NOVEMBER 28: Vonleh is officially a Bull, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log.
NOVEMBER 26: The Bulls are in agreement with free agent forward Noah Vonleh on a one-year deal, agent Jim Tanner tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It will be Vonleh’s second stint with the franchise, as he finished the 2017/18 season in Chicago.
The ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Vonleh began his career in Charlotte before moving on to Portland, Chicago, and New York. In 2019/20, he began the season in Minnesota before being traded to Denver as part of the four-team mega-deal involving Clint Capela and Robert Covington.
In total, Vonleh averaged just 3.7 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 36 games (10.5 MPG) for the Timberwolves and Nuggets last season. He was more productive in 2018/19 for the Knicks, recording 8.4 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 68 games (25.3 MPG).
Arturas Karnisovas, the Bulls’ new president of basketball operations, worked in the Nuggets’ front office last season, so he got a first-hand look at Vonleh for about a month before the hiatus.
It has been a relatively quiet free agent period for the Bulls, whose only other newcomers via free agency or trade are veteran guard Garrett Temple and undrafted rookie Devon Dotson, who signed a two-way deal.
If Vonleh is retained for the regular season, he, Temple, Dotson, figure to provide some additional depth on a Chicago squad that will otherwise return many of its players from last year’s roster. K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes (via Twitter) that the team already has 15 guaranteed contracts, so for Vonleh to make the team, someone else would have to be traded or released.
Bulls are clearly tanking for Cunningham next year. One year players. I’m not really upset about it because there is no future PG on this team that makes you go “WOW”. White is more a combo guard like Lou Williams, than his size indicates.
Tanking for a #1 pick? The Bulls aren’t smart enough to do that, and I doubt the league will cooperate.
I trust AK. This isn’t the same front office, if it was then Bulls would have offered 4/120M to Heyward and not Charlotte.
OKC and NY will both be among the top 4 in the draft lottery, which only leaves two more spots for the other teams at the bottom of the east.
And you think THIS bulls team isn’t one of the two weaker NBA teams??? Everyone got better in the East besides Indiana. Pistons will be better than the Bulls.
Who is Cunningham?
White Sox fan calling someone dumb. How ironic.
You can’t tank for a pick decided by a lottery drawing … ask the Knicks
I’m thinking there’s a trade brewing between the Bulls and Pelicans w Thad Young heading to the Big Easy along w a lottery protected 1st round pick swap for Lonzo Ball. Anyone else think the same?
Zo is worth much more, he will be an All-Star one day, so you need to put ZLV out there for him, that would be a good trade for both teams!
I hope not. I think Young has really lesser value than Ball. We probably get Ish Smith for the year. He is an actual PG. I’d settle for a future 2 at this rate for him.
Zo is a good defender and passer but he’s like 25 already, everyone talks “one day he will be an all star” it is one day and he didn’t beat jrue Holliday for minutes, the hall family is the most cringeworthy overrated family in the American continent
Turned 23 just this month, get your facts right dude before showing your hate!
Zo was the starter in NOP last year, Jrue had to play the 2G to be a starter!
AK and Billy Donovan get a pass this year. Still very excited to see what they can put together.