Bulls Rule Out Jaden Ivey, Jalen Smith For Rest Of Season
Bulls guard Jaden Ivey and big man Jalen Smith will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season, the team announced on Thursday (via Twitter).
Ivey, who was acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, appeared in just four games for Chicago before being shut down due to left knee pain. There had initially been hope that he’d return to action this season, but the team says he’ll continue his rehabilitation work and won’t play again this spring.
Smith, meanwhile, has missed seven of the Bulls’ 14 games since February 24 due to a right calf issue. According to the club, he aggravated that injury in Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia and will be held out for the final two-and-a-half weeks of the season in order to fully recover.
The fact that Ivey spent so little time on the court following the deadline deal sending him to Chicago clouds his future to some extent. The Bulls will have to decide this June whether or not to issue him a qualifying offer worth $8.77MM in order to make him a restricted free agent. Even if the team puts that QO on the table, the next step would be figuring out if a multiyear contract agreement between the two sides is viable.
Before making either decision, the Bulls will want to ensure they have a clear and complete understanding of Ivey’s knee issue in order to assess the likelihood that the former fifth overall pick will be able to recapture his old form. Ivey was having a career year for the Pistons in 2024/25, averaging 17.6 points and 4.0 assists per game with a .460/.409/.733 shooting line, before he suffered a broken fibula in his left leg that ended his season. His return in the fall was delayed after he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee.
Ivey lacked his usual explosiveness in 37 games for Detroit and Chicago this season, registering averages of 8.5 PPG and 1.8 APG on .445/.373/.809 shooting in a reduced role (18.1 MPG). He spoke last month about not feeling like “the same player I used to be.”
Smith’s calf issues appear unlikely to be a long-term concern. He’ll earn $9.43MM next season in the final season of the three-year, $27MM contract he signed with the Bulls as a free agent during the 2024 offseason.
Nick Richards and Guerschon Yabusele figure to play increased frontcourt roles in the short term with Smith sidelined. The Bulls have no shortage of options in the backcourt, where Josh Giddey, Tre Jones, Collin Sexton, and Rob Dillingham have all been playing regular minutes as of late.
Bulls’ Anfernee Simons, Jaden Ivey Could Return Monday
Bulls guards Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey have been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s matchup with Houston, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
Simons has been out since February 21 after aggravating a left ulnar styloid fracture in his left wrist, which he originally sustained in training camp. Ivey, meanwhile, last played on Feb. 11. He has been battling left knee soreness; his official injury designation is patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee.
Ivey has been ramping up his activity over the past couple weeks, with head coach Billy Donovan recently stating that the pain in the 24-year-old’s knee is gone. Although he’s only made four appearances with Chicago after being acquired in a trade with Detroit ahead of February’s deadline, the Bulls have signaled they want to retain Ivey in restricted free agency.
Simons was originally expected to be out Monday, but it sounds like he could return to action after missing the last 13 games due to the wrist fracture. The 26-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Big man Jalen Smith (right calf strain injury management) is also questionable Monday for the Bulls, while Isaac Okoro (right patellofemoral pain syndrome) and Guerschon Yabusele (left ankle sprain) are doubtful to suit up.
Bulls Notes: Miller, Smith, Ball, Okoro, Donovan
Third-year forward Leonard Miller has been a bright spot for the Bulls over the past couple weeks, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The 22-year-old Torontonian rarely received playing time in his two-and-a-half seasons in Minnesota, but he’s getting an opportunity to showcase his abilities with Chicago.
Over his last six games, Miller is averaging 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in 29.8 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .533/.300/.872. The Bulls acquired him in the Ayo Dosunmu trade ahead of last month’s deadline.
“I mean, he’s got a really good motor. He’s good on the glass,” said head coach Billy Donovan. “I think, like any young player who did not really get a chance to play a lot early in his career … he’s got to get better in terms of the game plan and discipline, knowing the league, knowing who he’s guarding, those kinds of things.
“But I think he shoots the ball fairly well. He can put it on the floor some. I think he can be a very, very promising guy for us. I think what he’s done to this point in time, in a short period of time (of) getting the opportunity to play, he’s taking full advantage of it.”
The Bulls hold a $2.4MM team option on Miller for 2026/27. If they decline the option, he would be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
Here’s more from Chicago:
- Big man Jalen Smith was disappointed in the Bulls’ effort following Wednesday’s loss to Toronto, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “We had no fight,” Smith said. “This is the third time we’ve played them and we’ve gotten punked. At the end of the day we just got to want it. We’ve got to have that fight and we have to have that grit. I honestly couldn’t tell you [why], it’s basketball so every day isn’t going to be perfect, but we’ve got to figure out what else can we do to impact the game. It’s just a mental game right now for us.”
- With the Cavs visiting on Thursday, Donovan reflected on last summer’s trade that sent Lonzo Ball to Cleveland and Isaac Okoro to Chicago, per Cowley. Donovan has been pleased with Okoro’s play and team-first attitude, but feels empathy for Ball, who is an unrestricted free agent after he was salary-dumped to Utah and subsequently waived by the Jazz. “I loved him as a player and a guy, and he was so cerebral,” Donovan said of Ball, who missed nearly three calendar years with a knee injury. “He was so selfless, that’s really one of the things I admired. To see him have to go through what he went through, to fight to get back, see what he’s going through now, that’s tough for me because it’s almost like what could have been, how good could he have been?“
- Dosunmu said on Tuesday that mid-range shots were “really prohibited” during his time with the Bulls, but Donovan pushed back on that notion, as Cowley writes in another story. Donovan pointed out that DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic all took a good amount of mid-range jumpers while Dosunmu was on the team. “I think you have to play to players’ strengths, so I’m a believer in the first part of the shot clock you certainly want to try and get something downhill to the basket, and generally what happens is when the ball gets into the paint and the ball gets sprayed out that’s when the threes are going to go up,” Donovan said in part. “Most of the time the mid-range stuff is coming off (isolation) situations. It’s late clock, a guy is stuck with the ball, and at that time you’ve got to manufacture and generate shots.”
Bulls Notes: Ivey, Williams, Giddey, Buzelis
The Bulls aren’t certain if Jaden Ivey will be able to play again this season, but he’s making progress in that direction, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only story. The fourth-year guard recently took part in a workout with the team’s G League affiliate, and sources tell Cowley that he may participate in a session with the NBA team on Sunday. Coach Billy Donovan has discussed the situation with members of the medical team, who remain hopeful about Ivey’s long-term outlook.
“I think I have a pretty good feel for him as a player when he’s healthy,” Donovan said. “He was really explosive, downhill, two-way player, can defend, really improved his shooting. The biggest thing I would want to know from our medical guys, and I have talked a little bit about this is, ‘OK, does a summer really bring his strength back?’ That would be my biggest thing. Our medical guys, when I’ve spoken to them, they feel really, really optimistic and positive that he will regain that strength, but strength doesn’t necessarily come back just like that. It’s going to take a period of time.”
Ivey was acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, but he only appeared in four games before being sidelined by a troublesome left knee. He remained in Chicago for treatment during the team’s just-completed 10-day road trip. Ivey will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Bulls extend a qualifying offer, and they would like to see him in action some more before making that decision.
“I think a lot of it is going to be predicated on where his strength is at,” Donovan said of a potential return. “The improvement and growth he’s made in the strength area.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Patrick Williams was able to return Friday after missing six of the previous seven games with a sprained left ankle, Cowley adds. Jalen Smith, who has been dealing with a calf strain, was held out on the second night of a back-to-back.
- Josh Giddey recorded his 29th career triple-double on Friday, surpassing franchise legend Michael Jordan on the Bulls’ all-time list, Cowley states in a separate story. “Anytime your name is mentioned with people like that, obviously it’s the upper, upper echelon of players, so it’s pretty special and surreal,” Giddey said. “But I guess the game has changed and triple-doubles might not be what they are today, but anytime your name is mentioned with greats like that, it’s always an honor and I don’t take it for granted.”
- Matas Buzelis has become a more reliable scorer since the All-Star break, punctuated by a career-high 41-point night in Tuesday’s win at Golden State, notes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). It’s an encouraging sign from the second-year forward, who’s viewed as an important part of the team’s future. “I try to come out aggressive every game,” Buzelis said. “Good things will happen if you put in the work and you believe in yourself. But you have to put the work in. If you don’t, you’re just cheating yourself.”
Bulls Notes: Tanking Decisions, Giddey, LaVine, DeRozan
The Bulls lost to the NBA’s worst team Sunday night in Sacramento, but it’s still not clear that they’re committed to a tanking strategy, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). The team has gone 2-11 since shaking up its roster at the trade deadline and has plummeted to 12th place in the East. However, Poe points out that puzzling lineup decisions are still being made for a team with incentive to tank.
Jalen Smith returned to the court on Sunday after missing the previous five games with a calf strain. Poe notes that the Bulls refuse to shut down Smith even though he has been in and out of the lineup over the past month. Young guard Rob Dillingham, who was acquired from Minnesota at the deadline, only saw 15 minutes against the Kings, while 30-year-old Guerschon Yabusele, who will be a free agent when the season ends, remains in the starting lineup.
Poe blames executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas for getting “queasy” any time the organization faces a major decision. She states that just as Karnisovas is hesitant to pull the trigger on trading a player, he’s also reluctant to fully commit to a tanking strategy, even when it’s obviously in the team’s best interest.
“Everything I’ve gotten here from the front office, from ownership is that we need to do the best job you can to go out there and compete and to try to win,” coach Billy Donovan said last month. “I believe in that. … That’s kind of the mentality that we have here inside the organization. We’ve always tried to keep the integrity of that anytime we go out and compete.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- In a separate story, Poe questions why the organization is so reckless with Josh Giddey after giving him a four-year extension last summer and making him part of the foundation for the future. She notes that Giddey was reinserted into Tuesday’s loss against Oklahoma City after limping off the court with a rolled ankle a few minutes earlier. He’s also dealing with a lingering hamstring issue that’s supposed to limit his playing time to about 30 minutes per night, but Donovan doesn’t always adhere to that. Poe questions why the Bulls are taking any chances with Giddey when there’s nothing left to play for.
- The new additions to the Bulls’ roster are still getting used to the extreme up-tempo pace that Donovan prefers, observes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). It was effective in Thursday’s win at Phoenix, but didn’t work as well on Sunday. “The biggest issue I think was the fact that a lot of those guys were coming from situations where they were not playing at all,” Donovan said. “Like Yabusele wasn’t playing, Nick (Richards) wasn’t playing, Rob (Dillingham) wasn’t playing, so I think the pace has been a little different. We went through some of that with Tre (Jones), Zach (Collins) and Kevin Huerter last year.”
- Donovan has fond memories of former Bulls players Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who both missed Sunday’s game in Sacramento, Cowley adds in another piece. “Listen, I love both those two guys. I think those guys know how I feel about them,” Donovan said. “They were totally professional, and listen when you’re dealing with high-level players like that you are not always going to see eye-to-eye on stuff, but I appreciated the conversation and the intent on their part was to really try and win. That was important to those two guys. I don’t know all the reasons it didn’t work out (here).”
Bulls Notes: Sexton, Ivey, Olbrich, Injuries
The Bulls are giving Collin Sexton a spotlight that he might not have expected when he was traded to the team last month, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only piece. The veteran guard played 38 minutes on Thursday at Phoenix and responded with 30 points as Chicago posted a surprising road win.
‘‘Definitely very appreciative,’’ Sexton said. ‘‘At the end of the day, I always take one day at a time, one second at a time, one minute at a time. At the end of the day, I always tell myself [to] be where my feet are at and be grounded and focus on the now. Don’t focus too far in the future. I appreciate the team, as well as the organization, giving me the opportunity and trusting me down the stretch with the ball but also to make plays for others. I appreciate that.’’
Holding a nearly $19MM expiring contract on a team with an abundance of guards, Sexton may not be in the Bulls’ plans beyond the rest of this season. And while it’s probably in Chicago’s best long-term interest to lose as much as possible over the next five weeks, Sexton is focused on doing all he can to win games and build a strong relationship with coach Billy Donovan.
‘‘I appreciate Coach,’’ Sexton said. ‘‘He’s been going through a lot [the death of his father and mother-in-law in the last month], and I’ve been praying for him, my family has been praying for him. And for him to come out each and every day with a smile on his face and trying to encourage us … he’s had a lot going on.’’
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Jaden Ivey didn’t travel with the team on its 10-day road trip and is undergoing treatment on his left knee that may determine if he plays again this season, Cowley states in a separate story. “That’s going to be really, really critical,” Donovan said. “He’s made strides and he’s gotten better, but the medical guys want to see some improvement in that strengthening. Two weeks passed a few days ago, now he’s got this third week, and he’s gotten stronger, but to make another jump there are certain things the medical guys are going to want to see and have him cross some thresholds.” Ivey has only appeared in four games since being acquired from Detroit at the deadline, and Cowley notes that the Bulls’ decision-makers would like to see him in action a little more before he becomes a restricted free agent this summer.
- Australian big man Lachlan Olbrich approached his first NBA season without any expectations, Cowley adds. After signing a two-way contract last summer, he has seen limited playing time in 21 games. “I didn’t know what to expect coming into it, obviously, but I feel like I built a really strong foundation,” Olbrich said. “I’ve been talking a lot about foundation and hopefully in the next couple seasons I can really build on it. That’s really been the focus. I’m not worried about the minutes or the games played, anything like that. It’s just been a massive learning experience for me in my first year, which has been good for me.”
- The Bulls were missing five rotation players on Thursday, but Donovan expects Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Patrick Williams to all be available for Sunday’s game at Sacramento, according to Cowley. Jalen Smith (calf strain) and Anfernee Simons (left hand injury) both remain sidelined with no set timetable to return.
Central Notes: Strus, Ivey, Bulls, Rollins
Cavaliers wing Max Strus still isn’t ready to make his season debut following offseason foot surgery, but recent imaging on his foot has shown “progressive healing” and he has advanced to participating in individual on-court workouts, the team announced on Tuesday in a press release.
According to the Cavs, Strus will go through a “structured ramp-up program” that will include controlled team activities and practices at both the NBA and G League level.
There are now just five-and-a-half weeks left in the regular season, so while head coach Kenny Atkinson said recently that he still expects Strus to return before the postseason, time is running out for the 29-year-old to make an impact on the 2025/26 Cavaliers.
We have more from around the Central:
- Bulls guard Jaden Ivey won’t travel with the team on its five-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Phoenix and runs through next Friday in L.A., but it doesn’t as if the club has seriously considered shutting him down for the rest of the season, writes Brian Sandalow of The Chicago Sun-Times. Head coach Billy Donovan added that forward Patrick Williams (quad) and big man Jalen Smith (calf) both have a chance to play during the upcoming trip.
- These Bulls, who have lost 12 of its last 13 games, seems as far away from contention as any version of the team in recent years, but Josh Giddey remains hopeful that it won’t take long for the front office to rebuild a roster capable of contending, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “When I was in Oklahoma, we went from the worst team in the league to the best team in the league in 24 months,” Giddey said. “We did it pretty quickly. A lot of rebuilds don’t necessarily happen that fast. Obviously, with the people and personnel we had it got sped up pretty quickly. Over those three years, we built a lot of really good habits, winning habits.” Cowley notes that replicating what the Thunder did is “completely unrealistic” for the Bulls, but suggests there’s no reason why the team needs to spend the next several years deep in lottery territory.
- Bucks guard Ryan Rollins spoke to Marc J. Spears of Andscape about turning things around after a challenging start to his NBA career, which included being cut by Washington in January 2024 at around the same time he was charged with seven counts of petit larceny for shoplifting. Now in his fourth NBA season, Rollins has emerged as a candidate for Most Improved Player by averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game on .466/.411/.761 shooting this season. “I always knew I was this good,” he said. “I just needed the opportunity and needed a coach to trust me to be able to let me work through my mistakes and grow. I always knew my capabilities.”
Bulls Notes: Losing Streak, Williams, Smith, Simons
The Bulls entered the month of February with a 24-25 record and a relatively firm grip on a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Eleven games later, Chicago is still stuck on 24 wins and is five games out of the play-in picture, having just endured the worst month in franchise history at 0-11, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
That 11-game losing streak is the third-longest in Bulls history, though – as Cowley points out – the organization probably didn’t mind that the latest defeat on Thursday night came at the hands of the Trail Blazers. Chicago will receive Portland’s 2026 first-round pick if it’s outside of the lottery, so the Bulls will be rooting for the Blazers to earn a playoff spot.
Of course, while the Bulls’ trade deadline moves may have signaled that the front office is comfortably tanking down the stretch, head coach Billy Donovan insists that’s not how he’s operating and it’s not the message management has conveyed to him.
“The discussions I had with (the players) when the trade deadline was finalized was, ‘Nothing has changed, try and get these guys to play to the best of their ability; we know it’s going to be somewhat challenging with seven new players,'” Donovan said, per Cowley. “Even talking to ownership, it’s been, ‘Hey, go out there and do your very best.’ There has been no indication from ownership or the front office of, ‘Hey, listen, if we finish here, here or here’ or ‘Listen, don’t worry about playing these guys; just play these guys.’ There’s been none of that at all.
“Philosophically, I get the dynamics once June, whatever date that draft date is, I get how that impacts all of that. It’s not like I’m sitting over there saying, ‘Well, it’s a close game right now, let’s sit Josh (Giddey) and Tre (Jones) and Jalen (Smith).’ There has not been that. And I think if I did do that, they would say, ‘Listen, you need to put the best guys out there.'”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Bulls forward Patrick Williams, who underwent imaging on his right quad injury, is expected to be out for at least a week, Donovan said on Thursday, according to Cowley. “It could be longer, although I think they would try to ramp him up and do some more in about a week (after they) can get it to calm down,” Donovan explained.
- Jalen Smith has missed the past two games due to a right calf strain and is on a similar timeline to Williams, Donovan added. He’s about a week away from starting to get reconditioned, Cowley writes. With Zach Collins out for the season, Chicago has been starting Guerschon Yabusele at the five, with sixth-year center Nick Richards playing significant minutes off the bench.
- Although there’s no official timeline for Anfernee Simons‘ return after he aggravated a broken bone in his wrist, an injury he initially sustained in training camp with Boston, Donovan says surgery isn’t being considered right now and is optimistic the impending free agent guard will return in 10-to-14 days, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. “I don’t think there’s anything to do (regarding surgery),” Donovan said. “Maybe at the end of the year, if it’s still causing a problem. We haven’t even talked about that yet. I don’t even know if surgery is an option or not. Right now, what we’re doing is trying to let it calm down. … But if he gets hit again, he’s probably going to have to do the same thing.” Donovan added that Simons’ injury, which is technically a left ulnar styroid fracture (Twitter link via Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic), is a matter of pain tolerance.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Trade Rumors: Jones, Smith, Bulls, Kings, Cavs, Sharpe
The Bulls have been receiving interest in point guard Tre Jones and forward/center Jalen Smith over the past few weeks, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. While Jones seems to be available, Poe suggests the Bulls are unlikely to trade Smith unless they get an appealing offer.
Both Jones and Smith have guaranteed contracts for next season. Jones’ deal also features a $8MM team option for 2027/28.
According to Poe, any of Chicago’s players on expiring contracts could be on the move prior to the deadline if the Bulls receive a “reasonable return.” The Bulls already showed a willingness to take on unwanted salary when they agreed to acquire Dario Saric for a pair of second-round picks (they’re waiving Jevon Carter to make roster space).
However, that doesn’t mean the Bulls are going to make trades just for the sake of it, particularly one that involves a player like Coby White, multiple sources tell Poe.
Most of the players on Chicago’s roster are in their mid-20s and have been in the league for several years. Head coach Billy Donovan says the team is focused on acquiring more young talent.
“We have to keep building out with younger people,” Donovan said, per Poe. “I don’t think there’s any question about that from a roster standpoint. … If you’re just talking about the guys that are here that are going to be under contract, they’re going to need more. So however those conversations take place, whether it’s in July or whether it’s at the trade deadline, I think the front office is looking to try to build it out as best they can.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- The Kings had opportunities to trade Keon Ellis for multiple second-round picks, but they wanted to unload Dennis Schröder‘s contract and value De’Andre Hunter‘s size and length, viewing him as a better positional fit moving forward, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. As Siegel reported a few days ago, the Lakers also had interest in Hunter, but they were leery of taking on the $24.9MM he’s owed next season without receiving draft compensation in return, so they backed out of conversations with the Cavaliers.
- According to Siegel, the Kings are viewed as the “biggest sellers” at the deadline, and they have been making trade calls involving Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk. Of the three players, Sacramento is most motivated to move Monk, Siegel adds (via Twitter). A “few” teams — most notably the Raptors — have some interest in Sabonis, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for DeRozan or Monk, per Siegel.
- The Cavaliers continue to dangle Lonzo Ball in trade talks, according to Siegel (Twitter link). The veteran guard has had a disappointing first season in Cleveland and earns $10MM this season, with a $10MM team option for ’26/27.
- As Siegel observes, if the Cavaliers decide to retain Ellis long term (he will be extension-eligible on Feb. 9), that could have an impact on the futures of Sam Merrill and Max Strus. While I’m skeptical the Cavs would move Merrill given how well he’s played this season when healthy, Strus has yet to play in ’25/26 due offseason foot surgery and ’26/27 is the final year of his contract. Siegel suggests those sorts of conversations would likely wait until the summer and may depend on what happens with Ellis.
- The Nets appear to be reluctant to trade Day’Ron Sharpe, but the backup center has drawn interest from the Lakers, Raptors, Celtics and Pacers, Siegel reports.
Eastern Notes: Raptors, MPJ, Nuggets, J. Smith, Enaruna
While the Raptors have primarily been linked to centers on the trade market, Eric Koreen of The Athletic believes they could use additional shooting around Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram more than a big man.
As Koreen writes, Toronto has looked particularly overmatched this season against New York, which has multiple wing defenders capable of slowing down Ingram and Barnes. The Raptors went just 7-of-26 from three-point range in Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, and are currently 24th in the NBA in three-point attempts and makes per game and 27th in three-point percentage (34.2%).
“We took only one three in that (third) quarter, and that’s not sustainable,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “You cannot play against great teams and win (like that).”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Michael Porter Jr. views the summer trade that sent him from Denver to Brooklyn as a win-win for both the Nuggets and the Nets, tweets Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I would say it’s a very unique situation where I think both organizations and both teams kind of benefited from the trade,” Porter said. “I don’t look back at it with any saltiness toward the (Nuggets) organization or anything. I think they got a lot of trading me. They got not only Cam (Johnson), but (Jonas) Valanciunas, Bruce (Brown), Tim Hardaway Jr., who’s playing amazing. … I think it’s cool. … So it probably is one of those unique trades where it kind of worked out for everybody.” The 6’10” forward made those comments on Thursday ahead of his first game in Denver as an opposing player, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Porter finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, but he was disappointed that Brooklyn’s comeback bid came up short. “There was a little motivation,” Porter said. “We should’ve pulled it out, though. I felt like I missed a couple shots I should’ve made down the stretch.”
- Bulls big man Jalen Smith experienced tightness in his right calf during Thursday’s loss to Miami, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). Smith, who has been starting recently, was ruled out after just 15 minutes of action. However, the injury doesn’t appear serious — he’s listed as questionable for Saturday’s rematch with the Heat.
- The two-way contract Tristan Enaruna signed with the Cavaliers this week covers two seasons, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The Dutch forward has been a key contributor at the G League level this season for Cleveland’s affiliate team, the Charge.