Chicago Bulls Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Named Players Of The Week

November 24th, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).

Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to four wins during the week of November 17-23 while averaging 31.0 points and 6.5 assists per contest and shooting 60% from the field and 64.3% from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was +82 in SGA’s 125 minutes on the court last week.

Gilgeous-Alexander also earned Player of the Week honors three weeks ago and is the second repeat winner of the award this season, joining Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Mitchell posted averages of 31.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as the Cavaliers went 3-1 this past week. He opened and closed the week with matching 37-point performances against the Bucks and Clippers, going 14-of-22 from the field in each of those two outings.

Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Luka Doncic (Lakers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), James Harden (Clippers) and Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees for Player of the Week.

Jalen Duren (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware (Heat), Ryan Rollins (Bucks) and Franz Wagner (Magic) were also nominated in the East.

Injury Notes: Shannon, Shamet, Barrett, Bulls

November 23rd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Terrence Shannon Jr. has been cleared for full-contact, five-on-five practice, the Timberwolves announced in a press release. He is being listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Kings.

Shannon has missed the last nine games for the Wolves with a left foot fifth metatarsal bone bruise. After playing 339 regular season minutes in his rookie season, he saw his playing time increase following the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but has struggled to increase his production in the early going, averaging 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game through the team’s first seven contests.

In Shannon’s absence, Minnesota has turned to Jaylen Clark, Bones Hyland, and Leonard Miller, among others. The Wolves are 10-6 on the season and have gone 8-3 in their last 11 games.

We have more injury notes from around the league:

Landry Shamet exited the Knicks‘ loss to the Magic in the first quarter and is now listed as out for Monday’s game against the Nets with a sprained right shoulder, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Bondy notes that head coach Mike Brown stated Landry would have a full evaluation in “the coming days,” and that this designation is only tied to the next game’s status. Shamet has been a productive role player for the Knicks this season, starting six games and averaging 9.3 PPG on 42.4% shooting from deep.
RJ Barrett exited the Raptors‘ win against the Nets on Sunday early with a right knee sprain after landing awkwardly on a dunk, reports Danielle Michaud, as relayed by Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link). According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (via Twitter), Barrett will get imaging done on his knee on Monday.
Isaac Okoro and Dalen Terry are listed as out for the Bulls‘ game against the Pelicans on Monday, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Kevin Huerter and Patrick Williams are listed as questionable with an illness and wrist injury, respectively.

Bulls Notes: Buzelis, Essengue, Smith, Vucevic

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

Matas Buzelis has embraced the physicality and gritty style of play demanded by the Bulls and head coach Billy Donovan, writes Joe Cowley for the Chicago Sun-Times. The transformation began in the offseason, when Buzelis added 10 pounds of muscle in preparation for stepping into a starring role for Chicago.

“I said before the season started that this would be a great year of growth for him because he’s going to see things he hasn’t seen his rookie season,” Donovan said. “The thing I love about Matas is he leans into it and he’s eager to improve.”

The second-year forward has raised his averages is nearly every meaningful category so far in his second NBA season. He’s currently contributing 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 27.8 minutes per game, and he’s embracing the increased focus that comes from his newfound status on the team.

“Most of the time the best defender is guarding me and that puts a target on my back,” Buzelis said. “I like that, that’s how I’m going to get better and stride forward.”

We have more from the Bulls:

After being selected 12th overall in the 2025 draft, Noa Essengue finally made his NBA debut in the Bulls’ 16th game of the season. The patience he displayed in waiting for his chance to take the floor extended to his first stint on the floor, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, who notes that a single missed field goal represented Essengue’s only contribution to the box score in four minutes of action. Still, he wasn’t discouraged by the outing or by the time it took to get there. “It was nice to get on the court with my teammates since I’ve worked two or three months now,” Essengue said. “I just enjoyed it. I know I don’t got a lot of time so I just tried to enjoy every moment.” Even that brief appearance provided Donovan with some insights to take away. “I’d like to see him get his motor going a little bit more,” the Bulls’ coach said, “but I was happy I could throw him in there for a few minutes.”
Donovan hinted that Jalen Smith will likely be in the rotation even when Zach Collins returns from wrist surgery, reports Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic, who says (via Twitter) that Donovan compared it to how the Spurs and Cavaliers use their big men. “We may have to look at two bigs together some, or playing three bigs rotationally,” Donovan said. “I think we gotta find what’s best to play all three.” Smith has performed well for the 9-7 Bulls, averaging 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in just 16.4 minutes per night while shooting 37.1% from three.
The Bulls came out of Saturday’s game against the Wizards with a one-point win, but Nikola Vucevic was unimpressed by the team’s mentality, writes Lorenzi for The Athletic. “For three quarters, we were very soft,” Vucevic said. “We gave no resistance. We didn’t do anything that we talked about. Just played really soft. It was really bad… I don’t think we understand that it’s just not sustainable to play this way.” Buzelis, whose celebration of the victory irked Vucevic during a post-game interview (Twitter video link), conceded his teammate’s point when he spoke to reporters a little later. “He believes that we should beat that team by a lot more, and I totally agree with him,” Buzelis said. “He has every right to be upset. We have to be better, for sure.”

Bulls Notes: Huerter, Williams, Vucevic, Ring Of Honor

November 22nd, 2025 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls were down to seven available players by the end of Friday’s game against Miami, losing Matas Buzelis (right ankle sprain) and Dalen Terry (left calf strain) to injuries and Kevin Huerter to an ejection, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. The incident involving Huerter typified a frustrating night that ended with a 36-point loss that probably ended Chicago’s chances of advancing in NBA Cup play.

Huerter was tossed with 8:18 left in the third quarter after being called for a foul when he tried to block a shot by Pelle Larsson. He slapped the ball toward the scorer’s table, but it bounced and hit referee Che Flores before it got there. Huerter said it wasn’t intentional, but after a review it was determined that the act met “the standards of an ejection.”

“I didn’t get much explanation,” Huerter said. “Apologies to that ref, think it was Che. Wasn’t malicious, wasn’t intended to be aggressive toward her. I don’t know the rule, so I guess now I’m aware.”

Buzelis is listed as questionable and Terry is doubtful for Saturday’s matchup with Washington, Lorenzi tweets. Also listed as questionable are Huerter (illness), Isaac Okoro (lumber radiculopathy) and Patrick Williams (wrist sprain).

There’s more from Chicago:

Williams credits mental adjustments for his improved performance in his sixth NBA season, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times (subscription required). Cowley points out that the sixth-year forward has a positive plus-minus rating for the first time in his career and seems to be thriving in the Bulls’ uptempo attack. Williams said he’s never “really cared too much” about the outside criticism he’s received since being selected with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. “Obviously, knowing my body now and what I need to do to be ready for the game helps,” he added. “From that standpoint there’s less overthinking. ‘What am I doing in the game, how am I jumping, how am I landing?’ None of that. I’m just playing, just playing, and I still think I can play a lot better for sure, but in terms of making the read, miss a shot, make a shot, just a next-play mentality. That’s kind of when I play my best.”
Coach Billy Donovan calls Nikola Vucevic, who hit a game-winning shot Wednesday night at Portland, a “calming force” in clutch situations, Cowley adds in a separate story. The veteran center has raised his assist numbers this season and considers himself to be a “connector” in Chicago’s offense. “He’s got this kind of idea of how the game should be played,” Donovan said. “Like he likes the ball movement, the cutting, the passing, and the unselfishness. He’s always been a big believer in that, and so am I. When the ball is in his hands, it’s not so much about him shooting, but he generally connects our team in a lot of ways.”
Former Bulls player and executive John Paxson will be among the new members welcomed into the team’s Ring of Honor during tonight’s game, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). The others are Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant and Neil Funk, along with Norm Van Lier and Johnny Bach, who will be inducted posthumously.

Bontemps’ Latest: Davis, Morant, Markkanen, Kings, Nets, More

November 21st, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Mavericks decide to move Anthony Davis prior to the trade deadline, the expectation is that the return would resemble what Phoenix got for Kevin Durant rather than a haul that features several first-round picks, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. In other words, Dallas probably shouldn’t count on getting more than a couple solid players and a single first-rounder.

Although many of the sources who spoke to Bontemps had trouble coming up with many suitors who would make sense for Davis, a few of those sources speculated about whether the Bulls might make a play for the Chicago native.

“I could see it,” one Western Conference executive told ESPN. “(Josh) Giddey has worked well with (Nikola) Vucevic, but he could use a roll man to throw it up to.”

Bontemps’ sources put Ja Morant in a similar boat as Davis, predicting that the Grizzlies will explore the trade market for the point guard but will have trouble finding a package they like.

According to Bontemps, people around the NBA are also keeping a close eye on Lauri Markkanen, who is having a bounce-back season with the Jazz on the heels of a down year in 2024/25. After averaging 19.0 points per game on .423/.346/.876 shooting in 47 games last season, Markkanen has put up 30.6 PPG on .485/.385/.885 shooting through 14 outings this fall, so he’d have more trade value now — if Utah is open to dealing him.

“He’s putting up monster numbers,” a West executive said. “They’re running everything through him. If he goes to a place that he’s an additive piece … you have to have the right team around him to go after him.”

Here are a few more highlights from Bontemps’ look at all 30 NBA teams:

Scouts around the league are speculating about Doug Christie‘s job security in Sacramento and are waiting to see if the Kings begin looking to trade veterans like Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and/or Zach LaVine. “They’re a disaster,” an Eastern Conference scout told Bontemps. “They’re going nowhere fast. They just have to put a rock on the accelerator and keep going into the tank … they’re expensive, bad and aging.”
Multiple executives who spoke to ESPN believe the Nets have the least talented roster in the NBA. Brooklyn is off to a 2-12 start, with its only victories coming against fellow bottom-feeders Washington and Indiana.
There’s skepticism about whether 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham can become the Timberwolves‘ point guard of the future, Bontemps writes. Dillingham is still just 20 years old but is off to a slow start in his second season, having shot just 37.3% from the floor, including 20.0% on three-pointers. “I’m not sure that’s ever going to work,” one scout said. “Maybe things come around, but it’s hard to see it.”
According to Bontemps, there was “virtually no talk” during the preseason about a possible rookie scale extension for Jalen Duren, with the Pistons and the big man believed to be far apart on a potential deal. Duren, who turned 22 on Tuesday, has taken a significant step forward in the early going this season, with averages of 20.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, and appears to be in line for a significant payday next summer.
Scouts have been impressed by the work first-year head coach Jordan Ott has done with the Suns, who are outperforming expectations so far with a 9-6 record and could be a playoff contender. “They’ve been way better than I thought,” a Western Conference scout said. “They’ve got enough pieces around Devin (Booker) where they’ll win the games they should win. (Ott) has them playing the right way and competing.”

And-Ones: NBA Schedule, Breakout Players, Cap Room, More

November 20th, 2025 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who has advocated in the past for shorter regular seasons, is beating that drum again this fall with soft tissue injuries on the rise around the NBA, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Kerr said he’s “very concerned” about the increase in injuries, pointing to an increased pace of play and a relentless schedule as two factors he believes are contributing to the trend.

“The pace difference is dramatic,” Kerr said after Tuesday’s game vs. Orlando. “This team tonight has really upped their pace compared to last year. I think across the league everybody understands now it’s just easier to score now if you can beat (the other team) down the floor, get out in transition. But when everybody’s doing that, the game’s are much faster paced, and everyone has to cover out to 25 feet because everyone can shoot threes.

“… We have all the data,” Kerr continued. “Players are running faster and further than ever before, so we’re trying to do the best we can to protect them, but basically have a game every other night and it’s not an easy thing to do … (The medical staff) believe that the wear and tear, the speed, the pace, the mileage, it’s all factoring into these injuries.”

Kerr said the NBA has done a commendable job of trying to reduce back-to-backs and instances of four games in five days, but points out that it has resulted in teams rarely getting more than one day off between games, which results in little recovery time and almost no opportunities for practices.

“We literally have not had a single practice on this road trip. Not one,” Kerr said after the fifth game of a six-game trip. “We’ve gone a week, or longer, eight days, not one practice. It’s just game, game, game. So not only is there no recovery time, there’s no practice time. What was different back in the day — you did have four in five nights, which was not great, but then you’d have four days before your next game. So you’d take a day off, and you’d actually have a couple good practices and scrimmage. So there’s no easy answer here.”

Kerr isn’t alone in believing that playing fewer regular season games would benefit the players — Knicks forward Josh Hart agreed with that sentiment on Thursday, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Post relays. However, both Kerr and Hart acknowledged that it would be very difficult to actually implement that change due to the loss of revenue that would occur..

“Do I think there’s too many games? Yeah,” Hart said. “Conversely, will (team owners) and the league and players take a pay cut to not do that? I don’t know. It’s easy to sit there and say that we play too many games — which we do — but conversely, we’re also blessed to be able to benefit greatly from it.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:

In a pair of stories for The Athletic, Fred Katz takes a look at some of the NBA’s most improved players so far this season, while John Hollinger zeros in on several of the league’s breakout players. Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Pistons center Jalen Duren show up on both lists, with Hollinger suggesting Duren appears to be on track for max or near-max money when he reaches restricted free agency next summer.
Previewing the salary cap landscape for the 2026 offseason, Keith Smith of Spotrac projects that six teams will operate with cap room, led by the Wizards with over $80MM in space. We conducted a similar exercise earlier this month, noting that the Wizards, Jazz, Nets, and Bulls are best positioned to go under the cap, while several other teams – like the Lakers and Clippers – are in the “maybe” category depending on what happens with certain free agents and player options.
A panel of ESPN’s NBA insiders takes an early look at potential trade-deadline needs for eight NBA teams hoping to contend this season, including the Pistons, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Knicks. In the view of Bobby Marks, the Pistons are better positioned than any other Eastern Conference playoff team to make an in-season move, given their cap flexibility, movable contracts, and extra draft picks.

Bulls Notes: Giddey, White, Collins, Carter

November 18th, 2025 at 11:28am CST by Dana Gauruder

Josh Giddey continues to put up big offensive numbers for the Bulls. The biggest knock against him during his pro career is that he’s soft defensively and often gets exploited at that end of the floor. Head coach Billy Donovan sees more focus from Giddey to overcome that stigma, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

“[He’s] probably similar to [Bulls guard] Coby [White] early in his career — similar to where they were really targeting him,” Donovan said. “As a player, you have to shut off that running water where [opposing coaches eventually] say, ‘OK, there’s no reason to try and exploit this because it’s not there.’ That comes down to the personal pride of one-on-one guarding.

“I think [Giddey has] tried to do that. The one thing about Josh is the flexibility when we play against teams that are a little bigger — he can play against some of these bigger forwards, too. He’s pretty physical there. I do think Josh has tried to get better. I’ve noticed and seen growth from him from last November to the time now. He’s taken much more pride in that area.”

Giddey had 21 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Bulls snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating the Nuggets in Denver on Monday. It was the Nuggets’ first home loss this season.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

White isn’t playing in back-to-backs yet and is on a minutes limit, but Donovan is hopeful the medical staff will lift those restrictions after Thankgiving, Cowley reports. White sat out against Denver after he played 30 minutes — six more than planned — in a double overtime loss to Utah on Sunday. He’ll also play just one game in this weekend’s back-to-back set against Miami and Washington. “The first half [Sunday], I was pretty tired. I was a little winded,” said White, who had been sidelined by a calf strain. “Second half, I started getting my wind. My legs felt a little heavy, so that’s why some of my shots were short. Missed a lot of chippies around the rim, so that comes with timing.”
Donovan is hopeful Zach Collins can return to practice next week when the team has three consecutive days off, per Cowley. Collins underwent wrist surgery last month. “Because he’s been in the splint, he’s lost a lot of mobility, flexibility and strength, so he’s got to get that back, so there will be a lot of things he’ll have to do in the weight room to get those back,” Donovan said. “I’m probably being a little eager and optimistic, but I’m hoping he can get into practice in one of those days where we can have a contact practice. . . . How long it will take to get his strength back to be able to go into a practice remains to be seen, but he can start doing things with his hand.”
With White and Tre Jones sitting out, Jevon Carter posted 15 points in 18 minutes against the Nuggets. “This guy’s work ethic is unbelievable. He’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever seen,” Donovan said. Carter was grateful for the praise, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network relays (Twitter links). “That means a lot coming from a Hall of Fame coach. That’s my guy. I love Billy,” he said.

Central Notes: White, Davis, Siakam, Martin, Cunningham, Duren

November 17th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls guard Coby White made his long-awaited season debut and he didn’t disappoint. White, who was sidelined by a calf strain, scored 27 points and delivered eight assists in a double overtime loss to Utah on Sunday.

“The coaching staff talked to me about coming back and being aggressive, being who I was,” White said, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “Not kind of tiptoeing. I focused on that.”

White will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

We have more from the Central Division:

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis was born in Chicago. Would the Bulls consider trading for the highly productive but oft-injured Davis? Cowley doubts that, noting that executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said at the start of training camp, “We have to be patient, we have to do it the right way and we can’t skip steps.” Davis has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his three-year, $175.3MM deal, which includes a player option for 2027/28.
The Pacers have been decimated by injuries, but forward Pascal Siakam says that’s not a strong enough excuse for a 1-12 start. “We are playing in the NBA, the best league in the world,” he told The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak. “There shouldn’t be a reason why you’re out there every single night and not giving your best or trying to be the best that you can be and giving it your all. There’s thousands and millions of people who would give everything they have to be in the situation that we’re in. There’s no excuse. Obviously, it’s been tough on us. We have injuries every single day. Guys are in situations that they’re not supposed to be in. But we can’t find it as an excuse and just go out there every single night and be like, ‘Whatever happens happens.’ It has to matter. We have to fight.”
Cody Martin‘s 10-day contract under the hardship exception expired on Saturday and the Pacers couldn’t sign him to another, according to Dopirak, since they currently don’t qualify under the hardship rules. Martin appeared in four games during his brief stay with Indiana.
The Pistons could have three starters back on Monday against Indiana, including star guard Cade Cunningham. Cunningham has missed the last two games due to a left hip contusion, while Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) has missed the last three — both players are listed as questionable. Jalen Duren, who has also missed the last two games due to a right ankle sprain, is listed as probable, according to The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II.

Bulls’ Coby White To Make Season Debut Sunday

November 16th, 2025 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls guard Coby White is on track to make his season debut on Sunday in Utah, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

The Bulls have confirmed that White will play Sunday, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, but he will be held out of Monday’s back-to-back. “I’m excited to get back and play the game I love,” White said (Twitter link via Johnson).

The 25-year-old combo guard suffered a right calf strain in mid-August and then experienced a setback during the preseason when he was working to prepare for the regular season opener. The Bulls have gone 6-5 so far in 2025/26 without White, who averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 74 games last season (33.1 minutes per contest).

White and Josh Giddey (right ankle sprain) were both full participants in Friday’s and Saturday’s practices, including doing contact drills. White said after Friday’s session that he expects to be on a restriction of approximately 24 minutes per game when he returns.

Giddey, who has missed the past two games, is probable to suit up tonight, notes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (via Twitter). Fellow guard Tre Jones is questionable with a left ankle impingement.

White is on track to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and while he isn’t expected to sign an extension with the Bulls before then due to the limitations on what they can offer him, the two sides have reportedly stayed on good terms and both hope to get a deal done in 2026.

Injury Notes: Bulls, Shannon, Niang, Ivey, Kuminga, Thiero

November 14th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Injured Bulls guards Coby White (calf) and Josh Giddey (ankle) both practiced in full on Friday, with contact, and are expected to play at some point during the team’s upcoming stretch of five games in seven days that begins on Sunday in Utah, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links).

With two separate sets of back-to-back games on tap during that week, the Bulls are still figuring out which games White and Giddey will play and what sort of workload they’ll see, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter links). That’s especially true of White, who has yet to play this season and expects to be on a restriction of about 24 minutes per game when he returns.

White joked that he’s trying to get the Bulls’ medical staff to allow him to play in all five games next week, but acknowledged that’s not realistic and said he’s “pushing for three” (Twitter link via Johnson).

Meanwhile, big man Zach Collins, who has yet to play this season while recovering from left wrist surgery, is having his splint removed and will begin passing and shooting with that left hand, head coach Billy Donovan told reporters (Twitter link via Lorenzi). Donovan added the results from a CT scan were very positive and he doesn’t think it will take long for Collins to rebuild his strength in the injured hand.

Here are a few more injury updates from across the NBA:

Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. has been diagnosed with a left foot fifth metatarsal bone bruise and will be reevaluated in one week, according to a press release from the team. Shannon has already been sidelined for the past four games due to what the team was calling left foot soreness.
Jazz forward Georges Niang, who has yet to make his season debut, continues to progress through his rehab work as he makes his way back from a stress reaction of the fourth metatarsal in his left foot, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Jazz, Niang is ramping up toward a return to action and will be reevaluated in one week.
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey has begun doing on-court work as part of his rehab process following arthroscopic knee surgery, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Ivey underwent that procedure in mid-October and was ruled out at the time for at least four weeks.
The Warriors have ruled out Jonathan Kuminga for Friday’s contest vs. San Antonio due to bilateral knee tendinitis, but Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link) says there are no structural concerns with Kuminga’s knees and the forward’s absence should be “relatively short-term.”
Lakers rookie Adou Thiero has a chance to play in his first NBA regular season game on Friday, having been upgraded to probable, tweets Dan Woike of The Athletic. Thiero underwent knee surgery in college and experienced swelling in that same knee this fall, postponing his debut.