going into my third year and our core group being together pretty much the same time, it’s getting time for us to turn the corner.”

After falling to the second round in the 2021 draft, Dosunmu became a contributor right away in his first season, starting 40 of the 77 games he played and earning second-team All-Rookie honors. With only a two-year contract, he got to test the market earlier than most players and decided that staying in Chicago was his best move.

“I came into free agency with an open mind that I could be playing anywhere,” Dosunmu said. “Put my feelings aside and basically try to secure what’s best for me and my game and my family for the future. Ultimately with praying, leaving it up to God, that was my path, to sign back with the Bulls.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Coach Billy Donovan said Patrick Williams will play an integral role this season, but the specifics are still being defined, Johnson adds in another story. Williams worked with the starters on the first day of training camp, but Donovan used Torrey Craig with that unit on Wednesday and plans to give Alex Caruso some time at power forward as well. “I think every player wants to start,” Williams said. “But I want to come in and play my game, however that plays out with the coaching staff. Part of being on a team is you have to trust the people you’re on a team with. You have to trust the plan they have for you. You might have to sacrifice.”
Craig believes he can provide something the Bulls have been lacking, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “A little bit of toughness,” he said, “a little bit of an edge for guys with raw emotion to say how they feel and wear those emotions on their sleeve.’’ Cowley notes that Patrick Beverley provided those same qualities when he signed with Chicago in February, but he left for Philadelphia during the offseason.
The Bulls’ added depth has Donovan contemplating a 10-man rotation, Cowley states in a separate story. Donovan may need the team to get off to a fast start, as oddsmakers have him listed as a 4-1 favorite as the first coach to be fired this season, according to the Sun-Times.

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Starting Point Guard, Terry

September 27th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked by Mark Medina of Sportskeeda about the belief in some corners of the Bulls fanbase that the team should embrace a rebuild, veteran forward DeMar DeRozan pushed back against the idea that such a reset is necessary.

“I think a lot of people who say that or suggest that really don’t understand basketball at all, in my opinion,” DeRozan said. “You can think that’s an answer or that’s a route. But there’s no telling how long that route is going to even last. That route doesn’t necessarily always work in a timely fashion that you may think it will take. With that, it’s hard to find and create talented players like the players that we already have assembled.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” DeRozan continued. “It’s not only on the players, but the coaching staff as well to be able to correct the mistakes that we have because we weren’t far off at all with the mistakes that we’ve had. If we correct those, give us back the 10 to 15 games that we should’ve had last season. That changes the whole dynamic of everything.

“It’s always easy when something goes bad just to say, ‘Scratch it.’ But you really don’t know where you’ll end up from there. So when I hear people say that, it lets me know and understand that they don’t understand basketball at all.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

In that same interview with Medina, DeRozan expressed interest in representing Team USA in the 2024 Olympics and said he’d be interested in signing a contract extension to remain in Chicago. “That’s a place I want to be and end my career,” the six-time All-Star said. “I want to be able to accomplish everything I’ve set out to accomplish. That’s all I can worry about and control. I have the utmost confidence in myself. I’ll let my agent and the organization deal with that side of things, to be honest, man. From their standpoint, they want me to be there long-term and vice versa. We’ll see what happens from there.”
Appearing on The Score (WSCR-AM 670) in Chicago on Wednesday, Bulls president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said the the team’s starting point guard job is expected to be up for grabs in training camp, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “I think it’s going to be competition, fierce competition. It’s going to be a lot of good guards,” Karnisovas said. “That’s mentality we’re going into training camp (with.) I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be hard for Billy (Donovan).” The Bulls added Jevon Carter this offseason to join Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Alex Caruso in the mix at point guard.
In a separate story for NBC Sports Chicago, Johnson explores how Milwaukee’s impending acquisition of Damian Lillard will impact the Bulls.
After appearing in just 38 games and averaging only 5.6 minutes per night as a rookie, 2022 first-rounder Dalen Terry worked hard this summer in the hopes of getting the opportunity to earn a bigger role in his second NBA season, he tells Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “You know me, I’ve always got confidence,” Terry said. “That’s not something I ever lack. But I think confidence comes with work, and I know how hard I busted my ass this whole summer.”

Bulls Notes: Luxury Tax, Rotation, Williams, Dosunmu

July 27th, 2023 at 2:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls will likely be close to the luxury tax threshold all season, but K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago doesn’t expect them to be willing to end the year in tax territory. Executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas said on draft night that he would lobby ownership to pay the tax for a contender, but Johnson states that it’s hard to see him getting approval for a team that finished 10th in the East last season.

Johnson estimates that the Bulls are about $2.4MM away from tax territory with two open roster spots. He expects the team to unload point guard Carlik Jones, whose non-guaranteed $1.9MM salary is roughly the same as a veteran’s minimum contract, and try to get frontcourt help instead.

Johnson adds that filling both roster openings with minimum contracts would put Chicago slightly over the tax line. He expects management to keep one spot open heading into the season and see what opportunities become available to add players. The Bulls have about half of their $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception remaining, along with a $4.5MM bi-annual exception and a $10.2MM disabled player exception that was granted for Lonzo Ball‘s injury.

There’s more from Chicago:

Billy Donovan‘s 10-man rotation appears set with training camp two months away, and the biggest questions seem to be who will start at point guard and power forward, Johnson adds in the same piece. If Donovan continues his emphasis on defense, Johnson expects newly acquired Torrey Craig to get the nod at power forward, with either Alex Caruso or free agent addition Jevon Carter running the point. The return of Derrick Jones Jr. or a free agent signing such as Rudy Gay could upend the current rotation, Johnson adds, possibly pushing out Andre Drummond.
Bulls officials want Patrick Williams to become more aggressive as he enters his fourth NBA season, according to Johnson. Williams returned from an injury to play all 82 games last season, and Johnson believes the organization should be patient with a player who won’t turn 22 until next month.
The Bulls may have slightly overpaid for Ayo Dosunmu, but keeping him on the roster was still a good move, contends Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. The restricted free agent received $21MM over three years and now has to make a case for consistent playing time in a crowded backcourt.

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