Bulls Rumors

Central Notes: Mitchell, Pistons, Pacers, Bulls

January 3rd, 2025 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Donovan Mitchell‘s points per game (23.7), assists per game (4.6), shot attempts per game (18.3), and usage rate (30.1%) are all down from where they were last year, but the Cavaliers certainly haven’t missed that production from the star guard, winning 29 of their first 33 games this season.

As Brian Windhorst of ESPN details, Mitchell’s willingness to take a step back and defer to teammates has paid off in a major way — his three-point percentage is a career-best 41.5% and Cleveland has the NBA’s No. 1 offense (121.3 offensive rating).

“He was an All-NBA (caliber) player last year because of how much he did for them and having to play a lot at point guard,” an advance scout told Windhorst. “This year, he’s probably going to make All-NBA because he’s pulling back and encouraging his teammates to have bigger roles. … I’ll tell you what, they were a lot easier to defend last year when he was a one-man show.”

One reason for Mitchell’s dip in production is the fact that he’s averaging a career-low 31.5 minutes per game. As Windhorst explains, new head coach Kenny Atkinson helped develop a plan coming into the season to keep the five-time All-Star fresher and reduce the stress on his knee, which was an issue at times last season. It has paid off so far, as Mitchell has missed just one game and several of his teammates – including All-Star candidates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley – are enjoying career years.

“Donovan is so selfless and he empowers people. (Stephen Curry) is like this, too. They’re so positive, they know how to uplift others around them,” said Atkinson, a former Warriors assistant. “That’s the ultimate leader, right?”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Hunter Patterson of The Athletic explores how Jaden Ivey‘s extended absence due to a leg injury will affect the Pistons‘ rotation, while Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) posits that not having Ivey available will give the team an opportunity to experiment with lineups. Ausar Thompson and Malik Beasley are among the candidates to be promoted to the starting five, while Marcus Sasser and Wendell Moore could see increased roles.
The Pacers are hovering around .500 after making the Eastern Conference Finals last season and project to be a taxpayer next season if they bring back starting center Myles Turner, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who considers what the next move is for Indiana. A consolidation trade that moves out a couple of their higher-paid bench players may be in the Pacers’ best interests, Katz suggests.
After a week in which the Bulls needed overtime to beat the lowly Hornets and then were defeated by the lowlier Wizards, Joe Cowley calls out the front office in a column for The Chicago Sun-Times, arguing for roster changes sooner rather than later to ensure the team keeps its top-10 protected pick in the 2025 draft and adds a much-needed building block.

Central Notes: Allen, Cavs, Giannis, Buzelis

January 1st, 2025 at 8:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

As he watches he role with the Cavaliers change this season, center Jarrett Allen remains a key part of the best team in the league by record in 2024/25, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Allen has ceded some touches and minutes to rising forward Evan Mobley this season, in an effort to help the All-Defensive Teamer take the next step in his own game. Fedor notes that Allen has occasionally even been on the bench late in games so Mobley can play center.

“Evan has been amazing this year,” Allen said. “I have always wanted to push him forward no matter what. Whether it’s taking the toughest assignment on defense so he can shine and have more energy on offense or just being in the dunker spot so he can have more room. Whatever I have to do to make him the best player, so he can unlock this offense and unlock this team, I’m willing to do it.”

Allen has seen his own numbers decline a little this season. After averaging a career-high 16.5 points per game last season, the 6’11” big man is averaging 13.7 PPG on an efficient 69.5% shooting from the floor, along with 10.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per night.

“He is just willing to do what it takes to win, whatever that ask is and it could be different every night,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He’s a huge cog. He is invaluable. When he plays at a top level, we are really hard to beat.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

The Cavaliers’ 122-110 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday extended their win streak to eight games, observes Fedor in another Cleveland.com story. Each of those wins was by a double-digit margin. Cleveland is now 29-4 on the year, good for a 72-win pace. “We know it’s about playoff performance,” Atkinson said. “That’s what it comes down to. You don’t want to be that team that everyone says, ‘Oh, they’re a good regular season team.’” Lakers head coach JJ Redick had high praise for Cleveland after the loss dropped his team to an 18-14 record. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (via Twitter), Redick believes clubs need to play “close to perfect basketball” to defeat the Cavaliers.
All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gave the Bucks an instant spark upon returning to the team from a four-game absence, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The two-time MVP helped his team rally out of a 19-point third quarter hole against Indiana, eventually resulting in a 27-point swing and a surprise 120-112 win. “We’re still a work in progress is what it says,” head coach Doc Rivers said of the comeback. “What [it] also says is having Giannis and Dame [All-Star point guard (Damian Lillard) on the floor allows you to close a lot better and that’s why we closed tonight.”
Though Bulls rookie forward Matas Buzelis was selected with the No. 11 pick in this past summer’s draft, he has been played sparingly by head coach Billy Donovan for much of his first pro season. Donovan recently reiterated that he is prioritizing more veteran players over Buzelis with an eye towards winning, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “The balance between (Buzelis) and also the responsibility to try and make decisions that I feel are the best to put the team in position to win,” Donovan said. “This is not to be critical of Matas, but when there are things going on out there that he is not doing a good enough job on, I can’t just keep on keeping him out there. He’s got to have a level of responsibility.”

Bulls Notes: White, Donsunmu, LaVine, Ball

December 31st, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are among the Bulls players who could be moved by the trade deadline, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. While most trade rumors involving the team tend to focus on Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, Cowley notes that Chicago will be spending a lot of money on its backcourt next season if the current roster stays together.

White is currently making $12MM and is owed $12.9MM next year, which is a team-friendly contract for a player who just finished second in the Most Improved Player voting. There may be a market for him as well as Dosunmu, who is earning $7MM this season and $7.5MM in 2025/26. Cowley notes that if LaVine stays and Josh Giddey gets re-signed, the Bulls could be spending more than $70MM on their starting backcourt.

‘‘I don’t tend to worry about it because it’s completely out of everyone’s hands besides the front office,’’ White said. ‘‘Since I’ve been in the league, teams have totally changed. Me and Zach are the only ones still on the team [from my rookie year], so I’ve seen what it’s like to have your whole team shipped out. I’ve seen what it’s like to have a different head coach from when I started, a different front office. So it’s just business, and I had to learn that. And it’s one of those lessons you better learn quickly.’’

There’s more from Chicago:

LaVine took off his left sock to show reporters the toe injury that forced him to miss Monday’s game at Charlotte and quell any speculation that he might be sitting out due to an impending trade, Cowley states in a separate story. LaVine vowed to be ready for Wednesday’s contest at Washington, but the team will see how he feels during shootaround before making a decision.
White believes the up-tempo style that coach Billy Donovan adopted this year will be a selling point for free agents this summer, Cowley adds. “I think it’s attractive because it’s kind of moving to the modern-day NBA,” White said. “The pace we play at, the amount of threes we shoot, the amount of freedom everybody has, I think any basketball player would want to play in this system. Who doesn’t want to play fast, get up and down, get open shots, be able to attack in transition and then have the freedom to make plays offensively where everybody gets the ball and has opportunities? I think it has really been working for us.”
Ball is still restricted to a maximum of 20 minutes per game and isn’t permitted to play on back-to-back nights, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. A sprained wrist he suffered early in the season, along with an illness, have kept the minutes restriction in place longer than expected, but Donovan indicated that Ball’s role may increase in January. “I can do a lot in 20 minutes,” Ball said. “Obviously I want to play more, but we’ve got to be smart. It’s gonna be a slow process. I knew that. I just want to play.” The doctor he consulted suggested surgery on the wrist, but Ball wasn’t willing to consider that option after missing more than two full years due to repeated knee issues.

Scotto’s Latest: C. Johnson, Nuggets, Bulls, Ingram, Pelicans, Poeltl

December 31st, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The “growing belief” around the NBA that it will take more than one first-round pick to pry forward Cameron Johnson away from the Nets due to his strong play this season and the team-friendly descending/flat structure of his contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Johnson has base salaries of $22.5MM this season, $20.5MM in 2025/26, and $22.5MM in ’26/27.

However, Johnson’s deal also includes significant unlikely incentives of $4.5MM this season, $4.1MM next season, and $4.5MM in ’26/27. Those incentives count against the apron, complicating matters for a potential suitor right up against a hard cap, such as the Warriors.

Golden State and Brooklyn discussed Johnson before agreeing to their Dennis Schröder trade, but those conversations were always considered exploratory and Jonathan Kuminga‘s name wasn’t part of them, says Scotto. Among Pacific playoff hopefuls, the Kings may be a more serious suitor for Johnson, having long expressed interest in him, Scotto notes.

Here are a few more interesting tidbits from Scotto:

There’s “growing pessimism” that the Nuggets and Bulls will make a deal centered around Zach LaVine and Michael Porter Jr., league sources tell HoopsHype. As Scotto explains, Chicago doesn’t want to take on Zeke Nnaji‘s four-year contract and doesn’t want to have to give up assets to get a third team to take it. However, Denver may have to include Nnaji for salary-matching purposes and might not have the draft capital necessary to incentivize a third team to acquire him.
Confirming a previous report that the Jazz and Pelicans briefly discussed Brandon Ingram before he made it clear he didn’t want to sign long-term in Utah, Scotto says the two teams “kicked around” the idea of a package that would’ve included John Collins and draft compensation before talks fizzled out.
Scotto also confirms that the Pelicans will look to duck out of luxury tax territory by moving a player or two prior to February 6. Assuming New Orleans is able to open up a roster spot and has enough room below the tax line, the team would like to promote two-way player Brandon Boston to its standard roster, Scotto adds.
Although Toronto hasn’t made starting center Jakob Poeltl via trade, teams around the NBA are monitoring the situation in case that stance changes before February 6, Scotto writes. The Raptors believe Poeltl, who is under contract through at least 2026, fits with their young core, according to Scotto, who suggests an inflection point could come this summer, when the big man becomes extension-eligible again.
In case you missed it, we rounded up a few more of Scotto’s latest rumors in a separate story focused on Pacific teams.

Pelicans Rumors: Williamson, Ingram, Potential Trades

December 31st, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran agent Bill Duffy, who is representing Zion Williamson after the Pelicans forward parted with CAA earlier in the season, doesn’t intend to push New Orleans to move his client before this season’s trade deadline, sources tell Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks of ESPN.

The focus for both the Pelicans and Williamson’s camp, according to MacMahon and Marks, is to get the 24-year-old back on the court in the coming weeks for the first time since a hamstring strain sidelined him on November 6. The former No. 1 overall pick went through some non-contact work on Monday, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic, and the team announced last week that he’s expected to begin practicing in full very soon.

“Let’s ramp him up and create value for him,” a source said, “whether that’s with the Pelicans or another team.”

Within their deep dive into Williamson’s situation, MacMahon and Marks consider whether a trade would be a viable option for the Pelicans, exploring what the forward’s value on the market would be and what teams might be interested. According to ESPN’s duo, executives trying to come up with a logical landing spot for the former Blue Devil suggested he might make sense for a veteran team seeking another star, like the Warriors, or a retooling club looking to move off big contract of its own, like the Bulls with Zach LaVine.

A rebuilding team looking to roll the dice on a player with star potential at a discounted price could also be a fit, some of ESPN’s sources suggested. One Eastern executive who spoke to ESPN called Williamson’s trade value “the hardest question to answer in the NBA” at the moment.

“It’s really hard to see anybody paying a ton for him right now, but there are a very limited number of players in the league when healthy who are at or near the franchise-player tier,” that exec said. “The only way you win at the highest level is to have a guy who can do the type of things he can do if he’s healthy.

“I would probably do something stupid to get him if it were me making decisions.”

Here’s more on Williamson and the Pelicans:

Williamson’s 2025/26 salary of $39.4MM will likely become at least 20% guaranteed, since he’s on track to meet the weight benchmarks in his contract, sources tell MacMahon and Marks. However, he has missed too many games to reach the 61-game threshold, which means no more than 80% of his total salary for next season will be guaranteed entering the summer. Assuming he passes his required weigh-ins, Williamson can increase his partial guarantee to 60% by playing in at least 41 games or 80% by playing in at least 51.
Despite the structure of his contract, which will remain non-guaranteed beyond ’25/26, the Pelicans don’t consider waiving Williamson in the offseason in order to generate cap flexibility to be a feasible path to improving their roster, per MacMahon and Marks, given that the team still wouldn’t have maximum-salary cap room and New Orleans has never been a free agent destination anyway.
Finding a trade for forward Brandon Ingram remains the top priority for the Pelicans’ front office in the short term, sources tell ESPN. Ingram is on an expiring deal and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 if he’s not extended before then.
William Guillory of The Athletic fields several hypothetical trade ideas from Pelicans fans, evaluating each suggestion and considering whether the Pelicans or their proposed trade partner is more likely to pass on each offer.

Kings Notes: Trade Talks, Brown, Fox, Carter

December 30th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Rory Maher

As the Kings began to slide down the Western Conference standings over the past several weeks, the front office contemplated making smaller trades “just to change things up,” and also discussed larger deals involving Bulls wing Zach LaVine, Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Nets guard Cam Thomas, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, league sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

According to Shelburne, the Kings consulted with former head coach Mike Brown on whether to make roster or coaching staff changes prior to parting ways with the 2023 Coach of the Year.

“Nobody wanted to fire Mike,” one Kings source told Shelburne. “He’s a good coach. People here really care about him. Until the very last moment we were trying to make it work.”

Sources tell Shelburne that general manager Monte McNair, assistant GM Wes Wilcox, team president Matina Kolokotronis and owner Vivek Ranadive had “several calls and meetings” to discuss Brown’s future with the organization during Sacramento’s recent 0-5 homestand. McNair ultimately called Brown to inform him of the decision as Brown was driving to the airport to board a team flight to L.A. — the timing and execution of the move drew criticism from around the NBA.

After speaking to Brown, McNair and Wilcox called De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis to let them know, but none were consulted beforehand, Shelburne reports.

Shelburne also confirms a report from The Athletic stating that Kings players had grown weary of Brown publicly bashing the team in post-game press conferences.

For what it’s worth, Marc Stein writes that it’s a “struggle to find anyone around the league” who thinks the firing of Brown was justified (Substack link).

Here’s more on the Kings:

There has been some speculation that Fox may have been unhappy with Brown, in part because of the way the veteran coach criticized him for committing a disastrous foul in the closing seconds of Thursday’s loss to Detroit, but the former All-Star tells Shelburne he enjoys being coached hard and was on good terms with Brown. “I feel like there’s this perception that people thought that we were at odds,” Fox says. “You can ask anybody in this organization: me and Mike have never even had an argument. We could disagree with something. We talked about it and it was gone.”
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there have been “grumblings in NBA circles” suggesting that Fox will ask to be traded before the February 6 deadline. With that in mind, Pincus comes up with a hypothetical deal that sees Fox land with the Rockets.
Rookie guard Devin Carter made his NBA G League debut with the Stockton Kings on Saturday and was recalled prior to Sunday’s matchup with the Lakers, though he didn’t end up playing in what would have been a back-to-back (Twitter link via Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento). Still, it’s obviously a positive development, as Carter is inching closer to making his NBA regular season debut following offseason shoulder surgery.

Trade Rumors: Grizzlies, Nets, C. Johnson, Wizards, Lakers

December 30th, 2024 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

After Michael Scotto reported on Sunday that the Grizzlies wanted to include top-15 protection on their 2025 first-round pick in their offer to the Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith, Marc Stein writes at The Stein Line (Substack link) that one source said the protection on that pick was actually top-17.

Brian Lewis of The New York Post, confirming that the protection on the pick the Grizzlies offered was so heavy that “it might never have conveyed,” adds (via Twitter) that Memphis was asking for the Nets’ own 2025 second-round pick in return. Based on the current standings, those two selections are just 11 picks apart at No. 26 and No. 37, per Tankathon, and they could end up even closer than that if Brooklyn moves further down the standings.

As Stein explains, the Nets were more inclined to take the Lakers’ offer for Finney-Smith since it added three future second-round picks to their stash without requiring them to give up any draft assets of their own. It also didn’t include any guaranteed salary beyond this season, whereas the Grizzlies’ offer would’ve meant taking back John Konchar, whose deal is guaranteed through 2026/27.

Now that they’ve missed out on Finney-Smith, it wouldn’t surprise anyone around the NBA if the Grizzlies continue talking to the Nets and pivot to pursuing forward Cameron Johnson, according to Stein, who adds that Memphis is expected to continue shopping Konchar.

Brooklyn is said to be seeking multiple first-round picks for Johnson, but they were also asking for a first-round pick for both Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder and ultimately settled for second-rounders, Stein observes. That doesn’t mean they’ll take second-rounders for Johnson too, but it suggests the asking price of “multiple first-round picks” may come down a little before February 6.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from across the league:

Many league observers had been expecting the Lakers to pursue the Wizards duo of Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas and were surprised to see them make a deal with Brooklyn, according to Stein. Los Angeles could still technically make a deal for both of those two Wizards, but it would be difficult to land more than one of them without D’Angelo Russell‘s expiring contract. “I like the combo of Finney-Smith and (Shake) Milton better for the Lakers than the two Washington guys,” one longtime talent evaluator told Stein.
Citing team and league sources, Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirms that the Lakers will continue exploring the trade market for additional upgrades ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. For now, the Lakers’ plan is to assess Finney-Smith’s fit with the current group and make a decision close to the trade deadline on whether it makes sense to give up one or both of their tradable first-rounders (2029 and 2031) in another deal.
Given that Schröder and Finney-Smith were traded for second-round compensation, teams pursuing a first-round pick in exchange for their role-player trade candidates might have trouble getting the return they’re seeking, Stein notes, pointing to Bulls center Nikola Vucevic and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma as a couple examples. Valanciunas, Brogdon, Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, and Raptors teammates Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown are a few of the players believed to be available for second-round picks, Stein adds.

Bulls Notes: Giddey, Dosunmu, Trade Talks, Buzelis

December 29th, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Josh Giddey returned to the lineup with a triple-double Saturday night as the Bulls got a much-needed win over Milwaukee, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. He missed the previous four games with a sprained right ankle that was originally feared to be much worse than it turned out to be. Giddey sparked the team with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, but he preferred to talk about his improved defense.

“Taking more pride on that side of the ball is something I wanted to buy into probably 10, 12 games ago,” he said. “I met with (coach Billy Donovan), and we spoke about it in order to close games and be an impact. Even when offense isn’t going great, you’ve got to be locked in on that side of the ball. So, I really tried to hone in that side. It’s not going to be perfect. It won’t be for anybody, but I just made an emphasis to really be locked in on that side of the ball.”

Giddey realized he needed to upgrade his defense after a November 15 game in which the Cavaliers repeatedly targeted him on that end of the court, Mayberry adds. He responded to the experience with extra film study and a commitment to bring more effort to his defensive responsibilities.

“There’s only so much film you can watch,” he said. “It’s your will and your want to do it. I flipped that switch, and I want to do it now. It’s something I’ve wanted to take pride in and put myself in those positions where I have to sit down and guard the ball. I’ve really tried to lock in on that side of the ball and make an emphasis of standing my ground and not being the weak link on that side of the ball. You get to a point in your NBA career where you are who you are, and I didn’t want to be that way on the defensive side.”

There’s more from Chicago:

Ayo Dosunmu will be reevaluated in 10 days after straining his lower right calf in a December 23 game, the Bulls announced (via Twitter). He sat out Thursday’s contest with a sore Achilles, and medical imaging on Friday revealed the cause of the pain, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Let it calm down,” Donovan said. “No tears or anything like that, but certainly a strain showed up. With the way he plays, it’s probably in an area that will continue to cause problems unless he rests it. You’re always going to be susceptible to causing more problems. It was something that was caught earlier, which is a positive.” Cowley notes that Dosunmu was coming off his best stretch of the season, averaging 14.2 points and 6.4 assists in his last nine games.
The Bulls appear to be quiet in trade talks, as Donovan indicated that team vice president Arturas Karnisovas hasn’t contacted him about any serious proposals, Cowley adds in a separate story. “I think he’s always been respectful that we’ve got games coming, and we’re talking about the team, the roster, where we’re at now, how we get better, how we improve, those type of things,” Donovan said. “But there hasn’t been anything of substance of ‘Hey, this is where things are at.'”
Matas Buzelis may already be the Bulls’ best shot blocker, notes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. The rookie forward had two more blocks Saturday night and leads the team in that category even though he’s only ninth in minutes played.

Bulls Sign Emanuel Miller To Two-Way Deal, Waive DJ Steward

December 28th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 28: The Bulls officially signed Miller to his two-way contract, according to a release from the team. The team waived Steward to make room for Miller. Steward didn’t appear in a game for the Bulls but averaged 19.9 points and 7.5 assists per contest in the G League this season.

DECEMBER 27: The Bulls are signing free agent forward Emanuel Miller to a two-way contract, agents Mike George and Shy Saee tell Jamal Collier of ESPN (Twitter link).

Miller went undrafted in 2024 after playing five collegiate seasons — two at Texas A&M and then his final three at TCU. In 2023/24 with the Horned Frogs, Miller averaged 15.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals while posting a .486/.383/.815 shooting line in 34 games (32.6 minutes).

The 24-year-old signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Mavericks over the summer, then was waived before the ’24/25 season began. He has posted impressive numbers for their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, averaging 18.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on .483/.375/.750 shooting in 16 games (37.5 minutes).

As our tracker shows, Chicago’s two-way spots are currently occupied by Adama Sanogo, DJ Steward and E.J. Liddell. One of those players will have to be released to make room for Miller.

A native of Canada, Miller is the older brother of Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller.

Assuming he officially signs with Chicago on Friday or Saturday, Miller will be eligible to appear in up to 31 NBA games this season, a prorated portion of the usual 50-game limit.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Vucevic, Ball, Giddey, Dosunmu, Carter

December 27th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there have been “whispers” about the Lakers as a possible landing spot for Bulls guard Zach LaVine for the better part of a year, the pieces that would need to be included in a deal between the two teams wouldn’t fit for Chicago, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, making Los Angeles an unlikely landing spot for LaVine.

Cowley, who previously confirmed that there was some “light momentum” in LaVine talks between the Bulls and Nuggets, says no additional progress has been made. The two teams have sent each other feelers about what a trade might look like, but discussions haven’t gone beyond that.

Cowley also takes a look at where things stand with Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball, noting that the Bulls would ideally like to get draft assets and expiring salaries in exchange for both players.

While one report stated that Chicago is seeking a first-round pick in return for Vucevic, a source who spoke to Cowley suggests that’s not necessarily the case and that a package of multiple second-rounders is a more realistic return. Second-round draft compensation and matching expiring money would likely also be a best scenario in a Ball deal, Cowley adds.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Point guard Josh Giddey, who has missed four straight games due to a sprained right ankle, is listed as questionable to play on Saturday vs. Milwaukee, as are Ball (illness) and Matas Buzelis (illness). According to Cowley, head coach Billy Donovan seems confident that Ball will be available and said Giddey might be too. “I wouldn’t say it’s a long shot, but a lot is going to depend on how he responds off (Thursday’s) workout and then probably get another one in (Friday),” Donovan said of Giddey’s potential return. “That will probably be a pretty good tell on if he’ll be available on Saturday.”
While Giddey and Ball may be back on Saturday, it sounds like another injured Bulls guard, Ayo Dosunmu, will miss a little more time. He’s listed as doubtful to play in the Milwaukee game due to a right soleus (calf) strain. “It’s kind of lingered a little bit, gotten sorer and sorer,” Donovan said, per Cowley. “Some of it may be his minutes, I don’t know, but enough that they want to evaluate it and look at it. He is uncomfortable with it right now in terms of planting, pushing off, springing, jumping, that kind of stuff is bothering him.”
With the Bulls’ backcourt banged up, veteran guard Jevon Carter played 36 minutes and scored 26 points in Thursday’s loss to Atlanta. It was just the second time this season he’s played double-digit minutes and it was his highest-scoring game since he joined the Bulls as a free agent in 2023. In a separate story for The Chicago-Sun Times, Cowley writes that Carter has maintained a positive attitude despite his limited role as a Bull. “I’m happy for him personally, just because all of the time he puts in,” Donovan said. “The opportunities have been limited, but the ability and the maturity competitively just to keep himself ready at all times is really impressive to me. To see him rewarded for the work he puts in was great.”

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