Derrick Jones Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Re-Sign Derrick Jones To Two-Year Deal

July 1st, 2022 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Jones is officially back under contract with the Bulls, according to a Twitter announcement from the team.

JULY 1: The Bulls and Derrick Jones have agreed to a new two-year contract that will keep the free agent forward in Chicago, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Jones’ two-year deal will be worth $6.6MM, with a second-year player option.

Chicago held Jones’ Early Bird rights, but a deal completed using the Early Bird exception can’t include a second-year option, so the team is likely renouncing its Early Bird rights and making Jones a Non-Bird free agent. The Bulls would then be able to complete the signing without dipping into their mid-level exception.

Jones, 25, appeared in 51 games for Chicago in 2021/22 after being acquired from Portland in an offseason trade. He averaged 5.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .538/.328/.800 shooting in 17.6 minutes per contest.

While Jones hasn’t made a major impact on the offensive end since entering the NBA in 2016, his athleticism and his ability to guard multiple positions on defense have continued to earn him regular minutes.

The Bulls now project to be about $3.5MM below the luxury tax line with 14 players under contract, tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype.

Central Notes: Jones Jr., Allen, Jackson, LaVine, Bagley

March 5th, 2022 at 8:21am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bulls were furious at the Bucks’ Grayson Allen after his hard foul against Alex Caruso in January resulted in Caruso fracturing his right wrist. Derrick Jones Jr. appeared to exact some revenge on Friday, though Jones claims his flagrant foul against Allen wasn’t intentional, ESPN’s Jamal Collier writes.

“I’m not a dirty player. Honestly, I talked to every ref that was there (Friday),” the Bulls forward said. “I didn’t think that was a flagrant. They said I hit him in his head. I didn’t even feel it. I just felt him bump my hip and fall. That’s all I felt.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Pistons reserve guard Frank Jackson missed Friday’s game with a bilateral lumbar spine spasm, according to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Jackson underwent an MRI, Sankofa adds (Twitter link). The Pistons hold a $3.15MM option on Jackson’s contract for next season. He has only appeared in one game since Feb. 11.
It would be surprising if Zach LaVine bolted the Bulls during free agency this offseason, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago opines. LaVine loves living in Chicago and playing for Billy Donovan. He has also repeatedly praised the front office for upgrading the roster, while the ownership group is committed to paying him.
Pistons big man Marvin Bagley III had a strong outing after missing three games due to a sprained ankle, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. Bagley, who will enter free agency this summer, had 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench and is thrilled he got traded to Detroit. “When I first got here, the energy was good,” he said. “You can feel it. You can feel how everybody’s connecting. On the road, team dinners, coming together. It’s a great feeling. I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Central Notes: Jones Jr., Duarte, Cavaliers, Smith

February 13th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls wing Derrick Jones Jr. is determined to play through the pain of a fractured right index finger, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. The Bulls are already playing without Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams and Javonte Green due to injuries.

When Jones initially broke his finger in January, he was given a six-to-eight week recovery timeline. However, the Bulls later issued an update saying the forward would be able to return sooner if he was able to play with a splint. That was less than three weeks ago.

Jones returned on Saturday against the Thunder, playing 23 minutes off the bench. In addition to a finger injury, he was also dealing with a knee injury he suffered a couple weeks before breaking his finger, so this was his first action in a month.

“Personally, I love to compete, and me being out since January 12 has been eating me alive on the inside,” Jones said. “I was just waiting for this pain to die down a little bit so I could hop back out there. Soon as it went away a little bit, I was right back out there tonight.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Pacers rookie Chris Duarte will miss the team’s next two games after jamming his toe, Scott Agness of FieldHouse Files tweets. Duarte exited early in Sunday’s game against Minnesota due to the injury. It could impact his availability for the Rising Stars Game, which takes place on Friday, Agness notes.
The Cavaliers‘ loss to the Sixers on Saturday was a valuable experience for the team, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Cleveland lost the road game 93-103, allowing Joel Embiid to finish with a 40-point triple-double. “The intensity of which you’re going to have to play at in order to compete with teams like this down the stretch,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after being asked what could be taken from the loss, according to Fedor. “It was a clear message from the beginning of the game the intensity that they were coming with, the physicality that they played with. These are the tests that we talk about, and these are the lessons that we have to learn.”
Despite joining the Pacers on the day of a game, Jalen Smith showed promise in his debut on Sunday, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star writes. Smith finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, logging 23 minutes. Indiana acquired him and a 2022 second-round pick from Phoenix in exchange for Torrey Craig last week.

Derrick Jones Jr. Breaks Finger, Likely Out 6-8 Weeks

January 26th, 2022 at 5:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JANUARY 26: Jones will be evaluated “in about a week” to determine whether he can play while wearing the splint on his right index finger, according to coach Billy Donovan, as Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago relays (via Twitter). The Bulls said in their press release that Jones could return to action sooner than six-to-eight weeks if he’s able to play with the splint, Schaefer notes.

JANUARY 25: During a workout at the Bulls practice facility while rehabbing from a bone bruise in his right knee, Chicago reserve forward Derrick Jones Jr. broke his right index finger, the team has announced.

Chicago adds that Jones will be unavailable for approximately the next six-to-eight weeks. The fractured digit is currently in a splint. Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago notes that Jones has injured his non-shooting hand.

Jones was two weeks into his recovery from the bone bruise, and had been projected to return in another two-to-four weeks prior to fracturing his finger. In 31 games this season, Jones is averaging fairly modest counting stats of 6.3 PPG and 3.4 RPG across 17.2 MPG for the Bulls. He is also connecting on a career-best 40.5% of his 1.2 three-point attempts per game. The numbers belie the true extent of his impact for Chicago.

His extreme athleticism and 7′ wingspan have made Jones a versatile defender off the bench for the Bulls. The springy 6’5″ forward, still just 24, has emerged as an intriguing small-ball center option for head coach Billy Donovan in certain Chicago lineups.

The injury woes continue for Chicago. Though All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine and power forward Javonte Green recently returned to the team’s lineup in a 111-110 victory over the Thunder after their own injury absences, several Bulls players remain sidelined with long-term ailments. Guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso just underwent surgeries and will also be unavailable for at least the next six weeks of games. Starting power forward Patrick Williams has missed all but five games this season with a dislocated wrist, and will return at the earliest in April.

Jones and his expiring $9.7MM contract were viewed as favorable trade fodder for the Bulls. Were the Bulls to try to offload a young player on a rookie deal for a veteran upgrade as the NBA nears the February 10 trade deadline, Jones could be used to match salaries. With his fate for the next two months now more bleak, it will be interesting to see how this impacts the roster construction choices of Chicago president Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley. Chicago has been hit particularly hard at the point guard and power forward spots.

At 29-17, the Bulls are currently the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Zooming out, the team has gone a mere 3-7 in its last 10 games as the injuries have begun to pile up and is just four games ahead of the 26-22 Hornets, the seventh seed in the East.

Derrick Jones Jr. Suffers Bone Bruise In Knee, Out 2-4 Weeks

January 13th, 2022 at 6:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

6:13pm: The Bulls announced that Jones will miss two-to-four weeks with the bone bruise instead of the originally reported four-to-six, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link).

1:02pm: Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr. will miss four-to-six weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Jones suffered the injury on an awkward landing 36 seconds into Wednesday’s game against the Nets, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. He had to be helped to the locker room, and the team announced that he wouldn’t return.

Jones has started Chicago’s last six games while Javonte Green has been sidelined with a groin strain. After coming to the Bulls in an offseason trade, Jones is averaging 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds through 31 games.

Chicago is also missing guard Alex Caruso, another member of its rotation, who remains in the league’s health and safety protocols and isn’t expected back for Friday’s game.

“It’s going to be tough because you can’t replace those guys,” Zach LaVine said. “It’s always been a next-man-up mentality that we’ve had. It’s something we’re going to have to do because it’s not like anybody is going to feel sorry for us having some guys out. Everybody’s had guys out.”

Central Notes: Bickerstaff, White, Bulls, Sykes

December 27th, 2021 at 8:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers awarded coach J.B. Bickerstaff with a lucrative Christmas present, extending him through the 2026/27 season. Continuity on the coaching staff will allow the team’s young core to grow, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic opines. It also ensures that the positive culture Bickerstaff has built will become a fixture.

“It’s meaningful to know that you’re with an organization and with a group of people that believe in you and believe in what we’re building and what we’re working towards,” the Cavaliers’ head coach said. “When you have that support, it just gives you more confidence to go out and do the job that you see fit.”

We have more from thee Central Division:

Bulls guard Coby White admits he’s having a rough season, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. White missed the first 13 games this season while rehabbing a shoulder injury and spent five games in COVID-19 protocols. Now, he’s adjusting to a new off-the-ball role. “It’s been difficult. I ain’t going to lie and say it’s been easy. It hasn’t been easy,” said White, who is in the third year of his rookie deal. Chicago has already exercised its option on his contract for next season.
The Bulls have been very aggressive on the trade and free agent markets since last season’s trade deadline. Look for them to make something happen before this year’s Feb. 10 trade deadline, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times opines. Derrick Jones, Troy Brown and White are potential trade candidates and there will be an increasing number of teams with dim playoff hopes willing to make a move.
The Pacers signed Keifer Sykes to a new contract on Monday. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link), it’s a two-year deal and the second year includes a team option.

Central Notes: White, DeRozan, Caruso, Carlisle, Pangos

December 18th, 2021 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

While COVID-19 disrupts rosters across the league, the Bulls are starting to get healthier, writes Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports. Coby White, DeMar DeRozan and Javonte Green all cleared protocols this week and are expected to play Sunday against the Lakers. Derrick Jones Jr. left the protocols today and Matt Thomas is getting close, although he remains doubtful for Sunday.

White and DeRozan both said their symptoms were mild and agreed that their main issue was “boredom” while being away from the team. White, who was the first Chicago player to enter the protocols on December 1, said his experience was no worse than strep throat and the symptoms went away in two or three days. DeRozan tested positive five days after White, learning the news after a morning shootaround.

“It was one of those things, mixture of everything,” DeRozan said. “Frustration of not being able to go out there and play, trying to figure out why I don’t feel nothing, nothing’s wrong, how long I’m going to be out. Just a mixture of a lot of emotions. But at the end of the day, I just was like, ‘I’ve got to deal with it, something I’ve got to deal with,’ and went from there.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The two Bulls games that were postponed this week provided some benefits for the team, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Alex Caruso, who has been dealing with a sore right hamstring, is now fully recovered, according to coach Billy Donovan, and some players who had been seeing heavy minutes got a chance to rest. “Lonzo (Ball) kind of stands out,” Donovan said. “Zach (LaVine) is in health and safety protocols, but he was a guy that was logging a lot of minutes as well. So hopefully it gives those guys an opportunity to get their bodies a chance to recover some.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who tested positive for COVID-19 10 days ago, should be ready to return for Tuesday’s game, assistant Lloyd Pierce told James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Pierce has filled in for Carlisle during his four-game absence.
In an interview with Dionysis Aravantinos of HoopsHype, Cavaliers guard Kevin Pangos talks about adjusting to the NBA after playing six years in Europe.

Derrick Jones Jr. Fifth Bulls Player To Enter Protocols

December 9th, 2021 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Derrick Jones Jr. has become the fifth Bulls player to enter the league’s health and safety protocols, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

If it wasn’t evident already, the Bulls have an outbreak on their hands. Jones joins Coby White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, and Matt Thomas in the protocols.

It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but based on this tweet from Wojnarowski, it sounds like Jones tested positive for COVID-19 as well. If so, he will be out for at least 10 days or until he returns two consecutive negative PCR tests a minimum of 24 hours apart.

If Jones did test positive, the Bulls would be eligible to sign another player via a hardship exception, per Bobby Marks of ESPN (via Twitter). The Bulls already used the exception to sign Stanley Johnson in a move that became official today.

The high-flying Jones was the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest winner. Through 22 games this season (18.6 MPG), he’s averaging 7.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.0 BPG.

Central Notes: DeRozan, Jones Jr., Allen, Cunningham, J. Jackson

November 17th, 2021 at 5:58pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls are off to an outstanding 10-4 start and sign-and-trade acquisition DeMar DeRozan is a huge reason why. DeRozan scored 38 points against the Lakers on Monday, shooting 15-for-23 from the field, 2-for-5 from deep, and 6-of-6 from the line while adding six assists to an all-around great performance. Jamal Collier of ESPN writes that DeRozan is carrying “so many chips” on his shoulder, which he uses as motivation.

“I can go down the list of just being counted out, being looked over,” DeRozan said. “So many chips that’s on my shoulder that I carry. And just wanting to be a winner and wanting to enjoy this ride. We can’t play this game forever, so I want to get as much as I can out of it.”

Through 14 games, DeRozan is averaging 26.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 35.3 minutes per contest, with a stellar .510/.371/.873 shooting line. Now 32, DeRozan says he’s never viewed his age as an issue and his new team is allowing him to be the best version of himself on the court.

“I never looked at age as being an issue,” DeRozan said. “I never looked at it. People put the age limit on everything, and I never did. The way I worked, the way I take care of my body, the way I prepare, I knew what I was capable of doing. I just took different roads the last couple years of playing basketball, trying to do the right thing, figuring it out.

“This time, just knowing my ability was always there, I never lost confidence. I never thought I couldn’t be who I was before. Chicago allowed me to completely be myself.”

Here’s more from the Central:

Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr., an unrestricted free agent in 2022, recently spoke to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. With Nikola Vucevic sidelined, Jones has been getting minutes as a backup center, which is a new experience for him at the NBA level. Jones says he’s happy to defend anyone on the court. “Me personally, I’m not tripping. I love being on the floor, so any opportunity I get to be out there and just be able to contribute to winning and competing that’s all I want to do. I’m a competitor at the end of the day. I don’t care if I have to guard a five or a guard,” Jones said.
Bucks guard Grayson Allen, acquired via trade in the offseason, is loving his time in Milwaukee, writes Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I know I’ve only been in Milwaukee and with the Bucks a short time but I’m really excited to have this extension here. It’s an incredible culture, incredible group of guys here. I’m really happy to be part of this group and extending my time here,” Allen said. He signed a two-year extension prior to the season and is averaging a career high 16.0 points and 3.9 rebounds in 14 games (29.9 minutes per game), with a .451/.438/.920 shooting line. He’s third in the NBA in three-pointers made.
Despite battling an injury to start his rookie campaign, Pistons first overall pick Cade Cunningham remains ever-confident in his abilities on and off the court, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Cunningham says he’s constantly adding to his game. “Every game, I feel like I add something to the hard drive and something to my game,” Cunningham said. “I’ve learned so much about me as a person and me as a player since I got to the NBA. It’s promising for me, at least, to stay confident and just believe in myself for the future.” Cunningham had 25 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists on Monday against the Kings.
Rod Beard of The Detroit News details how Pistons forward Josh Jackson found his way home to Detroit, and now he’s finding his way with the team. Jackson, an unrestricted free agent in 2022, says he grew up a Pistons fan. “It just kind of makes me feel like everything came full circle for me. Obviously, this was the team I grew up watching pretty much all of my early years,” Jackson said.

Bulls Notes: Starting Lineup, Williams, Vucevic, Markkanen

October 5th, 2021 at 12:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls will begin preseason play tonight without Patrick Williams, who is recovering from a severely sprained left ankle. That leaves a hole in their starting lineup, and coach Billy Donovan is considering a number of options to fill it, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com.

Donovan has expressed a desire to play faster this season, so it doesn’t appear he will turn to a traditional big man to step in for Williams at power forward. He has been experimenting with several players to see who fits best alongside Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.

“We’ve thrown Derrick (Jones Jr.) in with that (starting) group,” Donovan said. “We’ve thrown Javonte Green in with that group. We’ve put Alex Caruso in there. We’ve put Troy Brown in there with that group. It’s been hard to really evaluate it because as you’re implementing and you’re putting in, there’s things that we have to continue to get better at and improve upon. And then I think the other piece of it is, how well does the group function together?”

There’s more from Chicago:

It’s possible that Williams could return before the preseason is over, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Williams injured his ankle on September 15 and was projected to miss four to six weeks. Mayberry notes that he wasn’t limping at media day and may be ahead of schedule in his recovery. “He’s been able to come in here and shoot,” Donovan said. “We haven’t done anything laterally, cutting-wise with him. He’s been coming in at night, getting some shots up, doing as much conditioning as he can be doing. But he’s done well. We feel pretty good about the way he’s progressing. I guess that’s what happens when you’re 20 years old. You heal pretty quickly.”
No team has changed its roster more than the Bulls since last season’s trade deadline, and Vucevic believes they’re ready to contend, calling it “definitely the most talented team I’ve been a part of,” Mayberry adds in the same piece. One concern is lack of depth in the frontcourt after the team missed out on Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency.
The Cavaliers will be the opponent in the preseason opener, which means a quick return to Chicago for Lauri Markkanen, who suggested in the offseason that he wanted a “fresh start.” Speaking to reporters today, Markkanen refused to criticize his former team, tweets Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I’ve got nothing bad to say about them,” he said. “When I was here, they treated me well and just things didn’t go as planned.”