Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Notes: Rollins, CP3, Aldama, Grimes, Wolves, E. Miller

June 29th, 2025 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have tendered a qualifying offer to guard Ryan Rollins, making him a restricted free agent, a league source tells Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

After starting the 2024/25 season on a two-way contract in Milwaukee, Rollins was promoted to a rest-of-season standard deal in March. He played a regular role in the backcourt, especially when Damian Lillard missed time for health reasons, and had a solid season, with averages of 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game, along with a shooting line of .487/.408/.800.

His qualifying offer is worth a projected $2.58MM and will give the Bucks the right of first refusal in the event that he signs an offer sheet with a rival team.

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Echoing other recent reporting, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link) says the belief around the NBA is that veteran point guard Chris Paul will play at least one more season and wants to do so in Los Angeles to be close to his family. It’s unclear whether that means the Clippers and Lakers will be the only options he considers or whether other West Coast teams might be in play.
Zach Lowe of The Ringer (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM) says he has heard that Grizzlies restricted free agent Santi Aldama will have “full mid-level deals waiting for him” when he hits the market. Memphis would have the ability to match any offer sheet Aldama signs or could simply directly negotiate a new deal with him.
Within a story that examines the challenges the Sixers will face as they try to retain both Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, Tony Jones of The Athletic cites sources who say Grimes is hoping to sign a contract that averages $25MM annually. An earlier report indicated the restricted free agent guard is expected to land a starting salary worth at least $16MM.
The Timberwolves, who are expected to lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency, would like to add another ball-handler if they can, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota likely won’t be able to offer outside free agents more than the veteran’s minimum due to the team’s position relative to the second tax apron.
The Bulls have issued a two-way qualifying offer to forward Emanuel Miller, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The move makes Miller a restricted free agent after he had a solid 2024/25 season in the G League with the Texas Legends and Windy City Bulls.

Bulls Notes: Okoro, Dosunmu, Essengue, Ball

June 28th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Isaac Okoro, who will be acquired from Cleveland in a trade for Lonzo Ball, is the type of player Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said he’s looking to build the team around during a meeting with reporters earlier this week, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Okoro had mixed results during his five seasons with the Cavaliers, but he’s a strong wing defender who can play multiple positions.

Discussing how the Pacers were able to reach the NBA Finals, Eversley said, “What I take away from Indiana is their style of play. They continue to come at you over and over. They play fast in spite of the score or what quarter it is. That’s kind of how we played this year. They’ve got a bunch of players that can play on both sides of the floor, and that’s exactly what we want to build here in Chicago, players who are versatile. You can’t [defensively] hunt any of their players. Everybody can defend, run and make a shot.”

The Bulls have been criticized for not getting a draft pick in the deal, but Cowley points out that Okoro’s contract isn’t burdensome enough to ask for a sweetener. He’ll make $11MM and $11.8MM over the next two seasons before becoming a free agent in 2027.

Cowley notes that adding Okoro will allow the Bulls to continue trying to unload Patrick Williams, and it will take some pressure off 18-year-old Noa Essengue, the team’s first-round pick, to contribute right away.

There’s more from Chicago:

The Bulls remain active in trade talks after today’s deal, tweets K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, who hears that Ayo Dosunmu is being discussed more than Coby White.
In a Chicago Sports Network interview (Twitter video link), Eversley discusses the decision to draft Essengue at No. 12, saying he was the “best player available, and he fits the style of play that we want to play.”
Injuries changed the course of Ball’s four years with the Bulls, states Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Ball and the team got off to a strong start after he was acquired in a 2021 trade with New Orleans, but everything changed when he hurt his knee in January of 2022. It appeared to be a routine injury at the time, but Ball missed more than two full seasons before finally making it back in October. He talked about the long recovery process and the thrill of getting back on the court at this year’s exit interview, Poe adds. “I got to a point where I was starting, which I didn’t think was going to happen,” Ball said. “I got to a point where I was playing 30 minutes multiple games in a row, which I didn’t think was going to happen this year. So I went above certain goals that I set for myself, and that’s very positive for me moving forward.”

Free Agent Rumors: Kuminga, Heat, GPII, Portis, Jones, Bulls

June 28th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat‘s interest in Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has been overstated, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links).

Miami has been mentioned multiple times in recent weeks as one of the teams that could make a play for the 22-year-old forward. However, Jackson says there’s no “active pursuit” from the Heat’s end.

Jackson acknowledges in a follow-up tweet that could change in the coming days or weeks, but it doesn’t sound like Kuminga will be a top priority for Miami when free agency opens on Monday evening.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on free agents from around the NBA:

Veteran guard Gary Payton II appears unlikely to return to the Warriors in free agency, a pair of sources tell Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Bluesky link). If Payton walks, Golden State will likely try to add a quality point-of-attack defender to replace him, Poole adds.
Bucks forward/center Bobby Portis and Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith are two potential free agents who are generating a “considerable amount of curiosity” around the NBA, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Portis ($13.4MM) and Finney-Smith ($15.4MM) both hold player options for the 2025/26 season, but if they decline them in search of multiyear deals, they would be at the top of the mid-level market for frontcourt players, Fischer writes. In a follow-up Substack story, Fischer suggests the Bucks are well positioned to retain Portis, perhaps on a longer-term deal after he declines that option.
Re-signing free agent point guard Tre Jones is a viable possibility for the Bulls, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. As Johnson notes, Billy Donovan and his coaching staff loved what Jones brought to the team in the second half last season, and Chicago’s trade of Lonzo Ball will remove one name from the team’s backcourt depth chart.
Bobby Marks of ESPN takes an in-depth look at where things stand for all 30 teams entering free agency.

Bulls Trade Lonzo Ball To Cavaliers For Isaac Okoro

June 28th, 2025 at 10:08am CST by Earnest Marshall

July 6: The one-for-one trade is official, according to a Bulls press release.

June 28: The Bulls are trading point guard Lonzo Ball to the Cavaliers in exchange for forward Isaac Okoro, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

Ball, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has played for Chicago since 2021. However, due to multiple knee injuries, he spent the better part of those four years recovering. He missed the entirety of the 2022/23 and ’23/24 seasons before returning to the lineup this past year.

While his playing time was down from his career averages this season, he still recorded 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per night and had positive on/off-court numbers.

The Bulls signed Ball to a two-year, $20MM extension in February despite trade interest at the time. He’s on the books for $10MM this coming season and has a team option for 2026/27.

Acquiring Ball gives Cleveland a versatile guard to add to its lineup. The 27-year-old has proven to be an effective defender, shooter and facilitator when healthy. The Cavs’ decision to acquire a point guard could also point to pessimism in their ability to re-sign impending free agent Ty Jerome.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are taking a flier of their own in obtaining former No. 5 overall pick Okoro. The Cavaliers didn’t re-sign Okoro to a multi-year contract until September of last year after he became a restricted free agent following the 2023/24 season.

Okoro’s playing time decreased in new head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s system, and he averaged career lows of 6.1 points and 19.1 minutes per game. In the playoffs, Okoro’s averages shrunk to 4.6 PPG across 14.2 MPG.

He’ll be in the second year of the three-year, $33MM deal he inked with Cleveland last year. He’ll count for $11MM against the cap in 2025/26 before his salary rises to a guaranteed $11.8MM next season.

Ball drew interest on the trade market prior to February’s deadline, with the Grizzlies, Pistons, and Timberwolves said to be among the teams to register interest at that time. The Bulls were reportedly offered draft capital in February, but didn’t want to take on a sizable multiyear contract.

Assuming the Ball/Okoro swap is completed as reported, it will hard-cap the Bulls at the first tax apron for the rest of the 2025/26 league year, since they’ll be taking in more salary than they’re sending out. The trade will become official in July, after the players’ new cap hits take effect.

Draft Notes: Proctor, Niang, Markovic, Grizzlies, Olbrich, Shulga

June 27th, 2025 at 12:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers intend to sign No. 49 overall pick Tyrese Proctor to a multiyear NBA contract, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). While most players in Proctor’s draft range will likely get two-way deals, the Cavs will benefit from a luxury tax perspective from having Proctor on their 15-man roster on the rookie minimum. They were also thrilled that they were able to draft him late in the second round.

“We had him almost as a first-round grade, so for him to fall to 49 was something we were very excited about,” general manager Mike Gansey said, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “… He came over to Duke a year earlier probably than he should have. We ended up seeing him at his pro day in California in May and I think he put on about 10 or 11 pounds, so he’s definitely worked on his body. Great kid and a worker.”

As for No. 58 pick Saliou Niang, the plan is for the Senegalese wing to spend next season in the EuroLeague with Virtus Bologna, says Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). It remains to be seen whether or not Niang will be on the Cavs’ Summer League team, Fedor writes in another Cleveland.com story.

“The last two seasons he’s gotten a lot better. The strides he has made have been pretty incredible,” Gansey said of Niang. “It’ll be a great opportunity for him to play at the highest level over there and we’ll be tracking him and keeping tabs on him.”

We have more on the contract situations for several second-round picks:

Speaking to reporters after Thursday’s draft, Bucks assistant general manager Milt Newton said the team isn’t sure yet whether No. 47 overall pick Bogoljub Markovic will be stashed overseas or whether he’ll be in Milwaukee next season, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Either way, Markovic will join the team for Summer League, according to Newton.
Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link) expects No. 48 pick Javon Small to end up on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, but isn’t certain what the future holds for Jahmai Mashack. The No. 59 pick may be competing for a two-way deal during Summer League, Herrington adds.
As Givony first reported on ESPN’s draft broadcast, Australian forward/center Lachlan Olbrich, the 55th overall pick on Thursday, is expected to come stateside and sign a two-way contract with the Bulls, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. Olbrich, 21, has been competing in Australia’s National Basketball League since 2021, so he already has a good deal of professional experience.
The third of three prospects drafted by the Celtics this week, No. 57 pick Max Shulga will be on a two-way contract with the team in 2025/26, reports Givony (Twitter link). Boston drafted Shulga with one of the picks the team acquired from Orlando earlier in the evening.

Bulls Issue Qualifying Offer To Josh Giddey

June 26th, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have tendered a qualifying offer to guard Josh Giddey, making him a restricted free agent, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

Giddey’s qualifying offer, which is determined by his draft slot, is a one-year contract offer worth roughly $11.14MM, but it essentially serves as a placeholder while he and the Bulls work out a new contract agreement — or while he pursues an offer sheet from a rival suitor.

As long as that qualifying offer is on the table, Chicago maintains the right of first refusal on Giddey, giving the club the opportunity to match any offer sheet he signs.

Giddey could accept the qualifying offer and play out next season on a one-year, $11.14MM deal if he chooses, which would set him up to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. But after a strong first season in Chicago, he appears to get a much more lucrative deal this summer, so that would likely be a last resort.

After being acquired from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso last summer, Giddey got off to a slow start as a Bull, averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game with a .439/.324/.750 shooting line through his first 40 outings.

However, the 22-year-old finished the season strong, taking on more offensive responsibilities following Chicago’s trade-deadline deal sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento. Giddey put up 18.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 7.8 APG on .490/.436/.799 shooting in his final 30 games.

Giddey, who was said to be seeking $30MM annually when he and the Bulls discussed a rookie scale extension last fall, is the No. 5 player on our list of this summer’s top 50 free agents.

In other minor restricted free agency news, Rockets big man N’Faly Dante has also received a qualifying offer, per RealGM. Dante’s QO is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal.

Dante made just four appearances at the NBA level in his rookie season in 2024/25, but had a strong debut season in the G League, averaging 16.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 2.2 BPG in 31 games (29.1 MPG) for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBAGL affiliate.

Lakers Trade 55th Pick, Cash To Bulls For 45th Pick

June 26th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Rory Maher

June 30: The trade is now official, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, who tweets that the Bulls received $2.5MM in cash in the deal, along with the draft rights to No. 55 pick Lachlan Olbrich, in exchange for the rights to No. 45 pick Rocco Zikarsky.

The Lakers subsequently traded up again – using the No. 45 pick and cash – to No. 36, but that trade won’t become official until after the July moratorium.

June 26: The Lakers are trading the 55th pick of the 2025 draft and cash to the Bulls for tonight’s 45th selection, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, the Lakers will now be hard-capped at the second tax apron for the 2025/26 season because they are sending out cash in the deal.

Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said during a Wednesday night press conference that Chicago was open to moving the No. 45 pick, either to move out of the second round or to select a draft-and-stash prospect. In this case the Bulls moved back 10 spots and added cash in the process.

Los Angeles is clearly targeting a player it likes and thinks will be available at No. 45 but may not have been at No. 55. In the past, sending out cash to move up in the draft wasn’t a big deal, but changes in the new CBA mean the Lakers will be unable to surpass the second apron — projected at $207.8MM — for next season.

Although they’ll lose a little bit of roster flexibility as a result of the trade, the Lakers were unlikely to exceed the second apron in ’25/26 anyway, notes Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Twitter link).

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the Hornets (either No. 33 or No. 34), Raptors (No. 39), Warriors (No. 41) and Thunder (No. 44) are also open to trading their second-round picks. ESPN identified Charlotte this morning as a team to monitor with one of its early second-rounders.

The Timberwolves (No. 31) are also fielding trade inquiries on the first pick of the second round, sources tell Fischer (Twitter link).

Trade Rumors: Lakers, Wiggins, Knicks, Celtics, Cavs, Bulls

June 26th, 2025 at 7:58am CST by Luke Adams

After previously reporting that the Lakers checked in with the Heat to inquire on Andrew Wiggins‘ price, Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints says the two teams have continued to explore the possibility of a Wiggins trade, though nothing is imminent.

As Irwin details, Rui Hachimura and his expiring contract would likely be the centerpiece of any deal, with another expiring contract (either Maxi Kleber‘s or Gabe Vincent‘s) necessary for salary-matching purposes. According to Irwin, league sources believe the Heat would also try to push for the inclusion of 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht.

A source tells Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat are “very open” to moving Wiggins, who was part of last season’s Jimmy Butler trade with Golden State. Trading him for expiring salaries would create additional cap flexibility for Miami in the summer of 2026.

The Lakers are also scouring the trade market for help at the center position, Irwin continues, but he has heard from league sources that the front office believes the asking price for big men so far has been too high. As a result, it’s possible Los Angeles will look to use the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to address the center position while trying to upgrade other areas of the roster on the trade market, Irwin explains.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors from around the NBA:

Mikal Bridges‘ and Mitchell Robinson‘s names have surfaced in Knicks trade talks this offseason, according to Frank Isola of YES Network (Twitter link). Bridges and Robinson will also both be eligible to sign contract extensions beginning in July, so I’d expect New York to explore both scenarios before determining how best to move forward.
Prior to Wednesday’s first round, the Celtics touched base with teams in the lottery, including the Spurs at No. 14, but didn’t end up finding a deal they liked, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. While Jaylen Brown and Derrick White rumors have circulated this week, Sam Hauser is considered Boston’s top current trade candidate — Chris Mannix of SI.com said during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast that there has been a “robust” market for Hauser (Twitter video link).
The Cavaliers explored the possibility of trading into the first round on Wednesday, with a few picks considered to be available, but didn’t find any opportunities they deemed worthwhile, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The team holds the 49th and 58th overall picks on Thurday.
During a press conference on Wednesday night, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said Chicago spoke to a few teams about moving up before deciding to stand pat at No. 12 and select Noa Essengue. Everseley added that the Bulls may end up trading tonight’s No. 45 pick or using it on a draft-and-stash prospect (Twitter links via Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times).

Bulls Select Noa Essengue With 12th Overall Pick

June 25th, 2025 at 8:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have used the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft to select Noa Essengue, the first prospect who has been playing overseas to come off the board.

Essengue, a 6’10” forward from France, signed with Ratiopharm Ulm in July 2023. He spent most of his first season with Ulm’s developmental team, but played a key role for the German club this past season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23.7 minutes per game across 18 EuroCup appearances.

Essengue, who is the second-youngest player in the 2025 draft, was actually still playing for Ratiopharm Ulm as recently as Saturday, but left Germany to travel stateside for this week’s draft with Ulm holding a 2-1 lead over Bayern Munich in the best-of-five Basketball Bundesliga championship.

Because Essengue didn’t play college basketball in the United States, most American fans may not be familiar with his game. He’s mobile for his size and can guard a variety of players, but he still needs to develop his outside shot.

He’ll be a welcome addition for a Bulls team that’s loaded with guards, but low on players with size. He’ll likely need time to develop into an effective NBA player, and he may not be asked to contribute a lot right away. Chicago has other options to upgrade at power forward, especially if a rumored deal to acquire Jonathan Kuminga goes through.

Essengue reportedly had a “secret” private workout with Toronto after arriving from Germany, and there was speculation he could be taken as high as No. 9. Brooklyn and Phoenix also expressed interest, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.

Trade Rumors: Giannis, K. Murray, Ellis, P. Williams, Heat

June 24th, 2025 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade and the Bucks are reportedly focused on improving their roster around him, but teams around the NBA continue to monitor the situation, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who said on First Take (YouTube link) that potential Antetokounmpo suitors are hoping he won’t be thrilled by the moves Milwaukee makes in the coming days and weeks.

“The Bucks have seven free agents. Seven. Three or four of which I would refer to as core players,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “The Bucks do not have salary cap space. The Bucks do not control their first-round draft pick for the next five years. They can’t trade it — they can’t trade the pick or the swap. The Bucks are in situation where they cannot count on Dame Lillard for next year. Maybe he can come back, but they cannot count on it. The Bucks are not interested right now in trading Giannis Antetokounmpo. And Giannis, to our knowledge, to my belief, has not asked for a trade. Those are the facts.

“We are also before the draft. We are before free agency. Will the Bucks do some things over the next two, three weeks to put themselves in a position where they can look like they could win the Eastern Conference, with those limitations? Maybe.”

Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith interjected at that point to say that the Bucks’ odds of reemerging as an Eastern Conference favorite seem “highly unlikely.”

“Right, so that’s why the league is waiting,” Windhorst continued. “People want to know why aren’t the Knicks going all-in for Kevin Durant? Why aren’t the Heat going all-in for Kevin Durant? Because, in part – there’s other reasons, but in part -they want to see what happens here with the Bucks. And we’re going to be watching closely.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Checking in on the Kings‘ roster situation and potential trade candidates ahead of the draft, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports that the team wants to add “length and athleticism” in its frontcourt and is hoping to add a power forward/center in order to slide Keegan Murray back to small forward. According to Anderson, Murray and Keon Ellis have been generating “strong” trade interest, but Sacramento isn’t enthusiastic about moving either player.
The Bulls‘ front office has been “more responsive” to trade conversations this offseason than in the past, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley suggests that forward Patrick Williams is viewed as a prime candidate for Chicago, though the former No. 4 overall pick – who hasn’t taken a major step forward in recent years – still has four seasons and $72MM left on his current contract, which will make it difficult to move him for positive value without a sweetener attached.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania provided a little more information on what the Heat would’ve have had to give up to get Durant from the Suns, supplementing prior reporting from The Miami Herald. In order to keep Kel’el Ware out of a Durant deal, Miami likely would have had to put Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, the No. 20 overall pick, and a pick swap in its package, according to Charania. The Heat’s final offer reportedly fell well short of that.