Ayo Dosunmu

Eastern Notes: Giddey, Bridges, Sixers, Daniels, Young

November 16th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Fourth-year guard Josh Giddey hasn’t been part of the Bulls‘ closing lineup in any of the team’s last four games and was on the bench to start the second half on Friday vs. Cleveland, with Ayo Dosunmu taking his spot in the lineup.

Head coach Billy Donovan insisted after the game that he’s still “got confidence” in Giddey and said the 22-year-old will close games in certain situations, adding that the decision to have Dosunmu on the floor to start the second half on Friday was about Giddey’s three fouls (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). However, speaking to reporters after the game, Giddey wasn’t willing to use his foul trouble as an excuse for the decision.

“It was horrible from start to finish,” Giddey said of his performance, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I think defensively it was just — and I’m talking about me — it was a mess from the jump. They put me in action, I have to be way better, whether it’s coverage or sitting down and guarding somebody. I don’t even blame it on the fouls. It was part of it, but everything else was just as bad. I wouldn’t have played myself if I was Billy. I was bad on both sides of the ball.”

Giddey’s subpar defense was one reason why he fell out of Oklahoma City’s starting lineup during the playoffs this past spring. Improving on that end of the court has been a point of emphasis for him this fall, which is one reason why he was so disappointed with his showing on Friday against the undefeated Cavaliers.

“It pisses me off to be on that side of the ball and be like that,” said Giddey, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. “I thought I was making steps in the right direction. To have a night like I did tonight kind of kills your confidence.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Hornets announced nine days ago that forward Miles Bridges would be reevaluated in two weeks after hyperextending his knee and being diagnosed with a bone bruise. But Bridges’ recovery progressed quicker than anticipated — he was upgraded to available for Saturday afternoon’s matchup with Milwaukee after missing just three games (Twitter link).
While the Sixers‘ 2-10 start to the season is “obviously frustrating,” according to Paul George, and the sense of urgency in Philadelphia has increased, the club isn’t in panic mode, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN that the 76ers also haven’t altered their long-term plan to manage George’s and Joel Embiid‘s minutes during the season in order to keep the stars as healthy as possible for the playoffs.
The Pelicans tried to keep Dyson Daniels out of the Dejounte Murray trade this past offseason, but the Hawks “badly wanted” a player who could help protect Trae Young on defense and insisted on his inclusion, says Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link). Daniels, who is exceeding expectations in Atlanta, had another huge game on Friday in a win over Washington, racking up 25 points and six steals. According to NBA University (Twitter link), he’s the first player since Alvin Robertson in 1986 to record at least six steals in four consecutive games.
Speaking of Young, the Hawks guard was back in action on Friday following a one-game layoff, but admitted the Achilles tendinitis that sidelined him on Tuesday is an issue he may have to continue to manage. “It has been like a random thing throughout the season,” Young said (Twitter link via Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com). “It just started feeling a little bit more uncomfortable before the last game… (Sitting out) was just more of a precaution thing, and sometimes I’m going to have to play through it.”

Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Dosunmu, Bulls

November 2nd, 2024 at 8:32am CST by Tristan Tucker

While searching for a new head coach this offseason, the Cavaliers sent out a request for all candidates to come prepared with an outline for Evan Mobley‘s future, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Now-head coach Kenny Atkinson presented a plan for how Mobley could continue building his relationship with Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt and space the floor despite not being a traditional shooter, like Draymond Green in Golden State.

“[Atkinson]’s just empowering me, like, ‘You gotta go and attack. Look to score for us,’” Mobley said. “And he does that with everybody. If someone is open on the wing and they pass up a shot, shoot it. That’s his whole philosophy.”

The Cavaliers have big plans for Mobley, including turning him into more of an offensive hub. The team wants him to score more in transition and believes he’ll be even more of a passing threat if teams think he’s looking to score at all times.

Atkinson’s vision is paying off in the early going for Mobley, who spent the offseason building bulk and muscle, according to Katz. He’s bringing up the ball at a career-high rate and his 18.3 points per game would also be a career high if it holds through the season.

“[Mobley] more so has a more a ‘f— you’ attitude this year,” teammate Tristan Thompson said. “I think this summer was good for him developing. Like, he knows he’s that guy. I think sometimes you gotta have that arrogant confidence in yourself. Before, he was kinda playing timid. … But now it’s more like, he knows he’s a f—ing problem.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Mobley isn’t the only Cavalier enjoying early-season success, with the team as a whole out to a 6-0 start. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst write in an Insider-only story, the Mobley-Donovan Mitchell duo is the team’s most used two-man grouping, a change from last season that’s paying dividends. According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor (subscription required), the team’s +102 point differential through six games is the best in franchise history. In a separate subscriber-only story, Fedor writes that depth is helping drive Cleveland’s hot start, with players like Ty Jerome standing out at the back end of the rotation.
In the same ESPN+ story, Bontemps and Windhorst explore Pacers‘ star Tyrese Haliburton‘s slow start to the season and where the Bucks can go from here after a disappointing 1-4 start.
Ayo Dosunmu‘s role with the Bulls has fluctuated since he entered the league, as he has spent time as a starter and filling more of a sixth man role. Through six games this season, Dosunmu has yet to make a start. However, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley, Dosunmu doesn’t care whether he starts or not. “I believe I’m a starting-caliber player in this league,” Dosunmu said. “[Bulls coach Billy Donovan] does also. But whatever it may be to help the team win, that’s the route I go.“
The Bulls are off to a resilient start to the season, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry writes. They’ve orchestrated two 20-point comebacks in their 3-3 start to the season. “We know who we are,” forward Patrick Williams said. “We’ve got a bunch of competitors in this locker room, a lot of guys that don’t want to lose and love to win. I think that shows through the way that we play. We’ve got to get back to the drawing board on why we’re getting in these deficits in the first place. Against the best teams, you can’t come back from 20 down.“

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Phillips, Dosunmu, Williams, Buzelis

October 13th, 2024 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls haven’t been able to generate much interest since putting Zach LaVine on the trade market last fall, but maybe they’re better off keeping him. LaVine looked like a dominant scorer again Saturday night, pouring in 28 points in 22 minutes while making all six of his three-point attempts, writes Sam Smith of NBA.com.

“Zach was really decisive,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He took his shots when they were there. What was encouraging on the threes, there was no hesitation; he just went up and shot it. He got off to a great start, shot unbelievable from three. He can get on a run. He can go 0-for-4 and then come back and make 6-for-6, so I never worry (if he’s missing). I thought he was really decisive, and when he had daylight and a crack he shot it. We need him to do that. When he’s got a head of steam, his athletic ability and his ability to shoot the ball and put it on the floor, he’s really hard to guard. He is one of the better open floor players in transition.”

LaVine played just 25 games last season, so any potential trade interest was cooled by concerns over his physical condition, along with a contract that will pay him $43MM this year, $46MM next season and has a $49MM player option for 2026/27. However, he can still be very valuable if’s fully healthy, which it appears he may be. Smith states that LaVine displayed “quick twitch speed and easy motion” that hasn’t been part of his game for the past two years.

There’s more from Chicago:

Second-year small forward Julian Phillips also made an impact on Saturday, scoring 21 points and hitting 5-of-8 shots from beyond the arc, Smith adds. He displayed chemistry with new point guard Josh Giddey, and Smith suggests he might be the catch-and-shoot option the team has been looking for. “Julian, he’s been really good,” Donovan said. “He had some good drives and (he) didn’t have to go up in traffic, but he’s played really, really well. He’s a good cutter, very active on the glass and he’s shot the ball well. I don’t think that was a fluke tonight. I feel very comfortable with him shooting the basketball.”
The Bulls suffered two notable injuries Saturday night, but neither appears serious. Ayo Dosunmu got a shoulder stinger while diving for a loose ball, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). He wanted to return to the game, but trainers wouldn’t let him. Patrick Williams left the game after jamming his wrist, but X-rays taken at halftime were negative, Johnson tweets.
In an interview with Spencer Davies of Responsible Gambler, rookie Matas Buzelis said he doesn’t regret his decision to play for G League Ignite instead of developing his game in college. “They showed me the NBA schedule you’ve got to follow, they showed me how to play against NBA players, they showed me how to compete, and [I had] NBA coaching and training,” Buzelis said. “But they really instilled a lot of stuff in me about the NBA, so I feel like I have a slight advantage walking into my rookie year.”

Bulls Notes: Ball, Rose, Dosunmu, LaVine

October 11th, 2024 at 7:51pm CST by Rory Maher

On his podcast, the WAE show (Twitter video link), Bulls guard Lonzo Ball said he plans to play in two of the team’s final three preseason contests. As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune notes (via Twitter), that means Ball expects to make his preseason debut either next Monday in Milwaukee or Wednesday vs. Minnesota.

It’s been a long road back for Ball, who has missed the past two-and-a-half seasons due to a knee injury that required three surgeries. The former No. 2 overall pick will be a free agent next summer, as he’s on an expiring $21.4MM contract.

Here are a few more notes from Chicago:

Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose announced his retirement as a player last month. On Friday, the Bulls announced they’ll hold a “Derrick Rose Night” on January 4 vs. the Knicks. However, the team won’t be retiring his No. 1 jersey during the halftime ceremony, according to Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Still, as Poe observes, no player has worn that jersey number since Rose departed the Bulls in 2016, so it’s possible the Chicago native could see his jersey hang in the rafters of the United Center in the future.
The Bulls’ starting lineup — Josh Giddey, Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic — doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence on the defensive end. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times suggests one workaround could be taking LaVine out early in favor of Ayo Dosunmu, which is something the Bulls did the past few seasons with DeMar DeRozan. Dosunmu would provide point-of-attack defense to pair with the other four starters, and staggering LaVine’s minutes would enable him to serve as the primary scorer with the reserves, Cowley notes.
Head coach Billy Donovan says LaVine looks fully recovered from a foot injury that limited him to 25 games last season, per Cowley. “I think he’s practiced really well,” Donovan said. “I don’t think I could say that the last couple of years, and I don’t think it was necessarily because of him not wanting to practice well. I think a lot of times he was coming out of an injury. Seeing him in September and some of this August, I felt like this is about as good as I’ve seen him physically in a couple of years.”

Bulls Notes: Backcourt, Ball, LaVine, Buzelis, Freeman-Liberty

October 9th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Will there be enough minutes to go around for all the players in the Bulls‘ backcourt this season? Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times explores that question, noting that guards Coby White, Zach LaVine, Josh Giddey, and Ayo Dosunmu all figure to have regular roles, with Lonzo Ball, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, and Chris Duarte also vying for minutes.

“I think it’s going to be a hard situation from the standpoint of these guys are all highly competitive, work really hard in the offseason to get themselves ready to play,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “And quite honestly in some of these situations with the way our team is, they just may not get that opportunity. I’m not saying it’s Jevon, Chris or Dalen or whoever it is. We’ve got to see how camp plays out.

“We’ve obviously had to deal with the injuries with Josh and Lonzo, but there’s no question that with the number of guards there, I think we’ll have to play with three guards. I think Ayo is a really, really good perimeter defender, who he’s paired with, try and match someone with that. I agree, someone is going to be sitting. We’re not able to play them all.”

The Bulls started three guards in their preseason opener vs. Cleveland on Tuesday, with White, LaVine, and Giddey joining Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic in the starting five. As Donovan notes, that look seems likely to carry over into the regular season.

Here’s more out of Chicago:

After spending over a year recovering from his latest knee surgery, Ball wasn’t available for the Bulls’ preseason opener on Tuesday. However, that wasn’t because of his knee, Cowley writes in a separate Sun-Times story. As Cowley explains, Ball dealt with a “nasty” case of COVID just before camp began, which left him several days behind in workouts. He’s still in the process of “getting his strength back,” according to Donovan.
Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune shares six takeaways from the Bulls’ preseason opener, writing that LaVine looked comfortable in his return from foot surgery and that lottery pick Matas Buzelis flashed intriguing potential in his first NBA game. However, acknowledging that one preseason game isn’t enough to draw any definitive conclusions, Poe also notes that Tuesday’s game did nothing to assuage concerns about the team’s potential defensive shortcomings.
After reporting earlier this week indicated that guard Javon Freeman-Liberty was leaving Manisa Basket for the NBA, the Turkish club confirmed the news, publishing an Instagram post that wished Freeman-Liberty luck in the next phase of his career “with the Chicago Bulls.” As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets, FIBA clearance is still required before the guard can officially finalize his new deal with Chicago. It’s unclear whether Freeman-Liberty left Manisa simply to sign a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Bulls or if he’ll get a standard or two-way deal that offers more assurances.

Bulls Notes: Ball, Buzelis, Dosunmu, Williams, Giddey

October 5th, 2024 at 2:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

It’s only been a few days of training camp, but Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is optimistic about the progress of his left knee, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Ball is trying to salvage his NBA career after missing the past two and half seasons with knee issues that required multiple surgeries. He’s not a full participant in camp drills and he’s being closely monitored by the medical staff, but Ball is encouraged so far, especially after taking part in a scrimmage on Friday and being able to play at full speed with normal contact.

“Today was probably my best day,” he told reporters after Friday’s practice. “It’s getting better each time.”

Ball realizes that he doesn’t possess the same physical qualities that he did before the injuries, Poe adds. His first step isn’t as quick, he doesn’t have his former speed on defense and his jumper is a little off-balance as he works to rebuild the strength in his legs. Coach Billy Donovan is urging him to compensate by relying on the mental part of his game, which is sharper than ever.

“He can take a situation that looks three-on-three and just by a pass to a certain area of the floor, can make it three-on-two, just out of feel,” Donovan said. “That’s the one thing I think for him that will never go away. He’s just such a high-IQ player and knows the game so well. The way he plays, he makes people around him better.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

Lottery pick Matas Buzelis has impressed teammates with his athleticism in training camp, but he may not have a clear path to playing time, Poe states in a separate story. She notes that the Bulls tend to keep their draft picks in the NBA even if they’re not playing regularly so they can learn how to be professionals. Donovan said Buzelis will only be sent to the G League if the need arises to give him consistent minutes, and Buzelis is OK with that option. “I’m always going to listen to the organization,” he said. “So if they tell me I got to be in the G League, I’m gonna be in the G League. That’s fine with me. But I’m gonna work my way up to the top team.”
Ayo Dosunmu is ready to “elevate” in his fourth NBA season, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times. Dosunmu spent the summer developing counters to his drives to the basket and improving his ability to read defenses, especially in the pick-and-roll. “The NBA, it’s a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league,” he said, citing the need to improve every offseason. “No one cares about what you did your rookie year or last year. You have to keep proving yourself.”
Patrick Williams understands the expectations are different after he landed a five-year, $90MM extension this summer, Cowley adds in another Sun-Times piece. Williams said the Bulls want him to become a team leader, improve his rebounding and take over as the primary defensive stopper after trading away Alex Caruso.
Josh Giddey is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered during the Olympics, but he was able to take part in most of Friday’s scrimmage, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

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

September 23rd, 2024 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Confirming a previous report, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic hears from Bulls sources who say that Zach LaVine has been a “willing participant” in team scrimmages ahead of training camp. LaVine was also present for a players-led minicamp last month in Miami, Mayberry reports.

LaVine has been a prominent name in trade rumors for over a year, with the Bulls actively looking to move the two-time All-Star this summer. However, Mayberry writes that rival clubs were only interested in taking on the 29-year-old’s contract — he’s owed $138MM over the next three seasons — if Chicago sweetened the pot by adding additional assets, which was a non-starter for the Bulls.

With young guards like Josh Giddey, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu on the roster, having a veteran known for his scoring prowess like LaVine could be an awkward fit. But according to Mayberry, LaVine has stressed to team leadership that he won’t interfere with his younger teammates’ development.

Here’s more on the Bulls, all courtesy of Mayberry:

Chicago is “cautiously optimistic” about the progress Lonzo Ball has made as he attempts to revive his career, Mayberry writes. The 26-year-old has been a full participant in offseason team workouts and will be a full go for training camp as well, Mayberry reports. Ball, who hasn’t played in an NBA game since January 2022 due to a left knee injury that has required three surgeries, is on an expiring $21.4MM contract. The Bulls will likely be very careful with Ball, but he has “looked good” to this point, per Mayberry.
Forward Patrick Williams may not be ready for training camp. The 23-year-old, who had season-ending foot surgery in February, told Mayberry and other reporters he was able to run and jump without pain or swelling in July (Twitter link), but he felt some discomfort during the players-only minicamp in August and has been resting over the past handful of weeks. Williams re-signed with the Bulls as a restricted free agent over the summer, inking a five-year, $90MM contract.
While White is expected to remain in the starting lineup alongside Giddey and LaVine, Mayberry suggests the former UNC Tar Heel may not be thrilled with an off-ball role after spending nearly all of last season as the team’s starting point guard. White had a breakout season in 2023/24, finishing runner-up for the Most Improved Player award. Trading Alex Caruso for Giddey indicates the Bulls view White as more of a scorer than a lead facilitator, Mayberry notes.
First-rounder Matas Buzelis has been playing well in scrimmages, according to Mayberry, who says the former G League Ignite forward has particularly impressed with ability to drive and pass. Mayberry also hears the Bulls plan to adjust their playing style on both ends of the court this season.

Central Notes: Horton-Tucker, Bulls, Bucks, Pistons

September 5th, 2024 at 1:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent guard Talen Horton-Tucker will reportedly be signing with his hometown Bulls. According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the five-year veteran will sign an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp.

Shams Charania of The Athletic, who broke the news of both deals, said that Horton-Tucker and Mac McClung (Magic) received partially guaranteed contracts. From the players’ perspective, that’s not wrong in a sense — the Exhibit 10 language in their contracts makes them eligible for a bonus worth $77.5K (on top of their G League salaries) if they’re waived and spend at least 60 days with their clubs’ NBAGL affiliates.

It is misleading though, because for NBA teams, Exhibit 10 deals are one-year, minimum-salary contracts that are non-guaranteed. For example, if Horton-Tucker is immediately cut after the deal is official, the Bulls won’t carry any dead money toward the salary cap. That’s different than a player like Keon Johnson — if the Nets waive him today for whatever reason, they would owe him his full $250K partial guarantee while carrying an identical dead-money cap hit for 2024/25.

Here’s more from the Central:

In another story for NBC Sports Chicago, Johnson attempts to predict the Bulls‘ starting lineup and rotation. Despite the obvious defensive shortcomings, Johnson believes Josh Giddey, Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic is the “most logical” outcome for the starting five. However, only Ayo Dosunmu and free agent addition Jalen Smith seem like locks for rotation minutes off the bench, per Johnson.
Eric Nehm of The Athletic answers mailbag questions related to the Bucks, including whether they should reduce Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s workload during the upcoming season to try to keep him fresh ahead of a potential playoff run. Nehm also examines whether Taurean Prince could be used at power forward in small-ball lineups featuring Antetokounmpo at center.
Will the Pistons carry a 15th player on their standard roster to open the season? What about their remaining cap room — will they use it before the season starts or carry it over until the trade deadline? Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores those questions.

Injury Notes: Caruso, Bulls, Bucks, Embiid, Hartenstein

April 19th, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls defensive ace Alex Caruso will be available for tonight’s play-in tournament game in Miami, head coach Billy Donovan said (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).

Guard Ayo Dosunmu (quad) and center Andre Drummond (ankle) will be active too, Donovan added. All three players had previously been listed as questionable.

Caruso was said to have sustained a “significant” left ankle sprain in Wednesday’s play-in victory over Atlanta, but the swelling subsided over the past couple days and he told reporters on Friday morning he expected to suit up. The injury was an aggravation of a previous sprain.

Duncan Robinson, who has been battling a back issue, will be available tonight for the Heat, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Robinson was technically active for Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia, Chiang notes, but he didn’t see any action — that might change with Jimmy Butler sidelined due to a knee sprain.

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

Bucks guard Damian Lillard was a full practice participant on Friday, but two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain) was unable to do any live drills, according to a report from ESPN. Reserve guard A.J. Green, who sat out Tuesday’s practice with a left ankle sprain, was able to go through most of Friday’s practice. There have been mixed messages from Milwaukee on Antetokounmpo’s status, with president Peter Feigin saying he”definitely will not be back for Sunday,” when the Bucks will host the Pacers in Game 1 of their first-round series. Head coach Doc Rivers is still holding out hope that the perennial All-NBA First Team member will be ready though, per ESPN. “I don’t know yet,” Rivers said. “We’re still hoping. He hasn’t done anything. Would we throw him out there? Yeah, we would. For us, still we’re not sure.”
Speaking of Lillard, the Bucks‘ All-Star said he aggravated his Achilles tendon in Sunday’s loss to Orlando, but his adductor has been giving him the most trouble, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (Twitter links). Lillard missed four games over the past few weeks with various injury designations, but he said the week off has helped him recover.
Sixers center Joel Embiid is officially questionable for Saturday’s Game 1 in New York with what the team is calling left knee injury recovery, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. Embiid, who missed a few months after tearing his meniscus in January, has been considered questionable for nearly every game since he returned to action at the beginning of April.
Since January 20, Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein has only played 30-plus minutes five times due to Achilles soreness. However, two of those instances came in his last two regular season games, and he said he’s ready for an increased workload in the postseason, according to Katz (Twitter link).

Injury Notes: Giannis, Butler, Bulls, Pelicans/Kings

April 19th, 2024 at 7:20am CST by Luke Adams

After Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that the Bucks are preparing to be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the start of their first round series against Indiana, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirmed on Thursday on Stadium’s Playoff Preview show (Twitter video link) that the star forward’s status “is still in doubt” for the series.

“He has been rehabbing daily with that strained calf, getting treatment,” Charania said. “He has had even some stationary workouts on the court, but he is doubtful to start the series. I’m told this injury could be anywhere from two to four weeks, potentially. We know his superhuman ability, but that clearly puts his status for this series in jeopardy.

“The Bucks (and) Giannis have to have some level of caution in being careful with this calf injury. Already this season, Giannis has had Achilles tendinitis, a hamstring injury as well, and now this calf strain. The last thing (they) would want is for him to get back, rush on the floor with a calf injury, not being 100% and then potentially tweaking that or leading to even worse injuries.”

Crucially, Charania didn’t clarify whether or not the two-to-four-week timeline he cited applies retroactively — Antetokounmpo has been sidelined since April 9 as a result of the injury, so he has already been out for 10 days. Assuming the projected recovery timeline described by Charania began on the date of the injury, the two-time MVP still has a chance to play at some point in round one.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Jimmy Butler‘s agent Bernie Lee took exception with Thursday’s reports that his client would miss several weeks as a result of his knee injury, suggesting that they were premature, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays (via Twitter). “We’re going to see the doctor later today,” Lee said on Thursday afternoon, “and it just blows my mind that somebody that wasn’t in the arena has somehow come up with a medical timeline of something that literally four of us, one is the person that got hurt, and me, the person that has conversations with everything, that everything gets filtered through. We don’t even know and now we’re having to live in someone else’s created reality of you know something that I didn’t know.” The Heat subsequently confirmed that Butler had sustained an MCL sprain, though the team didn’t offer any sort of timeline beyond ruling him out for Friday’s play-in game. MCL sprains are typically multi-week injuries.
Bulls role players Alex Caruso (left ankle sprain), Ayo Dosunmu (right quad contusion), and Andre Drummond (left ankle sprain) have all been listed as questionable for Friday’s play-in game vs. Miami. Dosunmu and Drummond, who were also both listed as questionable for Tuesday’s contest, seem like relatively safe bets to play, while Caruso is expected to be a game-time decision.
There are no surprises on the Pelicans/Kings injury report for Friday, though the absences on each side are notable. Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain) is the only New Orleans player sidelined, while Sacramento is missing Malik Monk (right knee sprain) and Kevin Huerter (left shoulder surgery).

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