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Central Notes: Williams, Buzelis, Jerome, Thompson

January 26th, 2025 at 3:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In the first season of a new five-year, $90MM contract, Bulls forward Patrick Williams has continued to struggle to carve out a consistent gig as a role player. Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic wonders if Williams’ window to prove he can effectively do so is closing.

With the Bulls’ third-leading scorer, Coby White, unavailable, Chicago was hoping for the 23-year-old to take on a bigger offensive role in a 109-97 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. Instead, he scored two points while shooting just 1-of-9 from the field and coughed up the ball in a critical possession with just over three minutes left in the game.

Following that turnover, head coach Billy Donovan quickly removed Williams from the lineup for the game’s final minutes, which has become increasingly common, Mayberry notes. In his fifth season, the 6’7″ pro is struggling both to finish at the rim and connect from long range for the 19-27 Bulls.

“He’s going to need to do that to continue to evolve,” Donovan said. “Earlier in his career, he never would have done any of that stuff. He would always defer and feel like, ‘I’m a young guy. I’ve just got to fit in.’ I think now he’s trying to do more, but we all want to have better results out of it.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Bulls rookie forward Matas Buzelis has played sparingly this season for Chicago thus far. The No. 11 overall pick has averaged just 12.7 minutes per game, which ranks 31st among first-year players. As Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times notes, Donovan doesn’t think Buzelis is capable of playing major minutes just yet. “[Buzelis] has to understand the things that go into winning, how he can impact winning and the things he has to do on a consistent basis,” the Bulls’ coach said.
  • Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome enjoyed a career night in a 132-129 loss to Philadelphia on Friday, scoring a personal-best 33 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor, including 8-of-8 shooting from long range. He also went 3-of-4 from the foul line. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com notes in a subscriber-only story, the 6’5″ guard’s big night wasn’t enough to help the club overcome the Sixers, but the 27-year-old is enjoying his best pro season since his 2020/21 run with the Thunder, averaging a career-best 10.8 points, plus 3.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per night.
  • Pistons forward Ausar Thompson, whose development was slowed by a blood clot issue that caused him to miss time at the end of 2023/24 and the start of this season, took a major step on Saturday, playing a season-high 29 minutes in a 121-113 loss to Orlando. Thompson, who scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, spoke after the game about gradually getting back to 100%, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “I feel great,” Thompson said. “It feels good to almost reach the 30-minute mark. I feel great, feel conditioned and however many minutes they need me to play, I’m ready to play.” Thompson has been on a minutes restriction for much of the season. Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke glowingly of the second-year forward’s progress, Sankofa tweets. “His activity was great, his aggressiveness,” Bickerstaff said. “He was attacking the paint, making plays, rebounding the ball, four steals. I thought he did a great job of showing exactly who he is and how he can contribute to help this team win.”
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Bulls Looking To Trade Patrick Williams

January 18th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has decided to explore trade opportunities involving Patrick Williams, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

The 23-year-old power forward has experienced a decline in production during his fifth NBA season, averaging 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per night through 32 games while shooting career lows from the field (37.7%) and three-point range (36.2%).

Williams has been viewed as a project since Chicago selected him with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. The source tells Cowley that Williams “hasn’t been easy to work with,” explaining that his attitude has been fine, but he hasn’t been comfortable enough with his role to buy into what the coaches are telling him.

Cowley explains that assistant coaches are typically assigned to certain players, and there have been “frustrations” on both sides with some of Williams’ matchups. Director of player development Peter Patton has taken over those duties this season, Cowley adds, and it seemed as though Williams was responding when he averaged 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in November.

However, through nine games in January, Williams’ numbers are down to 6.6 PPG and 2.6 RPG. Head coach Billy Donovan has been reducing his playing time and he was on the court for just 17 minutes in Friday’s home loss to Charlotte, finishing the game with five points, no rebounds and a -17 plus/minus rating.

“I don’t want to use the word concerned, but I think Patrick’s heart is in a really good place as it relates to our team, and I think he really wants to do well,” Donovan told reporters after the game. “I think the one thing he will continue to get better at, and I think I mentioned to you guys that in closeouts, and I think the next iteration, the next part of it, at least offensively, is going to end up being, ‘What are the ones I need to go in and finish, what are the ones I need to spray out? And when I do spray it out, taking care of the ball?’

“The other part of it too, for our team, we need more rebounding from him. I think he’s made the effort to try and go there, but we probably need to get a little more out of him. But I’m not concerned about him. I know this stretch for him has not been good, but he has had moments where he has been pretty good. I think he does work, I think he’s a good player. He’s up in a tough stretch right now. He’s still going through a maturation process offensively.”

The decision to trade Williams comes roughly six months after the Bulls re-signed him to a five-year, $90MM contract. As Cowley notes, Williams was a restricted free agent last summer, so Karnisovas could have let him seek an offer from a rival team and then decide whether it was in his best interest to match it. Instead, he rewarded Williams with a long-term deal that will pay him $18MM each season, including a player option for 2028/29. Given Williams’ recent production, there may not be many teams willing to take on that contract without an incentive attached.

Williams becomes the latest rumored trade candidate ahead of what could be an active deadline in Chicago. The Bulls are reportedly also looking to move Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and possibly Lonzo Ball.

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Bulls Notes: LaVine, Ball, Williams, Donovan

January 15th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although Bulls swingman Zach LaVine is in the midst of a career year, the two-time All-Star’s teammates feel he is getting short shrift from national media and fans, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.

“I don’t understand it,” guard Lonzo Ball said. “(He’s) definitely a top-three shooting guard in the NBA right now. I don’t understand why people talk down on him. He’s a true professional.”

Bulls guard Coby White, LaVine’s longest-tenured Chicago teammate, believes LaVine’s excellence has been under-appreciated for the entirety of their partnership.

“He’s been overlooked since I’ve been here,” White told Poe.

LaVine is shooting with remarkable efficiency as the top scorer on the 18-23 Bulls. Through 36 games, the 29-year-old is averaging 23.8 points per game on a .516/.455/.807 slash line. He’s also chipping in 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.9 steals per night.

Poe notes that Chicago has had just three games on national television this year, which could be partly to blame for why LaVine has been somewhat unheralded in 2024/25.

“Unfortunately, sometimes it’s out of sight, out of mind,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “When guys are not necessarily out there all the time, it’s hard. You’re not really watching them or seeing them or thinking about them.”

There’s more out of Chicago:

  • Ball, meanwhile, has been impressive in his first healthy stretch since 2021/22, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Following three surgeries to address a recurring knee issue, he is finally back in action for Chicago, on a minutes limit. Cowley notes, however, that Ball is now consistently playing more minutes off the bench. “I didn’t know what to expect [of Ball] because a lot of the workouts that I watched were one-on-one, and I didn’t see him play five-on-five,’’ Donovan said of Ball’s gradual return ahead of the season. ‘‘I got pretty optimistic when training camp started. I was able to see he was running and doing the things he was doing. He [just] needed to get his timing back.”
  • Bulls forward Patrick Williams has been only sporadically available to Donovan this season. When Williams does hit the floor, the head coach wants to see steadier production from the fifth-year wing out of Florida, Cowley notes in another Sun-Times story. “My expectations for him, even in my conversations with him, is, and this is going to be kind of a broad statement, but you got to feel him out there,” Donovan said. “That’s not necessarily scoring. He’s shot the ball pretty well. You gotta feel him on the glass, feel him in transition, feel him with the activity with his hands, feel him at the rim. That. I think he’s capable of doing that. That’s really been the message more than anything else, of him getting his body size, physicality into the game.”
  • Williams inked a five-year, $90MM deal as a restricted free agent to stay with Chicago long-term over the summer. On Wednesday, he became trade-eligible.
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Eighteen More Players Become Trade-Eligible

January 15th, 2025 at 7:00am CST by Luke Adams

Today is Wednesday, January 15, which means that a total of 18 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is above the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Wednesday:

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.

That group includes Kings forward Doug McDermott, who becomes trade-eligible on Thursday, Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser (trade-eligible on January 23), Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (Jan. 26), Grizzlies big man Jay Huff (Jan. 28), Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (Feb. 2), and Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (Feb. 5).

Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including stars like Joel Embiid, Lauri Markkanen, and Jamal Murray.

Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

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Central Notes: Cunningham, Pistons, Haliburton, Williams, Dosunmu

January 11th, 2025 at 8:40am CST by Tristan Tucker

Pistons star Cade Cunningham is guiding the team to winning ways after a slow start to the season and a franchise-worst year in 2023/24. As Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes, Cunningham is embracing the challenge that comes with being the Pistons’ franchise centerpiece and has shown a willingness to take the blame when things aren’t going right for the team.

“You don’t get that out of many old guys, right? Like, there’s not many people in this league that are willing to accept responsibility for the total right for the whole group,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You know, you deal with a lot of people now, the easiest thing to do is either shy away from it or put it on somebody else. And I think that speaks to his courage.”

In 34 games, Cunningham is averaging 24.3 points, 9.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 45.7% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc, all of which are career bests. The Pistons are 19-19, having already won five more games than they did all of last season.

“[It’s] something that comes with being, you know, ‘the guy,’” Cunningham said. “Everybody calls me ‘the guy.’ It’s a lot of responsibility. It’s a lot of … I mean, people would call it pressure, but, you know, I have to deliver, and I haven’t done that to the level that I wanted to.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • The Pistons‘ recent turnaround is helping remove some of the ‘dark clouds’ surrounding the franchise, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. “It’s huge, man,” Jalen Duren said. “It’s huge. The vets that came in, I’m not gonna say they don’t understand it, but they weren’t here. Guys who’ve been here … the guys who have been through the ups and downs of our short career, and now getting here and being .500 is huge.“
  • Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton started to let some of the outside noise regarding his play affect him, leading to early-season struggles for both the fifth-year point guard and the team, Jared Weiss and Sam Amick of The Athletic write. “It was the first time in my life that I had real self-doubt behind everything I was doing,” Haliburton said. “… I feel like my personal struggles were leading to the team’s struggles.” Returning from an injury too soon last season and re-aggravating it impacted his play. The Pacers’ floor general is starting to turn it around, averaging 20.4 points and 9.9 assists per game and shooting 41.3% from three as the team has won 11 of its past 14 games.
  • The Bulls are “still searching for answers” as to how to best utilize forward Patrick Williams, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Williams, the fourth overall pick in 2020, is averaging 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest this season, in line with his career figures.
  • Chicago is optimistic that guard Ayo Dosunmu will be able to return from his Achilles injury at some point during the Bulls‘ five-game home stand, although it’s unlikely he’ll play on Sunday, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Dosunmu, who is averaging 12.6 PPG and 4.8 APG, has missed the last eight games with the injury.
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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.”
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Bulls Notes: Smith, LaVine, Vucevic, Williams, Buzelis

December 11th, 2024 at 5:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Revenge wasn’t on Jalen Smith‘s mind when he faced the Pacers Friday night for the first time since leaving them over the summer to sign with the Bulls, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

Given the financial realities of the situation, Smith and Indiana’s front office both seemed to understand going into last season that their relationship was about to end, Dopirak adds. Holding a $5.4MM player option, Smith felt it was in his best interest to seek a bigger contract in free agency, and the three-year, $27MM deal he got from Chicago was nearly double what the Pacers were paying him. With no hard feelings on either side, Smith welcomed Friday’s game as a chance to catch up with some old friends.

“Obviously, I wanted to be back in Indiana, but at the end of the day, it was the business part of the game,” he said. “All of them wished me luck. They all said they would be there to help me whenever I needed it. At the end of the day, I didn’t leave on bad terms. Obviously, being able to finally get my career going there, it was tough to leave, but at the end of the day it was just the business part of the game.”

Smith has been a solid addition in Chicago, averaging 8.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per night as the team’s primary backup center. His loss has been significant for Indiana, which doesn’t have a reliable big man off the bench since Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman both suffered season-ending injuries.

“Loved him,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Smith. “He’s one of the most wonderful young men I’ve ever been around. Always in a great mood, high level of skill. He’s a great rebounder and he can really shoot the ball and he can block shots. He knows how to play. He’s a great teammate. I was really disappointed that we lost him, but I could really see that it was gonna happen. He’s just too good.”

There’s more from Chicago:

  • Zach LaVine isn’t dominating the offense the way he has in the past, but he’s still scoring a lot because of improved efficiency, notes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. LaVine has only taken 20 shots five times this season, but he’s connecting at 50.6% from the field, a career-high 43.2% from beyond the arc and 80% on free throws. ‘‘There might be a game where I may need to go out there and try and lead the team offensively, but this year has been more about spurts,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t think that’s the style of play that we’re playing right now.’’
  • Center Nikola Vucevic is also benefiting from coach Billy Donovan’s up-tempo offense, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Vucevic is averaging 21 PPG, which would be his highest total for a full season since he came to Chicago in a 2021 trade, and he’s shooting 58.7% from the floor, the best figure of his career. “I don’t think people understand how hard he works,” LaVine said. “We all made sacrifices — me, DeMar (DeRozan), Vooch — we all came together and we all took a little bit less of our game and tried to do better for the team. But I think Vooch took the biggest back seat for years.”
  • Patrick Williams plans to return Friday after missing 10 games with inflammation in his left foot, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Williams will likely be on a minutes restriction at first, but Mayberry notes that the team will eventually face a decision on how much his availability cuts into the playing time of rookie forward Matas Buzelis.
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Injury Updates: Clingan, P. Williams, Rockets, Pacers

December 10th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Donovan Clingan, the No. 7 overall pick of June’s draft, has been cleared for on-court workouts as he ramps up toward a return, according to the Trail Blazers, who announced (via Twitter) that the rookie center is day-to-day going forward.

Clingan has been sidelined for the past seven games after sustaining a sprained MCL in his left knee. The former UConn big man, who won back-to-back national championships with the Huskies, was off to an impressive start to his professional career prior to the injury, averaging 5.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in just 17.0 minutes per game in his first 17 appearances.

Clingan nearing a return is welcome news for the Blazers, who have lost six of their past seven games, including four straight. He’s not the only reserve big man who has been out lately, as Robert Williams has missed the past six games while in the NBA’s concussion protocol. Duop Reath, another backup center, also missed Sunday’s loss with back soreness.

According to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link), head coach Chauncey Billups said Clingan was able to do “pretty much everything” during Tuesday’s practice. Billups is optimistic that Clingan will be able to return for Friday’s matchup vs. San Antonio, Highkin adds.

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

  • Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who has been out since November 18 due to inflammation in his surgically repaired left foot, was a full participant in Tuesday’s non-contact practice and is slated to participate in tomorrow’s “contact, scrimmage-filled practice,” tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network). “It’s been tough. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I played,” Williams said, according to Johnson (Twitter link). Head coach Billy Donovan said last week that there was a chance Williams could return at some point this week — Chicago’s next game is Friday vs. Charlotte.
  • The Rockets will get a couple of key reinforcements back for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against Golden State, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Point guard Fred VanVleet said he’ll return to action after missing Sunday’s game with a right knee injury, and third-year forward Tari Eason has cleared the league’s concussion protocol following a two-game absence.
  • Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle recently provided updates on injured wings Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays (via Twitter). Nesmith, who has been out since Nov. 1 due to a left ankle sprain, is still “weeks away” from returning, while Sheppard, who has been sidelined since Nov. 17 due to an oblique injury, is closer to playing.
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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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Fischer: Bulls Open To Discussing ‘Majority Of Their Roster’

November 29th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls are viewed as a prime candidate to sell off veterans ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, Jake Fischer writes on Marc Stein’s Substack page.

As Fischer explains, Chicago has been fairly competitive thus far, currently holding an 8-12 record. But winning too many games could jeopardize the Bulls’ first-round pick, which will convey to San Antonio if it falls outside of the top 10 in next year’s draft (Chicago will keep the pick if it lands in the top 10).

That’s why the Bulls have been signaling to rival teams that they’re open to discussing the “majority of their roster” ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, league sources tell Fischer. Unsurprisingly, Fischer hears Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball top the list of players Chicago would like to move.

The Bulls have reportedly been trying to trade LaVine for well over a year, but have yet to find a suitable deal due to his injury history and maximum-salary contract — he’ll earn a combined $89MM this season and next, with a $49MM player option for ’26/27.

The 29-year-old has been productive this season, averaging 21.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 4.3 APG on a sparkling .510/.434/.814 shooting line through 17 games (33.7 MPG). He has also reportedly mended fences with head coach Billy Donovan.

However, three teams who previously held some level of interest in the two-time All-Star — the Kings, Warriors and Pistons — are now considered unlikely suitors for LaVine, according to Fischer.

Here’s more on the Bulls from Fischer’s latest story:

  • He doesn’t explicitly mention him by name, but Fischer strongly suggests multiple rival teams would want young players Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips included in any package for taking on LaVine’s contract.
  • Vucevic, who is having the most accurate shooting season of his career from all over the court (62.5% on twos, 44.9% on threes, 86.0% on free throws), should have positive trade value. One GM told Fischer he thinks the former All-Star center could net the Bulls a couple of second-round picks. The 34-year-old is earning $20MM in ’24/25, followed by $21.5MM in ’25/26.
  • Rival teams haven’t shown much interest in forward Patrick Williams, according to Fischer. Williams, who is currently sidelined with a foot injury, re-signed with Chicago as a restricted free agent over the summer, inking a five-year, $90MM deal.
  • Is Josh Giddey a lock to stay in Chicago? Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that Chicago and Giddey didn’t have any meaningful discussions about a rookie scale extension prior to October’s deadline, and Fischer hears the Bulls never even made the 22-year-old an offer. Giddey will be a restricted free agent in 2025, and his play and minutes have been inconsistent early in his Bulls tenure.
  • Fischer suggests contending teams might have some interest in Jevon Carter, but I’d be shocked if he has anything but negative trade value. The veteran guard didn’t play well last season in his first campaign with Chicago, he’s only played 48 total minutes in ’24/25, and he makes $6.5MM this season, with a $6.8MM player option for ’25/26 that he’s virtually certain to exercise.
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