Basketball, one of the most popular sports in the world, also has another trick up its sleeve. It happens to be a sport that translates really well into gaming, meaning fans will be able to enjoy an authentic basketball experience across a range of devices, often taking control of a team or individual player. With so many excellent basketball games out there, we’ve picked out some of the best of them below.

NBA 2K26

The obvious go-to title for any basketball fan right now is NBA 2K26, the latest release in what is a hit series. NBA 2K26, seen as the flagship release by developers 2K, includes hit modes like MyCAREER, MyTEAM, MyNBA and Play Now, which are all central to the experience. There’s also ProPLAY-powered gameplay to get stuck into, while the game’s live seasons and patch updates keep everything fresh and up to date.

Basketball Legends

While nothing can compare to the real thing at online casinos than perhaps live casino versions of basketball games, slots have a good go at it, with Basketball Legends one of the standout titles. The game’s authentic court atmosphere and animated presentation create an experience that players naturally buy into. Everything in the game, including the features, revolves around basketball, rather than this being just another generic sports release.

NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition

NBA 2K26, as mentioned above, is the go-to title for basketball fans on the market right now. But what if you love your basketball and want a portable version of the game? Well, this is where NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition comes in. It’s all the essentials of the full game, packaged for mobile play, so players can get stuck into the action whenever and from wherever.

NBA Bounce

NBA Bounce is another newer release into the basketball category, and like NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition, it’s a bit of a lighter game. Launched last September, this family-friendly release features all 30 NBA teams, with co-op play and modes such as Training, Full Season and Party Mode available to enjoy. NBA Bounce is highly accessible as a result, because not every player is looking for a hardcore sim after all. Some will want a pick-up and play title, of which this is one.

Basketball Star

Basketball Star does something that most other basketball-themed slot games don’t, and that’s provide players with 243 ways to win. While the basketball theme is going to be a huge attraction, the 243 ways to win make this slot worth spinning the reels of, regardless of whether you like basketball or not. The game also comes loaded with perks such as Rolling Reels, a multiplier trail, and a free spins feature, so there’s a lot to like.

NBA Infinite

NBA Infinite is another basketball-themed title built for mobile. The game’s focus is on real-time PvP play, which is incredibly popular across gaming right now. NBA Infinite is a free-to-play title where players can build teams, customize line-ups and compete live. With gaming moving in the direction it is, towards quick matches, this is the choice for players who want short sessions with no long-term commitment.

Conclusion

Basketball games in 2026 provide not only great experiences, but variety on tap. There are hardcore sims, mobile-first games and even slots, meaning if you love your basketball, you will get to play it exactly the way you want to, which has to be admired.

The post The Best Basketball Games To Play In 2026 appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Caitlin Clark has been a household name in the WNBA since she joined the Indiana Fever in 2024. In fact, one could argue that she is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ WNBA counterpart — at least in terms of their widespread fame.

The Indiana Fever star took the league by storm in her rookie season. She averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Clark also shot 34% from the three and 42% from the field.

The former Iowa Hawkeye took home the WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2024. She was also named a WNBA All-Star in her first two seasons in the league. 

WNBA: Caitlin Clark shares moment with LeBron James

Similar to James, Clark was one of the most highly-touted rookies in their respective league. James was the top-ranked high school player in the country. He was the consensus top overall pick in the NBA Draft even before he graduated high school.

As for Clark, she was an absolute must-see player in collegiate basketball during her time in Iowa. Clark averaged 28.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals with the Hawkeyes. She also broke “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s record and became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer among men’s or women’s players.

Currently, Clark and the Fever are enjoying the WNBA offseason. This is why Clark was in attendance when the Indiana Pacers hosted the Los Angeles Lakers at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

During the game, the Fever star acted as a courtside photographer, snapping a few shots of the Lakers star. She then shared her experience when Clark joined NBC’s broadcast of the New York Knicks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game on Sunday. 

When asked what name she would give to the photo that she took, Clark simply replied, “The King.” She added, “That’s my GOAT.” 

Clark also talked about a mishap involving James during the game. 

“I swear we made eye contact,” she claimed. “So I set down the camera, and I smiled at him, and he just looked at me with a straight face. I was like, he didn’t even see me.”

Clark seemed a little bit embarrassed by her admission. She thought that James acknowledged her presence, only to be reminded that the Lakers superstar was totally locked in on the game.

The post Caitlin Clark reveals her NBA GOAT appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are in a position where they have essentially thrown in the towel on this season. They have lost 12 of their previous 13 games and find themselves 12th in the Eastern Conference. While it is difficult for them to get some of the top odds for the 2026 NBA Draft, they are essentially looking to build up through the draft this offseason and see where things go from there. Let’s take a look at how one writer believes the season is going.

The Chicago Bulls received a ‘C’ grade for the third quarter of the NBA season

The Bulls have posted a 25-37 record so far, and have a clear vision for the future. Zach Harper of The Athletic seemingly agrees, as he posted his report card for the third quarter of the NBA season. Chicago was one of two Eastern Conference teams to receive a ‘C’ grade for their performance. However, he also mentioned the team is getting worse, but explained why in this snippet from the article below:

“Chicago. It’s by design, but the Bulls have really sunk into this tanking thing. They lost 11 straight games almost immediately, as they punted on the Play-In Tournament. They’re seeing which guards are worth keeping and praying they can get some real lottery luck to get a future star on the roster.”

He would also go on and mention how Chicago is the team in the Eastern Conference that needs the lottery luck the most. The Bulls need to figure things out this offseason, but can use the remainder of the season to see which players are going to be part of the rebuilding process. They have their own first-round pick and the Portland Trail Blazers’ first-round pick (top-14 protected), so they are in a position to get some talent and use their treasure trove of picks over the next few years to get this team back on track.

In terms of this season, Chicago needs to figure out their guard situation and which players they are going to choose to keep around to build for the future with.

The post Chicago Bulls receive a passing grade for third quarter of the NBA season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is enjoying the offseason with plenty to be proud of. 

The two-time WNBA All-Star put together a dominant sophomore campaign, averaging 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. 

She led the league in rebounds per game for the second straight year. The former seventh overall pick also became just the third player in WNBA history to average a double-double in her first two seasons. 

Away from the WNBA, Reese is currently competing in Unrivaled for Rose BC. 

While keeping busy on the court, she made sure to support her younger brother Julian Reese, who is carving out his own professional basketball career.

WNBA: Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese shows support for brother Julian’s first career start

Angel is not the only professional baller in the Reese household. Her brother Julian also suits up for the Washington Wizards in the NBA.

The Chicago Sky star had a proud sister moment Monday after her 22-year-old sibling earned his first career start. The Wizards posted a graphic on X announcing the starting lineup against the Houston Rockets, with Julian’s name front and center.

“First NBA start for Juju,” the Wizards wrote on X.

Angel shared the post, along with an emotional reaction. Reese had no words, opting for a holding-back-tears emoji.  

https://t.co/yt73Y5b2Cr

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) March 2, 2026

Julian logged 28 minutes in the start, posting two points, four rebounds and three steals. Unfortunately, the Wizards fell 123-118 to the visiting Rockets at Capital One Arena.

The moment caps a remarkable rise for the former Maryland standout. After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, Julian signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Toronto Raptors. He then earned a two-way deal with Washington and its G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.

Angel could not hide her pride. With one sibling dominating the WNBA and the other breaking into the NBA, the Reese family is living out a dream that started in their Baltimore driveway.

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The Chicago Bulls may have been able to snap their 11-game losing streak on Sunday, but they still are looking towards the offseason to get a potentially significant player for their franchise. With the Bulls having their own first-round pick, they will be in a good spot where they can select a great player for their future. Let’s take a closer look at who they are mocked to draft and what it would mean for the team going forward.

The Chicago Bulls select Brayden Burries in Bleacher Report’s mock draft

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman curated a 2026 NBA mock draft as he gave the Bulls the ninth pick. In the mock draft, the team selected shooting guard Brayden Burries from the Arizona Wildcats. Below is what he wrote regarding the 20-year-old prospect:

“After a slow start for Brayden Burries, belief and interest around his potential has gradually snowballed with the consistent scoring outputs. He’s the type of guard who doesn’t need flashy self-creation off the dribble to get to the rim or hit jumpers. He has been super efficient in ball-screen situations getting downhill and pulling up in the mid-range. He’s had lots of success attacking closeouts and space in transition, using his frame well to shield defenders and create easy finishing angles. Certain evaluators just may have a difficult time picturing upside in a 6’4″, limited playmaker.”

His NBA comparison in the draft is Quentin Grimes. Burries has been playing well for the Wildcats as the freshman guard is averaging 15.7 pounts, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 steals in 29.6 minutes per game. His shooting stroke has been clicking as well as he is shooting 49.5% from the floor, 37.6% from beyond the arc, and 77.3% from the free-throw line throughout his 29 games played as of this writing.

Burries would have a chance to play alongside players like Josh Giddey and Isaac Okoro in the backcourt if he were to be drafted to the Bulls. With the young roster that Chicago currently has, and have signed through next season, it would be a soft landing spot where the upcoming rookie could join as a building block for the rebuilding of the franchise.

It will be intriguing to see if this is the direction that the Bulls would go if they land the ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

The post The Chicago Bulls select this guard in Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft appeared first on ChiCitySports.

NBA legend Carmelo Anthony addressed a viral on-air incident involving fellow Hall of Famer Reggie Miller and WNBA star Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. It happened during Clark’s guest broadcasting debut on NBC’s NBA pregame show on Feb. 1.

The 24-year-old Fever guard appeared alongside Miller, Anthony and NBC host Maria Taylor. The segment aired before the New York Knicks faced the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden.

During the broadcast, Miller praised Clark as one of Indiana’s top shooters while jokingly ranking himself below her. The 60-year-old former Indiana Pacers standout listed the ranking as Clark, Tyrese Haliburton and then himself.

Miller’s praise drew extra attention when he compared Clark to Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard. He made the comparison after being asked which NBA player Clark most reminded him of. 

Miller explained that Pritchard handles the ball well and makes big shots late in games. He said Clark shares those traits. He noted the WNBA star isn’t afraid of big moments and has the qualities of a future champion.

Many fans and analysts felt the comparison was surprising given Clark’s on‑court role and impact. They found Miller’s pick head-scratching for a star of her stature. 

Following Miller’s comment, cameras captured Clark’s smile shift to a surprised, almost skeptical look. Her reaction quickly went viral online. 

Caitlin Clark, WNBA phenom

Clark was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever in 2024. She has quickly become a transformative player, helping the team rise in the WNBA standings.

The Fever star also made an immediate impact in the league, earning unanimous Rookie of the Year honors in 2024. She set rookie single-season records with 769 points and 337 assists during her debut season. Clark also broke the WNBA single-game assist record with 19. 

Her outstanding play earned her a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, the first rookie since Candace Parker in 2008. Clark was also named a WNBA All-Star in both of her first two seasons. She also became the first rookie in WNBA history to record a triple-double, achieving two in a single season.

Carmelo Anthony believes Caitlin Clark deserves a better comparison 

Speaking on the latest episode of the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, Anthony said he was surprised by Miller’s comparison. He believes Clark deserves a comparison to bigger NBA stars than Pritchard.

“I was hearing it loud as [expletive] in my ear, and when he said Payton Pritchard, it just caught me off guard… He wasn’t completely trippin’, but he was trippin’,” the 41-year-old legendary forward said.

Anthony thinks Clark’s skills go beyond simple comparisons to any single NBA player. 

“She got a lil’ Steph [Curry], [Tyrese] Haliburton.” Anthony continued, “She plays a little like Luka [Doncic]. She knows angles. She manipulates your offense.”

Melo & Boogie had their own Caitlin Clark player comparison after her reaction to Reggie Miller

Melo: “She got a lil’ Steph, Haliburton.”

Boogie: “Payton Pritchard not even passing … that man is strictly a bucket.” pic.twitter.com/HDEUoBtEer

— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) February 16, 2026

Anthony’s comments reflect what a lot of fans and analysts also believe. They believe Clark’s scoring, playmaking, and leadership skills justify comparing her to a more prominent NBA player than Pritchard. 

The post WNBA: NBA legend Carmelo Anthony addresses Caitlin Clark incident appeared first on ChiCitySports.

More than half of the NBA season has now gone and we can say that things haven’t gone exactly as expected. Detroit is suddenly a powerhouse. A few teams we had as contenders are scrambling just to stay afloat. And the middle of both conferences is packed tight.

Trying to figure out what’s real and what’s just a hot streak? Now’s the time to look a little closer.

The Surprise Leaders Breaking Through

The biggest surprise? The Pistons.

At 39-13, they’re not just good, they’ve been the class of the Eastern Conference. J.B. Bickerstaff has this team defending at an elite level, ranking second in points allowed per game. Cade Cunningham has taken the leap everyone was waiting for. He’s finally playing like a true All-Star and leader.

But it’s not just that they’re winning, it’s also who they’re beating. They’re 10-4 against teams over .500, so this isn’t a case of padding wins against weak opponents. They’re also 6-1 on the second night of back-to-backs. Might seem insignificant, but that stat usually separates deep, disciplined teams from flashy pretenders.

Out West, Oklahoma City still holds the top spot. But they’ve cooled off a bit lately. Their early-season dominance built enough cushion to weather a few bumps. San Antonio, meanwhile, keeps exceeding expectations. Wembanyama’s growth has been rapid and the Spurs suddenly look ahead of schedule in their rebuild.

The Steady Performers Worth Backing

Not every strong team is a surprise.

New York sits at 34-19 and looks steady. Since winning the NBA Cup, they’ve played with confidence and balance. Brunson continues to control games, and even with injuries in the rotation, the Knicks have managed to keep rolling. A recent 9-1 stretch suggests this isn’t just a good month, it’s a trend.

Boston is in a similar spot at 34-19, and they’ve held firm despite Tatum missing time. That says a lot about their depth and roster construction. Phoenix has also quietly found form, defending at a high level and holding opponents to just over 105 points per game during their latest run.

Understanding unique statistics like these helps betting enthusiasts make the best out of their wagers. So, for those who want detailed data and historical trends, betting on basketball.realgm.com might be very helpful.

The Basement Dwellers Struggling Mightily

At the other end, things are rough.

Washington is sitting at 14–38 and looks stuck. The offense hasn’t clicked, the defense has been worse, and there’s little sign of momentum building. Indiana hasn’t fared much better at 13-40, and injuries have derailed any rhythm they hoped to find.

New Orleans might be the most frustrating case. They’ve struggled defensively all season and can’t seem to keep their core healthy. Sacramento and Milwaukee haven’t collapsed, but both have underperformed compared to expectations.

What It All Means Going Forward

Detroit’s rise and San Antonio’s accelerated rebuild have shaken up the usual power structure. The bottom tier is weaker than usual, making matchups between struggling teams important. Meanwhile, the middle of the standings is crowded, and play-in positioning could shift week to week.

There’s still plenty of season left but the picture is getting clearer. Some teams are building toward something real. Others are running out of time.

The post NBA 2025-26 Season Check: Who’s Excelling and Who’s Struggling appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Remember when the Chicago Bulls got off to that 5-0 start? Yeah, that now feels like eons ago as the Bulls are just 15-17 and are widely viewed as sellers with the NBA trade deadline looming in just over a month.

Coby White is viewed as a prime trade candidate for Chicago, and Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter are also viewed as potential trade chips.

But could the Bulls be aiming to actually buy on any players ahead of the deadline?

Orlando Silva of Pippen Ain’t Easy thinks so, naming Portland Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams III as a possible trade target for Chicago.

“The Bulls could make a swing for a player who could walk away after the season if the fit isn’t the best. He is 28, seven years younger than Nikola Vucevic, with better rim-running and rim-protecting skills than the Montenegrin player,” Silva wrote. “Williams won’t make the Bulls championship contenders, but for a team with so many issues on defense, adding a player of his defensive caliber could go a long way.”

But would Chicago actually surrender anything of value for a player slated to hit free agency at the end of the season?

Robert Williams III would be a risky pickup for the Chicago Bulls

There was a time when Williams was a budding stud during his days with the Boston Celtics. Back during the 2021-22 campaign, Williams finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named to Second-Team All-Defense after registering 10 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over 29.6 minutes per game.

The problem is that Williams is rarely healthy.

Over the last three seasons, the Texas A&M product has played in a grand total of 47 contests, with nearly half of them (21 to be exact) coming this year. Since entering the league in 2018, Williams has played in 60 games just once.

He signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension with the Celtics in August 2021 but was traded to the Blazers in October 2023 in the deal that sent Jrue Holiday to Boston.

The Bulls could definitely stand to upgrade defensively, but the idea of giving up assets for the oft-injured Williams — who will likely walk in the summer — just doesn’t seem like a wise move for a rebuilding team.

The post Bulls linked to $48 million trade involving former DPOY candidate appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls needed a win in a big way on Monday night at the Ball Arena in Denver. Losers of five straight, the Bulls pulled out a victory over the Nuggets, 130-127, thanks to a pair of three-pointers hit by guard Kevin Huerter and center Nikola Vucevic.

More News: Chicago Bulls mega trade proposal nets Anthony Davis at high cost

Despite the Bulls losing a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter, the bench stood out in the victory and has been getting their job done all season long.

The Chicago Bulls have one of the best benches in the NBA this season, led by Ayo Dosunmu

Led by guard Ayo Dosunmu, the Bulls have one of the deepest benches in the NBA this season, ranking second in points per game (48.1), per Bulls on CHSN. The Memphis Grizzlies hold the top spot with 48.9 points per game.

The former second-round pick (38th overall) in the 2021 draft, Dosunmu, is finally hitting his stride in the NBA, scoring a career-high 15.7 points per game. Adding 3.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 25.5 minutes (11 games), the 25-year-old is shooting 55.4% from the floor and 46.5% from behind the arc.

Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter have also been great off the Bulls’ bench

Guards Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones have also been great off the bench. Huerter is averaging 14.4 points, 2.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and shooting 32.3% from three and 50.4% from the field in 26.4 minutes (13 games), while Jones is averaging 13.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in 29.9 minutes (11 games).

Coming over from the Sacramento Kings (Huerter) and the San Antonio Spurs (Jones) in the deal that sent guard Zach LaVine to the Kings at last season’s trade deadline, both have done well to add to the Bulls’ young core.

Jones has done well enough in his season and some change so far to earn a starting role, but with how guard Josh Giddey is performing, it’s hard to find a spot.

The post The Chicago Bulls have one of the best benches in the NBA appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls walked into a hostile Ball Arena and still managed to emerge with a 130-127 win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday. The matchup stayed tight throughout, but Chicago stayed collected on the road and finished off an upset in one of the league’s toughest places to play.

The Bulls picked up just its second victory away from home to move to 7-6, while Denver dropped to 10-3 after taking its first home defeat of the season. The Nuggets fought back from a 13-point hole in the fourth quarter and briefly moved in front, 117-116, with a little more than two minutes left. Both teams traded scores before Kevin Huerter buried a three that pushed the Bulls ahead, 121-120, with 1:25 on the clock.

Bulls outlast the Nuggets

After the teams traded a few more buckets, Nikola Vucevic stepped up and knocked down a three with 32.8 seconds left, stretching Chicago’s lead to 126-124 and giving the Bulls the breathing room they needed. That moment served as the final blow, and Chicago finished the night on top.

Kevin Huerter: 20 pts (7-12 FG)

Huerter's biggest bucket came in the final two minutes, responding to a big Jokic three with a tough triple of his own to put the Bulls up 121-120. pic.twitter.com/WH9NvTzuBE

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 18, 2025

The Bulls sank four clutch free throws in the final 11 seconds to close out the win and break the Nuggets’ seven-game surge.

Josh Giddey powered Chicago with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Ayo Dosunmu matched his 21 points to keep the pressure on Denver. Kevin Huerter added 20 more, Jalen Smith supplied 16, Jevon Carter delivered 15, and Matas Buzelis chipped in 13.

The Bulls ended a five-game skid, rebounding from a grueling 150-147 double-overtime defeat to the Utah Jazz on Sunday.

Chicago had to withstand another massive outing from Nikola Jokic, who piled up 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists. He added 11 points in the fourth quarter alone as he tried to drag Denver back into the game.

Jokic got help from Jamal Murray, who scored 34 points, including five triples, pulled down 11 rebounds, and handed out four assists. Aaron Gordon contributed 24 points and collected 10 rebounds.

The post Kevin Huerter, Bulls snap five-game skid in road win over the Joker and the Nuggets appeared first on ChiCitySports.

After starting the season 5-0, the Chicago Bulls lost their first game of the season on Sunday night in their second meeting with the New York Knicks, 128-116.

More News: Chicago Bulls have their hottest start in close to 30 years

Though the Knicks handed the Bulls their first loss of the season, the Bulls continued to get high-level performances from Matas Buzelis and Nikola Vucevic. Buzelis had 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in 31.0 minutes, while Vucevic had another double-double, 17.0 points and 14.0 rebounds, while dishing out four assists in 32.0 minutes.

However, the real star in the Bulls’ loss was guard Josh Giddey, who finally got his first triple-double of the season (19th of his career) and passed a Bulls great on the all-time leaderboard in the process.

Josh Giddey finally gets his first triple-double for the Chicago Bulls this season

Playing in close to 40 minutes (38.0), Giddey had his third straight game of 20+ points, scoring 23.0 points (10-for-19), 12.0 rebounds, 12.0 assists, and had two steals for his first triple-double of the season. This triple-double moved Giddey past former center Joakim Noah (seven) into third all-time on the franchise leaderboard.

Josh Giddey went 23/12/12 in NYC.

Giddey is now No. 3 in Bulls franchise history in triple-doubles, passing Joakim Noah with 8 total. pic.twitter.com/9dybNgGavR

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 3, 2025

Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen (15 in 856 career games) and Michael Jordan (28 in 930 career games) are the only two ahead of Giddey for triple-doubles. Giddey has a chance to catch Pippen this season, and potentially Michael now that he’s locked in for the next four years after signing his $100 million deal in the offseason.

Josh Giddey says “physicality and rebounding” hurt the Bulls on Sunday

Despite having more points in the paint (54.0) than the Knicks (42.0), the Knicks outrebounded (14.0) the Bulls on the offensive glass (12.0) and won the turnover battle, committing 14 turnovers to the Knicks’ 11. Giddey mentioned this during his postgame interview and added that the Bulls need to “find ways to win when teams do shoot the ball well against them.”

“Yeah, I mean, obviously teams never shoot that bad the whole season,” Giddey said to K.C. Johnson of CHSN. “But I thought, you know, when we played the Knicks the other night, they shot the ball really well, and we beat them at home. So, you know, I think when teams don’t shoot well, it obviously makes makes things easier for you. You can take ball up the net, you can run in transition, you know, playing off of misses. But you know, obviously it was gonna swing. It always balances itself back. Keeps looking to shoot, you know, this 25% the whole year against us. So we got to find ways to win when teams do shoot the ball well. And you know, the next day tonight, we didn’t, we didn’t find a way to win. So as I said, the physicality of rebounding killed us tonight. And you know, it’s another good team in Philly coming in Tuesday. So we got to, you know, address what we need to get ready for that.”

“Teams weren’t going to shoot 25% the whole year against us. We got to find ways to win when teams do shoot the ball well.”

Josh Giddey postgame after the Knicks shot 48.8% from three pic.twitter.com/xnsk15iNek

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) November 3, 2025

Welcoming in the Philadelphia 76ers, who are also 5-1 and coming off a commanding victory (129-105) against the Brooklyn Nets, Tuesday’s matchup should be a test to prove if the Bulls are legit or not.

The post Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey notches another milestone in his career appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls have won five straight to open the NBA season, and there looks to be no team that can stop them.

Once again, the usual suspects of Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic, and Matas Buzelis did their thing, while others, like guard Kevin Huerter, stepped in place of Coby White, who was out due to a calf injury. Firing on all cylinders, the Bulls have not seen a start like this since the Michael Jordan era, but they can’t get ahead of themselves as it’s still early in the season.

The Chicago Bulls get off to their hottest start in close to 30 years

After their commanding victory over the New York Knicks, 135-125, giving them their fifth consecutive win, the Bulls have their first 5-0 start since the 1996-97 season, which was the year they won their second of their three straight NBA Finals. During this stretch, the Bulls have ranked sixth in offense and eighth in defense, while firmly solidifying their grip on the Eastern Conference.

Chicago Bulls:

— 5-0
— 1 seed
— 6th in offense
— 8th in defense

Their best start since 1996-97. pic.twitter.com/kKw0gBHUZD

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 1, 2025

Josh Giddey and Billy Donovan recognize that it’s still early in the season

Despite running on a high to start the season and setting a new career high of 32.0 points, and missing another triple-double, falling one assist short (nine), Giddey recognized after the Bulls victory that “there’s a long way to go.”

HALLOWEEN BUCKETS.

Josh Giddey: 32 pts, 10 reb, 9 ast
Nikola Vucevic: 26 pts, 7 reb
Ayo Dosunmu: 22 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast
Matas Buzelis: 13 pts, 1 stl, 1 blk
Kevin Huerter: 12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl
Patrick Williams: 9 pts, 3 ast
Tre Jones: 8 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast pic.twitter.com/H4EeBzbpYI

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 1, 2025

“We feel good as a group of where we’re at right now, but there’s a long way to go,” Bulls guard Josh Giddey said to ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “Every night there’s different guys making plays and stepping up. We’ve got a bunch of guys — six, seven guys averaging double figures. That kind of speaks volumes to how deep we are as a team and the impact we’re getting across the board.”

Head coach Billy Donovan, who earned his 200th victory as a coach on Friday night, according to Collier, said that the “good connection” his players have is contributing to their winning, but echoed Giddey’s comments, also saying “we get a lot more ways to go and we can’t lose sight.”

“The mentality that they believe, which I think is very, very powerful, I think when there’s belief it’s really, really powerful,” said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. “There’s good connection. They’ve got good relationships. They all can talk to each other. I think there’s a lot of positive things that they have that really go into winning.”

Facing the Knicks again on Sunday and the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, the Bulls can extend their lead in the East and continue to show their viability as a legitimate top team this season.

The post Chicago Bulls have their hottest start in close to 30 years appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are the top dog in the Eastern Conference thanks to their hot 4-0 start!

Though it’s only four games, the Bulls appear to be firing on all cylinders. Winning by 13 points against former Bulls Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings, hopes are high that this team can get over the hump of the play-in tournament purgatory and be a legit playoff team.

The Chicago Bulls have their first 4-0 start in four seasons

Finishing with a 39-43 record for two seasons straight and getting bounced out of the play-in tournament for the last three seasons, the Bulls look poised to turn that around after having their first 4-0 start since the 2021-22 season.

Our first 4-0 start since 2021-22 pic.twitter.com/w9peebBkws

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 30, 2025

The 2021-22 season was the last time the Bulls finished with over 40 wins, posting a 46-36 record and holding the sixth seed in the playoffs, but lost in the first round of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1.

The Bulls’ young core, mixed with solid veteran play, looks successful

After navigating his way through a rookie season that saw him play in many roles, Matas Buzelis looks like he has taken a step forward in his sophomore season, posting a season high of 27.0 points (11-for-18 from the field) and adding 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 34.0 minutes to his stat line.

Year 2 Matas Buzelis

27 points | 11-18 FG | 5 rebounds | 2 steals pic.twitter.com/rQ2YvaGNNR

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 30, 2025

Guard Josh Giddey has also shown he’s been worth the four-year $100 million contract he signed before the season. Giddey was shy of having his first triple-double of the season by two rebounds (eight), while having 20.0 points (7-for-14 from the field) and dishing out 12.0 assists (season high) in 31.0 minutes of action. Overall, Giddet is averaging 19.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists in 31.3 minutes.

Nikola Vucevic has also shown he’s still able to get up and down the court and maintain his high level of offense, averaging a double-double (18.3 points and 13.3 rebounds) to start the season, and averaging the highest amount of assists (5.0) during his career. Vucevic was also shy of having a triple-double in the win over the Kings, falling three assists short (seven), while having a double-double in points (13.0) and rebounds (14.0).

The Bulls must maintain this level of play from their young guys and veterans to compete with teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat, and the Bucks. If they can do this, the Bulls can be looking at a better year than they’ve had in a while.

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The Chicago Bulls roster has taken shape, with Josh Giddey finally signing for four years and $100 million. The Bulls needed another point guard to pair with Tre Jones, who re-signed earlier in the offseason, and Giddey was the perfect choice after he emerged as a solid option last season.

The Bulls’ lineup will see Giddey at the point, Coby White at shooting guard, Isaac Okoro at the three, Matas Buzelis at the four, and Nikola Vucevic manning the five. Two members, Vucevic and White, will be free agents at the end of this season and could be on the move at the trade deadline, depending on how the season goes.

White stepped up as a key member for the Bulls last season, but this could he his final year with the Bulls, as he is unlikely to sign an extension with the team, according to an insider.

Coby White is unlikely to re-sign with the Chicago Bulls

Even though the Bulls, like their compatriots, the Chicago White Sox, have a nice young core emerging, they aren’t going to have it stick around long-term. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, White will land a $30 million a year deal in free agency, which the Bulls are unlikely to give.

“I don’t think so, because Coby White, to my understanding, is going to be eligible for more money as a free agent next year, and the talk around the league has already been that Coby White is going to be seeking even north of the $30 million average annual value that Josh Giddey has been, and that’s going to probably be a pretty big talking point about Chicago’s off season when we get to that point.

Right now, I’m not expecting an extension for Coby White at this juncture, but his future and what Coby White’s contract could ultimately look like is now, I think probably question number one about Chicago from a transactional standpoint, now that Giddey is secured and locked up long term, probably number two would be, what can or what even is possible to come for Nikola Vucevic on a veteran trade market situation where he’s now finally an aspiring contract.

He’s obviously been in trade talk for several years now. We’ll see what comes there. But I think what’s most important for Chicago is that they have their point guard of the future locked in for four years. It’s been regarded around the league as a pretty team, friendly deal, but also a strong value play for Josh Giddey as well, at 22 years old, to guarantee yourself $100 million if you really are worth 30 million plus an average you.”

If the Bulls can’t re-sign White, then they need to get value for him

If the Bulls are truly unlikely to re-sign White and prove to him that sticking around is the best option for him, then they’ll need to maximize what they can get for him in a trade. The Bulls fumbled getting much in the way of draft picks when they traded Zach LaVine, but they did get three interesting players, who will contribute this season.

Since White is a rising star in the league and is considered a “$30 million player”, the Bulls could come out well when trading him and make up for what they should have gotten when trading LaVine.

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Billy Donovan enters his sixth season as the Chicago Bulls head coach, who has been okay in his tenure. Leading the Bulls to three straight play-in tournament losses, Donovan hopes this season will be different, with a few players showing some growth.

Donovan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend for his head coaching career, which started in 1994 at Marshall. Some of Donovan’s players, Matas Buzelis, Dalen Terry, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White, were all in attendance to support their beloved head coach, which Donovan was grateful for.

Squad pulled up to watch Coach Billy Donovan officially join the @HoopHall pic.twitter.com/HxkNvkFJXx

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 6, 2025

Billy Donovan expresses his gratitude for a few Chicago Bulls players showing their support

Donovan wasn’t only thankful for receiving one of the highest honors in basketball, but also expressed his gratitude to a few of his players who came to support him in Massachusetts one week before training camp.

Donovan expresses his gratitude for his players’ support (via Bulls on CHSN):

“I’m grateful that the players in their last time, last weekend before we start to get ready for training camp, would take the time to come here and support me.”

"I'm grateful that the players in their last time, last weekend before we start to get ready for training camp, would take the time to come here and support me." pic.twitter.com/0jkW0DmIwa

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) September 5, 2025

Donovan not only had his players to thank for showing up for him, but he also dedicated a portion of his speech to praising and thanking his former mentor, Rick Pitino, who has been a staple in Donovan’s life.

Donovan honors Hall of Famer Rick Pitino during acceptance speech

Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino attended the induction ceremony to watch his former player and colleague get inducted. Donovan played under Pitino while at Providence University (1983-87) and his one season with the New York Knicks (1987-88), and was hired by Pitino while he was the head coach at the University of Kentucky.

Donovan praises his mentor (via New York Basketball):

“He taught me about work, what it was to compete & what really went into winning…He took me to places I never ever could’ve dreamed”

"He taught me about work, what it was to compete & what really went into winning…He took me to places I never ever could've dreamed"

–– Long Island's Billy Donovan at the Hall of Fame on Rick Pitino, who coached him at Providence & the Knicks & hired him at Kentucky pic.twitter.com/XKVhdXpXaV

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 7, 2025

Getting inducted into the Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor and couldn’t happen to a better coach, who has proven to be a great talent developer in his career.

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The NBA held its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremonies this past weekend, seeing Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan get inducted among seven others. Donovan received his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame based on his college coaching career at the University of Florida (UF), where he spent 19 years (1996-2015) and won two National Championships (2006,2007).

Donovan took over as head coach of the Bulls for the 2020-21 season and has been an average coach, going 195-205. Known as a great developer, Donovan is well-liked by the players who have and still play for him, which is no surprise, as most of his current players tagged along to support him in his induction.

A few Chicago Bulls made the trip to Massachusetts to support their coach

Donovan wasn’t alone when he received his Hall of Fame jacket over the weekend, as five of Donovan’s current players joined him. Matas Buzelis, Dalen Terry, Ayo Dosunmi, Patrick Williams, and Coby White attended the event.

“Squad pulled up to watch Coach Billy Donovan officially join the @HoopHall”

Squad pulled up to watch Coach Billy Donovan officially join the @HoopHall pic.twitter.com/HxkNvkFJXx

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 6, 2025

White had some kind words to say about his head coach, who helped him grow with the Bulls, helping him be a two-time Player of the Week and Player of the Month in March of the Eastern Conference.

White commenting on Donovan (via Chicago Sports Network):

“He’s honest. He pushes you. He’s going to get the most out of you,” White insisted. “He’s always been upfront with me. But he also believes in his players … He builds a relationship with his players, which oftentimes you don’t see a good amount in the NBA,” said White.”

Coby White on why attending Billy Donovan’s HOF ceremony was important for him and his teammates (@CHSN_Bulls) pic.twitter.com/Hoo5fkqZje

— Chicago Sports Network (@CHSN__) September 7, 2025

The 2025-26 season is a big year for Donovan and the Bulls

Buzelis had a nice rookie season, White showed promise as a quality NBA player, and Dosunmu had been playing well until his injury. Hopefully, with all of them healthy, things will be better.

With Donovan as their coach, the Bulls could be a sneaky team in the East if all goes their way. If they want that to happen, they need to reach a deal with Josh Giddey, who remains unsigned.

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The Chicago Bulls could have a chance to make the playoffs this upcoming season, with the Eastern Conference somewhat open due to injuries. The Bulls still have work to do before the 2025-26 season starts, and that begins by getting a deal done with guard Josh Giddey, who remains unsigned.

Signing Giddey is priority number one if the Bulls hope to break their play-in tournament streak of three consecutive seasons (2022-2025). Having Giddey on the team to pair with Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue is crucial to developing good team chemistry moving forward and ending that streak.

However, a deal for Giddey is still not close to getting done, and with little done in the way of free agency, the Bulls could be looking at another year of play-in tournament purgatory or missing the playoffs entirely.

The Chicago Bulls could be in for another year of the play-in tournament

The Bulls could prove everyone wrong and be one of the better teams during the 2025-26 season if they sign Giddey and don’t trade away players like Coby White and Nikola Vucevic. However, Vucevic and White enter the last years of their contracts and will likely be on the block if the Bulls fall out of contention (which is possible with injuries) or if it makes sense to do so to make them more competitive for the 2026-27 season.

NBA analyst Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report noted this when ranking every NBA team’s chances to compete for the title heading into next season. Swartz believes the Bulls will be a play-in team or miss the playoffs entirely based on their trading away one of Vucevic/White, or both.

Swartz also mentioned that when giving the Bulls a rating of “D,” Buzelis needs more polish to his game. With White and Vucevic’s contracts off their books, the Bulls will have a better financial position for the 2026-27 season.

Swartz’s justification for a “D” rating (via Bleacher Report):

“There’s reason for optimism in Chicago this season, although there’s a far greater chance the Bulls’ season falls apart instead of making a deep playoff run.

Josh Giddey has yet to sign a new contract. Coby White and Nikola Vučević are entering the final season of theirs. Matas Buzelis is going to be a really good starting forward in a few years but needs more polish. The shine on Patrick Williams has officially worn off.

This is a franchise that should be shooting for title contention in 2026-27 coming off a summer where they project to have maximum cap space.

The Bulls may not even be a play-in team this season, especially if White gets traded at some point during the year.”

2026-27 seems to be the Bulls’ year to compete

Unless the Bulls catch fire and remain relatively healthy for next season, it will likely be a repeat of last year. Thankfully for them, the rebuild seems to be progressing well and could get better if Essengue shows growth this season.

The Bulls are wasting an opportunity to take advantage of the situation in the Eastern Conference, but that’s been their modus operandi since VP of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley took over. Maybe things will change, but that doesn’t seem likely.

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The Chicago Bulls have had many legends throughout their history, with Michael Jordan ranking as the best among them. After Jordan, there’s Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Joakim Noah, who were all a part of successful seasons in Bulls history.

There’s another player, on the same level as Jordan, and he will be honored by the Bulls when they play the Boston Celtics next season.

Chicago Bulls announce the date for the jersey retirement of one of their legends

On January 24, when the Bulls play the Celtics, they will honor their former number-one overall pick in the 2008 draft by retiring his jersey, according to Bulls on CHSN.

“The Chicago Bulls will retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey on January 24, 2026”

The Chicago Bulls will retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey on January 24, 2026 pic.twitter.com/1QpigPtiW4

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) August 21, 2025

A three-time All-Star with the Bulls and an All-NBA first team selection in his MVP season, Rose getting his jersey retired is a well-deserved honor. Rose joins, Jordan, Pippen, Bob Love, and Jerry Sloan as the only players to have their numbers retired.

A well-deserved honor for a Bulls legend

Rose spent seven seasons with the Bulls (2008-2016), and averaged 19.7 points, 6.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and shot 30% from three and 48% from the field. Rose also won the 2008-09 Rookie of the Year award and was the MVP in 2010-11.

The Bulls honoring Rose is a well-deserved honor, as he was a part of the last team in Bulls history to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals (2010-11). With there seemingly being an open lane in the East due to all the injuries, the Bulls could have a chance to get there again.

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Since the start of the NBA offseason, the one question surrounding the Chicago Bulls has been, Will they re-sign Josh Giddey and for how much? Giddey, by all accounts, is seeking a $30 million a year deal, similar to or in the same ballpark as Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic, who signed a five-year contract worth $150.5 million.

The Bulls can pay that amount and match any team willing to take a shot on Giddey, but would prefer to sign him to a deal that doesn’t break the bank. Still unsigned, it looks like the Bulls and Giddey are still a ways away, according to an NBA Insider.

NBA Insider still says the Chicago Bulls and Josh Giddey are $10 million apart

It seems like the Bulls and Giddey won’t agree on a contract anytime soon, but a new development has popped up, which shows how far apart the two sides are. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, the Bulls offered Giddey a four-year contract worth $80 million, which would pay him $20 million a year, $10 million off his asking price of $30 million.

“League sources say that the Bulls made an offer of $80 million over four years to restricted free agent Josh Giddey when the offseason commenced on June 30,” Fischer said. Giddey, of course, is seeking an annual salary in the $30 million range. Chicago has been anchored in the $20 million range in annual value ever since its original offer.”

Fischer also reports that other teams in the Eastern Conference have shown interest in Giddey, with some going as far as to contact his agent to gauge the interest of a sign-and-trade. Fischer does pour a little cold water on that, however, reporting that the Bulls have been uninterested in discussing that.

“Sources say Giddey has managed to attract some external interest from rival teams since free agency began, with multiple Eastern Conference teams contacting Giddey’s representation to register sign-and-trade interest,” Fischer said.

“Yet it’s likewise true that more than one rival front office has indicated a reluctance to try to engage the Bulls in sign-and-trade discussions, sources say, with Chicago having messaged for some time that it is not eager to discuss such scenarios,” Fischer added.”

The Bulls and Giddey need to meet in the middle

If the Bulls and Giddey are $10 million apart, and with some pressure from other teams, they need to meet in the middle and sign him to a contract that pays him $25 million as an annual salary. Giddey is one of the better up-and-coming players in the NBA, but he’s not at the level of someone like Suggs, given that he still struggles with turning the basketball over.

Averaging 2.9 turnovers a game last season and having the second-most turnovers for his career with 202, Giddey needs to show some improvement there to get paid top dollar. Hopefully, the Bulls and Giddey can reach an agreement soon and get to work with Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue.

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The Chicago Bulls may have an easier time getting into the playoffs and not have to rely on winning in the play-in tournament, as two of the East’s biggest names, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, are set to miss all of next season with Achilles injuries. The Bulls have been quiet this offseason, making very few moves, with Tre Jones’s signing and the trading away of Lonzo Ball being their big moves.

The Bulls’ main priority for the rest of the offseason is finding a way to bring back Josh Giddey on a deal that benefits them and him. Re-signing Giddey is vital to the Bulls’ rebuild, as he, Matas Buzelis, and now Noa Essengue will be the core pieces they build the team around.

Chicago Bulls coach believes their young core can get the job done for them

The Bulls will have one of the more exciting young cores next season, with Buzelis looking to build off his impressive rookie season, and the team’s youngest player, Noa Essengue, looking to prove he can play in the NBA. One coach for the Bulls believes in their young nucleus, telling Keith Smith of Spotrac there’s a lot of untapped potential for this upcoming season compared to last year.

“Last year, we played pretty fast. I think we can play even faster next season. Our roster is built for it. And you saw with Indiana and OKC in the Finals, that playing with pace is so important. We’re going to get after it on defense, force turnovers and then get out and run. That suits Matas (Buzelis) and Noa (Essengue) as our young forwards and all of our guards really well. We also think that Isaac (Okoro) will benefit in a more up-tempo style too. There’s untapped potential there,” a Bulls coach said.”

Hopefully, there’s improvement for the Bulls this season

The Bulls need to be better than last season, when they finished tenth in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament. One of the main problems for the Bulls last season was taking care of the basketball, ranking 20th in the NBA in turnovers with 1,203.

Taking better care of the basketball, improving their overall defense, and finding a rim protector will be key, as they ranked 28th in scoring defense. If the Bulls can do that, they should hopefully improve their record and position in the standings.

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Coby White was one of the Chicago Bulls’ standout players from last season, seeing career highs in points (20.4), steals (0.9), and field goal percentage (44.3%), with those stats set to improve for next season. However, White enters the offseason as a candidate to get traded, as the Bulls will have a hard time extending him past this season.

Whether White will be on the move to another team or if he’ll remain with the Bulls for this upcoming season has yet to be decided. One Bulls executive gave insight into the ongoing saga with White and if he’ll be a Bull for the 2025-26 season.

Chicago Bulls executive sheds some light on the Coby White situation

Retaining White for the future and the rebuild would benefit the Bulls, as he is a perfect fit for Billy Donovan’s offense. However, the Bulls still have an abundance of guards on their roster and are still looking to unload one more after they traded Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Guardians in late June.

White enters the last season of a three-year $36 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent next year. The Bulls will have a hard time extending White, as the latest CBA doesn’t allow for the Bulls to meet White’s dollar amount, which one Bulls executive explained to Spotrac’s Keith Smith is the issue.

Bulls executives’ comments from Spotrac:

“The contract is what it is. We probably can’t extend him, because the rules don’t allow for us to pay him enough,” a Bulls front office executive said. “But we want Coby to be a Bull for a long time. He knows how we feel about him.”

White could bring back a decent player if traded

Trading White now while his stock is high appears to be the Bulls’ best course of action, instead of letting him play out the season, where he could get hurt or show a decrease in production. The Bulls could trade White to a team for a solid big man who could fill the need of being a rim protector.

The Bulls have had little success finding a suitor for their current big man, Nikola Vucevic, who is an offensive first big and is likely on his way off the roster. With no takers on Vucevic and Ayo Dosunmu still working his way back from the injury that cost him last season, trading White is the best chance they have at speeding up the rebuild.

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Josh Giddey is one of the Chicago Bulls’ core players to build around, and he proved that in his first season after getting traded over from the NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giddey saw a career high in rebounds (8.1), assists (7.2), and three-point percentage (37.8%) last season, while also recording seven triple-doubles, which is second to Michael Jordan, who had 15 in the 1988-89 season.

Giddey is a restricted free agent and demands a contract that would pay him $30 million a year, which the Bulls aren’t comfortable paying. The Bulls can match any team willing to sign Giddey, but no team has shown the willingness to pay Giddey’s or any other restricted free agent’s price, as most of them are still on the market.

The Bulls love Giddey and would like him back if they can settle on the right price. There’s no timeline for when both sides will reach an agreement, but one Bulls executive spoke to Spotrac’s Keith Smith on how the Bulls feel about Giddey and why they want him back.

Chicago Bulls executive speaks on the continuing saga of Josh Giddey

Whether or not the Bulls re-sign Giddey remains to be seen, but one Bulls executive, who spoke to Keith Smith of Spotrac, said they (the Bulls) “want to get a deal done” and he’s “an important player” for them.

Bulls executive via Spotrac:

“We want to get a deal done with Josh. He’s as important of a player as we have. We see him as a foundational player for us. I hope we can find a deal that makes sense for us and him and that we’ll be together for a long time,” a Bulls front office executive said.”

Bulls insider for CHSN, K.C. Johnson, also spoke on the Giddey situation, saying his one concern would be his mindset coming into camp and next season, as this whole process has weighed on him. Johnson also states that the Bulls hold all the power in the Giddey contract dispute, and he says he’ll most certainly he back next season on a deal or a qualifying offer.

“What I would be concerned about is again, the Bulls hold all the power, Giddey is almost certainly going to be back, whether on a qualifying offer or a long-term deal. What I would be concerned about is what kind of mindset Giddey will come into camp with, with the negotiations dragging on, and then him maybe not getting what he wanted, you want him coming into camp with a good feeling.”

“You want him coming into camp with a good feeling.”

The talks surrounding Josh Giddey and the Bulls continue as @KCJHoop and @camronsmith discuss in the latest episode of By The Horns. pic.twitter.com/cpU75KBkTt

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) July 23, 2025

Giddey should get paid

Whether he gets the $30 million he’s asking for or the qualifying offer that Johnson mentioned, Giddey will be paid and be back with the Bulls to see if they can make a run in the East next season. Giddey is one piece of the puzzle and is a crucial part of their rebuild.

Hopefully, the restricted free agent market starts to get going so Giddey, Buzelis, and Essengue can all start working in the gym on the chemistry. Those three jelling together as one oiled machine will hopefully help the Bulls get out of play-in tournament purgatory, and make them more competitive for next season and beyond.

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The Chicago Bulls opened their first summer league game by getting blown out by the Toronto Raptors 116-72. The NBA Summer League is an exciting time for the next generation to gain some NBA experience and showcase their skills to their new fan bases.

For the Bulls, their summer league focuses on two of their young stars, Matas Buzelis and their draft pick from this past draft, forward Noa Essengue. Essengue is an 18-year-old from France and has the potential to be a decent NBA player, but he’s a project for the time being.

It will take time for Essengue to get his footing and feel comfortable playing in the league, but his first appearance in the summer league didn’t go as he or the Bulls had hoped.

Chicago Bulls’ Noa Essengue flounders in his first summer league game

The Bulls weren’t the only ones who had a rough night to begin the summer league season, as Essengue showed why it will take time to adjust to the pace of an NBA game. Even though he’s not going against grown men and hardened NBA veterans, Essengue struggled to put up quality numbers against guys closer to his age.

In his first 24 minutes as an NBA player, Essengue only scored 5.0 points, took down 3.0 rebounds, and was 2-7 from the field. Essengue also committed three personal fouls while making only one shot from behind the arc in three attempts. The worst part of Essengue’s night was him turning the ball over seven times and not having one assist on his line.

Essengue spoke to reporters after the game, talking to them about his performance, telling the Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe that he was “disappointed” in himself.

Essengue on his performance via the Chicago Tribune:

“I’m disappointed,” Essengue said. “That’s my first game. But I just have to take in. I can just get better right now. That just gives me more confidence.”

There are some positives, however, as Essengue recognized some areas where he needs to improve, pointing to his dribbling skills and his inability to attack the basket.

“I need to improve everything — my dribble, my shooting skills, my go to the basket,” Essengue said. “I missed a lot of shots, I did a lot of turnovers.”

A long road ahead for the youngster

Thankfully for Essengue, this is only his first action in an NBA contest, and he has a long road ahead of him to improve himself and be better than he was the day before. The Bulls may have something special in Essengue once he fully develops, with some comparing him to another Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he needs to prove that by getting better.

For now, Essengue needs to focus on slowing the game down and improving in the areas he said he needs. That’s what the summer league is for, and hopefully, we’ll see him make those adjustments each game.

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When most people think of Chicago and basketball, the name Michael Jordan immediately springs to mind. It’s understandable, given Jordan’s legacy in the sport and the numerous iconic moments associated with the Chicago Bulls hero, but the greatest player to have played in the NBA isn’t actually from Chicago.

It should come as no surprise to learn that Chicago has produced a plethora of basketball stars. It’s a sports-mad city, with fan-made YouTube channels interviewing people on the streets, there are team jerseys on display on a regular basis, and fans everywhere play NBA DFS and other enticing basketball-themed offerings. Overall, it’s a fantastic place for sports lovers to live.

With Chicago, therefore, being the ideal breeding ground for aspiring sportspeople, below we celebrate some NBA heroes from the Chicago area who made it to the very top of the sport and continue to inspire the local population in the process.

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose had a tough life during his younger days, but his desire to become a professional basketball player never waned. Rose eventually made it, becoming the homegrown Bulls hero fans love to see. Entering the league in 2008, his class was clear from the start. Derrick Rose helped improve the fortunes of the Bulls, becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history in 2011 at the tender age of 22. His accomplishments are certainly not to be sniffed at, especially as they would’ve been even more impressive had Rose not suffered numerous injury issues.

Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is the classic example of a player who simply never stands still. When he burst onto the scene, not many expected him to kick on that much. In the end, Davis has become a dominant force in the NBA after becoming a professional in 2012. He was key to the Lakers’ 2020 success, and he looks set to record even more triumphs in the future.

Dwyane Wade

A professional player many diehard basketball fans from the Chicago area tend to rave about, Dwyane Wade had a fantastic career in the NBA, especially during his days with the Heat. Wade’s 13-year stay with the Heat was a highly successful one. He didn’t just shine on the court on a regular basis, but he was also a player fans loved to watch. Wade’s top showings helped him earn  12 All-Star trips and eight All-NBA honors, plus a whole host of other notable awards. He then returned home to Chicago, although his peak years were probably behind him. Still, as an all-round player, Dwyane Wade is definitely one of the best from Chicago.

Eddie Johnson

A professional basketball player for 17 seasons, Eddie Johnson had a solid career in the sport, putting up 16 points and four rebounds per game. Johnson won the 1988-89 Sixth Man of the Year Award; he was a small forward who delivered consistently solid displays, and he was a player who was well-liked by fans of teams like the Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte Hornets.

Isiah Thomas

An inspiration to many smaller basketball athletes out there, Isiah Thomas was a fantastic player. The diminutive character bucked the trend of seeing giants dominate the sport, with his natural all-round ability and high skill level making him a joy to watch. Thomas experienced the best spell of his career with the Pistons, picking up 19.2 points and 9.3 assists per game. As a result, he was an All-Star regular. In fact, he made the selection a staggering 12 times in a row thanks to his title-winning campaigns for Detroit. Thomas also deservedly entered the Hall of Fame in 2000.

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The Chicago Bulls didn’t wait to get things started this offseason by making their first order of business to trade away point guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for small forward Isaac Okoro. The Bulls trading Ball to the Cavaliers was a bit of a surprise, as they had recently given him a contract extension after not trading him at last season’s Trade Deadline.

Bulls fans were upset about Ball getting traded, as they felt the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze and compared Okoro to being a Patrick Williams 2.0. Even though fans are upset, Ball is seemingly happy about his new situation, as he broke his silence and gave his thoughts on getting traded.

Chicago Bulls’ former point guard gives his thoughts on getting traded

The Bulls traded Ball to the Cavaliers a little over two weeks ago, and Ball finally gave his thoughts and feelings on the trade. In comments made to CBS Sports reporter Carter Bahns, Ball said on getting traded, that he’s “still happy to be playing anywhere.”

Ball on getting traded to Cleveland via CBS Sports:

“It’s just a blessing, to be honest,” Ball said. “Everybody keeps asking me how I feel about the trade. I’m like, I’m happy to still be playing anywhere, let alone a team that has a real chance to win a ring. My whole life I’ve been playing the right brand of basketball, and that’s to win games. I feel like I’m going to a great situation, and I just want to play my role and do what I can to help.”

Ball also spoke to Bahn about joining a young Cavaliers team, which has the potential to be great next season after they took an early exit from the playoffs.

“Just playing, competing for a ring,” Ball said on “What an Experience.” “I feel like that should be the goal. I feel like that is the goal. Happy to get over there, get started, meet everybody, get familiar with everything and take it as far as we can.”

Ball’s tenure with the Bulls

Ball’s tenure with the Balls only lasted two seasons, but was marred by injury. Ball suffered a knee injury and complications from the surgery after the 2021-2022 season, which led to him missing two full seasons.

Since returning, in December of last season, Ball had done well, averaging 22.2 minutes per game, with 7.6 points, 1.3 steals, 3.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds, in 35 games (14 starts). The Cavaliers are adding a solid veteran guard in Ball, who will be a great second option behind Darius Garland, who will be the starting point guard.

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The Chicago Bulls will have their work cut out for them this offseason, as they once again rebuild their roster to at least be competitive in what will be a depleted Eastern Conference next season. The Bulls have already started reorganizing their roster by selecting 18-year-old Noa Essengue with their 12th pick in the draft, and trading away guard Lonzo Ball for a depth piece in Isaac Okoro.

The Bulls’ biggest hurdle this offseason will be trading away veteran center Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic’s market has seemingly dried up after the Golden State Warriors withdrew their interest in acquiring him. Hopefully, the Bulls find a team willing to take him, but it’s becoming more likely that the Bulls will have to buy him out.

The Bulls did, however, make a splash on the free agent market by re-signing point guard Tre Jones to a three-year deal worth $24 million. Jones’s return is good for the Bulls, as he is a solid facilitator and works well in Billy Donovan’s system of offense. However, Jones’s contract contains an interesting feature, which benefits the Bulls in the long run.

The Chicago Bulls added an interesting feature to Tre Jones’s contract

Re-signing Jones to a three-year contract was a steal, as he has the potential to be a solid point guard in the NBA. However, according to Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto, who issued an update on the terms of the deal, the Bulls have a “third-year team option” on Jones’s deal. In 18 games with the Bulls (nine starts), Jones averaged 25.3 minutes a game, 11.5 points, 1.1 steals, 4.9 assists, and 3.2 rebounds.

“Update: The Chicago Bulls have a third-year team option on their 3-year, $24 million deal with Tre Jones, sources told @hoopshype. He averaged 11.5 points on 57.2% shooting overall and 50% from 3PT range, 4.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 18 games (9 starts) for Chicago.”

Update: The Chicago Bulls have a third-year team option on their 3-year, $24 million deal with Tre Jones, sources told @hoopshype. He averaged 11.5 points on 57.2% shooting overall and 50% from 3PT range, 4.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 18 games (9 starts) for Chicago pic.twitter.com/QV5cU6MSFC

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 7, 2025

Jones will be a valuable member of the Bulls for the 2025-2026 season

Jones should see his minutes increase for this upcoming season and possibly be the Bulls’ primary point guard. Josh Giddey was the Bulls’ primary facilitator, and he performed well. However, having Jones take over that role should help Giddey become a better scorer and help improve the offense as a whole.

The Bulls have a nice young core forming, with Jones being the latest member added to that group. Jones joins Giddey, Mara’s Buzelis, and Essengue as the Bulls’ youth and hope for the future. With the Eastern Conference looking to be easier to pass through next season, given some of the injuries to some teams, Jones and the Bulls could have a better chance at making a deep playoff run.

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The Chicago Bulls will have quite a to-do list this offseason, with checking off the NBA Draft as the first order of business. The next step for the Bulls is free agency, which is still in its infancy, but has seen a few big deals get signed.

The Bulls have been relatively quiet so far this offseason, but have made a splash this free agency, by re-signing point guard Tre Jones to a three-year deal, which will see him paid $24 million. The Bulls acquired Jones at last season’s Trade Deadline when they traded guard Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings as part of a three-team deal that included the San Antonio Spurs, and saw Kevin Huerter and Zach Collins as the two others joining Jones in the return.

Outside of re-signing Jones, the Bulls’ main priority will be to re-sign restricted free agent Josh Giddey, who is seeking a $30 million a year deal. The Bulls will also look to trade guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, who are candidates to be traded, with Jones returning and the Bulls already trading away Lonzo Ball.

Center Nikola Vucevic is another player the Bulls will look to trade away this offseason, but may find it hard to find a team to acquire Vucevic, with it reported that the market for Vucevic has all but dried up. The Bulls may have to buy out Vucevic, which hurts the rebuild, but it may be their only option to free them of his salary. With some moves made already, and some still to come, the Bulls did receive a decent grade for their offseason.

The Chicago Bulls received a good grade for their offseason maneuvers

Fans were skeptical of the Bulls heading into this offseason, but there should be room for optimism for how things have been handled and what they can do in the months ahead. The Bulls’ solid start to the offseason didn’t go unnoticed, with Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz ranking all 30 of the NBA teams’ offseasons so far, with the Bulls getting a grade of “B.”

Swartz’s assessment of the Bulls via Bleacher Report:

“As we await the fate of Josh Giddey, the Chicago Bulls secure their backup point guard position by bringing Jones back on a three-year, $24 million deal.

This is a really good value for Chicago, as Jones is still only 25 years old and was very solid after being traded to the Bulls last season (14.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 57.1 percent from three in nine starts).

Chicago has assembled a locker room full of big, long forwards in Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue and Patrick Williams. They’ll need as much playmaking as possible to maximize these wings, with the return of Jones a big help.”

The Bulls still have a ways to go

There’s still a long way for the Bulls to go before they have a completed roster to start next season, but they have a solid foundation to start. Matas Buzelis, Giddey, Jones, and now Essengue are a nice young core, and even if they can’t trade away Vucevic, having him around gives them a nice veteran presence in the locker room.

The Bulls are one of the teams vying to sign restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors, but have some stiff competition to sign him, with Evan Sidery of Forbes reporting that the Washington Wizards are the latest team to enter the sweepstakes.

“The Wizards have entered the Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade sweepstakes in the past 24 hours, and his fit is gaining serious traction, per @anthonyVslater

The Warriors are seeking a promising prospect alongside a first-round pick in any Kuminga deal.”

The Wizards have entered the Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade sweepstakes in the past 24 hours, and his fit is gaining serious traction, per @anthonyVslater (https://t.co/ASTnr1AfMl).

The Warriors are seeking a promising prospect alongside a first-round pick in any Kuminga deal. pic.twitter.com/OXsqWHPjD9

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 4, 2025

If the Bulls can find a way to acquire Kuminga and re-sign Giddey, they will be in a good spot to be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, given the state of some of the top teams after injuries to their star players.

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The Chicago Bulls should be one of the more active teams during this offseason, as they have a couple of players on their roster who they could look to trade. The three names who are up for grabs are guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu and center Nikola Vucevic, all of whom would bring in a decent haul back. 

The Bulls recently re-signed point guard Tre Jones to a three-year deal worth $24 million, which came after the Bulls traded guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Isaac Okoro, who will provide some depth at forward. Trading Ball and re-signing Jones could signal the end of the road for either Dosunmu or White, as Jones and Josh Giddey will see the bulk of the minutes at the point guard position.

However, the Bulls may have a hard time finding a suitor for Vucevic, as one Western Conference contender has backed away from Vucevic in favor of someone else. 

One Western Conference team appears to have lost interest in Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic

The Bulls may have a harder time finding a team to trade Vucevic to, as NBA Insider Jake Fischer reports that the Golden State Warriors have lost interest in trading for Vucevic and have shifted their sights onto free-agent center Al Horford. The Warriors had interest in Vucevic as the Trade Deadline approached this past season, but a deal never came about. 

Bulls Insider for CHSN K.C. Johnson and NBA Contributor for Forbes Evan Sidery previously reported that the Bulls were “openly shopping” Vucevic, and it was first mentioned that the Warriors were starting to lose interest in Vucevic.

“The Bulls are openly shopping Nikola Vucevic in trade talks, per @KCJHoop.

After previous interest in Vucevic this season, the Warriors have cooled on the idea of a potential pursuit.”

The Bulls are openly shopping Nikola Vucevic in trade talks, per @KCJHoop.

After previous interest in Vucevic this season, the Warriors have cooled on the idea of a potential pursuit. pic.twitter.com/1D327vYMAR

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 25, 2025

Fischer’s reporting all but confirms Johnson’s and Sidery’s original reporting and that the Bulls will have to look elsewhere if they’re to find a trade partner for Vucevic. 

What other teams need a big man like Vucevic? 

Even though the Warriors have bailed out and are no longer an option for the Bulls to trade Vucevic to, they still have a few options to find a deal. Three contending teams need a big man like Vucevic, with those teams being the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, and the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Of those teams, the Lakers are the team most in need of a center, as they traded away Anthony Davis last season in the deal to acquire Luka Dončić. The Lakers need to figure out a way to improve the roster to please LeBron James, as he has hinted he could look to take his talents elsewhere if the Lakers don’t put together a championship-caliber roster. 

Vucevic could be just that for the Lakers, as he did well played in 72 games, where he averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 31.2 minutes per game. With the Lakers pushed into a corner, the Bulls could have the upper hand in getting a deal done, as the Lakers don’t want to lose someone like LeBron.

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The Chicago Bulls made a few moves since the NBA offseason began, with the first move coming with the selection of 18-year-old Noa Essengue with the 12th pick in the NBA Draft. The Bulls then traded away guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Isaac Okoro.

The Bulls followed trading Ball up by adding more depth at the forward position by making a minor move, signing 25-year-old forward Emanuel Miller to a two-way qualifying offer. The Bulls didn’t stop there, with them making another signing, which could signal the end of the line for someone else on the roster.

The Chicago Bulls bring back a familiar face

The Bulls didn’t wait too long to dive into free agency, with ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania reporting that the Bulls are bringing back point guard Tre Jones on a three-year deal worth $24 million. The Bulls acquired Jones from the San Antonio Spurs with center Zach Collins as part of the three-team deal that sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings.

“Free agent guard Tre Jones has agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal to return to the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management finalized the new deal with Bulls officials tonight.”

Free agent guard Tre Jones has agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal to return to the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management finalized the new deal with Bulls officials tonight. pic.twitter.com/gwB1MRn7FX

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025

Jones (25) played in 18 games for the Bulls and averaged 25.3 minutes, 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 57.2% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.

Bringing back Jones was a great move for the Bulls

Bringing back Jones is a great move for the Bulls, as he performed well, and worked well in Billy Donovan’s system. Jones is a pass-first point guard, which will be valuable for the Bulls and take some of the facilitating duties off of Josh Giddey.

Jones’s return to the Bulls could signal the end of the line for either Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu, who are drawing interest from teams in trade negotiations. Bulls Insider for CHSN K.C. Johnson, saying he believes Dosunmu will be the player likely to be traded next.

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The Chicago Bulls enter the NBA offseason as an intriguing team to watch, with them likely to be one of the more active teams on the trade market. The Bulls will also need to figure out how to re-sign Josh Giddey. Giddey is expected to sign a deal where he’ll make $30 million a year, and if he re-signs, someone like Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu could be on the move.

The Bulls have already shown a willingness to trade away their guard core, with Lonzo Ball getting traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Isaac Okoro. Ball’s departure signals that the Bulls are fully engaged in a rebuild, especially after they drafted Noa Essengue with the 12th pick in this year’s draft, who is a project.

With NBA free agency officially open tonight, the Bulls have gotten a deal done early, by re-signing a nice young forward to a two-way contract.

Chicago Bulls sign 25-year-old forward to a two-way qualifying offer

The Bulls have made another move in this young NBA offseason, all being a small one, with Senior NBA Insider Michael Scotto reporting that the Bulls have signed forward Emanuel Miller to a two-way qualifying offer. In 25 games with the Windy City Bulls, Miller averaged 34.3 minutes with 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.

“Chicago Bulls forward Emanuel Miller has signed his two-way qualifying offer and will return to the team, league sources told @hoopshype. Miller averaged 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks in the G League for the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls.”

Chicago Bulls forward Emanuel Miller has signed his two-way qualifying offer and will return to the team, league sources told @hoopshype. Miller averaged 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks in the G League for the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls. https://t.co/ewM0elJHpI

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 30, 2025

Miller did appear in six games during the 2024-2025 season for the Bulls, averaging 4.2 minutes, 1.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists.

Miller adds more depth at the forward position

Miller will further add depth to the forward position, which the Bulls lack. Miller stands at 6’7” and is primarily a power forward. A native of Canada, Miller attended Texas A&M and Texas Christian University during his four years in college. In his four years, Miller played in 147 games (starting 137) and averaged 29.1 minutes, 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.

The 2025-2026 season will be another transition year for the Bulls, where they again will evaluate the talent on the roster to see where they’re at in their rebuild. With more players likely to be moved, Miller could see some playing time next season and turn his two-way deal into an NBA contract if he performs.

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The Chicago Bulls began the first phase of their offseason by selecting 18-year-old Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick in the NBA Draft last Wednesday. Essengue, who hails from France, is considered a project with a high ceiling and has been compared to the Milwaukee Bucks superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bulls also selected 18-year-old Rocco Zikarsky, another international player from Australia, who draws comparisons to NBA Champion Isaiah Hartenstein of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II, and Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies. Zikarsky gives the Bulls a nice future piece off the bench.

Now that the draft is over, the Bulls can now focus their attention on further bettering their roster, which they just did with their latest move.

The Chicago Bulls make a major trade to add depth to their roster

The Bulls didn’t waste time making more news after they drafted Essengue and Zikarsky, by making headlines with ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania reporting that the Bulls are trading point guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Isaac Okoro.

“BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, sources tell ESPN.”

BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/W0FTrRhe7y

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 28, 2025

Ball, 27, was a candidate to be traded at the Trade Deadline last season, but was signed to a two-year contract extension instead. The Bulls, even though they gave Ball an extension, were still trying to trade him, as they had an abundance of guards on their roster and lacked any bigs or depth at the forward position.

This was Ball’s first season back after missing a couple of years due to a knee injury, and he had a solid season, averaging 7.6 points, 1.3 steals, 3.3 steals, and 3.4 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game in 35 games played. Ball will be joining a Cavs team that will be hungry to run things back for next year after they lost four games to one to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs.

The Bulls made a solid move to acquire Okoro

Okoro is a 24-year-old small forward drafted by the Cavaliers in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2020 draft. He has four seasons under his belt. The product of Auburn University, Okoro played in 55 games for the Cavaliers, where he averaged 19.1 minutes and had a career low of 6.1 points per game, and should see a good amount of minutes next season.

Okoro gives the Bulls depth at the small forward position as Ayo Dosunmu works his way back from surgery he had during the offseason. The Bulls trading for Okoro could signal the end of the road for someone like Patrick Williams, who now moves down on the depth chart and could be the next player to be moved.

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The NBA Draft has come and gone and the Chicago Bulls decided to select 18-year-old Noa Essengue from France with their 12th pick. Essengue was the second youngest player in the draft, and is only a few days older than Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg. The beginning of the draft happened as expected with Flagg going first overall and Rutgers guard Dylan Harper getting picked second overall by the San Antonio Spurs.

After the first two picks, the draft got interesting, as predicting who would go where was like finding a needle in a haystack. The Bulls did have options available when the 12th pick came around, but they decided to take someone like Essengue, who could wind up being the steal of the draft.

The Chicago Bulls named one of the winners of last night’s draft

Essengue getting selected at 12 came as a surprise to some Bulls fans, who were hoping the Bulls would take a big man like Maryland’s Derik Queen, who got selected right after Essengue. Bulls fans had mixed emotions when they heard Essengues’ name called, but he does have a bright future ahead of him and a high ceiling to reach, which should give fans some hope.

Thankfully for the Bulls, they were named one of the winners of last night’s draft, with Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report saying that finding a talent such as Essengue at 12 is “a bit of a coup.” Essengue was the fourth-best prospect according to Bleacher Report’s final big board projection.

“Entering the draft, Bleacher Report’s final big board had 18-year-old French forward Noa Essengue at No. 4.

‘When it’s all said and done, Essengue’s ceiling could prove to look more like that of a top-five player,” Wasserman wrote. “He consistently finds ways to score by running the floor, timing his cuts, putting back misses and attacking defenders in space.’

And to get that kind of ceiling at No. 12, where the Chicago Bulls took Essengue, is a bit of a coup.

If he develops some of the more technical aspects of his game, he and Matas Buzelis can play together as sort of a hyper-lengthy, athletic and philosophically positionless duo at the forward spots.”

According to Bulls’ beat writer Will Gottlieb, who broke down the Bulls’ new draft pick, called Essengue a “Giannis-type of swing.” Gottlieb also describes Essengue as “a good defensive player who can protect the rim and switch.”

“.@Will_Gottlieb breaks down the Bulls Noa Essengue pick:

“This is maybe the Giannis-type of swing at 15 of his draft class”

.@Will_Gottlieb breaks down the Bulls Noa Essengue pick:

“This is maybe the Giannis-type of swing at 15 of his draft class” pic.twitter.com/oOgknwEFQU

— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) June 26, 2025

Essengue could end up being the steal of the draft

Essengue is a project, and he will need a lot of teaching from Billy Donovan and his coaching staff to mold him into a solid NBA wing. If he can develop his strengths and limit his weaknesses, the Bulls could have a nice duo of young and athletic forwards in Essengue and Buzelis, who could end up being the focal point of their offense.

The NBA summer league will start in a couple of weeks, where Bulls fans will get their first look at the Essengue. Hopefully, he does well during the summer league and can show glimpses of what he’ll bring for the 2025-2026 season.

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The NBA Draft kicks off tonight, with the Chicago Bulls selecting 12th overall pick and hoping to strike gold like last year when they selected Matas Buzelis with the 11th pick. The Bulls had a chance to get the first overall pick, but lost out to the Dallas Mavericks, who selected Cooper Flagg.

Flagg was the best prospect in the draft, and having him on the Bulls to pair with Matas and Josh Giddey would’ve been a sight to see. Flagg would’ve given Giddey another player to dish the ball to, as Flagg is considered a dynamic scorer.

The Bulls had options with the 12th pick, as most mock drafts had them selecting either a forward or a guard. With the Bulls’ pick now in, they’ve finally decided who will don a Bulls uniform for next season and be a part of the Bulls’ next young core they are trying to build.

The Chicago Bulls decide who to take with the 12th pick

With the 12th selection in this year’s NBA Draft, the Bulls selected Noa Essengue an 18-year-old forward from France. Essengue is considered a “toolsy forward” by NBA Senior Analyst Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.

“Welcome to Chicago, @NoaEssengue!”

Welcome to Chicago, @NoaEssengue! pic.twitter.com/y7Zcda0F7N

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 26, 2025

In 18 games with the Ratiopham Ulm in the EuroCup, Essengue averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 23.7 minutes per game. Some of Essengue’s strengths are his ability to shoot the three, his ability to pass the ball, and his versatility on defense.

Some of Essengue’s weaknesses are his strength, fundamentals, and the ability to create space on the floor to shoot the ball.

The Bulls could have a potentially solid player

Essengue getting picked by the Bulls at 12 was something of a surprise, as he was not predicted to be drafted by them. Hopefully, Essengue will be a solid player and prove the haters wrong.

The Bulls will now have a solid young core to focus on and develop with Essengues being welcomed into the fold.

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The NBA Draft is tonight, and will take place in the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets. The Chicago Bulls, and the 29 other teams, will be drafting players to build their franchises around, with the Bulls looking to draft a player to pair with their young stars, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey.

With the 12th pick, the Bulls have some leverage over teams looking to scoop up the top talent before they’re all snatched up. The Bulls have options with who they will select with their pick, but they could make a surprise move, and do something with their pick that they’ve been urged to do.

The Chicago Bulls have a valuable pick

The Bulls got unlucky when they lost out on the first overall pick, which ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks, but having the 12th pick is a nice consolation prize. Even though they have options on who to choose, the Bulls could end up trading away their pick to accumulate more draft capital to package together to land a big name later in the offseason.

Erik Beaston of Bleacher Report agrees with that statement and urges the Bulls to trade down from the 12th spot and accumulate that draft capital for the future. Beaston’s urging comes from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who noted that the Bulls have “looked into trade-ups as well as trade-down scenarios.”

Beaston via Bleacher Report:

“The team does not appear to have the assets from a player perspective to make a sizeable jump up the draft order. With that out of play, and so many potential players at the No. 12 pick that one would be hard-pressed to say any are the solution to the Bulls’ problems, the team must trade down and build for the future.

Accumulate draft picks, see if there is a player that can be packaged along with them, and restock the roster alongside Josh Giddey. Especially with Coby White, Lonzo Ball, and Nikola Vučević all potentially gone as unrestricted free agents after the 2026-27 season.

For a team and organization still trying to find its way, some 27 years after Michael Jordan hoisted their final Larry O’Brien Trophy, acquiring as much talent as possible rather than swinging and missing on someone midway through the draft simply because the front office feels obligated should be a priority.”

Trading the pick could work in the Bulls’ favor

Trading away their pick could work in their favor, as the Bulls could be in the market to make a move to take a step forward next season. The Bulls have a few players under contract whom they can pair with their pick, to either trade up or down, with center Nikola Vucevic and guard Coby White being their best options.

Anything can happen, with the draft only hours away, Bulls VP of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley need to have a good night to justify their recent contract extensions. Whether they keep the pick or trade it away will be seen soon, but the Bulls are in a great spot regardless of what they decide to do.

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Tonight is a special night for the Chicago Bulls, as they will pick 12th overall in this year’s NBA Draft. The Bulls are eyeing a handful of players with the 12th pick, with South Carolina power forward Collin Murray-Brooks being the latest player mocked to the Bulls.

The Bulls need a big man who can protect the basket, as their current big, Nikola Vucevic, is an offensive first big. Vucevic is one of many players on the Bulls roster who could be on the move before next season, with his teammates Patrick Williams and Coby White on the trade block.

The Chicago Bulls are “openly shopping” one of their best players

The Chicago Bulls could do more than draft someone tonight, as they could also be in the market to trade away someone from the 2024-2025 roster, with both Evan Sidery, an NBA contributor for Forbes, and CHSN’s K.C. Johnson reporting that the Bulls are “openly shopping” center Nikola Vucevic in trade talks. Vucevic, 34, drew some trade interest last season and was predicted to be moved at the deadline, but sadly wasn’t traded and stayed put.

“The Bulls are openly shopping Nikola Vucevic in trade talks, per @KCJHoop. After previous interest in Vucevic this season, the Warriors have cooled on the idea of a potential pursuit.”

The Bulls are openly shopping Nikola Vucevic in trade talks, per @KCJHoop.

After previous interest in Vucevic this season, the Warriors have cooled on the idea of a potential pursuit. pic.twitter.com/1D327vYMAR

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 25, 2025

Vucevic had a solid season for the Bulls last year, averaging 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 0.7 blocks in 31.2 minutes per game (73 games).

Vucevic could be on the move soon

As Sidery and Johnson reported, the Golden State Warriors were the team closest to making a move for Vucevic, with the Los Angeles Lakers also in the mix for him after they traded away Anthony Davis. The Lakers still could be in the mix for Vucevic, given they still need a big man, and with Vucevic in the last year of his deal, they could be a destination for him.

The Draft is hours away, and the possibility of Vucevic being traded during the draft is unlikely, but it could happen. With the Bulls looking to maximize their chances given the state of the Eastern Conference, anything can happen.

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The Chicago Bulls are one of the most successful franchises in the NBA, with their peak coming in the late 1980s and the 1990s, where they won six titles, winning three straight twice (1991-1993 and 1996-1998). The Bulls have not won a title since 1998 and have had little success since the ‘90s, with the Derrick Rose era coming the closest to that success.

The Bulls were led to their success in the ‘80s and ‘90s by Michael Jordan, who is considered by all accounts to be the greatest basketball player ever. Jordan is a legend in the game, making a name for himself by never losing in the NBA Finals, and being one of the most feared and competitive players.

For all of his greatness, today marks a significant moment in the career of Jordan and the Bulls franchise, as if it weren’t for Jordan, the Bulls probably wouldn’t be relevant.

Today in Chicago Bulls history

Today marks a significant moment in the Bulls’ history, as it’s the 41st anniversary of the Bulls selecting Jordan with the third overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. Jordan was taken behind the great Hakeem Olajuwon, who was the first overall pick by the Houston Rockets, a 12x All-Star and Hall of Famer, and Sam Bowie, who was the second overall pick by the Portland Trailblazers, and who had a solid 10-year NBA career.

Along with Jordan and Olajuwon, the 1984 Draft was rich in Hall of Fame talent, as Charles Barkley (Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Houston Rockets) and John Stockton (Utah Jazz) were the other two Hall of Famers selected in that class.

Jordan had a 15-year career in the NBA, spending 13 years playing with the Bulls, with him “retiring” for the 1993-94 season to pursue a career in professional baseball. Joradan eventually came back and finished up his career with the Washington Wizards (2001-2003) after another retirement stint.

In those 15 years, Jordan played in 1072 games (1039 starts) and averaged 38.3 minutes per game, had a .497 field goal percentage, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and averaged 30.1 points per game, which is the best in the history of the NBA. Jordan was also a 14x All-Star, the Rookie of the Year winner for 1984, a five-time MVP award winner, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the 1987-88 season.

Jordan will be appearing on NBC for this upcoming season

This upcoming NBA season should be more exciting, with the announcement that Jordan would be joining the NBA’s coverage on NBC as a “special contributor.” Jordan rarely makes television appearances or gives interviews, so having him on as a contributor to get his insight and knowledge of the game will be a treat for all fans. Jordan, when asked how he felt about joining NBC as a contributor said he was “excited”. 

“I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC,” said Jordan. “The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October.”

Given his greatness of Michael Jordan, he will offer things that the casual fan doesn’t pick up on, and hopefully, he finds enjoyment in doing these broadcasts, which could lead to him doing more.

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The Chicago Bulls will be one of the more interesting teams to watch this offseason, as they will be fully rebuilding their roster for next season. The NBA Draft is next Wednesday, June 25, and the Bulls hold the 12th pick, which they need to land after losing the first overall pick to the Dallas Mavericks.

Most mock drafts have the Bulls taking Duke’s center Khaman Maluach. Maluach would add a nice shot-blocking big man, which the Bulls need. Nikola Vucevic is an offensive-first big man and could be on the move before the start of next season, or even the draft. 

Other than Vucevic, the Bulls have a few players who could be on the move, like guards Lonzo Ball, Coby White, or even Ayo Dosunmu, all of whom, if traded, could aid in the rebuild. One of those guys could be on the move soon, with the most recent NBA trade hinting at what the Bulls could get on the trade market.

The Chicago Bulls could look to trade from their guard depth

The Bulls have an abundance of guards on their roster and could leverage one of them in a trade to get draft picks that they need, and fill a positional need, like adding a nice power forward or a center. The player who is most likely on the trade market, and who could give the Bulls the best haul back, is White.

White, who entered his sixth season in the NBA, scored the most points in a season for his career last season, scoring 20.4 points in 33.1 minutes. White earned the Player of the Month award last season for his spectacular performance in March, scoring 27.7 points, dishing out 3.7 assists, and taking down 4.7 rebounds in 35.5 minutes (15 games).

Someone who thinks the Bulls could benefit from trading a player like White is David Haugh of the Mully and Haugh Show, saying the Bulls possibly could receive a haul back for White like the Memphis Grizzlies got when they traded guard Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. Haugh, when reading the stats between the two, both had similar statistics, with Bane being a slightly better defender.

.@DavidHaugh believes the Bulls should be actively gauging Coby White's value on the trade market right now after the Grizzlies got a haul for Desmond Bane in a big trade Sunday with the Magic.

Mully believes the Bulls value White more than other teams around the league do. pic.twitter.com/GUtqVvq6uR

— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) June 16, 2025

The Bulls should get value for White now before it’s too late

With the NBA Draft a little over a week away and free agency starting on July 6, the Bulls need a strong plan for putting together a strong roster to be competitive next season. White is supposed to become an unrestricted free agent after next season, and the Bulls are not likely to re-sign him, given that he’s increased his price tag.

The Bulls are already in a conundrum, with Giddey being a restricted free agent, and him seeking a deal worth $30 million, the Bulls will need to prioritize who gets paid and who doesn’t, so that could mean this may be White’s last season with the Bulls.

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The Chicago Bulls didn’t have another great season. They finished the year tenth in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 39-43 and competed in the play-in tournament for a third straight season. There were few expectations for the Bulls entering the 2024-25 season outside of finding players to build around, and the 2025-26 season will be no exception.

Most of the guys on the 2024-25 roster will return for next season, while others like Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball could find their way onto other teams by the NBA Draft. Vucevic and Ball, were both on the trade block last season, but the Bulls couldn’t find a suitor to trade them to and instead retained both and ended up giving Ball a two-year contract extension.

Both could net the Bulls a decent haul of picks and players, but it will ultimately come down to whether the Bulls are willing to do what it takes to get better or if sitting in purgatory is okay with them.

The Chicago Bulls could trade Lonzo Ball before next season

Since Ball wasn’t traded last season, it would make sense that he’ll be on the move either this off-season or possibly at the beginning of next season. The Bulls have an abundance of guards on their roster, with Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, and Ayo Dosunmu being the other three on the roster besides Ball.

Evan Sidery, an NBA contributor for Forbes, has reported that the Bulls are expected to make Ball available in trade talks. Sidery reports that Ball’s $10 million he is owed for this season should be workable for any team that needs an experienced point guard.

“After signing a two-year, $20 million extension in February, Lonzo Ball is expected to be made available in trade talks by the Bulls.

Ball’s $10 million annual salary, which includes a team option for 2026-27, is easily digestible for contending teams in need of guard depth.”

After signing a two-year, $20 million extension in February, Lonzo Ball is expected to be made available in trade talks by the Bulls.

Ball’s $10 million annual salary, which includes a team option for 2026-27, is easily digestible for contending teams in need of guard depth. pic.twitter.com/8TwcUpWlDt

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 3, 2025

A good piece to move

Any team acquiring Ball will be getting valuable asset, as he is a solid veteran point guard. This past season was Ball’s first time back on a court since suffering a knee injury that kept him out for a few seasons and he performed well.

In 35 games last season, Ball averaged 22.2 minutes, 7.6 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game, all career lows for Ball. Hopefully, once he gets more and more removed from the injury he’ll get back to the player he was.

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With Nikola Vucevic expected to be dealt by next season’s trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls front office is expected to be busy making phone calls for star centers.

Zion Williamson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic are among the top names mentioned by league insiders as options in the big category for Chicago.

Giannis and Vucevic are unlikely. Williamson isn’t likely, but he appears more attainable than two aging veterans looking to join teams making championship runs. One piece of news surfaced on Friday that will be important to watch regarding allegations against Williamson.

Rumored Chicago Bulls trade target accused of rape

Per Michael C. Wright of ESPN, Williamson has been accused of rape and physical abuse by a person who had been in a multiyear relationship with the star basketball player.

Via ESPN:

“A woman has accused New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson of rape in addition to “sexual, physical, emotional and financial” abuse over the span of a multiyear relationship, according to a lawsuit submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday.

“The woman, who is identified as Jane Doe, accuses Williamson of a “continuing pattern of abusive, controlling and threatening behavior” over the course of a relationship that started during Williamson’s freshman year at Duke and lasted from 2018 to 2023.”

Zion Williamson’s attorneys released a statement

Per ESPN, Williamson’s attorneys at Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. released a statement denying the allegations.

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” Williamson’s attorneys wrote. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. … This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”

The attorneys welcome the chance to prove their case in court. This case could take substantial time and muddy up trade talks during the summer.

For More Chicago Sports:

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On Monday, Marc Stein shared an exciting rumor for Chicago Bulls fans during an otherwise quiet time for the fan base during the NBA conference championships. Stein suggested that the Dallas Mavericks are interested in trading with the Bulls for Lonzo Ball.

“League sources say Dallas is expected to at least explore whether there are any feasible trade pathways to Boston’s Jrue Holiday,” Stein wrote. “Complicated as that would likely be given the three years and $104 million still left on Holiday’s contract, (Dallas is) also maintaining an interest in a far more reasonable trade target as we’ve discussed on the DLLS Mavs podcast: Lonzo Ball.”

The Chicago Bulls have another player for the Dallas Mavericks

During an appearance on 670 The Score’s “Mully & Hugh Show” on Thursday, K.C. Johnson of CHSN gave his take on Stein’s report.

Cowley thinks the Bulls, who signed Ball to a two-year, $20 million extension last season, will hold on to the veteran point guard. But he does think another point guard on Chicago would be a good fit for the Mavs.

“(Ball’s) trade value is high because he’s a great locker room guy, and he’s essentially (on an) expiring deal with the team option for the second year and it’s a very manageable contract,” Johnson said. “I think it was reported really the day that that happened that this is a very movable piece. I don’t think that will happen before the season, but I could be wrong.

“Another name to keep in mind with Dallas, who needs a stop-gap point guard with Kyrie (Irving) out (Achilles), is Tre Jones, who’s going to be an unrestricted free agent and also has Bulls ties. So we’ll see where it goes. But gotta love the offseason rumors.”

Tre Jones or Lonzo Ball might not be with the Bulls next season

The Bulls received Jones, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, and what became the No. 12 pick in the 2025 draft in a three-way trade that sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings.

Jones averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 assists, rebounds 3.2 rebounds per game for the Bulls in 18 appearances.

One reason Johnson thinks the Bulls might keep Ball is because they had a chance to trade him in the recent past and didn’t because of money.

“I mean, they had an opportunity to get some draft capital for (Ball) at the deadline,” Cowley said. “It would have potentially needed to add a contract like a Marcus Smart. They chose not to. Try Jones’ emergence maybe makes them re-question that. I don’t know. We’ll see where it goes.”

The Bulls might have to decide between Ball and Jones on a roster that is heavy at point guard.

For More Chicago Sports:

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The Chicago Bulls once again had their hopes of making the playoffs dashed, as they were eliminated from the playoff race during the play-in tournament for the third straight season. The Miami Heat beat them by a score of 109-90, as the Heat’s Tyler Herro went off in the game, scoring 38.0 points on 13-19 shooting in 37.0 minutes.

Fans of the Bulls are rightfully upset with the Bulls, as they finished with the same record as last season (39-43) and it feels like there is no sense of direction. Vice President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas, didn’t ease fans’ dismay with the team, as he thought the Bulls took “a step forward” from his perspective, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Bulls have some players worthy of sticking around, and one of their key pieces, Nikola Vucevic, has a lot to think about as he enters the final year of his deal with the Bulls. Vucevics’ future with the team is uncertain, and he gave some insights into what his thought process is, during his postseason press conference.

Vucevic’s future with the Chicago Bulls is uncertain

Vucevic is one of the better players the Bulls had this season and could’ve and should’ve brought them a decent trade package back during the trade deadline, but the Bulls never received one worthy of doing a deal. In his postseason press conference, the 34-year-old center said there are some positives on the Bulls, and he feels there are pieces for the Bulls to build around.

Vucevic also added that he is in a “win now” mode for his career and he wants to go on a deep playoff run but it will depend on what the Bull’s timeline is.

“Nikola Vucevic says he’s at the stage of his career where he wants to “win now” and make deep playoff runs.”

Nikola Vucevic says he's at the stage of his career where he wants to "win now" and make deep playoff runs. pic.twitter.com/TEXc8P7Q9O

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) April 17, 2025

These quotes by Vucevic will hopefully send a message to Karnišovas and the Reinsdorfs that it’s time to start investing in the team and bring back the glory of what the Bulls were in the ’90s.

Could Vucevic be on the move this offseason?

An interesting offseason lies ahead for Vucevic and the Bulls, as their position in the draft is uncertain, and who they’ll draft is an even bigger question. The Bull’s dream pick is Duke’s Cooper Flagg but with every team looking to draft him, a backup option needs to be in place.

The Bulls could be active during the draft and on the trade market, as Vucevic could be a hot commodity once again, given he’s entering the last year of his deal with the Bulls. The Bulls could look to leverage Vucevic’s relatively low $20 million salary and whatever spot they get in the draft to move up to better their chances of getting Flagg.

That will have to wait, as the play-in tournament continues, and NBA fans wait for the playoffs to begin. Hopefully, by next season, the Bulls will be in a better position to avoid the play-in tournament and get back to being a winning team.

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The Chicago Bulls added another win to their record as they beat the Miami Heat last night 119-111.

The Bulls moved up in the Eastern Conference standings to ninth place with this win, helping to increase their chances of making the playoffs when they play in the play-in tournament.

The Bulls were led to victory by their young guys coming up when it mattered. Josh Giddey led the effort and Matas Buzelis, Coby White, and Kevin Huerter fell right behind him.

Chicago Bulls point guard has a masterful performance once again

Giddey had another great performance against the Heat, having his second triple-double in three games and his seventh triple-double of the season. This ties him with Joakim Noah for third place in franchise history for triple-doubles.

Giddey’s stat line: 28.0 points, 16.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists.

“Josh Giddey’s 7th triple-double of the year!

Josh is now tied with Joakim Noah for No 3. in franchise history in triple-doubles.”

Josh Giddey's 7th triple-double of the year!

Josh is now tied with Joakim Noah for No 3. in franchise history in triple-doubles. pic.twitter.com/JDe6j9ELM0

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 10, 2025

The game also featured Giddey reaching a milestone by becoming the third player next to LeBron James and Nikola Jokic to score 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists this season.

”1000 pts, 500 reb, 500 ast!

Josh Giddey just became the third player to reach these totals in the NBA this season.

The others: LeBron James & Nikola Jokic.”

1000 pts, 500 reb, 500 ast!

Josh Giddey just became the third player to reach these totals in the NBA this season.

The others: LeBron James & Nikola Jokic. pic.twitter.com/MBAsoL17xV

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 10, 2025

Earning an extension

Giddey will become a restricted free agent this summer, and his play as of late is helping to build his case on why he’ll earn a lucrative extension.

This season has seen Giddey move forward in his career and become the floor general.

Giddey is ranked in the top ten in the league for assists (ninth), averaging 7.2 a game, which marks a career-high.

Giddey’s play is justifying why he needs to be retained and be the focal point of the Bulls offense.

The Bull’s young core is what is leading them to their success and why they could stand a good chance in the play-in tournament.

The Bulls are back at it tomorrow night when they play the Washington Wizards in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

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The Chicago Bulls enter their matchup Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets with a 35-42 record, good enough for ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have five more games remaining in the regular season before they will appear in the Play-In Tournament.

Donovan has a 191-204 record in his fifth season with the Bulls. Chicago appears headed for a rebuild after trading Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan in the past year.

Billy Donovan won a HOF award amid a losing season

It was unclear how safe Donovan was with the Bulls before the upcoming offseason, as the team will finish the regular season with a losing record for a fourth time under the legendary head coach.

On Saturday, Donovan was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The 59-year-old coach had an incredible career at Florida, winning two national titles and taking the Gators to four Final Four appearances.

Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf of Donovan

Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf gave a telling quote regarding Donovan when he congratulated the head coach on his nomination to the HOF.

“Billy’s enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame is a testament to a lifetime spent giving everything to the game,” Reinsdorf said via the NBA’s website. “It goes beyond his incredible success as a coach—it’s about the relationships he’s built, the players he’s mentored, and the countless lives he’s touched along the way. Billy has a remarkable basketball mind, but what truly sets him apart is who he is as a person.

“He leads with humility, heart, and a genuine care for everyone around him. Whether it’s his players, his staff, or our community, he always puts others first. We’re incredibly proud to have him as part of the Bulls family, and on behalf of the entire organization, I want to congratulate him on this well-earned and well-deserved honor.”

Donovan’s job appears safe

Per Reinsdorf’s comments, it doesn’t appear that the Bulls are ready to lose one of their “family” members after the season, even if they cannot make the playoffs.

Donovan could be a part of a rebuild in Chicago, something that he missed out on before when he left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2020, who now have the association’s best record. Hopefully, the Bulls will give Donovan the necessary pieces to save the team from mediocrity.

Donovan’s success in getting this team to the Play-In Tournament is a testament of his coaching skills, but could be a detriment to his future success.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

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The Chicago Bulls hired head coach Billy Donovan to usher in a new era of Bulls basketball, helping to lead this team to the Finals and win a championship.

So far in his tenure as head coach, Donovan hasn’t proven to have success with the Bulls as he had with the Oklahoma City Thunder and when he coached the Florida Gators, where he had a ton of success.

Even though Donovan hasn’t found much success here in Chicago, he did receive a massive honor for his past achievements at the University of Florida.

Chicago Bulls head coach elected to the Hall of Fame

It was announced through Bulls on CHSN that Donovan would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2025.

“Congratulations to Billy Donovan for being named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame!”

Congratulations to Billy Donovan for being named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/guPwCiGaJL

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) April 5, 2025

Donovan will be joined in the Hall of Fame by Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Mickey Arison, Sue Bird, Tal Brody, and Sylvia Fowles.

Donovans career

Donovan started coaching as the Flordia Gators’ head coach in 1996 and spent 19 seasons with the University of Florida until he departed for the NBA in 2015.

During his tenure as head coach for the Gators, Donovan led them to two national championships, where they won back-to-back years in 2006 and 2007.

He also has four Final Four appearances, six Southeastern Conference championships, and four SEC Tournament Titles. He also has 467 career wins under his belt.

Donovan left the University of Florida in 2015 when he took over head coaching responsibilities for the Oklahoma City Thunder. During his five seasons with the Thunder, Donovan accumulated a record of 243-157.

Donovan left Oklahoma City after the 2019-2020 season to become the Bull’s head coach in September 2020. In his five seasons in Chicago, Donovan hasn’t found the same success that he did with the Thunder, accumulating a record of 191-204.

Congratulations to Coach Donovan for getting one of the highest honors in basketball!!

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The Chicago Bulls are one step closer to obtaining a spot in the playoffs by clinching a play-in spot by beating the Toronto Raptors to achieve that feat. 

The Bulls had a great month of March, where they went 9-6 and carried that play over into April. 

The Bulls are playing good basketball, and it comes at the right time of the year, as the season winds down.

The Bulls are being led by their backcourt, Coby White and Josh Giddey, who have been playing out of their minds. 

White has been playing so well that it helped him achieve a monumental feat for the Bulls, which hasn’t been done since 2022. 

Chicago Bulls guard receives tremendous honor for his play 

The month of March hasn’t just been good for the Bulls but for White as well, who played so well during March that he was honored with being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month. 

“Coby White was ELITE in March:

27.7 points

4.7 rebounds

3.7 assists

50% FG

38% from three

Coby is the first Bull to be @Kia Eastern Conference POTM since DeMar in 2022.”

Coby White was ELITE in March:

27.7 points
4.7 rebounds
3.7 assists
50% FG
38% from three

Coby is the first Bull to be @Kia Eastern Conference POTM since DeMar in 2022. pic.twitter.com/6SmsgCK825

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 1, 2025

White’s hot month of March coincides with how well he’s been since the All-Star break, where he’s averaged 25.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 21 games. 

That performance continued against the Raptors, where he scored 28.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in 34.0 minutes. 

White winning the Player of the Month comes off him winning back-to-back Player of the Week awards. 

The Bulls need White for the postseason

If the Bulls are to be successful during the play-in tournament and make it into the playoffs, they’ll need White to stay hot. 

White along with Giddey and Buzelis, who are all playing well, gives the Bulls a chance, which is all they need. 

With a handful of games left before the postseason starts, the Bulls are in a good position heading into the tournament. 

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The Chicago Bulls have not given a clear picture of whether or not they’re a good team or a bad one.

The Bulls have not been consistent in their play, with February being their worst month when they were one of the worst teams, going 3-8, to March when the Bulls had a 9-6 record and were on fire.

Coming off a hot month, the Bulls were looking to clinch a spot in the play-in tournament for the third consecutive season, and it appears like they’ll be heading back after their latest victory against the Toronto Raptors.

The Chicago Bulls clinch a play-in spot

For the third consecutive season, the Bulls have captured a spot in the play-in tournament with a commanding victory over the Raptors, winning 137-118.

“See you in the play-in.”

See you in the play-in.@BMO_US | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/tic7PyTsaC

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 2, 2025

The Bulls were propelled to victory again off the backs of strong play from their backcourt, with Coby White continuing his hot streak by scoring 28.0 points and Josh Giddey putting up 17.0 points and adding 12.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds.

Chances to make the playoffs

The Bulls have a decent chance to make the playoffs now that they’re in the play-in tournament.

The Bulls captured the final spot for the play-in tournament, beating out teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, and the Toronto Raptors.

ESPN estimates that the Bulls will have a 32% chance of making it into the playoffs, which is second to the Miami Heat, who have the lowest odds of getting in at 26%.

If the Bulls are to make it into the playoffs, they will need a win against the nine-seed, which appears to be the Miami Heat. The Bulls may have a tough time playing the Heat, as they won the season series against them.

If the Bulls pull off a win, they will have to play the winner of the seventh and eighth seeds to get a chance to play the number one seed, which will likely be the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Work cut out for them

The Bulls will have their work cut out for them once the tournament starts, but thankfully, they’re playing good basketball at the right time.

The Bulls will need Giddey and White to continue their hot streaks if they want to have a chance at making a deep run.

The Bulls have six games left before the tournament starts, so hopefully, they can keep things rolling and maintain this high level of play.

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The Chicago Bulls had a great month of March, playing great basketball and getting production from three key players in their starting five.

The Bulls are coming off a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the Thunder gave the Bulls a reality check of what it’s like to play one of the best teams in the league.

The Bulls are contending to be a playoff/play-in team and are close to achieving that if they can pull out another win.

Chicago Bulls can clinch a play-in spot

The Bulls are set to play one of the biggest games of the season tonight, taking on the Toronto Raptors, who are eleventh in the Eastern Conference standings at 28-47.

A win against the Raptors, according to Bulls on CHSN, would clinch a spot for the Bulls in this year’s play-in tournament.

“Big game back at home tonight.”

Big game back at home tonight.

: 7PM on CHSN pic.twitter.com/5qeViEwIiW

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) April 1, 2025

A great month of March from the Bulls

In March, the Bulls had a record of 9-6 and outscored the opposition 1,809 to 1,784.

The Bulls were led to success last month by their young guards, Coby White and Josh Giddey, with White winning the Player of the Week award twice.

White in March scored a season-high points (27.0) and rebounds (4.7) while dishing out 4.5 assists. Giddey was also great in March, also having a season-highs in points (20.3), rebounds (9.6), and assists (9.0).

Giddey also showcased why the Bulls traded for him, almost having a rare quadruple-double against the Los Angeles Lakers, falling two steals short of the feat.

The Bulls will need White, Giddey, and their rookie phenom, Matas Buzelis, to continue to play good basketball to get into the tournament and have a chance in the playoffs.

The Bulls need to show up tonight

The Bulls will need to come to play tonight against the Raptors if they want to have a chance at competing for a playoff spot.

The loss to the Thunder should motivate the Bulls to get the win against Toronto and get themselves back on track.

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The Chicago Bulls enter their matchup with the Dallas Mavericks at the United Center on Saturday as winners of four straight games. The Bulls have pulled off impressive wins against two Western Conference powers this week, completing sweeps of the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers.

Led by the heroics of young talent like Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Matas Buzelis, the Bulls are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and two games back from the Atlanta Hawks for seventh place with nine games remaining in the regular season.

While a scrappy Bulls team is fighting to make the postseason, a veteran on the Mavs is trying to keep Dallas’ playoff hopes alive. Following the trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavs have been hit by a rash of troubling injuries.

Anthony Davis missed played in three quarters for Dallas on Feb. 8 before sitting for several weeks due to a left adductor strain. He returned to action on Monday. On March 3, the Mavs lost Davis’ fellow star Kyrie Irving for the season after he tore his ACL.

Despite losing Irving, the Mavs chose not to punt on the season and rest Davis this spring. Dallas enters Saturday’s contest with in 10th place in the Western Conference at 36-38. They are one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament.

Anthony Davis has a warning for opponents

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Davis gave a warning to Dallas’ opponents for the remainder of the regular season, saying his goal is to compete to make the Play-In Tournament.

“We were playing with six, seven, eight guys who were coming in after playing a game 40, 42 minutes drained, tired, having to play back-to-backs, having to come in and still [weight] lift and get their shots [up]. That was a motivator for me,” Davis said of why he returned to action in the regular season. “I knew I was going [to come back] just because of the amount of games we had left. And not even that, just the position we were in, too.

“We are half a game behind Phoenix. But we got a chance. [Eight] games left. We are trying to try to make a push to get into these playoffs and just take it from there.”

The Chicago Bulls need to be on guard

A week ago, the Mavs appeared to be a gimmie game for a suddenly hot Bulls team. Chicago will face a tough challenge against a Dallas team that has a star power forward on the court.

Davis played in 29 minutes against the Orlando Magic on Thursday, scoring 15 points and recording seven rebounds and two assists. He put up 12 points, three assists, and six rebounds in 27 minutes during his return against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

While those stats are down from his season average of 25.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, he should be more dangerous against the Bulls as he ramps up in the Mavs’ quest to make the playoffs.

The Mavericks won their first game against the Bulls this season 119-99 in Dallas on Nov. 6.

The rosters have changed since that meeting as Zach LaVine was in Chicago and Davis was in Los Angeles for that matchup. Davis, a native of Chicago, will play the Bulls for the first time in a Mavs uniform.

For More Chicago Sports:

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Josh Giddey was feeling on top of the world after his final-minute heroics in the Chicago Bulls‘ 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in front of 21,957 fans at the United Center on Thursday night.

Giddey stole a lazy inbounds pass by LeBron James with under 10 seconds remaining, allowing him to find an open Coby White to give the Bulls a lead.

Austin Reaves would immediately make a layup with 3.1 seconds remaining on the clock. Giddey would rush upcourt and heave a half-court shot over James’ arms to give Chicago their fourth win in a row.

Following the game, James said he had to tip his cap to Giddey for making the half-court shot.

Josh Giddey knew the Chicago Bulls were going to win

Per K.C. Johnson of CHSN, Giddey said he knew thought the shot would go in when it left his hands.

“As soon as it left my fingertips, it looked good,” Giddey said. “That’s kind of why I held my follow through the whole time. I had that feeling. It looked straight. It felt good. Special night. Comeback win. It was a helluva team effort. We’ll enjoy this one.”

Josh Giddey: "As soon as it left my fingertips, it looked good. That's kind of why I held my follow through the whole time. I had that feeling. It looked straight. It felt good. Special night. Comeback win. It was a helluva team effort. We'll enjoy this one."

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 28, 2025

The Bulls have now completed season sweeps of the Denver Nuggets and Lakers this week, two of the Western Conference’s top four teams. Chicago has won nine of their last 11 games. The team’s newfound winning ways have center Nikola Jokic asking not to be traded this summer.

Before the trade deadline, the Bulls were thought to be a bubble team for the No. 10 spot in the Play-In Tournament. With nine games left in the regular season, Chicago finds themselves 1.5 games back from the Orlando Magic for the No. 8 spot and two games back from the Atlanta Hawks for No. 7.

The Bulls can play with anybody

Per Johnson, Giddey said the Bulls believe they can compete with any team in the Association.

“We’ve shown over the last month, six weeks, that we can compete with anybody,” Giddey said.

Two months ago with Zach LaVine. No.

Maybe now they can. Confidence is a dangerous thing.

The Bulls might get to test Giddey’s theory if they keep winning.

If they earn the No. 8 seed in the Play-In Tournament, Chicago would face the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Bulls finish the regular season strong and win in the Play-In Tournament, they would face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics.

The Cavs are 3-0 against the Bulls this season. Boston won the regular season series against Chicago 3-1.

For More Chicago Sports:

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The Chicago Bulls had a stellar win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night edging things out by a score of 119-117 in a packed United Center.

The game was won on a buzzer-beater by the Bulls point guard Josh Giddey, who has been playing out of his mind in March.

Another player who has been playing out of his mind this month is Coby White, who has won back-to-back Player of the Week awards in the Eastern Conference.

These two along with rookie Matas Buzelis have all contributed to the Bull’s success as of late and why they’re defying expectations.

The Chicago Bulls have found their footing

The Bulls have found their footing and are playing good basketball at the right time. As the season winds down, the Bulls are heading into the end of the season ninth in the Eastern Conference standings and are seven games under .500 at 33-40.

The Bulls are one of the teams vying for a spot in the play-in tournament and what seemed to be a disaster of a season has flipped on its face, and the Bulls look like a playoff team.

Since the trade deadline, the Bulls are 12-10 and have played better basketball without Zach LaVine than they did with him.

To succeed in the tournament and possibly the playoffs, the Bulls rely on their three young stars Giddey, White, and Buzelis.

The Bull’s three young stars

Giddey, White, and Buzelis are all doing their part to help the Bulls finish strong this season.

Giddey has been playing the best out of the three, leading the team in steals at 1.2 a game and being the team’s point guard and has a career-high in assists with 7.0 on the season.

Giddey’s hot streak this month produced a stat line never seen in the NBA before, having 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 17.0 assists, and 8.0 blocks in the previous game against the Lakers. 

TAKE A BOW, JOSH GIDDEY

15 points
10 rebounds
17 assists
8 steals

The first player in NBA HISTORY with this stat line. pic.twitter.com/aNwzl7290f

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 23, 2025

In the game against the Lakers, Giddey had his fifth triple-double on the season, scoring 24.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and dishing out 11.0 assists in 40.0 minutes. Giddey also added 2.0 steals to his ledger.

Giddey’s performance coincides with Whites’ back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors and Buzelis coming into his own as an NBA player.

White also got in on the scoring actions having 26.0 points of his own and adding in 9.0 assists, while Buzelis had a stat line of 12.0, 7.0, and 1.0.

The Bulls need to bottle this success

The Bulls should bottle this success and rely on these three to perform well in the postseason.

Thankfully, sweeping the season series against the Lakers should give the Bulls confidence as they wind things down.

The Bulls have nine games left, with their next match coming against the Dallas Mavericks at home.

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The night before playing the Chicago Bulls, LeBron James hit a buzzer-beater to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 120-119 win over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

On Thursday night, he defended and then watched as Josh Giddey’s half-court shot went in to give the Bulls a 119-117 win over the Lakers in front of 21,957 at the United Center.

James made a huge contribution to the Bulls’ miraculous comeback win.

An incredible Chicago Bulls win

Following Patrick Williams’ three-point shot to bring the Bulls within two points with 9.8 seconds to play, James lazily threw an inbounds pass, which was stolen by Giddey.

Giddey then found a wide-open Coby White, the back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week winner, who drilled a three-point bucket to put the Bulls up 116-115.

6 POINTS IN 6 SECONDS.@CHSN__ | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/D8c52qvbqY

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 28, 2025

Austin Reaves made a layup to give the Lakers a 117-116 lead with 3.1 seconds remaining.

3.1 seconds was enough time for Giddey to bring the ball up to half-court and hit a game-winning shot.

JOSH GIDDEY FOR THE WIN FROM HALF.@CHSN__ | @joshgiddey pic.twitter.com/p4UQyORSSt

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 28, 2025

LeBron James tips his hat to Giddey

When speaking to reporters after the game, James took responsibility for his “horrible” play in the contest’s final minutes. He praised Giddey for making the buzzer beater.

“I mean, we put ourselves in position to win,” James said of what transpired in the final minute. “Gave up a lot of threes in the fourth quarter. We still put ourselves in position to win. Horrible turnover by myself, bad miscommunication the play before that, and AR (Reaves) still had a big bucket and tried to save us and then tip your hat if someone makes a game-winner.

The Bulls swept the series against the Lakers this season, winning their first matchup 146-115 on Saturday at crypto.com Arena during a night that was filled with heroics from rookie Matas Buzelis. Chicago has swept the Lakers and Nuggets this season, two of the top four teams in the Western Conference.

Chicago has won four games in a row and are 1.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference.

For More Chicago Sports:

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The Chicago Bulls were supposed to be in tank mode after they traded away Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 5. Despite trying to shop Nikola Vucevic to the Golden State Warriors, among other teams, before the trade deadline, the Bulls ultimately decided to keep the aging center at least until the summer.

Chicago didn’t receive an offer high enough for Vucevic. Keeping him on the team meant the Bulls needed to decide between shutting him down for the season (as he dealt with a calf sprain in February and March) or letting him return to work with a young roster trying to earn a berth in the Play-In Tournament, and potentially the playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls are on fire in March

The Bulls have caught fire in recent weeks, winning eight of their last 10 outings and earning a 32-40 record, good enough for No. 9 in the Eastern Conference. They’re two games back from the Orlando Magic for the No. 8 spot and 3.5 games away from the Atlanta Hawks for No. 7.

Coby White has been the star of the show in Chicago, but Vucevic has been a big help on the boards. He scored 13 points and recorded eight rebounds and two assists in the Bulls’ 129-119 win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. At 34, he’s averaging 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game this season.

Nikola Vucevic doesn’t want to be traded now

Per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls’ resurgence in March has Vucevic rethinking his career trajectory. He’s buying into Chicago’s plan and wants to finish his contract with the Bulls instead of being traded to another playoff contender.

“One player who’s suddenly buying in — and would like to stay another season and finish out his contract — is Vucevic,” Cowley wrote. “That’s a bit surprising, especially after good friend DeMar DeRozan was traded to the Kings and Alex Caruso to the Thunder last summer, followed by the LaVine trade. All signs had pointed to Vucevic being traded by the Feb.  6 deadline, and when he wasn’t, there were concerns he’d check out.”

Vucevic likes the way the young roster is competing

Vucevic likes the way the current roster competes.

“Who knows what happens in the summer, but right now I’m focused on this group of guys,” Vucevic said. “I’ve really enjoyed playing with them. Guys with good character, guys that really want to win, they care. We play for each other, we compete, and that’s what you want.”

The Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, but that will likely change around the time of the Play-In Tournament when the intensity heightens up around the Association. Chicago’s optimism could fade if they don’t find the same success in April that they did in March.

For More Chicago Sports:

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Before the Chicago Bulls game on Monday night, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone argued the Bulls are “the best team running” in the NBA. Chicago lived up to Malone’s premise, knocking off the Nuggets (who were without Nikola Jokic) 129-119 in front of 19,816 fans at Ball Arena.

The Bulls completed a sweep of Denver for the season, as they recorded a 129-121 victory on Jan. 27 in a game Jokic scored 33 points. The Bulls have been on a hot streak lately. Monday night’s win was the team’s third in a row and the eighth win in 10 outings.

Coby White has been a key to the Bulls’ recent success. He earned back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, putting him in company with Michael Jordan as the only Chicago player to accomplish that feat.

White and two other players on the court Monday had historic nights.

Historic night in the Chicago Bulls’ win over Denver

1. Coby White

Per the NBA, White joined former Bulls star Zach LaVine as the only player in Bulls’ history to average more than 30 points a game and three or more three-point shots made over a 10 game span.

White also joined LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Michael Jordan, and Bob Love as the only Bulls players to score 35 or more points in three consecutive games.

Coby White over his last 10: 30.6 PPG & 3.2 3PM!

He joins Zach LaVine as the only @chicagobulls to average 30+ PTS & 3+ 3PM over a 10-game span.

He also joins LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Michael Jordan, and Bob Love as the only Bulls with 3 straight 35+ PT games. https://t.co/kv0lqfgjfZ pic.twitter.com/dWKyUXyc91

— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2025

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The Chicago Bulls annihilated the Los Angeles Lakers, who got LeBron James back after he had been out with a groin injury, crushing them by a score of 146-115.

With this latest win, the Bulls move to ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings and are a game-and-a-half behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth seed. With their current play, the Bulls could make the playoffs.

The Bull’s win over the Lakers came off the backs of two of their young stars, Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, who single-handedly stole the show with his historical performance.

Chicago Bulls two standout stars

In the Bull’s dominant victory over the Lakers, Buzelis was the Bulls’ second-leading scorer, scoring 31.0 points on 12-18 shooting. This is the first time Matas has scored 31.0 points in his career.

“Matas Buzelis’ first 30-piece of his young career.”

Matas Buzelis' first 30-piece of his young career.

31 points | 12-18 FG | 5-10 3PT pic.twitter.com/YES5FOgH88

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 23, 2025

Giddey also added his name to the game ledger by having a historical night, where he became the first player in NBA history to have the stat line he had.

Giddey’s stat line: 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 17.0 assists, 8.0 steals

TAKE A BOW, JOSH GIDDEY

15 points
10 rebounds
17 assists
8 steals

The first player in NBA HISTORY with this stat line. pic.twitter.com/aNwzl7290f

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 23, 2025

This marked Giddey’s fourth game with a triple-double, which has him tied for second all-time in Bulls historywith Scottie Pippen and behind the great Michael Jordan, who has the most with 15, which he set in 1988-89. Giddey was close to having a quadruple-double, which hasn’t been done in the NBA since Patrick Robinson did it back in 1994 against the Detroit Pistons.

Giddey is adding to his value

This performance by the 22-year-old Giddey is increasing his value for this summer when he’ll become a restricted free agent. The Bulls acquired Giddey before this season from the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they swapped Alex Caruso for him, and it appears the Bulls are winning the deal.

March has been Giddey’s best month so far, even though he’s played in five games, having season-highs in points (22.8) and rebounds (9.8). Post All-Star break, Giddey has shown his dominance, averaging 23.0 points, 8.3 assists, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 34.6 minutes.

Giddey is consistently putting up these numbers night in and night out and is showing why he should be extended a contract.

Further development for Buzelis

Buzelis’s scoring performance last night against the Lakers is yet another sign of growth to start his NBA career.

Buzelis has had an interesting season, from beginning the year playing very few minutes to finally being elevated to the starting lineup; it’s been impressive to see how well the 20-year-old has handled the pressure.

Matas is also having a great month of March. In 10 games this month, he’s averaging 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, with 0.9 blocks a game in 25.0 minutes.

Two core players to build around

Giddey and Matas are both two of the Bull’s young stars that, in this current rebuild, should be looked at as pieces to build around.

Pairing Giddey’s ability to find the open man and Matas’s ability to score and dunk the ball could be an effective combo.

The Bulls need to start considering who they want to build this franchise around and the direction they want to head.

With two solid options in Giddey and Buzelis as their foundation, it’s a great place to start.

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The Chicago Bulls are coming off a win in California’s capital, Sacramento, where they beat the Sacramento Kings 128-116. This was the Bull’s first matchup against the Kings since they traded guard Zach LaVine at the deadline.

The Bulls will look to add another win to the win column by playing the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at the Crypto.com Arena, who have a record of 43-26 and are third in the Western Conference standing.

The Lakers in their last ten games are 5-5, while the Bulls are 6-4 and will be without one of their key pieces after the latest injury report dropped.

The Chicago Bulls will be without their important point guard

The Bulls announced today on Twitter that guard Tre Jones has a sprained left foot and will be out for at least two weeks and receive further evaluation.

“Injury Update: Tre Jones has been diagnosed with a left foot sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.”

Injury Update: Tre Jones has been diagnosed with a left foot sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 22, 2025

Jones was spectacular again against the Kings, scoring 15.0 points, on 6-10 shooting, while having 4.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 33.0 minutes.

Jones had been on a heater, scoring 12+ points in his last five games. That span also featured Jones’s first double-double with the Bulls. 

More injuries

Jones’s injury is yet another injury to key members of the Bulls starting lineup. Jones had been filling in for Lonzo Ball, who has been out with a wrist injury.

Ball before going out with his injury, had his minutes increased when Ayo Dosunmu had to miss the rest of this season with season-ending surgery.

The Bulls have 12 games remaining and Jones’s timetable will put him at an April 5th return date, where the Bulls will take on the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte.

Hopefully, Jones will be ready to go by then and help the Bulls finish the season off strong.

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The Chicago Bulls are slowly winding down their season as there are only 13 games left in the regular season.

The Bulls are coming off a tough loss to the Phonix Suns where they lost by a score of 127-121.

Coby White was the Bull’s leading scorer in the game collecting 24.0 points on the night.

The Bulls also saw an impressive performance from one of their guards, Tre Jones, who has been on a pretty decent tear as of late.

Chicago Bulls guard has been on a tear

Jones was one of the players brought over in the three-team trade that sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. Since joining the Bulls Jones has been outstanding, averaging 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.

Jones has been on a hot streak as of late, scoring 14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and a steal a game in 30.5 minutes in his last ten games. The hot streak continued for Jones as he was the Bulls fourth-leading scorer in the loss against the Suns, putting up 12.0 points while adding 9.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds in 32.0 minutes.

Starters in the desert

Stream https://t.co/dLgvAjeEdl@FirstAlert | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/Lah8nSA80W

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 20, 2025

March has been the 25-year-old best month, as Jones doubled his point total from February, 7.2 points, to 14.2 points this month. Jones also is putting up season highs in assists (7.0) and rebounds (4.3), while also shooting his best from behind the arc for this season (58.3%).

Jones’s performance, helped him capture his first double-double of the season against the Utah Jazz, where he scored 18.0 points and dished out 12.0 assists.

First Bulls double-double for Tre pic.twitter.com/nh9Wbqx76J

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 18, 2025

Will Jones return for next season?

Jones will become an unrestricted free agent after this season and is looking to get a pretty good payday this summer. The Bulls have a ton of guards on their roster, with Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu to name a few, all being under contract for next season.

Giddey has emerged as the main point guard for the Bulls as he is also on a heater post-All-Star break. Giddey is expected to test the market as a restricted free agent and will likely resign with the Bulls, which takes a spot away from Jones for next season.

A helpful player in trying times

Jones has provided highlights for fans in what has proven to be a trying season for the Bulls.

If the Bulls bring Jones back, he would be a great option to have off the bench or make a spot start.

The way Jones has been playing, he is looking like a player the Bulls should think about building around.

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The Chicago Bulls will play one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, who sit dead last in the Western Conference standings.

The Jazz have a strong chance of getting the first overall pick in the draft, which could land them a player like Cooper Flagg.

The Bulls are also vying for a chance to draft Flagg, but they’re not nearly as bad as the Jazz are.

The Bulls sit tenth in the Eastern Conference standings and are coming off a tough loss to the Houston Rockets, where they lost by a score of 117-114.

Before that loss, the Bulls were riding a four-game winning streak.

During that winning streak, one of their guards was on such a heater, which brought him some recognition.

Chicago Bulls guard wins Player of the Week

Even though the season has been tough, there have been a few bright spots for the Bulls. During the Bulls’ winning streak, Coby White was on fire scoring 27.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and shot 46% from the field.

This impressive scoring performance by White was good enough for him to win Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

Coby White is your Eastern Conference Player of the Week!

27.7 points per game
7.0 rebounds
4.0 assists
46% FG pic.twitter.com/CEQw68qAIx

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 17, 2025

White’s best performance during this three-game span came against the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 31.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.

A solid season for White

White has put up some solid numbers for the Bulls this season, posting 19.4 points a game, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.

March has proven to be Whites’s best month this season. In seven games this month, White has averaged season highs in points: 28.4 and rebounds: 5.7 rebounds, with also having 3.4 assists.

The Future of White

White’s future is unknown outside of him being under contract for next season at $12.8 million.

White did draw some interest at the trade deadline this season with the Orlando Magic showing the most interest.

Since the Bulls are in rebuilding mode, White could be on the move this offseason.

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The Chicago Bulls are in the midst of what continues to be a trying season and thankfully it’s almost over.

The Bulls are competing for a spot in the play-in tournament, which they could make as they sit tenth in the Eastern Conference standings and have a record of 28-38.

The offseason will be a busy time for the Bulls to rebuild the team and set their focus on the draft and free agency.

If the season couldn’t get any worse, the Bulls received terrible news regarding their championship banners, which were damaged from a concert.

Chicago Bulls Championship banners damaged

According to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, the banners were damaged by pyrotechnics from the band Disturbed in a concert they hosted. The banners affected were the Bulls 1996-1998 championship banners, which is the best era in Bulls franchise history.

Per Poe:

“United Center is currently working with the Bulls to explore options to repair these banners,” United Center communications said in a statement. “While the banners will not be in place for the remainder of this season, we do anticipate them being back in place next season.”

They’ll be back

Thankfully, the banners will be back, but the question is, how does this even happen?

This accident could signal a bad omen, but hopefully, this is just one of those flukes.

The Bulls return to action tomorrow night when they take on the Houston Rockets.

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The Chicago Bulls are slowly winding down the season as they only have a handful of games left.

The Bulls are currently on a three-game winning streak and are fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament with the Miami Heat.

The Bulls sit at 27-38 for the season, which is good enough for tenth in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Bulls should focus their sites on the offseason instead of the play-in tournament, but they’re forcing their way in regardless. This offseason will be critical for the rebuild, and a few players on the current roster will likely be on the move for next season.

One player likely to not be back with the Chicago Bulls next season

The Bulls have quite a few guards on their roster that they’ll need to shed this offseason. Josh Giddey is the Bull’s starting point guard and is playing his way to get a nice contract extension this offseason.

Of the guards on the Bulls roster, Tre Jones will likely not be the one not to return for next season.

Jones was traded to the Bulls from the San Antonio Spurs at the Feb 6 trade deadline for Zach LaVine, who went to the Sacramento Kings. Jones has been a decent player, providing production as a starter and a role player.

In 13 games with the Bulls, Tre has averaged 22.0 minutes a game, scoring 9.6 points, grabbing 2.8 rebounds, and dishing out 3.7 assists. Jones has also been a fantastic free-throw shooter with the Bulls, shooting 90.5% from the stripe on 19-21 attempts.

Jones is well-liked by his head coach, Billy Donovan, who Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune recorded Donovan stating Jones has the ‘it’ factor and he’s a winner.

“He’s got the ‘it’ factor,” Donovan said of the former Duke star. “He really does. He’s just a winner.”

This statement from Donovan comes on the heels of Jones starting in place of Lonzo Ball who is currently injured and has missed the last four games.

Why Jones is likely not to return

With the emergence of Giddey, who has been on a tear as of late, Jones is likely not expected to return for next season. As Poe states in her article, Jones is strictly a point guard, whereas Giddey can play the point, the shooting guard, and the small forward positions.

Since the Bulls have so many guards on the roster, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to bring Jones back.

The Bull’s top priority this summer will be to resign Giddey and add another big or a wing to pair with Giddey and rookie phenom Matas Buzelis. The Bulls need to spend money on a bonafide superstar, which they lack.

The remainder of the season

Choosing to resign Jones would be a safe move for the Bulls to make and fall right into line with how the front office likes to operate. The Bulls need to take a risk and spend a little, which will help set them on the road to success.

If the Bulls chose to go down the road of adding another big or another wing, then there wouldn’t be room to keep Jones.

These last handful of games are likely a tryout, to put it mildly, for Jones to prove he is worth keeping around.

The post Chicago Bulls: One player likely not to return for next season appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls have had a disaster of a season, to say the least, with a poor 27-38 record and sitting tenth in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Bulls’ season has been slowly going downhill, from injuries to key contributors in the starting lineup to incompetence in the front office; the Bulls have not fielded a competitive roster for this season.

The Bulls’ front office has made excuses for the product they’ve put out on the court, and one Bulls beat writer has finally called it out, but specifically called out Bulls’ VP of Basketball Operations, Arturas Karnisovas.

Chicago Bulls front office slammed for poor decision-making

Joe Crowley, who covers the Bulls for the Chicago Sun-Times, recently slammed the Bulls in his latest article, in which he labeled the Bulls’ front office, but Karnisovas in particular, as ‘mediocre’ which is the perfect way to describe how the season has gone.

Per Crowley:

“In Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas’ world, there apparently are levels of mediocrity. And the tier in which he must be most comfortable wandering around is competitive mediocrity.

That’s NBA hell for most, but that’s not the case for Karnisovas. He embraces it.”

Crowley also adds that the Bulls aren’t even playing poorly enough to get a decent pick in the draft this offseason.

“The Bulls aren’t good enough even to be an afterthought in a prospective playoff series against the Cavaliers, Celtics and Knicks, but they aren’t bad enough to put themselves in the best position possible to try to hit the lottery and land a franchise-changing player such as Duke’s Cooper Flagg.”

An accurate assessment

Crowley’s assessment of the Bulls season and how the front office has operated couldn’t be more accurate. The biggest blunder of the season had to come at the trade deadline when the Bulls made one move.

Instead of trading all their valuable assets, the Bulls only dealt Zach LaVine for a group of unproven players and one pick. They ended up keeping both Lonzo Ball and Nikola Vucevic, who could’ve netted them more valuable draft capital and instead gave Ball a two-year extension.

For good measure, Karnisovas, in his post-trade deadline press conference, baffled reporters by stating that he thinks he can win with a team of ‘good players’, which is unrealistic. As Crowley puts it in his piece: ‘The NBA is a superstar league’, and the Bulls lack a legitimate superstar to compete with the teams that do.

The NBA has transitioned into a superstar league, where teams have at least two superstars to compete. Then, it’s the front office’s job to find the role players to surround the stars with to facilitate a winning culture.

The Bulls need a superstar to win

In the case of the Bulls, they have some solid pieces on the roster, but they lack a true superstar.

Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Zach Collins are all great role players, with Matas having the potential to develop into a star, but he’s still a rookie.

This offseason will be critical for the Bulls to bring a star to Chicago to build around, and they hope they get a decent pick in the draft, where they likely will miss out on Cooper Flagg.

If the Bulls can land a star and pair them with players on the roster, they could be more competitive next season.

The post Chicago Bulls front office slammed for their incompetence appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are set to take on the Indiana Pacers tonight, who sit at 35-27 and are fifth in the Eastern Conference Standings.

The Bulls are riding a two-game winning streak with their latest victory against the Miami Heat, where Josh Giddey tied Michael Jordan for the most triple-doubles in a season.

The Bulls got some good news on the injury front before taking on the Pacers, which could help propel them to a victory.

Good news for the Chicago Bulls

The Bulls received some good news on the injury front today with Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson reporting that Patrick Williams will be available to play tonight. Johnson adds that head coach Billy Donovan will likely use Williams off the bench and he, along with center Nikola Vucevic, will be under a minutes restriction.

“Patrick Williams also is returning, per Donovan.

Bulls have discussed bringing them off bench as they return under minutes restrictions. Vooch is at 26-28. Williams is at 24.

Donovan wouldn’t confirm they’re coming off bench but it has been discussed.”

Willams has not appeared in a game since Feb 12 against the Detroit Pistons. The 23-year-old has been on the shelf with right quadriceps tendinitis.

Finish the season strong

The Bulls are closing in on the end of the season, which will be a great time for Willams to get himself healthy and build on his confidence heading into next season.

This season hasn’t been the best for Williams where he’s averaged 9.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and is shooting 37.5% from the field in 45 games.

Hopefully, in his limited number of minutes tonight, Williams can play like how he was prior to going down.

The post The Chicago Bulls get a piece of positive news on the injury front appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls eeked out a 114-109 victory against the Miami Heat on Saturday night that featured seven lead changes.

The Bulls still sit in the tenth spot in the Eastern Conference standings and have 18 games left before the end of the season.

The Bulls keep winning games when they should be trying to position themselves to get a decent spot in the draft, where they can hopefully draft another big or a small forward, or possibly acquire Cooper Flagg.

The Bulls’ victory over the Heat featured another stellar performance by their guard Josh Giddey, who joined some elite company based on that outing.

Giddey’s stellar performance for the Chicago Bulls

Giddey was outstanding against the Heat, helping push the Bulls to complete the sweep in Florida after beating the Orlando Magic on Thursday 125-123. In the win over the Heat, Giddey had his third triple-double of the season, which ties him with Bulls legend Michael Jordan for the most in a season.

“Josh Giddy has 3rd triple double of season“

Josh Giddy has 3rd triple double of season

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 9, 2025

Giddey’s stat line: 37.0 minutes, 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 1.0 blk, 1.0 steal, while shooting, 60% (9-15) from the field, and 75% (3-4) from three.

Watch Giddey go to work https://t.co/UGDUM2myZj pic.twitter.com/0OOGNmEs5C

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 9, 2025

This game against the Heat also marked Giddeys ninth straight game of scoring 15+ points in a game, with five of them coming as 20+.

Showing his worth

Giddey is finally coming into his own and is showing that he’ll be worth every penny of the contract extension the Bulls will give him. That is when they decide to give it to him.

From a statistical standpoint, the 22-year-old Giddey has career highs in steals (1.1) and assists (6.7) this season. He’s also been relatively healthy this season, whereas some of his teammates haven’t, by playing in 58 out of the Bull’s 64 games.

Giddey will become a restricted free agent this summer, where he’ll test the market and see what his value truly is. The Bulls will likely allow Giddey to do so and can match whatever offer he receives.

A player to build around

The Bulls must retain Giddey past this season, given they’re in a rebuilding mode.

Giddey has shown the ability to be a floor general and has the potential to average ten assists a game. Pairing him with Matas Buzelis and Zach Collins, who are showing they’re also players the Bulls should invest in, is what the Bulls should be doing.

Buzelis and Collins could help Giddey in his assist totals by skyrocketing them with their ability to work in the paint and the pick-and-roll.

With only 18 games left and Giddey looking to be on a heater, there’s a possibility that he’ll surpass MJ and become the Bulls leader in triple-doubles in a season.

The post Chicago Bulls guard joins elite company with his latest performance appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are playing like one of the worst teams in the NBA, even though they sit 10th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 24-38 record.

Given they’re one of the worst teams in the league, the Bulls are vying for a top-ten draft pick to select someone like Cooper Flagg, who is considered the top player entering the draft.

The Bulls have a few players on their current roster, such as Matas Buzelis, Zach Collins, and Josh Giddey, who all are playing well and look like the players the Bulls should be building around.

Another player the Bulls should consider building around is guard Ayo Dosunmu, who recently had his season ended after suffering a fracture in his back.

A shocking update on Chicago Bulls star guard

After the news broke of his injury, a new and even more shocking report by Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune that Dosunmu had been dealing with the fracture for almost two years and that it had dislocated roughly five times during that span.

“Ayo Dosunmu said an MRI revealed a 1-2 year old fracture in the back of his shoulder.

Dislocated it at least 5 times this season, but pain always went away the next day.

In New York, the pain didn’t go away. On the court, Ayo knew that was probably his last game of the year.”

Ayo Dosunmu said an MRI revealed a 1-2 year old fracture in the back of his shoulder.

Dislocated it at least 5 times this season, but pain always went away the next day.

In New York, the pain didn't go away. On the court, Ayo knew that was probably his last game of the year. pic.twitter.com/QXsN90DkNA

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) March 5, 2025

This revelation is stunning and should be looked into by the NBA, given that this injury could have altered Dosunmus’s career.

Before being shut down with this devastating injury, the 25-year-old Dosunmu was having a respectable season, where he’s scored 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 30.3 minutes. Given he had to play through what I can only imagine is a painful injury, Dosunmu managed to play in 46 out of the Bull’s 62 games.

Dosunmu will be back next season

The timeframe for Dosunmus’s return is 4 to 6 months, which will put his return at around September, just before the start of the NBA season.

Since this injury has lasted as long as it has, Dosunmu has a long road ahead to the player he once was.

The post Chicago Bulls star guard reveals shocking revaluation of his devastating injury appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are trying to position themselves in the right spot to get a top-ten pick in the draft this offseason.

Up to this point, the Bulls have not realized that losing is their best path to getting back to their winning ways, with VP of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas having the delusion that they can make a playoff push.

The Bulls swung and missed during this season’s trade deadline when they only traded away one player, Zach LaVine, for a package of three players and their pick from the San Antonio Spurs.

Since the deadline, it has been a mixed bag worth of the performances from Kevin Huerter, Tre Jones, and big-man Zach Collins.

The only player from that deal showing any promise and signs that the Bulls should build around is the latter-mentioned Zach Collins.

Chicago Bulls big man showing promise

Collins is a 27-year-old big man out of Gonzaga University who has shined since coming over from the Spurs and is looking to be someone the Bulls can build around. In Collins’s last ten games with the Bulls, he’s averaged 26.0 minutes, 13.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, with 2.6 assists per game. Even more impressive is that Collins has shot 87% from the free-throw line.

In his last five games, the Las Vegas native has scored double-digit points, with three coming as double-doubles. The best game in that span came against the Los Angeles Clippers, where Collins scored 21.0 points, a whopping 17.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 5-10 shooting from the field.

Collins’s best month this season came in Feb where he played seven games, averaging 22.7 minutes, scoring 10.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 51.0% from the field and 85.7% from the free throw line. When used as a starter (nine games), Collins has shown he can handle the duties by scoring 15.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, almost a block a game, and one steal in 27.3 minutes.

Someone worth building around

Even though the Bull’s front office won’t admit out loud that they’re in a rebuild, their record and how they have been losing shows they are. Sitting at the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference with a 24-38 record and 2-8 in their last ten games, the Bulls are slowly winding down the season and looking towards the offseason.

The Bulls have a few players outside of Collins they can build around in their rookie sensation Matas Buzelis and their 22-year-old point guard from Australia, Josh Giddey. Both have had outstanding seasons, with Buzelis becoming a mainstay in the Bull’s starting lineup and Giddey emerging as their premier facilitator.

A solid foundation to start

Building around all three of these players should be the way to go for the Bulls, with having the ability this offseason to add more role players via free agency and through the draft.

With three guys on the roster who can fill in the starting lineup for next season gives the Bulls a solid foundation.

Nikola Vucevic is only under contract for next season and could be traded this offseason, with Collins replacing him is looking like a suitable internal option.

The post The Chicago Bulls have a nice ‘big’ problem on their hands appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls had a couple of significant injuries on their starting five last week. Ayo Dosunmu (shoulder) and Nikola Vucevic (calf) took turns sitting out of the lineup.

The Bulls made a strong push for their run at the Play-In Tournament during that span, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 142-110 on Monday and earning a fourth-quarter comeback win in a 125-115 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Head coach Billy Donovan said he has no plans to keep Vucevic on the bench so younger players can develop on a roster that is under .500 by a dozen games. However, the shoulder injury will force Dosunmu to miss the remainder of the year.

The Chicago Bulls rule out a starter for the season

Per an update by the Bulls, the No. 38 pick in the 2021 draft needs season-ending surgery.

“Medical Update: After experiencing left shoulder instability and further evaluation from training and medical professionals, Ayo Dosunmu will undergo surgery and be out for the remainder of the season,” per a post on X from the Bulls. “Updates will be provided as appropriate.”

Medical Update: After experiencing left shoulder instability and further evaluation from training and medical professionals, Ayo Dosunmu will undergo surgery and be out for the remainder of the season.

Updates will be provided as appropriate. pic.twitter.com/73JgzApS9W

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 2, 2025

Ayo Dosunmu’s status should make the Bulls rethink their strategy

The former Illinois Illini standout averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists this season. He scored 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists on 23 minutes against the Raptors on Friday night.

Dosunmu appeared in 46 games and started in 26 for the Bulls this season.

The Bulls rotation will be worse without Dosunmu in the lineup. The injury should force the front office to rethink their strategy of competing for a spot in the Play-In Tournament.

Vucevic is not fully healthy, and the team appears to want to trade the 34-year-old center this summer. It’s time for him to heal up so Chicago can get maximum trade value to hasten a rebuild.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

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Not everyone is impressed with the Chicago Bulls‘ comeback win on Friday night. The Bulls trailed the Toronto Raptors 97-81 with 11:01 remaining in the fourth quarter of their contest in front of 20,938 fans at the United Center.

Despite entering the contest with a 24-36 record and the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls, minus center Nikola Vucevic, chose to keep fighting against the Raptors. Chicago eventually overcame an 18-win Toronto team 125-115 in overtime.

Coby White was the Bulls’ hero in the win, scoring 24 points and adding four rebounds, four steals, and three assists. He took over for the Bulls during their comeback.

Coby White was playing minutes he shouldn’t have

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times took Bulls executive vice president of operations Arturas Karnisovas to task for allowing head coach Billy Donovan to keep White in the game, arguing that it didn’t allow for Chicago to evaluate and develop young talent on the roster while putting the team in a position for a high draft pick this summer.

“If it was rookie Matas Buzelis that scored 15 fourth-quarter points to outscore the Raptors 29-20 in that final stanza to send it to overtime, no issues,” Cowley wrote. “Watching Coby White do it, and the same Coby White that might not even be in the plans beyond the summer? Just the latest head-shaker in a season full of head-shaking.

“And it wasn’t White’s fault. He’s paid to score and win games. It sure wasn’t Billy Donovan’s fault. The coach admitted that in organizational meetings throughout the season not one person from ownership or the front office has told him to put the breaks on in close games and play the young guys for “development” purposes. This again all falls on Karnisovas and his inability to value odds.”

The Chicago Bulls are hurting their draft opportunities

The Bulls have a six percent chance for the No. 1 pick and a 6.7% percent chance for the No. 3 pick. Their odds would improve nearly three percent for each of the top three picks if they tank to where the Philadelphia 76ers are at.

Unfortunately, the Bulls appear headed for worse odds, as a Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio Spurs team could be in free fall this spring.

Like Cowley points out, it’s one thing for the young roster to make the Play-In Tournament, as Karnisovas explained would be the team’s goal after they traded Zach LaVine but kept Vucevic. However, it’s another to keep White in a game they could have lost.

But then again, the Bulls kept a crowd of 20,000+ fans entertained to watch two teams with a combined record of 41-62 go head-to-head. Chicago is banking for the fan base to support the team in another Play-In opportunity, regardless of what that does to a few percentage points for June.

What Karnisovas is doing is following through with the plan the NBA had when they created the Play-In Tournament.

The Bulls are stupid enough to take the bait.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

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The Chicago Bulls got their second win of the month by blowing out the 76ers in their arena by a score of 142-110. So far this month the Bulls have not been playing the best basketball, having a below-.500 record by being 2-7 for the month.

The Bulls are vying for a decent spot in the draft where they can hopefully land a player like Cooper Flagg to accelerate their rebuild.

The Bulls have a few players on their roster, like rookie Matas Buzelis and point guard Josh Giddey, who are proving to be centerpieces to build around.

Chicago Bulls point guard joins elite company

In the win over the 76ers, Giddey led the Bulls in points (25), rebounds (16), and assists (6) in 31.0 minutes of action. This game marked Giddey’s third straight game of 20+ points and had a double-double, according to Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson of CHSN, Giddey joins an elite company of players that includes Michael Jordan who has also accomplished this feat.

“Great stat from Bulls PR: Josh Giddey joins Michael Jordan, Jerry Sloan, Clem Haskins and Guy Rodgers as only Bulls with at least three straight 20-point double-doubles. Haskins and Rodgers are for the old school Bulls fans.”

Great stat from Bulls PR: Josh Giddey joins Michael Jordan, Jerry Sloan, Clem Haskins and Guy Rodgers as only Bulls with at least three straight 20-point double-doubles. Haskins and Rodgers are for the old school Bulls fans.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 25, 2025

Giddey is showing his worth

Giddey a 22-year-old from Melbourn, Australia, is having a stellar first season with the Bulls after being traded over from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Playing in 54 of the Bull’s 58 games, the Bull’s 6-8 point guard is averaging 12.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists (tying his career high), and has a career-high in steals at 1.1.

The former All-Rookie 2nd Team member (2022) is in the final year of his contract before he becomes a restricted free agent this offseason. So far the Bulls have not shown interest in giving Giddey a contract extension, with their history showing they allow players to set their market before giving them a deal. This appears to be the case since the Bulls gave Lonzo Ball an extension, but not Giddey.

Giddey needs an extension

Giddey has shown that he is worth an extension and is one of the players the Bulls should build around, along with Matas Buzelis.

The Bulls gave up a valuable asset in Alex Caruso to get Giddey, and you don’t do that for just one year of a player with Giddey’s talents.

The post Chicago Bulls’ point guard joins elite company after impressive performance appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are back from All-Star weekend tomorrow when they take on the New York Knicks.

The Bulls have had a disastrous season and will try to finish the season strong and hopefully get a decent pick in the draft.

Before tomorrow’s game against the Knicks, the Bulls made a roster move by subtracting one player and adding another to take his place.

The Chicago Bulls release an injured player

According to NBA Insider Chris Haynes, the Bulls have released Power Forward/Center Adama Sanogo after learning he suffered a knee injury and would be out for four weeks.

“Chicago Bulls are waiving Adama Sanogo who is on a two-way contract after discovering he’ll be sidelined for approximately four weeks with a knee injury, league sources inform me.”

Chicago Bulls are waiving Adama Sanogo who is on a two-way contract after discovering he’ll be sidelined for approximately four weeks with a knee injury, league sources inform me. pic.twitter.com/aHPasJRVuS

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 19, 2025

Sanogo, a 6-9 big from the University of Connecticut, has been in the Bulls system for two seasons and has signed a two-way contract for each season. Sanogo has played 13 games in his career and has appeared in four games for the Bulls this season.

For his career, the native of Mali has averaged 6.7 minutes, scored 3.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and shot 52.9% from the field. Down in the G League this season Sanogo has been a solid player, averaging 29.0 minutes a game, 17.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.

According to Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson, the Bulls will replace Sanogo with Jahmir Young who once played for the University of Maryland.

“Bulls are expected to fill this slot with former Maryland guard Jahmir Young”

Bulls are expected to fill this slot with former Maryland guard Jahmir Young https://t.co/dtoZh5q074

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 19, 2025

Johnson also states that Young has averaged 22.4 pts and 7.3 assists for Grand Rapids Gold in the G League this season.

“Young has averaged 22.4 pts and 7.3 assists for Grand Rapids Gold in G League this season”

Young has averaged 22.4 pts and 7.3 assists for Grand Rapids Gold in G League this season https://t.co/xGMnIQmHdb

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 19, 2025

A tough road ahead for the Bulls

The Bulls will have a tough road ahead to finish up this season.

The Bulls are now down one less big man to help get them across the finish line and further add to their ever-growing roster of guards.

These final games will be critical for the Bulls to figure out players that should stick around for the rebuild and be given long-term deals.

The post Chicago Bulls release player after discovering an injury: Insider appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Chicago Bulls rookie forward Matas Buzelis is set to take part in the NBA Dunk Contest, and he has a real shot of winning it.

Buzelis is one of the more exciting pieces the Bulls have, as his minutes have steadily increased throughout this season.

One NBA great thinks the Bulls have something special in their 20-year-old forward and thought he could’ve been a top-ten pick if he had gone to college.

The Chicago Bulls have a special talent

NBA great Carmelo Anthony thinks the Bulls have something special in Buzelis, saying that he would’ve been a top-10 pick if he had gone to college (expletive warning).

“I expletive with Matas. He could’ve been the top pick in the draft. I think Chicago has something with Matas.”

Buzelis has had an interesting path to the NBA by being a consensus five-star recruit but decided to forgo college and play in the G League instead. According to his profile done by RotoWire, they describe Buzelis as an “excellent ballhandler for his size” and he has “elite defensive instincts”.

A tremendous rookie season

Buzelis has had an interesting rookie year, going from having zero minutes to being the Bull’s starting power forward. Since becoming the Bulls starter in four games Matas has averaged 25.8 minutes, has 13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and has averaged a block a game.

In February, Buzelis has been even better, scoring 14.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, and is shooting 60.3% from the floor and 40% from three. For such a spectacular rookie year, Buzelis was honored with the privilege of being invited to the Dunk Contest and played in the NBA Rising Stars game.

Matas Buzelis' BEST DUNKS of the season!

Catch the @chicagobulls rookie in #ATTSlamDunk… Saturday Feb. 15th, 8:00pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/XUcXiVJxf8

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2025

Matas Buzelis: Rising Star

Matas will compete tonight in the NBA’s Rising Stars game! pic.twitter.com/SqnlcA7GM4

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 14, 2025

Buzelis competition for the Dunk Contest will be Stephon Castle of the Spurs, Andre Jackson Jr. of the Bucks, and 2x winner Mac McClung of the Orlando Magic. Buzelis should do well in the contest, having practiced and received advice from his former teammate Zach LaVine, who was a 2x winner back in 2015 and 2016. According to Buzelis, he has some dunks hidden up his sleeve that could win him the whole thing.

Matas will be the fifth Bulls player to participate in the Dunk Contest with the last Bulls player participating being Tyrus Thomas back in 2007. Buzelis joins the likes of Bulls Legends Michael Jordan (’85, ‘87, and ‘88), Scottie Pippen (’90), and Orlando Woolridge (’84 and ‘85).

Matas becomes the 5th Chicago Bull in franchise history to compete in the Slam Dunk contest tonight pic.twitter.com/63Xy8X28hT

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 15, 2025

A piece to build around

Matas is proving that he is someone that the Bulls have to build around and make the face of the franchise.

If Buzelis can win the Dunk Contest, he will propel his name further into stardom and bring some notoriety to him and the Bulls franchise.

The post Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis should have been drafted here, per NBA legend appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are having a terrible season to put it plainly, and it’s only going further downhill.

The Bulls bungled the moves they should’ve made at the trade deadline and only ended up trading away their most prized asset Zach LaVine, for a not-so-impressive return.

To follow up on that disastrous deadline, the Bulls VP of Basketball Ops Artūras Karnišovas didn’t do a great job assuaging Bulls fans of their anger with the front office at his post-trade deadline press conference. Karnišovas still believes the Bulls are a playoff/play-in type of team, and he’s sadly mistaken.

One NBA Analyst also thinks Karnišovas is wrong and voiced his frustration with the Bulls by slamming their moves. The analyst even went as far as saying the team should be sold.

NBA Analyst slams the Chicago Bulls

On his recent podcast, NBA Analyst Bill Simmons slammed the Bulls and their front office for bungling the trade deadline saying “They got nothing for LaVine”.

“They got nothing from LaVine,” said Simmons. “They have no extra first-round capital other than this weird protected first-rounder that they have from Portland that they’ll probably never get. They have an absentee landlord as an owner. I think I would take every single team in the East’s future over theirs. I’d rather have every other roster in the East over Chicago’s. I don’t know what their number one asset is.”

Simmons even went as far as to say that the Bulls don’t even have any “good” players on their roster using a very humorous analogy of the talent on the Bull’s roster.

“Very good to me is like if my son came home from school and I said ‘How did your history test go’ and he responded ‘Very good’ I’m thinking that’s an A-. There are no A- players on this roster.”

Simmons didn’t stop there by saying that the Bulls should sell the team by describing the Bull’s ownership as an “absentee landlord”.

“If I was a Chicago Bulls fan, I would be losing my mind. They’re in the third biggest city in America. The Celtics are about to sell for between $6-$6.5 billion. So the Bulls are ‘We’re somewhere around there.’ So why can’t they just sell the team if they’re not going to run it correctly? How long can you live off Jordan? How long can be like, ‘Oh man, if D-Rose didn’t get hurt in round one?’ That was 13 years ago”

It’s hard to argue with Simmons here, given that the Bulls haven’t been good in a while and haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2021-2022 season, where they lost in the first round. Prior to that, it’s been since the 2010-2011 season since the Bulls made the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bulls are in a downward spiral

The Bulls are having one of their worst seasons in recent memory and it’s only going to get harder once the regular season resumes. The Bulls luckily get a reprieve as the All-Star break is in full swing and fans put all their focus there.

So far in February the Bulls haven’t played well and entered the All-Star break sporting a four-game losing streak. During the losing streak, the Bulls have been outscored 519 to 421, and have only won one game so far this month, which came against the Miami Heat.

The Bulls only have a couple of bright spots on their roster, with players such as Josh Giddey and rookie Matas Buzelis showing they’ll be worth keeping around. Lonzo Ball was recently given a two-year $20 million extension instead of being traded so he will be a part of next year’s roster as well.

Looking towards next season

The plan for the Bulls this year should be to give Buzelis and other young players as many minutes as possible to see how they fare against better competition.

The way the Bulls have been playing and continue to play, they better hope they get a decent pick in the draft, given they’re limited on first-round picks.

Thankfully the NBA All-Star break is providing some much-needed pause on what’s shaping out to be a trying season.

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The Chicago Bulls are in the midst of a rebuild, even though the front office and ownership fail to admit it.

The Bulls so far this month are 1-4, and since the trade deadline, the Bulls have scored 264 to 203. The Bulls were recently blown out by the Detroit Pistons 132-92, where Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis was the leading scorer with 12.0 points.

Even though the Bulls have been playing poorly, Buzelis has been stellar and could be a future All-Star of the team.

A future floor general for the Chicago Bulls

The 20-year-old has seen his minutes steadily increase since the trade deadline and has even been named the Bulls starting forward. In his last ten games, Matas has averaged 22.5 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and has a block a game. Buzelis has also been stellar in shooting from behind the arc, shooting 51.7% in that span and shooting 61.6% from the field.

The next step in Buzelis’s development will be creating shots not only for himself but for others as well. Having Matas show that he can have the offense run through him and be the Bull’s floor general will be a big step in his development and for the rebuild.

Matas is still developing

The 6-10 forward is still growing into his body, and is giving fans a glimpse at what the future has in store. Bulls beat writer Will Gottlieb agrees with thinking that the next step for Matas will be creating shots for himself and his teammates.

“There aren’t many guys in the NBA who have a handle like he does at 6 foot 10.”

@Will_Gottlieb thinks on-ball creation will determine a potential All-Star ceiling for Matas Buzelis.”

"There aren't many guys in the NBA who have a handle like he does at 6 foot 10."@Will_Gottlieb thinks on-ball creation will determine a potential All Star ceiling for Matas Buzelis. pic.twitter.com/QeLKsMxsmZ

— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) February 11, 2025

To see that from the Bulls forward would be a big step in his development and will prove that he’s the main piece for the Bulls to build around. The Bulls have quite a few facilitators of the basketball, and Buzelis will have plenty of opportunities to score with that being the case.

Buzelis will have a chance to show his skills to the broader NBA, with him set to participate in the NBA Dunk Contest. Matas has been practicing to take home the trophy and has even displayed some of his dunks in the game.

The @EnjoyBBall guys caught a glimpse of what @BuzelisMatas has in store for the 2025 #ATTSlamDunk contest after throwing him a few lobs

Saturday Feb. 15th, 8pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/ymbZLduPPu

— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025

Meet Matas at the rim!@CHSN__ | @BuzelisMatas pic.twitter.com/CODmVg3CSc

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 12, 2025

The future is here

The future of the Bulls is here, and it starts with Buzelis. In his first season, Buzelis has shown he’s capable of performing many aspects of the game, such as scoring and going from a role player to a starter.

In such a short span, the rookie has given some glimmers of hope that maybe it will be worth investing some energy into the rest of the Bulls season.

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The Chicago Bulls’, need to figure out their identity for the rest of the season.

The Bulls VP of Basketball Ops, Artūras Karnišovas, didn’t give any reassurances to fans, about what the plans for the Bulls will be. Karnišovas only gave mixed messages at his post-trade deadline press conference.

Instead, Karnišovas said that the Bulls could look to fight to get into the playoffs. However, the Bulls should be trying to focus on finding players to build around for next season and getting a better position in the draft.

The Chicago Bulls rookie is the piece to build around

Even though the Bulls’, are fighting to tread water in the Eastern Conference, they have one piece in Matas Buzelis, who is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. In the Bull’s 132-111 loss Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors, Buzelis was impressive from both a scoring standpoint and a facilitating end.

In the loss, Buzelis impressed with having his sixth straight game with double-digit points and having a career-high 5.0 assists.

“6th straight game in double figures for Matas Buzelis”

6th straight game in double figures for Matas Buzelis

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 9, 2025

“Matas Buzelis has career-high 5 assists”

Matas Buzelis has career-high 5 assists

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 9, 2025

The 20-year-old also managed to grab 4.0 rebounds, shooting 60% from the floor, and have a block and a steal in 29.0 minutes on the court. Since head coach Billy Donovan decided to give Buzelis more minutes, he has seen his averages tick up and is now ranked 37th in the league for blocks a game at 0.9.

Buzelis can be the frontman for the Bulls

Now that the Bulls have traded away their star, Zach LaVine, the Bulls need to find another face to build around to recapture their identity. Buzelis has all the earmarks to be a star and is quickly showing he has the attitude and makeup of being the frontman for the Bulls.

Buzelis is about to take part in the Dunk Contest, where Buzelis will have a chance to propel his name into stardom if he can put on a show. Before being traded, LaVine, a two-time champion (2015,2016), was helping the young Bull with his dunks to improve his chances.

"SEE YOU IN THE DUNK CONTEST."

MATAS BUZELIS GETTING #ATTSlamDunk READY pic.twitter.com/z3TTItII63

— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025

An impressive young talent

Buzelis will have plenty of opportunities the rest of this season to impress and cement himself as a starter for the Bulls.

Having all the talent and makeup to be a centerpiece for the Bulls, they need to start finding players to build around Buzelis and add to the guys they currently have.

If the Bulls can do that, then there should be hope that this rebuild won’t take long.

The post Chicago Bulls: should to embrace the rebuild and build around this emerging star appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls had an underwhelming trade deadline, to put it mildly.

The acquisitions the Bulls got back outside of their draft pick, have to prove they are worth trading away such a valuable asset in Zach LaVine.

One of the Bull’s new acquisitions is ready to get on the court and is looking to bring some much-needed rim protection to the Bulls.

The newly acquired center looks to ‘play hard’

Zach Collins was one of the players acquired by the Bulls in the three-team trade they made, which sent LaVine to the Kings and Collins coming over from the Spurs. The 27-year-old will look to bring more defense to the Bulls frontcourt, with Collins saying he’s always ready to ‘play hard’.

“Zach adds more defense to our frontcourt”

Zach adds more defense to our frontcourt @PaycorInc | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/mVpjDiwM9h

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 7, 2025

The first-round pick (10th overall) out of Gonzaga, has played in 36 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 11.8 minutes a game. In those 38 games, Collins was hidden in the shadows while on the Spurs, with Victor Wembanyama receiving the bulk of the minutes.

Collins could provide the Bulls with another shot blocker, averaging 0.4 blocks on the season and 0.7 blocks for his career. The 6-11 big man has also proven to be a capable scorer, averaging 7.9 points for his career and 4.6 points this season. Now with the Bulls, Collins should have an uptick in his minutes to see what he is capable of.

Collins should debut soon for the Chicago Bulls

Collins has not appeared in a game yet for the Bulls, but according to K.C. Johnson, two out of three players from the trade should debut against the Warriors tomorrow.

“Billy Donovan said he’s hopeful to get at least two if not all three of the new guys some minutes vs. Golden State. Some will depend on Lonzo Ball’s status (illness) and Jalen Smith’s (personal reasons.) Talen Horton-Tucker and Dalen Terry also remain limited due to injuries”

Billy Donovan said he’s hopeful to get at least two, if not all three of the new guys some minutes vs. Golden State. Some will depend on Lonzo Ball’s status (illness) and Jalen Smith’s (personal reasons.) Talen Horton-Tucker and Dalen Terry also remain limited due to injuries

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 7, 2025

If Collins can live up to his words, and provide the Bulls with a rim protector, then they might have done a decent job in bringing back talent in the trade.

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The trade deadline has come and gone, and the Chicago Bulls, by all accounts, had an underwhelming deadline.

The only move the Bulls made was trading away their star guard and leading offensive scorer, Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings. The trade also involved the San Antonio Spurs, who sent the Bulls Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, and the Bulls first-round pick that was top 10 protected.

Fans thought more could’ve been done to get a better package back for LaVine, but President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas thinks the Bulls could still be a playoff-caliber team.

The Chicago Bulls’ underwhelming deadline

The Bulls only made one move at the trade deadline, which was to trade away Zach LaVine, and that was all the Bulls ended up doing. The Bulls had other players on the roster such as Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Lonzo Ball, who were all garnering trade interest from teams, but the Bulls decided to hold fast on all three.

Not only did the Bulls hold fast on all three players, but the Bulls ended up giving Ball a two-year extension worth $20 million. Ball is having a respectable season playing in 29 games, averaging 21.3 minutes, scoring 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, and is an 85.7% free throw shooter.

Vucevic was the Bull’s second-best trade asset and was getting a lot of attention from the Golden State Warriors but the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler, and that deal immediately died. Vucevic has one more year left in his deal after this season and he would’ve netted the Bulls more picks to help with the rebuild.

The Orlando Magic was the team with the most interest in the services of White, but like Vucevic, nothing ever came to be. White was a prime candidate to be traded, becoming an unrestricted free agent after next season.

The rebuild will be on hold

During his press conference with the media, Karnišovas didn’t give promising answers for how he handled the deadline. A big note that perked the ears up of media members was when Karnišovas stated that he’d rather have the Bull’s young core lead them to play-in/playoffs and that it would be ‘worth it to him’. Bulls insider K.C. Johnson captured Karnišova’s comments.

“Artūras Karnišovas on if young core leads them to play-in/playoffs at expense of lowering draft lottery odds: “That’s worth it to me.”

Says young players learning to win is a sign of growth/development.”

Artūras Karnišovas on if young core leads them to play-in/playoffs at expense of lowering draft lottery odds: “That’s worth it to me.”

Says young players learning to win is sign of growth/development.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 6, 2025

Whatever led Karnišovas to make these comments must mean he hasn’t watched the Bulls, who have not been playing good basketball. And with being down their leading scorer in LaVine, the Bulls don’t appear to be a playoff-bound team.

The Bulls currently sit at 22-30 and are tenth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Bulls are 3.5 games behind the Magic for the last playoff spot and are slowly falling further behind.

In January, the Bulls were 6-10 and were outscored 1,874 points to their 1,575 points. The Bulls didn’t start February off on the right foot either, currently sitting at 2-3 and have been outscored 381 to 360.

The Bulls should look to the offseason

The Bulls currently lack an identity and do not have a viable scoring threat, now that LaVine is gone. The rest of this season shouldn’t be focused on making the playoffs or hoping that they’ll make it in, but it should be focused on identifying core players to retain and build around.

One of those players is rookie Matas Buzelis, who has all the makings of being a star in the league once he can slow the game down. Josh Giddey is proving to be another player that the Bulls should look to build around, having a career-high in assists this season at 6.6 a game.

Karnišovas also stated during his press conference that the Bulls will look to the draft and free agency to better their roster. This statement completely contradicts his earlier statement that he’d be fine with taking a lesser pick if the Bulls’ young core gained experience instead.

Finding building blocks in the players the Bulls have

If you’re going to go into a rebuild, then the Bulls need to, fully embrace the rebuild. That way, you trade off all the assets you have to get the best return.

The Bulls have a few nice pieces, like Buzelis, Giddey, and Ayo Dosunmu, who could all be key contributors to the Bulls for this season and next.

The post Chicago Bulls plan to delay rebuild until after they make playoffs appeared first on ChiCitySports.

On Wednesday, it appeared the Chicago Bulls‘ opportunity to hasten their rebuild came to a stretching halt just days after sending Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.

The Bulls had been trying to shop Lonzo Ball this week, but the team did not want to take on the 27-year-old point guard’s salary. On Wednesday night, Chicago agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $20 million.

The move was announced moments after the Golden State Warriors pulled off a trade to take disgruntled star Jimmy Butler off the Miami Heat’s hands. The Bulls were in talks with the Warriors over trading Nikola Vucevic, and a deal seemed only to be in play if Butler didn’t go to Northern California.

The Chicago Bulls could still pull off a trade

Following the Bulls’ 127-108 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, Vucevic admitted he didn’t think a deal would happen by the trade deadline.

Per K.C. Johnson, the “talk hasn’t fully died” between the Bulls and Warriors as of Thursday morning. The Warriors are in play to add the center.

Despite Vooch saying this last night, the Warriors-Bulls talk hasn’t fully died, I’m told. Four and a half hours to go . . . https://t.co/01HG2tmpTa

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 6, 2025

The Golden State Warriors are making a run

Golden State is doing everything possible to make a postseason run with Steph Curry on the roster. The Warriors are 25-25 in the Western Conference, which puts them at 11th. They have the same record as the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.

The Kings added LaVine to pair with former Bulls teammate DeMar DeRozan, so the Warriors need as much help as they can get.

At 34, Vucevic is averaging 19.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.

For More Chicago Sports:

Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

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The Chicago Bulls are currently going through a rebuild and will look to their young players to step up and prove they are worth building around.

One of those players the Bulls will look to build around is the star rookie, Matas Buzelis, who had a breakout game last night against the Miami Heat. 

After an impressive 24 points in 31 minutes played, Buzelis will look to build on that strong performance tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Chicago Bulls rookie to make first career NBA start

The 20-year-old Buzelis has gone from barely playing, to to being named the Bulls’ sixth man, to now getting a chance to start in the NBA, talk about a rollercoaster ride.

“Matas Buzelis joins the starting lineup for the first time in his NBA career tonight vs. Minnesota.“

Matas Buzelis joins the starting lineup for the first time in his NBA career tonight vs. Minnesota.

STREAM https://t.co/dLgvAjeEdl@FirstAlert | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/vdHG69Tvqx

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 6, 2025

Buzelis deserves the start with how good he has been for the Bulls as of late. This will be the young rookies first ever career start in the NBA. In Buzelis’s previous three games before his breakout performance against the Heat, had over 10+ points and a handful of rebounds in 20 minutes played. 

Overall season 

The talented 6-10 forward has all the earmarks of being a star in the NBA. Buzelis was asked to be a part of the NBA Dunk Contest where, if he performs, he can further make himself a future star in the league. For the season, Buzelis is averaging 13.6 minutes, scoring 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and averaging 0.8 blocks a game. 

Buzelis recently had his minutes increased by head coach Billy Donovan and was named the Bull’s sixth man. Buzelis has excelled in that role, and with further trades possibly happening, Buzelis could see more games of 31 minutes.

A centerpiece to build around 

With the ability to score off the dribble, rebound, shoot the three, and more importantly, score in the paint, Buzelis is someone the Bulls can turn to as a scoring option. 

Still only 20 years old, Buzelis has a lot to prove once the league adjusts to him. However, with the mindset Buzelis has, he can figure it out.

With more trades still to come, the Bulls rookie has a lot more room to shine and get more time out on the court.

The post Chicago Bulls impressive young star finally receives recognition for his play appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are entering what could hopefully be a short rebuild after trading away their star, Zach LaVine.

With other pieces left to trade before Thursday’s deadline, the Bulls could still be active and trade away more players.

One player the Bulls will not be trading away is their 20-year-old rookie sensation Matas Buzelis, who made history for the Bulls in their 133-124 victory over the Miami Heat last night.

Chicago Bulls rookie makes history

Buzelis made history for the Bulls last night, becoming the first rookie in Bulls franchise history to shoot 100% from the floor on at least 10 shot attempts, per the Bulls X account.

“Matas Buzelis is SPECIAL.

Matas is the first rookie in Bulls franchise history to shoot 100% FG on at least 10 shots.”

Matas Buzelis is SPECIAL.

Matas is the first rookie in Bulls franchise history to shoot 100% FG on at least 10 shots. pic.twitter.com/PQe3ZJfNBj

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 5, 2025

Not only was Buzelis perfect from the field, but he was also perfect from behind the arc, draining all four of his three-pointers. From a scoring aspect, Buzelis had a tremendous game, adding 24.0 points with 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in a career-high 31 minutes of action.

The Bulls have a talented player on their hands

The talented 6-10 forward has all the earmarks of being a star in the NBA. Buzelis was asked to be a part of the NBA Dunk Contest where, if he performs, he can further make himself a future star in the league. For the season, Buzelis is averaging 13.6 minutes, scoring 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and averaging 0.8 blocks a game. 

Buzelis recently had his minutes increased by head coach Billy Donovan and was named the Bull’s sixth man. Buzelis has excelled in that role, and with further trades possibly happening, Buzelis could see more games of 31 minutes.

A centerpiece for the rebuild

Buzelis’s size and athleticism make him such a special talent. With those abilities, he is giving the Bulls a good reason to make him the centerpiece of their franchise. 

With the ability to score off the dribble, rebound, shoot the three, and more importantly, score in the paint, Buzelis is someone the Bulls can turn to as a scoring option. 

Still only 20 years old, Buzelis has a lot to prove once the league adjusts to him. However, with the mindset Buzelis has, he can figure it out.

With more trades still to come, the Bulls rookie has a lot more room to shine and get more time out on the court.

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The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Chicago Bulls have already made one trade by sending Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings.

The Bulls still have a few pieces left on their roster in Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, and Coby White, who have all drawn interest from teams.

As the Bulls enter their rebuild, they may look to extend one of those players past this season instead of trading him at this Thursday’s trade deadline. 

The Chicago Bulls could look to extend their shooting guard Lonzo Ball

The Bulls are fully embracing the rebuild after trading away their star guard Zach LaVine. Now that LaVine is gone, the Bulls will need to identify key contributors on the roster to build around. Currently, the Bulls have Josh Giddey, who is emerging as a viable facilitator, averaging 6.6 assists a game, good enough for 12th in the NBA.

According to NBA Correspondent and Insider Marc Stein, even though the Bulls have received interest in Ball, they don’t appear to be ‘eager to trade him’ per his report.

“The Bulls have received trade interest in Lonzo Ball all season but sources tell @TheSteinLine that they have not been eager to trade him and are resistant to buying Ball out if he remains a Bull past Thursday’s deadline.”

The Bulls have received trade interest in Lonzo Ball all season but sources tell @TheSteinLine that they have not been eager to trade him and are resistant to buying Ball out if he remains a Bull past Thursday's deadline.

More from @JakeLFischer and me: https://t.co/f3fN5f8S8s https://t.co/zzSECZCvpu

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 4, 2025

Ball is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, and if he is to stick around, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Ball in his career has shown flashes in his career as being a player that be can lead a team.

During his time in New Orleans, and even his first year in Chicago, Ball showed he can score close to 15 points a game. The further removed Ball gets from his knee injury, which sidelined him for two years, Ball could get back to that type of player.

Ball has had a respectable season

Since making his return from his knee injury, Ball has had a solid season, and has been a great secondary floor general for the Bulls this season. In 29 games, Ball has averaged 21.3 minutes, scored 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, and is an 85.7% free throw shooter.

Ball has been Billy Donovan’s starting shooting guard as of late, and with LaVine gone, Ball will have more of a role in the Bulls offense. Ball proved capable of handling the role of a starter, averaging 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 8 games. 

We shall see what the Bulls decide 

Thursday’s trade deadline is fast approaching. And the Bulls will have to decide if they want to keep Ball around. 

Extending Ball, wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Bulls to do. However, with Ball’s trade value being the highest it can be, the Bulls should move him. 

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The Chicago Bulls finally traded their star Zach LaVine after years of speculation that he would be on the move.

The Bulls sent LaVine to the Sacramento Kings for a package of Tre Jones and Zach Collins, who they received from the Spurs, and Kevin Huerter, who is coming over from the Kings.

Out of those three, Huerter is the centerpiece of the deal and should be a major contributor to the Bull’s offense for the rest of the season.

The Chicago Bulls promising new guard

Huerter is the most intriguing player in the deal, with the 6-7 shooting guard offering more of an offensive upside. The Maryland product appeared in 43 games for the Kings this season, where he averaged 20.9 minutes. In those 20.9 minutes, Huerter scored 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 steals a game.

Huerter should see the same amount of minutes, possibly getting some starts depending on matchups. The Bull’s current option at shooting guard is Lonzo Ball, who is drawing a lot of interest on the trade market.

In 15 games as a starter this season, the Albany, New York native proved capable of hanging with the best on the court. Averaging 28.9 minutes, Huerter scored 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.

Huerter will be a key part of the rebuild

When looking at the Bull’s depth chart, Huerter will slide into the Bull’s second team to go on the floor. Huerter, 26, will be a key part of the Bull’s offense as they need to find new scoring options to replace Lavine’s 24.0 points a game.

According to HoopsHype, the scouting report on Huerter lists him as a two-guard, who has underrated athleticism and is capable of scoring off the dribble.

“2-guard with great size at 6-foot-7… Specializes as a three-point shooter… But can ballhandle a bit… Quick, high release that he can get off with a hand in his face… But also effective scoring off the dribble… So he’s not just a spot-up shooter… Can score out of the pick-and-roll… Underrated athleticism… Moves well off the ball.”

A possible centerpiece for the Bulls

Huerter is currently under contract for this season and next season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Huerter will have the rest of this season and next season to show he can develop into an offensive threat and live up to his scouting report if he wants to stick around long-term.

The rebuild is fully underway and the Bulls will now look to building a better team for next season.

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The Chicago Bulls officially announced the completion of the trade that sent fan favorite and Bulls star Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings.

The Bulls received Tre Jones, Zach Collins, and Kevin Huerter in return along with their first-round pick from the Spurs which is top 10 protected.

To make room on the roster, the Bulls waived two role players to make the deal official after not receiving any interest for a trade.

Chicago Bulls waive Chris Duarte and Torrey Craig

The Bulls through their Twitter account announced that they have waived Craig and Duarte to make the deal for LaVine official. This also allowed the Bulls to clear some roster spots to accommodate Jones, Collins, and Huerter.

“Thank you & best of luck @C_Duarte5”

Thank you & best of luck @C_Duarte5 pic.twitter.com/HQ65rFQPoF

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 3, 2025

“Thank you & best of luck @TCraig_23”

Thank you & best of luck @TCraig_23 pic.twitter.com/Zj9ChedmeF

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 3, 2025

Craig has been on the sidelines for the Bulls since December after going down with an ankle sprain. Craig has only appeared in nine games for the Bulls this season and averaged 12.6 minutes a game.

In those 12.6 minutes, Craig did put up respectable numbers off the bench giving the Bulls 6.9 points, and 2.8 rebounds, and was effective from three with shooting 42.9%. Given that Craig has been out with an ankle sprain and the emergence of Bulls rookie Matas Buzleis, Craig was expendable.

As for Duarte, he was another player that was considered expendable. Ayo Dosunmu is currently the Bulls starting shooting guard and Huerter is going to require the bulk of the minutes when Dosunmu isn’t on the court averaging 20.9 minutes this season. Duarte was not that effective while he was with the Bulls this season appearing in 17 games where he averaged 4.4 minutes and had only 2.1 points.

What happens from here?

Now that Craig and Duarte have been waived teams will have 48hrs to place a claim on them.

Craig may have a harder time than Duarte given his injury, but Duarte is still under 30 and has a lot still to prove.

With the completion of the trade and allowing the young guys to play, the Bull’s rebuild is officially in full swing.

The post Chicago Bulls release two role players after blockbuster deal appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls made a massive trade ahead of Thursdays trade deadline to send their star guard Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings for a decent return.

The Bulls received guard Tre Jones, and forward Zach Collins and shooting guard Kevin Huerter, as well as their first round pick which is top 10 protected.

Since the trade fans have reacted and have mix feelings on letting LaVine go and the haul the Bulls got in return.

The Chicago Bulls trade away fan favorite in LaVine

The Bulls fully embraced a rebuilding season for the second half of this season after completing this blockbuster trade. Head Coach Billy Donovan will now have to distribute Lavine’s 34.1 minutes to the rest of the roster and the incoming guys.

In the trade between the Bulls, the Kings, and the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls sent fan favorite LaVine to the Spurs, while the Bulls received a decent haul back, per Shams Charania and K.C. Johnson.

LaVine this season was the Bull’s best offensive player, leading the team in scoring with 24 points. LaVine also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and almost a steal a game in 34.1 minutes.

The haul the Bulls got back

The Bulls made out well for what they got back for LaVine, receiving guards Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter and forward Zach Collins, who should see an increase in their minutes with the Bulls. The Bulls get to keep their top ten pick, which should help in their rebuild.

The Bulls will now look to their young core for the rest of this season to see what they can do and who the Bulls will retain for the future of the franchise.

Fans react

“The Bulls got 0 first rounds in return for DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Zach LaVine. Absolute incompetence.” says one fan account

The Bulls got 0 first rounds in return for DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Zach LaVine.

Absolute incompetence. pic.twitter.com/aTHqDgjzkn

— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) February 3, 2025

“WHAT A LAST 24 HOURS IN THE NBA“ exclaimed on animated fan

Crazy gotta love the NBA big deals 2 days in a row

— Royce Morgan (@PTSportsFix) February 3, 2025

“I wonder how pairing DeRozan and LaVine will work out” questioned someone else 

I wonder how pairing DeRozan and LaVine will work out

— Joe Dellera (@JoeDellera) February 3, 2025

”Who did Chicago get“ asked another

Who did Chicago get

— DJ L (@ThaKidDJL) February 3, 2025

“The NBA trading star players over the last 24 hours“ wrote someone else

The NBA trading star players over the last 24 hours pic.twitter.com/66cKpSRqyJ

— bob truck (@TruckBon) February 3, 2025

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The Chicago Bulls completed their first trade before Thursday’s deadline by completing a 3-team blockbuster deal.

The Bulls traded away fan favorite Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings and are fully embracing a full-scale rebuild.

Trading away LaVine now paves the way for the Bulls to continue to make more moves before Thursday’s deadline.

The Chicago Bulls trade away their star

The Bulls fully embraced a rebuilding season for the second half of this season after completing this blockbuster trade. Head Coach Billy Donovan will now have to distribute Lavine’s 34.1 minutes to the rest of the roster and the incoming guys.

In the trade between the Bulls, the Sacramento Kings, and the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls sent fan favorite LaVine to the Spurs, while the Bulls received a decent haul back, per Shams Charania and K.C. Johnson.

“BREAKING: Sacramento is finalizing a trade to send De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a multi-team trade that moves Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine to the Kings, sources tell ESPN.”

BREAKING: Sacramento is finalizing a trade to send De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a multi-team trade that moves Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine to the Kings, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Ftmo8N4hMj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2025

“Confirmed that Bulls are getting Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, and Tre Jones and keeping their 2025 first-round pick that was owed to Spurs with top-10 protection. Zach LaVine to Sacramento, where he reunites with DeMar DeRozan and once signed offer sheet in 2018.”

Confirmed that Bulls are getting Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins and Tre Jones and keeping their 2025 first-round pick that was owed to Spurs with top-10 protection. Zach LaVine to Sacramento, where he reunites with DeMar DeRozan and once signed offer sheet in 2018.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 3, 2025

LaVine this season was the Bull’s best offensive player, leading the team in scoring with 24 points. LaVine also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and almost a steal a game in 34.1 minutes.

The haul back

The Bulls made out well for what they got back for LaVine, receiving guards Jones and Huerter and forward Collins, who should see an increase in their minutes with the Bulls. The Bulls get to keep their top ten pick, which should help in their rebuild.

Jones is a 25-year-old point guard from Duke who is entering his fourth season in the league. The Minnesota native played in 28 games for the Spurs this season, where he averaged 16.1 minutes and had 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.

Jones was solid for the Spurs off the bench last month, averaging 15.5 minutes with 5.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Jones should be a solid backup facilitator to Josh Giddey and Coby White and provide valuable minutes off the bench.

Collins, a 27-year-old out of Gonzaga, was picked 10th overall by the Spurs in the 2017 NBA Draft. Collins has been a decent big man off the bench this season and should provide the Bulls with the same production. A native of Las Vegas, Collins has played in 36 games where he’s averaged 11.8 minutes, 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Collins showed he can hit the three ball from time to time, with having a 30.4% percentage from behind the arc this season.

The one issue for Collins coming over to the Bulls is, will he end up taking minutes away from Matas Buzelis and Patrick Williams? Both Williams and Buzelis have settled into their roles with Williams coming in with the reserves and Buzelis as the sixth man.

Huerter is the most intriguing player in the deal with the 6-7 shooting guard offering more of an offensive upside. The Maryland product has appeared in 43 games for the Kings this season where he averaged 20.9 minutes. In those 20.9 minutes, Huerter scored 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 steals a game.

Huerter should see the same amount of minutes with possibly getting some starts depending on matchups. The Bull’s current option at shooting guard is the 25-year-old Ayo Dosunmu who is having a solid offensive season.

The Bulls are entering a full-scale rebuild

With LaVine off the board, the Bulls are signaling their intentions to enter a full-scale rebuild.

The Bulls still will be active on the trade market while still having assets to trade like Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball drawing the most interest.

The Bulls are also looking to either trade or waive forward Torrey Craig and guard Chris Duarte if they can’t find a suitor.

With Thursday’s deadline fast approaching the Bulls still have a clear path to get more future draft picks and players to pair with a nice young core they have forming.

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The Chicago Bulls, last month, had a record of 6-10, which was led by the Bull’s offensive struggles and committing costly turnovers. 

The Bulls will possibly be sellers at this Thursday’s trade deadline, starting the month off with a loss, this time to the Detroit Pistons 127-119. 

Even though the Bulls lost, one of the Bull’s stars and top trade pieces had a standout performance, which should help boost his trade value.

Chicago Bulls big man has an impressive triple-double

Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic had an impressive triple-double in the Bull’s loss to the Pistons, scoring 20 points, taking down 10 rebounds, and dishing 10 assists. 

“An efficient triple-double from the big fella 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting vs. DET.“ 

An efficient triple-double from the big fella

20 points on 8-for-10 shooting vs. DET. pic.twitter.com/XJlmM1aGsl

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 2, 2025

According to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, Vucevic is the first Bulls center in franchise history to post a triple-double and make at least four 3-pointers since Jimmy Butler. 

“Good stat from Bulls PR: Nikola Vucevic is the first center in franchise history to post a triple-double and make at least four 3-pointers and is the first Bull overall to do it since Jimmy Butler on Feb. 25, 2017.”

Good stat from Bulls PR: Nikola Vucevic is first center in franchise history to post triple double and make at least four 3-pointers and is the first Bull overall to do it since Jimmy Butler on Feb. 25, 2017.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 2, 2025

Vucevic has had an impressive season outside of this latest loss, averaging 19.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, and is averaging almost a block a game in 32.2 minutes. Vucevic has also been impressive from being an efficient scorer, having a 54.7% field goal percentage and a 39.4% from three. 

Looking at Vucevic’s splits he is virtually the same player at home as he is on the road, scoring 20.8 points at home and 18.9 points on the road. Vucevic is a better three-point shooter on the road than at home, shooting 41% compared to 37.9%. 

This latest stat line boosts Vucevic’s trade chances

This latest stat line from the Bulls big man does wonders for his trade value. Putting up his sixth triple-double in his career shows teams that he is an effective scorer, and paired with his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities, any team would be getting a valuable player. 

Vucevic is on a team-friendly deal with being owed $20 million this season and $21,481,481 for next season. Vucevic’s contract is affordable for any team, and the Bulls should get a decent haul back if they’re to move Vucevic. 

Trade Deadline fast approaching 

The trade deadline is this Thursday, Feb. 6, and the Bulls will be one of the teams looking to be one of the more active teams.

With the Mavericks and the Lakers kicking things off with an insane blockbuster deal, it seems like anything can happen.

We shall see on Thursday what the Bulls end up doing with both their stars, Zach LaVine and Vucevic and if they will be traded or remain on the roster for the rest of the season.

With both being under contract for next season, the Bulls could hold off on doing anything if they don’t get a deal they like.

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The Chicago Bulls are expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, with valuable trade pieces in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic who are drawing the most interest. 

The potential for them to be moved may have just increased with the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers pulling off one of the most insane trades in NBA history by sending Luka Doncic and more to the Lakers for Anthony Davis and others in a truly remarkable deal. 

This blockbuster trade does not just have implications for every team in the NBA but also affects the Bulls, who have been tied to the Lakers in trade talks to send Vucevic over to them. By this happening, the possibility of that still occurring could still be a reality. 

Truly a blockbuster deal 

In the middle of the night, a deal shook the entire landscape of the NBA, with NBA insider Shams Charania reporting a three-team trade taking place between the Mavericks, Lakers, and Utah Jazz. 

“Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade: – Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris – Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st – Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd”

Yes, this is real. Sources tell ESPN: Full trade:

– Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris

– Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 LAL 1st

– Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers 2nd, 2025 Mavericks 2nd https://t.co/bltojdTaQj

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2025

This deal is remarkable from the standpoint that Shams reported that it all happened in “the shadows” and that not even LeBron James himself was aware that the deal took place. 

“This deal materialized in the shadows … LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.’

@ShamsCharania on the Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade between the Lakers and Mavericks“

“This deal materialized in the shadows … LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.”@ShamsCharania on the Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade between the Lakers and Mavericks pic.twitter.com/Hp4bL3UX2M

— ESPN (@espn) February 2, 2025

That is insane, given that it is an open secret in the NBA that LeBron does get a say on players on the roster and who even gets a say on who the head coach could be, with JJ Reddick being his podcast partner before becoming the Lakers Head Coach. This deal makes the Lakers a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference, with Doncic being a superstar in his own right and still just 25 years old. 

How does this trade affect the Chicago Bulls? 

The Lakers have been tied, to acquiring Vucevic and clearing Davis’s $54 million contract for this season with a total of roughly $175 million for the next three seasons, which does allow for some wiggle room for the Lakers to add Vucevic and his roughly, $41 million owed for the next two seasons. ClutchPoints Brett Siegal has reported that Vucevic is the top target of the Lakers, and now that Davis is gone, they could be more likely to add Vucevic, given their need for another center. 

“Late Thursday evening, league sources informed ClutchPoints that the Lakers are still highly interested in Bulls center Nikola Vucevic,” Siegel wrote. “It would not be crazy to call Vucevic one of Los Angeles’ top targets ahead of the trade deadline.”

Vucevic has had a solid season for the Bulls, averaging 19.9 points, 10.4 rebounds (leads the Bulls), dishing out 3.4 assists, and averaging almost a block a game in 32.2 minutes and 48 games played. 

This trade also affects Bulls guard Zach LaVine, who has also drawn a lot of interest from teams, with the latest team being the Milwaukee Bucks, who would look to pair LaVine with Damian Lillard to have an impressive backcourt. LaVine comes with a catch, with his contract being a major reason as to why teams have not acquired him sooner. LaVine is owed roughly $138 million over the next three seasons and would come with a cap hit of about $43 million. 

LaVine has been playing at an All-Star caliber level this season, but LaVine was recently snubbed from being named a starter and a reserve with the Miami Heat, with Tyler Herro getting the spot over LaVine. For the season, LaVine is averaging 24 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, having almost a steal a game in 34.1 minutes. LaVine has shown he is healthy and can be relied on to be out on the court playing in 42 of the 49 games the Bulls have played this season after playing 25 games last season. 

Trade Deadline is fast approaching

The NBA Trade Deadline is on Thursday, Feb. 6, and it is fast approaching. With one blockbuster deal already done, the possibility for more happening is high. 

This could mean that the Bulls do enter a rebuild and trade away both LaVine and Vucevic to begin that process. 

Both would net the Bulls a good amount of draft capital and young players to pair with emerging stars like Ayo Dosunmu and rookie sensation Matas Buzelis. 

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The Chicago Bulls could look to be sellers with this Thursday’s trade deadline coming up fast and the Bulls having two of the better trade assets in the league in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.

Both are having tremendous seasons from an offensive perspective with LaVine leading the Bulls in scoring (24.0) and Vucevic leading in rebounds (10.4).

Trading away one or the other or even both would net the Bulls back a decent haul of players and picks that could hopefully help them things around next season.

Zach LaVine was involved in another trade proposal

In his recent column, Bleacher Reports Zach Buckley published trade proposals for each team in the NBA and he listed LaVine as being a possible target of the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster trade.

“Milwaukee Bucks receive: Zach LaVine.

Chicago Bulls receive: Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2031 second-round pick.

This trade doesn’t technically work at the moment, since the Bucks are unable to aggregate salaries as a second-apron team. If they could first find a taker for Pat Connaughton, though, they might have traction on a trade.

Milwaukee appears eager to shake things up. The Bucks are “as determined as any team on the NBA map” to make a deadline deal, per NBA insider Marc Stein, and they have an interest in LaVine, per Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson.

A LaVine-Damian Lillard backcourt would have major concerns defensively, but the offensive upside for a LaVine-Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo trio might be great enough to overlook them.

A bona fide third scorer might take this team over the top, and LaVine fits the bill while averaging an even 24 points per night on 51.1/44.6/79.7 shooting.”

Would the Bulls consider doing this deal?

For the Bulls, this would be an immediate no and a hanging up of the phone. Recent reports have indicated the Bulls thinking of going into a full-scale rebuild and making a trade such as this would not be close to that. Middleton, who is 34 years old has struggled to stay on the court only playing in 284 of a possible 410 games in the past five seasons. This season alone Middleton has only appeared in 22 of the Bucks 46 games this season after missing the start of the season after having ankle surgery in the offseason.

Portis would be the centerpiece of the deal with the picks being worthless given 2031 is six years away. The Bulls could use another physical big who is capable of taking down rebounds but also capable of protecting the rim. Portis on the season currently is averaging 0.5 blocks a game. Portis is a decent scorer with having field goal percentage of 46.6% and is averaging 13.4 points in 24.7 minutes this season. Even though Portis and Middleton are unrestricted free agents after this season Portis has the more desirable contract to take on with being owed $13,445,754 to Middleton’s $34,012,345.

We shall know soon what the Bulls will do

The trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Bulls are more than likely going to be sellers when it comes down to it. LaVine has expressed his desire to remain with the Bulls, but basketball like all other sports is a business at the end of the day.

If the Bulls are in fact entering a rebuild, they will need as much draft capital as possibly to make sure it’s not a lengthy one. LaVine would fetch the Bulls the biggest haul in that department it’s just a matter of can the Bulls find a suitor to take on LaVine’s contract.

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The Chicago Bulls finally got themselves a resounding win last night against the Toronto Raptors crushing them by a score of 122-106.

This was the first Bulls victory of outscoring their opponent of 15+ points or more since they beat the Washington Wizards by a margin of 33 points back on Jan. 10.

In the victory, the Bulls received contributions from point guard Coby White who had 25 points, and Patrick Williams who is settling into his new role nicely contributing 11 points in 29 minutes.

Another Bulls star, rookie Matas Buzelis had another amazing game as the Bull’s sixth man and is quickly emerging to be one of the Bull’s centerpieces for the future.

Another solid outing from the rookie

Head Coach Billy Donovan finally relented and allowed Buzelis to see more minutes by naming him the sixth man after Williams’s recent offensive struggles. In the games since being named the Bull’s sixth man, Buzelis has scored 11 points, 5 rebounds, and a total of 2 assists in 22.6 minutes.

In his latest action, Buzelis shined again in the Bull’s win against the Raptors playing in 26 minutes scoring 12 points, taking down 7 rebounds, shooting 50% from three, and was perfect from the line. Buzelis is taking his role as the Bull’s sixth man seriously with Bulls insider K.C. Johnson reporting that Matas was disappointed to not make the Rising Stars Challenge but it drives him to be better.

“Matas Buzelis getting locked into 6th man role

Just said this on

@CHSN__

broadcast: Buzelis wanted to make the Rising Stars Challenge but looked inward: “I’m disappointed in myself. This just drives more fire into me.”

Said he wants to finish the season stronger than any other rookie”

Matas Buzelis getting locked into 6th man role

Just said this on @CHSN__ broadcast: Buzelis wanted to make Rising Stars Challenge but looked inward: "I’m disappointed in myself. This just drives more fire into me."

Said he wants to finish season stronger than any other rookie

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 1, 2025

The hometown kid certainly has the chance to do just that with being as Johnson said ‘getting locked in as the 6th man’.

Could Buzelis be better than the other rookies?

Buzelis could certainly be one of the better rookies once the season finishes and he possibly could be in contention for the Rookie of the Year. If he can maintain his sixth man status and get some starts here and there to improve his numbers Matas has as good a shot as any to win the award. The last Bulls player to win the Rookie of the Year was Bulls legend Derrick Rose back in 2009.

At the current moment, Buzelis has his work cut out for him ranking among rookies 24th in points (5.3), 21st in rebounds (2.8) but is 6th in blocks (0.8). With getting more minutes as the sixth man and possibly working his way into the starting rotation depending on what the Bulls do a this Thursday’s trade deadline.

A core piece for the Chicago Bulls

Buzelis is quickly becoming a core piece for the Bulls with him recently being named as an ‘untouchable’ player in trade talks.

Buzelis is slated to take part in the NBA Dunk Contest which should propel him further into stardom especially if he puts on a show for the fans.

Buzelis’s attitude, his mindset, and his hunger to get better are exactly what the Bulls need and should build around. Hopefully, that energy can translate to other players and lead the Bulls to further success this season.

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The Chicago Bulls signed Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade back in 2016 to pair with stars Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo to hopefully lead the Bulls to the playoffs. 

That goal was achieved with the Bulls finishing 41-41 for the season and eighth in the Eastern Conference. Sadly, however, the Bulls lost to the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Since then the Chicago native has retired and has been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame which happened in Aug. of 2023 and has hosted a podcast called “The Why with Dwyane Wade” where recently he revealed some news he’s never shared before.

Chicago Bulls star reveals he had a cancerous tumor removed 

Recently on his podcast “The Why with Dwyane Wade” Wade revealed that he had a cancerous tumor removed from his kidney and that 40% of the kidney had to be removed. This by all records has been the first time Wade has spoken publicly about his diagnosis and was very candid with what he experienced. 

According to Wade via ABC7 News Chicago and his podcast, multiple doctors told him to get surgery to remove the tumor from his kidney. 

“Thank God that I did do the surgery,” he said.

Wade reflected on his journey to have the surgery, saying it was a low point in his life.

“I think it was the first time my family, my dad, my kids, they saw me weak,” he said. “That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life … I was struggling, dog. Struggling. And one thing you never want to do as a man is you never want your family to see you as weak. You don’t want to be perceived as weak and you don’t want to be seen in your weak moments. But I had to.”

Wade said that he was able to get through this battle all thanks to his family who he credited with giving him the strength to push forward. 

“In that process of weakness, I found strength,” he said.”

Wade’s NBA career 

Wade’s NBA career spanned 16 seasons in which he played for the Miami Heat, the Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. A 13x All-Star, Wade was an ideal scorer having a career point total of 23,165 which is good for 39th of all-time. For his career Wade averaged 33.9 minutes, 22 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and had a career field goal percentage of 48%. 

The 3x NBA Champion was named to the All-NBA First Team twice and the All-NBA Second Team three times in his career. In just his one year with the Bulls Wade had respectable numbers averaging 18.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals in 29.9 minutes. 

Fully healthy 

After the removal Wade said he is now cancer free and has made a full recovery. 

Thankfully for Wade and his family, he is all good and is happy and healthy. 

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The Chicago Bulls have been scuffling all season long and it has come to a head this January with them being 5-10 for the month.

Even though the Bulls lost to the Boston Celtics last night 122-100, there were some bright spots in the game.

Having the lineup finally be shuffled around really brought the best out of forwards Patrick Williams and rookie sensation Matas Buzelis who had an excellent game in their own right.

Also having guard Coby White back after his ankle injury helped too with Bulls guard Zach LaVine sideline for personal reasons.

The Chicago Bulls lineup change had its effect

The shuffling of their lineup seemed to bring out the best of the Bull’s young core of players. In particular, Williams who had another outstanding game being used in a reserved role for the second straight game.

In 30 minutes of action, Williams has 16 points, collected 7 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists shooting 54.5% from the field and was perfect from the line. This month had been a struggle for Williams has only averaged 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 26.2 minutes for a total of 15 games played this month.

Buzelis the Bull’s 20-year-old rookie sensation had another solid game with him being used as the Bull’s sixth man for the second straight game. In 22 minutes of action, Buzelis has 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, shot 66.7% from the field, 50% from three, and was also perfect from the free throw line.

In the scrum with the media after the game, Buzelis was asked if he felt he needed more minutes against better competition to grow and he responded with an interesting answer which was captured by Bulls on CHSN.

“How am I going to get better? You know, if I’m not playing against the best guys.”

"How am I going to get better? You know, if I'm not playing against the best guys."

Matas Buzelis on his development pic.twitter.com/kDCmzrWnsu

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) January 30, 2025

The more Buzelis plays the more he can test his abilities against the top players in the league and will further help his development. With being the Bull’s sixth man for the foreseeable future Buzelis should get more of those opportunities. Bulls point guard Coby White even had to heap praise on the young rookie for how impressive his game has been which K.C. Johnson reported via his X account.

“Asked Coby White what he sees from Matas Buzelis in practices that we don’t see

White: “He’s starting to take on challenges more. In the stay-ready run yesterday, he wanted to guard me. He’s tremendously talented.”

Asked Coby White what he sees from Matas Buzelis in practices that we don’t see

White: “He’s starting to take on challenges more. In the stay-ready run yesterday, he wanted to guard me. He’s tremendously talented.”

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 30, 2025

The return of White

White finally returned to the Bulls lineup after his brief four-game absence after dealing with an ankle injury. White has a great game against the Celtics scoring 16 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists in 31 minutes of action.

Having White back in the Bulls lineup was important from the standpoint of having another scoring option on the floor with LaVine out for the time being. While LaVine is out and possibly not back with the Bulls star being the center of trade talks, having White healthy and in the lineup is crucial for the Bulls to have success.

Moving on from here

This will appear to be the Bulls lineup moving forward with Williams being used in a reserve role and in the closing minutes of ball games with Buzelis being the sixth man.

Having White back is valuable being he adds another scorer on the court as well as another facilitator to pair with Josh Giddey.

Depending on what the Bulls do at the trade deadline having LaVine come back into this new and improved Bulls lineup will further add to their chances of staying in and winning ballgames.

The post Chicago Bulls young crop of talented stars are emerging as core pieces of the team appeared first on ChiCitySports.

UPDATE: White will be in for the Bulls tonight against the Celtics per Bulls insider K.C. Johnson.

“Coby White is in vs. Celtics, per Donovan”

Coby White is in vs. Celtics, per Donovan

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 29, 2025

The Chicago Bulls finally won a game after having a disastrous January.

The Bulls enter a three-game road trip where two out of the three teams played will come against playoff-caliber teams.

This will be a legit test to see if the Bulls can salvage the season or if they will end up selling at the deadline and go into a rebuild.

The Bulls did receive word on the status of their point guard Coby White and his outlook for the road trip.

Chicago Bulls guard could return tonight

Yesterday the Bulls received word that White was going to be questionable to go tonight against the Celtics per Bulls insider K.C. Johnson.

“Bulls list Coby White questionable vs. Celtics. Billy Donovan expressed optimism White may play on the 3-game trip but downplayed the chance in Boston. Bulls will be without Zach LaVine, who isn’t with the team. His wife has posted to social media the imminent arrival of their third child.“

Bulls list Coby White questionable vs. Celtics. Billy Donovan expressed optimism White may play on 3-game trip but downplayed chance in Boston. Bulls will be without Zach LaVine, who isn’t with team. His wife has posted to social media the imminent arrival of their third child.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

Now it appears that White could be back with the Bulls tonight with Johnson tweeting out that White partook in the team’s shoot-around.

“Coby White participated in shootaround and is trending towards playing vs. Boston. Billy Donovan originally downplayed his chance for tonight.”

Coby White participated in shootaround and is trending towards playing vs. Boston. Billy Donovan originally downplayed his chance for tonight.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 29, 2025

This is welcoming news for the Bulls who will be without their star Zach LaVine whose wife is expected to give birth to their third child. The Bulls could use Whites’ production on the offensive side with LaVine out.

The production of White

White has missed the Bulls past four games after suffering an ankle injury on a scoring drive in the loss against the Portland Trailblazers. White has had a solid season for the Bulls averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 32.6 minutes played. 

Before going down White was having a great month of January where in 9 games he averaged 19.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. If White is good to go against the Celtics he should have a good game with having 12.3 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in three games played against Boston. 

The Bulls recently pulled off a 129-121 victory against the Denver Nuggets after head coach Billy Donovan shuffled around the lineup. With White set to hopefully back tonight and with having a new lineup inserting White production in should help the Bulls get some more wins. 

The future of the Bulls

With both the trade deadline and the All-Star break coming up the Bulls need to enter both winning games so they can have a better second half.

Having White come back adds some much-needed reinforcements to a depleted Bulls lineup.

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UPDATE: Coby White has been upgraded to questionable for the game against the Celtics per K.C. Johnson. 

The Chicago Bulls are about to enter a three-game road trip that could show how the rest of the season will transpire. 

The Bull’s road trip kicks off against the reigning NBA Finals Champions the Boston Celtics and they will be without their star guard Zach LaVine whose wife could give birth at any time. 

The Bulls did receive some welcoming news about point guard Coby Whites’s status and what his outlook for the road trip will be. 

Coby White could be back with the Chicago Bulls 

The Bulls received some welcoming news today before they depart for their road trip with Bulls insider K.C. Johnson twitting that White could be back at some point on this road trip. 

“Bulls list Coby White questionable vs. Celtics. Billy Donovan expressed optimism White may play on the 3-game trip but downplayed the chance in Boston. Bulls will be without Zach LaVine, who isn’t with the team. His wife has posted to social media the imminent arrival of their third child.“

Bulls list Coby White questionable vs. Celtics. Billy Donovan expressed optimism White may play on 3-game trip but downplayed chance in Boston. Bulls will be without Zach LaVine, who isn’t with team. His wife has posted to social media the imminent arrival of their third child.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

This is great news with White missing the Bull’s last four games due to an ankle injury he sustained during the Bull’s loss to the Portland Trailblazers.

The Bulls could use white production 

White has had a solid season for the Bulls averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 32.6 minutes played. Before going down White was having a great month of January where in 9 games he averaged 19.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. If White is good to go against the Celtics he should have a good game with having 12.3 points, 2.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in three games played against Boston. 

The Bulls recently pulled off a 129-121 victory against the Denver Nuggets after head coach Billy Donovan shuffled around the lineup. With White set to hopefully come back soon and with having a new lineup inserting Whites production in should help the Bulls get some more wins. 

Hopefully White is in against the Celtics

We should know by Wedenesday if White will be able to go or not against Boston or if he’ll have to rest up one more game. 

If White does have to miss one more game the Bulls should be able to keep things under control given the new lineup they have. 

Hopefully, White’s ankle is all healed up after having all this time to rest and he’s fully healthy and ready to go to contribute on this road trip. 

The post Chicago Bulls essential piece could be back soon after absence appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls need more production out of some of their young players if they are to right the ship and hopefully go into the All-Star break with a winning record.

Recently the Bulls had point guard Coby White go down with an ankle injury and currently, there is no timetable for his return. Since White went down the Bulls have turned to their talented 22-year-old Josh Giddey to be their main facilitator.

Giddey has been up and down offensively being the main driver of the Bulls offense one game and then being nowhere to be seen the next. Recently, however, Giddey has found some consistency and is playing a lot better as of late.

Thriving in his new role

Giddey is thriving for the Bulls in his new with having his fourth straight game with a double-double and his eighth in the last ten games according to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson.

“4th straight double-double for Josh Giddey and 8th in last 10 games”

4th straight double double for Josh Giddey and 8th in last 10 games

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

Giddey on the season is averaging 11.5 points (a career low), 7.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists (a career-high), and is shooting 44.1% from the field just 33.1% from behind the arc. Giddey was very productive in the win against the Nuggets scoring 12 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists in 27 minutes of work. 

With Giddey having four consecutive double-doubles he’s now in elite company with being second to Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Jordan for his part had seven straight games of having a double-double. Giddey does have a chance to tie or pass Jordan if he can keep up this pace. 

The Chicago Bulls did not give Giddey an extension

Yesterday was the NBA’s deadline to issue contract extensions to players and according to Chicago Sports Network, the Bulls did not offer an extension to Giddey.

“The #Bulls did not reach an extension with Josh Giddey before today’s deadline…

@KCJHoop was all over it”

The #Bulls did not reach an extension with Josh Giddey before today’s deadline…
@KCJHoop was all over it. pic.twitter.com/UrkWMieace

— Chicago Sports Network (@CHSN__) October 21, 2024

This tracks with the Bulls with them not issuing contract extensions to both Patrick Williams and Coby White to allow them to set their markets. With this move, Giddey will be a restricted free agent this summer and will figure to do the same.

The Bulls need to keep Giddey past this season, which I expect they will do. Given that Giddey is starting to get more consistent offensively and the Bulls possibly going into a rebuild keeping Giddey around long-term makes sense.

Keeping Giddey long-term

Giddey is a very special player and the Bulls wouldn’t have given up Alex Caruso if they didn’t feel that way.

Having Giddey be the main facilitator and providing scoring opportunities is what the Bulls need from him primarily and to also grab rebounds and score whenever he can.

If Giddey can focus on that and elevate that level of his game, the scoring will come and the Bulls should be heading to a good spot.

The post Chicago Bulls young star joins elite company appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls finally had a victory against one of the better teams in the NBA defeating the Devener Nuggets 129-121 on Monday night.

The Bulls were able to secure a victory off the backs of their young group of stars such as Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, and Patrick Williams who was removed from the starting lineup before the game.

Williams in his new role with the reserves was able to find his confidence and help lead the Bulls to victory.

A resounding victory

Patrick Williams has not had the best month of January so far with only averaging 7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 25.7 minutes. After being removed from last night’s starting lineup in favor of Lonzo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu.

Williams in his new role with the reserves was outstanding and looked to regain his confidence with having 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and shot 41.7% from the field in 28 minutes. Even though Williams didn’t start the game he was a part of the final push to secure the win for the Bulls as Bulls insider K.C. Johnson reported.

“Patrick Williams has 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists and is closing the game after not starting it”

Patrick Williams has 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assisdts and is closing game after not starting it

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

Williams after the game heaped praise on Donovan for using him in the reserve role with said he felt he had more scoring opportunities with the second unit. Bulls guard Zach LaVine was so proud of Williams expressing:

“LaVine on Williams: “I’ve been on him because I know how good he can be.”

LaVine on Williams: “I’ve been on him because I know how good he can be.” https://t.co/dKe5YVr1Ae

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

The Bulls reserves according to Johnson lead the Nuggets in the 4th quarter thanks to a 13-0 run led by Dalen Terry who had 13 points in 11 minutes.

“Bulls reserves open 4th with 11-0 run. Dalen Terry has 13 points in 11 minutes.”

Bulls reserves open 4th with 11-0 run. Dalen Terry has 13 points in 11 minutes.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

The rookie impresses in his first major action

Head Coach Billy Donovan finally heard fans’ pleas to give their 20-year-old rookie more playing time by making Buzelis the sixth man for last night’s game. In 20 minutes of action, Buzelis put up decent numbers collecting 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and shot 80% from the field and and was perfect from three.

This was a good showing for Buzelis not only to get more minutes but to show he is a player to build around with being named as an ‘untouchable’ player in trade talks. Buzelis should see a lot more action and use as the Bulls’ sixth man moving forward.

The success needs to continue for the Chicago Bulls 

The Bulls need to bottle up this win and carry it with them over to tomorrow’s game against the defending champions the Boston Celtics.

Hopefully, in both their new roles Williams and Buzelis can keep their successes rolling.

The Bulls needed this win having gone through such a hard skid recently.

The post Chicago Bulls secure a resounding victory off the backs of their young core appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are amid a tailspin which is sending them into a possible rebuild.

With the trade deadline fast approaching the Bulls roster could look completely different in the next few weeks.

During the Bull’s recent struggles their starting power forward Patrick Williams has also fallen on hard times with being nowhere to be seen for the Bulls offensively all month.

Before the Bulls game against the Denver Nuggets Monday head coach Billy Donovan made some changes to the Bulls starting lineup.

Patrick Williams out of the Chicago Bulls lineup

Before the Bull’s games against the fourth-place Denver Nuggets head coach Billy Donovan decided to remove Williams from the starting lineup per Bulls insider K.C. Johnson.

“Patrick Williams not starting“

Patrick Williams not starting https://t.co/vFDY84riNe

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

Johnson also added that instead of Williams Bulls rookie sensation Matas Buzelis will be the 6th man in tonight’s ballgame.

”Matas Buzelis is 6th man ahead of Patrick Williams“

Matas Buzelis is 6th man ahead of Patrick Williams

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

“Patrick Williams removal as starter is significant for many reasons but here are 2: Previously, Billy Donovan has cited matchups/defense as reason PWil started. Bulls are starting 4 guards against a 6-10 power forward in Michael Porter Jr. Plus, 2 are on minutes limit in Ayo/Ball”

Patrick Williams removal as starter is significant for many reasons but here are 2: Previously, Billy Donovan has cited matchups/defense as reason PWil started. Bulls are starting 4 guards against a 6-10 power forward in Michael Porter Jr. Plus, 2 are on minutes limit in Ayo/Ball

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 28, 2025

The former first-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft has not had the best month with so far virtually being nowhere to be seen in the Bulls offense. In 13 games played this month, Williams has averaged 25.7 minutes, 7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, while only shooting 31.7% from the floor and a terrible 28.8% from three.

Williams’s season averages are no better averaging 9.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists in 26.6 minutes played and in 35 games started. Williams’s poor play hasn’t gone unnoticed with head coach Billy Donovan feeling that Williams is doing too much and is being overly aggressive which is leading to poor play as of late. 

Buzeli finally getting more minutes 

Fans have been clamoring for the 20-year-old rookie to get more minutes while leading the team in blocks and being second in dunks with only averaging a little over 12 minutes a game. Buzelis is having a respectable rookie campaign playing in 42 games for the Bulls averaging 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, .4 assists, and shooting 37.6% from the field.

With Willaims struggling the way he has been and Buzelis having success a change needed to be made to get back to winning ballgames. Having Buzeli get more experience as the Bull’s 6th man should do wonders for his development and means that the Bulls are finally embracing allowing the rookie to play to see what he can do on the court. 

Hopefully, this is the case moving forward

Hopefully, this lineup moving forward can give the Bulls more success and get them back on the winning track. 

With Buzelis now getting more minutes it should be exciting to see how he handles the pressure and how he can respond to it. 

Having Buzelis succeed in this new role will be key for the Bulls to have success with the Bulls stating Buzelis is ‘untouchable’ in trade talks and someone they want to build around. 

The post Chicago Bulls rookie to play over struggling starter: Insider appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls are back to their losing ways with dropping to 19-27 and are tenth in the Eastern Conference standings with their latest loss to the 76ers.

The Bulls are set to take on the the Denver Nuggets tomorrow night who are 28-17 and are fourth in the Western Conference standings.

The Bulls will have their work cut out for them against the Nuggets who are only two years removed from winning the NBA Finals.

It will make it even more difficult with one of their star players still being sidelined due to injury.

Chicago Bulls Coby White still out with an ankle injury

The Bulls will be without White for a fourth consecutive game with his ankle still not healed enough to go for the game against the Nuggets. Per Bulls insider K.C. Johnson the Bulls will be without White and forward Torrey Craig who has also been dealing with an ankle injury.

“Coby White and Torrey Craig remain out for Bulls. No other non two-way players listed on injury report vs. Nuggets.”

Coby White and Torrey Craig remain out for Bulls. No other non two-way players listed on injury report vs. Nuggets.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 27, 2025

Not having White and his production these past few games has really exposed the Bulls who have not been able to bear down late in ball games. In nine games this month before going down White was solid averaging 19.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1 steal, and was shooting  49.6% from the floor and 85.2% from the line.

With this now being more than a week since White suffered the ankle injury, which came during a scoring drive in the Bulls loss to the Portland Trailblazers last Sunday, it is now starting to get concerning. Given Craig has virtually the same injury on top of a right leg contusion Whites prognosis could possibly be the same.

What will the Bulls do in the meantime?

Since going down Bulls guard Lonzo Ball has stepped up to fill the void that White has left and Ball has provided decent production. Ball in the three game absence of White has averaged 24.3 minutes, 7.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Until White returns Ball will look to get a lot more minutes and be one of the Bulls main facilitator along with Josh Giddey being the other. Giddey has really started to turn things around with averaging 37.3 minutes, 14.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assist. Both have been picking up the slack, but having White out there with Giddey instead of Ball is a better offensive lineup.

Timetable now uncertain

With White now missing his four consecutive game and not having a clear status update on his ankle the timetable for return now remains uncertain.

The Bulls need White and his production in order to right the ship.

The Bulls will look to be seller at next months trade deadline and with having White out for an extended period of time further signifies that they will in fact be sellers.

The post Chicago Bulls premier player to miss fourth consecutive game appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls so far in January have played poorly being 4-9 this month and are trending downward with their latest loss on Saturday to the Philadelphia 76ers.

One of the Bulls starters power forward Patrick Williams was nowhere to be seen in the loss and has been nowhere to be seen offensively this whole month.

Williams and head coach Billy Donovan were asked about his play, and both gave drastically different answers as to what was going on with Williams.

An abysmal month of January for the Chicago Bulls Patrick Williams

The former first-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft has not had the best month so far with virtually being nowhere to be seen in the Bulls offense. In 13 games played this month, Williams has averaged 25.7 minutes, 7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, while only shooting 31.7% from the floor and a terrible 28.8% from three.

Williams’s season averages are no better averaging 9.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists in 26.6 minutes played and in 35 games started. Williams’s poor play hasn’t gone unnoticed with head coach Billy Donovan feeling that Williams is doing too much and is being overly aggressive which is leading to poor play as of late with Bulls insider K.C. Johnson there to grab the quote.

“Billy Donovan on Patrick Williams: “I think he’s trying to be aggressive. He just hasn’t converted well.”

Billy Donovan on Patrick Williams: “I think he’s trying to be aggressive. He just hasn’t converted well.”

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 26, 2025

Williams responded when asked if he lost confidence in his game by stating that if he knew what was wrong, he would’ve already fixed it.

“More Williams: “I know what I’ve done in this league. My teammates know. My coaches know. That’s why they’re so on me. Nobody wants it more than me. I guarantee you that. If I had answers, it would be fixed already. All I know is work. That’s what got me here. Work through it.”

More Williams: "I know what I've done in this league. My teammates know. My coaches know. That's why they're so on me. Nobody wants it more than me. I guarantee you that. If I had answers, it would be fixed already. All I know is work. That's what got me here. Work through it." https://t.co/lqE1sjtjSk

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 26, 2025

This sounds like Williams is lost offensively and is indeed trying to do too much in the way of forcing shots and committing unnecessary fouls to force himself out of this slump. Williams needs to slow the game down and let it come to him to get back on track.

William’s name has been floated on the trade block

The Bulls are possibly looking to be sellers at next month’s deadline with this season not going as they had hoped it would. There has been a ton of interest in stars like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic who could be moved, but the Bulls have also put out feelers to gauge the interest for the 23-year-old Williams.

Williams could benefit from a change of scenery if he doesn’t turn his play around by the Feb. 6 deadline and could bring back a decent haul of either picks or players. Moving Williams could benefit the Bulls with rookie forward Matas Buzelis impressing while out on the court and set to partake in the NBA Dunk Contest during the All-Star break. There are also growing calls for Buzelis to play more from fans with him being the team’s leading in blocks while only averaging 12 minutes per game.

Williams needs to turn it around

Time will tell if Williams will be traded at next month’s deadline to make room for Buzelis to get more minutes off the bench.

With three games left in the month, there is still a chance for Williams to turn things around so he can go into the All-Star break with a ton of confidence.

The post Chicago Bulls star forward possibly lost his confidence appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls have not been playing great basketball this season and are looking to be sellers at next month’s trade deadline.

One of the Bulls stars Zach LaVine might be one of those players on the move with garnering a lot of interest from teams.

Even though the Bulls as a whole have been playing terribly, LaVine has been solid offensively and has had a great month of January and should be in the conversation to be the Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

Zach LaVine should be the POTM for January

LaVine has been outstanding all season for the Bulls and is playing at an All-Star caliber level, but for some reason was snubbed from making the team. For the season in 41 games is averaging 24 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and is shooting 51.2% from the field and 44.4% from three.

In 13 games this month LaVine has averaged 35.6 minutes, 28.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals a game, and is shooting 53.5% from the floor and 44.4% from behind the arc. LaVine is the Bulls’ leader in points, minutes per game, field goals made, and free throws made for this month.

LaVine started the month of January with a six-game consecutive point streak in which he was scoring over 30+ points a game which came to an end in the Bull’s loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. In total LaVine has seven games this month in which he has over 30+ points and his best game so far came against the Sacramento Kings where he had 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.

This month could be LaVine’s last with the Chicago Bulls

Having such a great month not only puts LaVine in the conversation to be the Eastern Conference Player of the Month but it would also boost his trade value. The one thing restricting teams from pulling the trigger on LaVine is his contract with him being owed roughly $138 million for three seasons.

Teams may be willing to take on that contract given LaVine’s level of play this season and showing he is healthy with only playing in a total of 25 games last season. With the deadline almost two weeks away if LaVine keeps up this offensive pace he could boost his trade stock and give the Bulls a nice return if he is moved at the deadline.

This would be a good send-off for LaVine

If LaVine is indeed traded winning the Player of the Month for January would be a great present to send not only LaVine off with but be a nice goodbye present to give the fans.

LaVine has come out and expressed his desire to stay in with the Chicago Bulls which wouldn’t be a bad thing given LaVine’s production and still being younger than 30.

However, basketball ultimately is a business at the end of the day and with the Bulls possibly looking to rebuild moving on from LaVine might be the path they take.

The post Chicago Bulls star deserves to be honored for his play this month appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls have not had a great month of January so far having a below .500 record at 4-8 for the month.

The Bull’s recent play has been poor with some players seemingly giving little effort during crunch time which led head coach Billy Donovan to burn a timeout and go animated towards young guys for their lack of effort in the closing minutes of Thursday’s ball game against the Warriors.

It seems like Donovan’s message is starting to trickle down finally to the players with Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu being equally as frustrated as Donovan.

Dosunmu speaks out on the Chicago Bulls lack of consistency

While speaking to the media after the Bull’s loss to the Golden State Warriors Dosunmu was frustrated with the Bull’s lack of effort and consistency and the Bulls on CHSN was there to capture all that Dosunmu had to say.

“That’s more the way that I try to look at it.” Ayo on his frustration in trying to find consistency.”

"That's more the way that I try to look at it."

Ayo on his frustration in trying to find consistency. pic.twitter.com/0k3u9IJ4qy

— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) January 24, 2025

Dosunmu has given the Bulls a productive season by averaging 30.4 minutes with 12.4 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.8 rebounds, and is shooting 49.5% from the floor and a low 32.4% from beyond the arc. Dosunmu has also appeared in 34 of the Bull’s possible 45 games this season missing some time with a right lower calf strain.

The Bull’s major issues

Donovan put it the best with what the Bull’s problem is and that is they play down to their competition and they get outrebounded and turn the ball over too much.

“We’re good enough to do that against anybody. So, I don’t even look at it as playing up or playing down. If we don’t play to our potential, it doesn’t make a difference who’s out there,” Donovan said before Wednesday’s game, per Scotty White of Clutch Points.

“We have to play to what we’ve tried to establish as our identity for most of the year, and for the most part, we’ve done a pretty good job. But certainly, the things that have hurt us at times have been the rebounding, which was a factor yesterday, and then also the turnovers. That was a problem as well. But we’ve got to be able to do better [with] some of the things that we have control over.”

That has been the Bull’s biggest issue in turnovers and giving up too many second-chance points off the offensive glass. The Bulls have let their opponents grab 149 offensive rebounds this month, while they were only able to take down 132 offensive boards of their own. For the turnover department, it is much worse with the Bulls giving up 166 TO to their opponents 143. The Bulls have also allowed a staggering 618 points in the paint while only scoring just 36 points more of their own at 654. 

To right this ship the Bulls have to limit the turnovers as well as box out and rebound better so second-chance points aren’t scored as often against them. This lack of effort is what led to Donovan being forced to call a timeout to make his young players understand that they need to show more effort and take better care of the basketball which Bulls inside K.C. Johnson witnessed. 

“Billy Donovan said he called late timeout, where he was animated with the young players because he didn’t like the way that unit was playing. Said Bulls lost their identity in the second half.”

Billy Donovan said he called late timeout, where he was animated with the young players, because he didn’t like the way that unit was playing. Said Bulls lost their identity in second half. https://t.co/iQgopXOqNj

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 24, 2025

Will the Bulls turn things around? 

Time will ultimately tell if the Bulls have it in them to turn things around and pull themselves out of this spiral they are in. 

With the trade deadline fast approaching and players like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic garnering more and more interest the Bulls roster could change a lot in the next few weeks. 

It is on the Bulls’s young players and their veterans to quickly turn things around if they want to have any hope of not going into another rebuild. 

The post Chicago Bulls player echoes his coaches’ frustration with poor play appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls have been scuffling as of late and have been seemingly playing down to their competition to head coach Billy Donovan’s displeasure.

Even though the Bulls season is doom and gloom at the current moment their 20-year-old rookie Matas Buzelis has been providing great production for the Bulls in very few minutes.

Buzelis was recently chosen to participate in the NBA Dunk contest becoming the first Bulls player since Tyrus Thomas back in 2007.

With Buzelis producing while others aren’t calls for him to get more playing time are ringing loud, especially with how lifeless the Bulls have been as of late.

Buzelis deserves more minutes from the Chicago Bulls

Buzelis is having a respectable rookie campaign playing in 42 games for the Bulls averaging 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, .4 assists, and shooting 37.6% from the field. According to Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans on Twitter, Buzelis is leading the Bulls in total blocks and blocks per game.

“Matas Buzelis leads the Bulls in TOTAL blocks & blocks per game this season. Despite playing just 12.7 MPG (2nd lowest on the team). Give this kid more minutes!!”

Matas Buzelis leads the Bulls in TOTAL blocks & blocks per game this season.

Despite playing just 12.7 MPG (2nd lowest on the team). Give this kid more minutes!! pic.twitter.com/vzAFI7FE3x

— Die-Hard Chicago Bulls Fans (@DieHardCBfans) January 24, 2025

Matas has also shown he is capable of making his free throws by being almost an 83% shooter from the line this season which is respectable for a big man. Being able to play both small and power forward Buzelis has Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith in front of him on the depth chart and both are giving virtually the same level of production as Buzelis. Both have played in fewer games than Matas (43) with Williams playing eight less (35) and Smith just two (41).

Being in the dunk contest too is a high honor for Buzelis and should show the Bulls he is worth more playing time given his athleticism and ability to create space when shooting. If the rumors are true that the Bulls will be going into a full rebuild with possibly trading away a decent amount of their talent, then Buzelis needs to see more time on the court to help his development.

Depending on who the Bulls trade away at next month’s deadline then Buzelis’s role with the Bulls could figure to change. The Bulls are already rumored to be fielding offers for stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic as well as potentially listening to offers on point guard Coby White. The Bulls have been reported to have put Patrick Williams up on the trade block and if he was to be moved on then Buzelis could figure to be the top guy off the bench or split starting time in the starting role with Jalen Smith.

Even though Buzelis is just a rookie, he is still making it difficult to not at least give him a little more looks off the bench and possibly see what he can do in crunch time. The Bulls and Billy Donovan need to start shifting their focus and changing up the lineup a bit to see if a different combination will start the Bulls on a winning streak.

A nice up-and-coming player

Buzelis looks to have a nice NBA career ahead of him and what he has done already is a good way to start.

Hopefully, the Bulls start turning things around and can start giving Buzelis more time to see what kind of player they truly have.

The post Chicago Bulls talented rookie deserves more minutes appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls have not been playing their best basketball at all this season. Sitting 19-26 and tenth in the Eastern Conference standings the Bulls are free falling fast.

The Bulls got destroyed in their latest joust with the Golden State Warriors in which they lost 131-106. In the game, Steph Curry scored his historic 3,900 three-pointer against the Bulls to cap it all off.

Head Coach Billy Donovan has not been happy with how the Bulls have been playing with his recent quotes and last night showed it with how animated he got at the end of the game.

The Chicago Bulls are in a free-fall

The Bulls have not been playing excellent basketball as of late having a below .500 record in January with a record of 4-8. The Bulls in that span have been outscored 1,416-1,061 for a point difference of 356 points which is terrible.

It also doesn’t help that the Bulls are currently dealing with their star point guard Coby White being sidelined with an ankle injury with head coach Billy Donovan not giving a clear timetable for a return. Not having Whites production for the time being will hamper the Bulls especially if they are sellers at the deadline.

The Bull’s biggest problem this season is allowing so many second-chance points off the offensive glass and having way too many turnovers. The combination of these two things is a perfect recipe for this type of play.

Head Coach Billy Donovan has had it

During last night’s game toward the tail end, Donovan called a time-out per K.C. Johnson and was irate with how his young players were performing.

“Billy Donovan said he called late timeout, where he was animated with the young players because he didn’t like the way that unit was playing. Said Bulls lost their identity in the second half.”

Billy Donovan said he called late timeout, where he was animated with the young players, because he didn’t like the way that unit was playing. Said Bulls lost their identity in second half. https://t.co/iQgopXOqNj

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 24, 2025

This frustration would track from Donovan who recently was quoted as saying that he felt his team had been playing down to their opponents.

“We’re good enough to do that against anybody. So, I don’t even look at it as playing up or playing down. If we don’t play to our potential, it doesn’t make a difference who’s out there,” Donovan said before Wednesday’s game, per Scotty White of Clutch Points.

“We have to play to what we’ve tried to establish as our identity for most of the year, and for the most part, we’ve done a pretty good job. But certainly, the things that have hurt us at times have been the rebounding, which was a factor yesterday, and then also the turnovers. That was a problem as well. But we’ve got to be able to do better [with] some of the things that we have control over.”

The Bulls are good enough to compete with any of the top teams in the NBA with their stars playing at All-Star caliber levels. However, it’s hard to argue with Donovan’s assessment of the team and disagree with how frustrated he is. Especially when some players such as Josh Giddey are so hot and cold on the offensive end you don’t know what you’re getting on any given night.

Furthering the Bulls downfall 

With the Bulls primed to be sellers in less than two weeks the frustrating play possibly will continue.

Potentially not having key offensive threats in White or Zach LaVine and their number one rebounder in Nikola Vucevic the Bull’s spiral will most likely continue, but hopefully, the Bulls can quickly turn things around.

The post Chicago Bulls Head Coach irate after latest loss appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bulls were just blown out of the water by a Golden State Warriors where future Hall of Famer Steph Curry scored his historic 3,900 three-pointer.

In their 131-106 loss against the Warriors, the Bulls were without one of their star players point guard Coby White who has been sidelined due to an ankle injury.

The Bulls Head Coach Billy Donovan finally gave a full update on Whites’ injured ankle and it doesn’t sound great.

Chicago Bulls point guard could miss time

The Bulls have been without point guard Coby White for almost a week due to suffering an ankle injury he sustained during a scoring drive against the Portland Trailblazers. White came up a little gimpy after the drive appearing to tweak his ankle.

White was reported to have had imaging done on Tuesday per Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, with Johnson reporting that head coach Billy Donovan said of Whites’s status after the Bull’s loss to the Warriors:

“White has a bone bruise on his ankle. It “could be a week, could be longer” per Donovan. White suffered an injury Sunday in Portland. So this Sunday will be the week.”

White has a bone bruise in his ankle. It “could be a week, could be longer” per Donovan.

White suffered injury Sunday in Portland. So this Sunday will be the week. https://t.co/acBkljUmku

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 24, 2025

This is concerning, to say the least with how the Bulls have been playing recently and having just ended a five-game losing streak this doesn’t help the Bulls get any better and back on track.

How will Whites’ injury affect the Bulls moving forward?

White is one of the Bull’s more productive players averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, and is shooting 43.7% from the field in 40 games played this season. Not having White in the Bulls lineup, especially in the closing moments of ball games is something the Bulls can’t afford to be without for an extended period.

Recently it was reported that there were loud rumblings that the Bulls could be looking to trade White away given how valuable he is and get a decent haul back and plunge into a rebuild. The Bulls are expected to trade both their stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucuevic at next month’s trade deadline and if White is included that would send a clear signal of a rebuild.

White ankle injury won’t affect his trade value (if the rumors are true) that much with it not expected to hopefully not be anything long-term. White would bring back a decent haul of players and picks, but the Bulls should look to keep White and build around him.

Hopefully, a return will be soon for White

As K.C. Johnson said this Sunday would mark a full week since Whites injury and hopefully by then we’ll receive another update by then.

The Bulls next play the 76ers tomorrow night and White will figure to miss that game as well, but we won’t know until before game time.

With having another day of rest to help heal the ankle further hopefully by Sunday White will be back fully ready to go.

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