Bulls Notes: Williams, Buzelis, Terry, White, LaVine, Vucevic
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan made what Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune describes as a “long overdue” change to his starting lineup on Monday vs. Denver, moving forward Patrick Williams to the bench and elevating guard Ayo Dosunmu in his place.
As Poe notes, Chicago’s guard-heavy starting five allowed the club to better match up with a Nuggets team that was starting three guards of its own (Jamal Murray, Russell Westbrook, and Christian Braun), so there’s no guarantee Donovan will stick with the lineup change going forward. Still, the results were compelling.
The slumping Bulls picked up just their second win in their last nine games, registering a 129-121 victory over Denver, and Williams’ +16 mark in 28 minutes off the bench was a personal season high. After contributing 11 points and eight rebounds, the fifth-year forward – who had started 35 of 36 games before Monday – admitted to reporters that he didn’t mind being moved to the bench (Twitter video link via Poe).
“I would say yeah,” Williams said when asked if he’s more comfortable in a reserve role,” but I wouldn’t say I’m uncomfortable with starting. The second unit needs different things than the first unit. I’ve always tried to be a player that tries to fill any gap. I’m not trying to say that I’m one thing. I’m just trying to be a basketball player.”
As Poe writes, Williams wasn’t the only Bulls youngster who looked more comfortable in the adjusted rotation. Rookie Matas Buzelis was the first player off the bench and logged 20 minutes, his highest mark in over a month. He chipped in nine points and four rebounds and was a +10 during his time on the court. Dalen Terry also had a good night, with 13 points in 13 minutes and a +11 plus/minus rating.
The Bulls are expected to be without a couple key players when their three-game road trip begins on Wednesday in Boston, so Williams may end up being moved back to the starting five out of necessity, Poe writes. But she argues that if the Bulls want to try to boost the forward’s trade value ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, it might make sense to play him more often with the second unit, where he seems more comfortable.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- There’s “optimism” that Coby White, who was been dealing with a bone bruise in his right ankle, will be able to return during Chicago’s three-game road trip, Donovan said on Monday (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network). However, White likely won’t be active vs. Boston on Wednesday. “A few days ago, I think he was having a little bit of pain there, but that’s kind of subsided,” Donovan said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “He still has some things he has to do in terms of more movement, but [he’s] certainly closer to playing.”
- Zach LaVine will be out on Wednesday for personal reasons. According to Cowley, LaVine’s absence is related to the impending birth of his third child.
- In a story for The Tribune, Poe checks in on where things stand with several of the Bulls trade candidates, evaluating which players are most likely to be moved and what the team could realistically expect to receive in return. Discussing Nikola Vucevic, Poe contends that it’s realistic to expect a first-round pick in exchange for the veteran big man, who is having his best season since he arrived in Chicago in 2021.
- In case you missed it, we passed along several Bulls-related items on Monday, including the fact that the team has no untouchables in trade talks. Additionally, the Bulls and Suns reportedly discussed Bradley Beal, but the Phoenix guard is said to be uninterested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to Chicago.
Cavs’ Dean Wade Likely Out Multiple Weeks With Knee Injury
JANUARY 28: A scan on Wade’s injured right knee revealed a bone bruise that will likely sideline him for multiple weeks, according to Fedor (subscription required). There’s no structural damage and it’s not related to Wade’s past knee issues, including last season’s meniscus injury, Fedor writes, but he’ll need some time to get treatment and recover before he’s ready to play again.
The expectation is that Max Strus, who has started in Wade’s place since he went down, will remain in that starting role for now, Fedor adds.
JANUARY 26: Cavaliers starting forward Dean Wade departed the third quarter of Cleveland’s 132-129 defeat to Philadelphia on Friday with a right knee injury, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Wade was ruled out for the Cavaliers’ next contest, a 135-131 loss to Houston on Saturday, but there has yet to be an official update on his exact diagnosis. He is considered day-to-day for now.
“He took a hit,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Wade. “Praying he is OK. No update yet, but he got knocked out of the game, so we’ll see.”
As Fedor notes, Cleveland has regressed mightily on defense as of late. The Cavaliers have lost three straight contests, and have gone just 2-4 across their last six games. They remain the East’s top overall seed with a 36-9 overall record, but suddenly their grip on that perch feels somewhat tenuous.
Top defenders Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro, and Caris LeVert have all also missed time with health issues of late. Their absences, and now Wade’s, can somewhat explain Cleveland’s defensive slippage. As Fedor tweets, the Cavaliers’ defensive rating in January is 118.9, which ranks 29th in the league, ahead of only the 6-38 Wizards.
Fedor writes that Wade is their second-best defender statistically, with a 97th percentile in defensive estimated plus-minus to his credit.
Through 35 healthy bouts this season, the 6’9″ pro is averaging 6.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. His shooting line is .408/.349/.520.
Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Ware, Jovic, Robinson
Six-time All-Star Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been suspended for the third time this season by his own team. As a result of this latest suspension, he’s out indefinitely. With the NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away, however, he may be seeing on-court action soon enough — for someone else.
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra opted to keep relatively mum on the Butler situation ahead of a 125-119 double-overtime victory Monday over Orlando, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
“I get it, what you guys all want right now,” Spoelstra told reporters. “And I figure that’s why this media room is full right now. We’re trying to quiet the noise and we’re just focusing on the task at hand. There is no better place to be than just the present moment.”
When asked about how the Heat’s older players were handling the Butler drama, Spoelstra expressed apathy, Winderman reports (via Twitter).
“I don’t really care,” Spoelstra said. “We’re just focusing on the task at hand.”
For their part, several Heat players opted to downplay the Butler suspension after their teammate reportedly walked out of Monday’s shootaround upon hearing he had been demoted to a bench role in favor of Haywood Highsmith, prompting his latest suspension.
Highsmith himself claimed he did not even notice Butler exit the shootaround, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). After talking with other Miami players, Jackson tweets that it was apparently not a “big scene.”
There’s more out of Miami:
- Thanks to a breakout season, guard Tyler Herro seems like the 23-22 Heat’s best bet to land a player in the All-Star game next month. Writing for The Miami Herald, Jackson considers how Herro compares to the other Eastern Conference guards looking to become All-Star reserves this year, including Cleveland’s Darius Garland and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball.
- Rookie Heat center Kel’el Ware is thriving with expanded minutes and a bigger role for Miami, writes Adam Lichtenstein of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. He had averaged a scant nine minutes per night during his first two months as a pro. Ware has notched a double-double in four of his last five contests, while serving as Miami’s new starting center across the past four. Bam Adebayo has been moved to a forward role. “He’s earned these minutes,” Spoelstra said of Ware. “That’s the most important thing. He’s earned it with what he’s been doing on the court to the point where we had to find ways to get him more minutes.” Jackson notes in another piece that the rookie is already developing a strong bond with young forward Nikola Jovic on the court.
- Spoelstra has been toggling Heat wing Duncan Robinson between a starting role and a bench gig this season, writes Jackson in another article. “It’s never easy,” Robinson said. “We’re all ambitious. We all want what’s best for us as a team, but then we all have our own individual careers. We want that for ourselves as well. You know stuff is going to change. You know the way Spo operates. He’s always pulling triggers, trying to find lineups that work.
Suns’ Bradley Beal Not Interested In Bulls Trade
Suns guard Bradley Beal is not amenable to waiving his no-trade clause to be moved to the Bulls, a source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Chicago has reportedly held conversations with Phoenix about the idea of acquiring Beal to help facilitate a Suns trade for embattled Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler. On Monday, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP was suspended by Miami for the third time this year.
Because the Heat have no interest in taking on salary beyond 2025/26, Katz notes, a third team seems needed to land Butler with Phoenix All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, creating a new “Big Three” of formidable veterans.
Two-time All-Star Chicago wing Zach LaVine‘s $43MM salary would have made him a clear financial fit in a hypothetical three-team deal, though he is under contract for two more seasons after this one and may not have appealed to Miami for that reason.
Things have not gone according to plan for the Suns this season. Day-one starters Beal and Jusuf Nurkic have both been demoted to the bench, and the club has struggled in the Western Conference under new head coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic is no longer in Budenholzer’s rotations at all, while Beal is the club’s sixth man. Phoenix is currently 23-21 on the year, good for the No. 7 seed in the West.
Katz reports that, despite his lack of interest in joining the Bulls, Beal would be open to being dealt away from the Suns, provided he is sent to a “winning team.” He also finds cold-weather destinations less appealing, Katz adds. The Bulls, being in such a climate and also sporting a sub-.500 record (19-27), are not among trade destinations Beal would approve.
Across 31 healthy games this year, the 6’4″ guard is averaging 17.2 points per night on an efficient slash line of .485/.396/.764.
The 31-year-old is owed $160MM across this season and the next two. Beal, who has not made an All-Star team since his Wizards-era prime, is one of just two players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause, along with 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James.
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Starters, Trade Needs
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon claims his lingering calf injury doesn’t bother him anymore, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The veteran big man has been playing under a minutes restriction, but it sounds like he’s eager to change that.
“I’m ready,” Gordon said. “I don’t feel my calf anymore. Yeah. I’m ready. So it’s on the training staff and the coaching staff now.”
Gordon has yet to play more than 25 minutes in a contest since returning from the calf injury on January 12. Durando notes that staggering the minutes of Gordon and Jokic has had an intriguing benefit for Denver — the Nuggets sport a +9.5 net rating when Gordon plays without Jokic. Denver has historically suffered when its three-time MVP, who generally plays alongside Gordon, sits. The 6’8″ forward is the 2023 champs’ top defender, as well as a savvy and efficient post scorer.
“We just need to continue to stay with it,” head coach Michael Malone said of the team’s current strategy. “Bring him off the bench for the time being, and utilize him in any way we can to help us get wins.”
There’s more out of Denver:
- As Gordon’s health continues to improve, it begs the question of just when — or if — he should be returned to the Nuggets’ starting five. The Denver Post’s Troy Renck and Bennett Durando consider whether or not such a move should happen, and how it would impact the way in which Denver approaches this year’s trade deadline. Russell Westbrook has been starting ahead of Gordon lately, with forward Michael Porter Jr. playing up a position to accommodate the extra guard.
- After a middling 11-10 start to the season, with Jokic averaging 37.7 minutes a night, the Nuggets hardly looked like they’d have much left in the tank for the playoffs. But something has shifted lately. Now, Denver is 28-17, currently good for the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed. In another story for The Denver Post, Durando assesses the team’s needs at the trade deadline, suggesting that a frontcourt upgrade or some long-range bench sniping could help improve the team for the 2024/25 home stretch.
- In case you missed it, Jokic continues to make a case for earning his second consecutive MVP award this spring — and his fourth in five years.
Community Shootaround: Eastern All-Star Reserves
The NBA revealed the 10 All-Star starters for the 2024/25 season last Thursday, featuring the typical five players from each conference. This coming Thursday, the All-Star reserves will be announced on TNT.
Today, we’ll be focusing on the Eastern Conference reserves, which are voted on by coaches from around the league. Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl-Anthony Towns comprise the East’s starting lineup, leaving seven open spots off the bench.
While the East’s talent pool is generally not as well-regarded as the West’s, there are plenty of players having All-Star caliber seasons in ’24/25. His vote obviously doesn’t count, but Zach Harper of The Athletic says his picks would be Damian Lillard, Trae Young (two backcourt spots), Evan Mobley, Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam (three frontcourt spots), Cade Cunningham and Darius Garland (two wild card spots).
Had they been healthier, Harper writes, Magic forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero would have been in the conversation for Siakam’s spot, but they both missed extended time with torn obliques. Nikola Vucevic, Jarrett Allen and LaMelo Ball are the other players who received consideration from Harper but didn’t make his final cut.
They aren’t mentioned in Harper’s story, but Tyler Herro, Zach LaVine, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Johnson and Scottie Barnes are among the other candidates in the East who could be voted in by coaches. I’d be pretty shocked if Josh Hart or Derrick White get selected, but they’re both having solid seasons too.
I think Herro probably has the most compelling case of the players that Harper omitted. He has been Miami’s best and most consistent player, has only missed one game, and has been highly efficient offensively.
But I don’t think he deserves to be selected over Lillard, Cunningham or Garland, and Young leads the NBA in assists per game by a significant margin. The Heat and Hawks have almost identical records and neither player is a great defender, so there isn’t much of a differentiator there. Tough call between those two.
Allen is a very good player, but his stats aren’t gaudy, and I don’t expect to see four Cavaliers in the All-Star game. Ball’s stats are gaudy, but his efficiency isn’t great, he doesn’t guard, he has missed several games due to injuries, and Charlotte has the fourth-worst record in the NBA.
Haliburton, Maxey and Barnes made the cut in ’23/24, but their numbers have largely declined in ’24/25. Team record and missed games could work against Maxey and Barnes as well.
LaVine and Vucevic are having great offensive seasons. Neither is known for their defense, and the Bulls are just 19-27. Johnson has missed nine games.
Hart has arguably been more impactful to winning for the Knicks than Siakam has been for the Pacers. But he’s fifth on the team in points per game (Siakam leads Indiana in that category) and including him would mean three Knicks (30-16, No. 3 seed) would make the All-Star game vs. zero Pacers (25-20, No. 5 seed). It’s hard to envision that happening.
We want to know what you think. Which players should be selected as All-Star reserves in the Eastern Conference? Did we miss anyone who deserves consideration? Head to the comment section to weigh in.
Warriors’ Kuminga Out At Least Two More Weeks; Green Day-To-Day
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, who sustained a right ankle sprain on January 4 and has missed the past 11 games, will be out for at least two more weeks, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
According to the Warriors, Kuminga was recently reevaluated. He’s making good progress in his recovery and will start light on-court individual workouts in the next week, but he won’t return to action until after the February 6 trade deadline.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported a few days ago that Kuminga was still weeks away from returning, so Golden State’s announcement is more of a confirmation than anything new.
“He’s not close to coming back,” head coach Steve Kerr said of Kuminga on Saturday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “He’s on a bike just now. He’s not been on the court in any other capacity other than just shooting stationary shots. So it’s going to be some time.”
It’s unfortunate news for the 22-year-old, who was playing his best basketball of the season prior to the injury, averaging 24.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steal in the six games leading up to Jan. 4. Kuminga will be a restricted free agent in the offseason.
On a more positive note on the injury front, Draymond Green is now considered day-to-day following his own reevaluation. The former Defensive Player of the Year has missed the past four contests with a left calf strain, but he has been doing some light on-court work recently and will soon begin practicing.
Heat Suspend Jimmy Butler Indefinitely
3:51pm: Butler’s indefinite suspension is now official, according to the Heat (Twitter links).
“The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services,” the team said in a statement. “This includes walking out of practice earlier today.”
As Marks points out (via Twitter), the “withholding services” line means Butler will lose 1/91.6th of his salary per game, which works out to $2,663,685 over the next five contests.
3:03pm: The Heat plan to suspend six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler indefinitely, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Butler walked out of shootaround on Monday morning after he was informed that the team planned to start Haywood Highsmith over him going forward.
While Butler’s latest suspension is considered indefinite, he will miss a minimum of five more games, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Will Guillory of The Athletic observes, that five-game timeline isn’t a coincidence — it means he won’t suit up for the team again prior to the February 6 trade deadline (Twitter link).
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald hears Butler wasn’t pleased with the news and angrily left mid-shootaround. That gave the Heat cause to suspend him without pay while also ensuring he won’t get injured in a game before the deadline (Twitter link).
The language the Heat use in their press release will be key to determining how much money Butler could miss out on, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). Butler will be docked $532,737 per game if Miami calls it failure to render services, while conduct detrimental to the team would cost Butler $336,543 per contest.
As Jackson and Anthony Chiang write for The Miami Herald, the original plan had been for Butler to play on Monday following a two-game suspension, though his role going forward was a major question mark. Overall, Butler has been suspended nine games to this point; that figure will now rise to at least 14.
The first suspension, covering seven games, was referred to as conduct detrimental to the team; the second, covering two games, was for a “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing… a team flight to Milwaukee.” The National Basketball Players Association plans to file a grievance to dispute the suspension, and Butler could get some of his salary back in the future.
It has been exactly eight years since Butler came off the bench, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Obviously, the 35-year-old wasn’t interested in that scenario after butting heads with management for the past several weeks.
“It kind of feels normal now at this point,” Tyler Herro said of having Butler back from a suspension again Monday morning, prior to the breaking news. “Kind of is what it is, but nothing’s guaranteed. We’ve just got to be ready to roll with whatever cards we’re dealt tonight. We’ve just got to be ready to go.”
Butler has been at odds with Miami over his contract, which pays him $48.8MM in 2024/25, with a $52.4MM player option in ’25/26. Last offseason, he was hoping to decline that option and add an additional year (and more money) onto his maximum-salary deal, but the Heat had no interest in that scenario; in fact, president Pat Riley publicly criticized Butler for his lack of availability, which reportedly caught Butler off guard.
Charania first reported that the Heat were open to listening for trade offers for Butler, who has repeatedly let it be known that he intends to decline his player option to hit free agency in the offseason. About a week after that reporting, the team announced that it wouldn’t trade Butler, but then he privately asked to be traded and Miami then said it did plan to deal him.
The Suns have reportedly been the most aggressive team in pursuit of Butler, but this news doesn’t mean there’s any progress between the two teams in trade talks, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). The major hold-up in a potential deal is that Miami has no interest in taking on Bradley Beal‘s maximum-salary contract, which covers two more seasons beyond ’24/25 and features a full no-trade clause.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Scottie Barnes Named Players Of The Week
Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has won the award in the East, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
It’s the first time either player has won the weekly award, according to their respective teams.
Jackson, who was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, had a stellar week for Memphis, which went 4-0 to extended its overall winning streak to six games. He averaged 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in his four appearances, posting an excellent shooting line of .576/.381/.826. He also averaged a staggering plus-17.5 per game over that stretch (the team’s average margin of victory was 12.3 points).
The 25-year-old big man is a strong candidate to be named to his second All-Star team later this week, as he leads the Grizzlies in scoring and is their best — and most important — defender. Memphis is currently 31-15, the No. 3 seed in the West (mere percentage points behind No. 2 Houston, which is 30-14).
Barnes, meanwhile, helped guide Toronto to a somewhat surprising 3-0 week, with two victories over Atlanta and one vs. Orlando. He filled the stat sheet by averaging 22.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.7 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .468/.364/.857 shooting. Impressively, his average plus/minus was even better than Jackson’s (+19.3).
After starting the season with an atrocious 8-31 record, the Raptors have won five of their past six games and are now 13-32. While he has played at an All-Star caliber level when healthy, Barnes has missed 13 games due to injuries and the team’s record will likely be weighed against him. The fourth-year forward earned his first All-Star nod in 2023/24.
According to the NBA, the other nominees were Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers teammates James Harden and Norman Powell, Anfernee Simons and Amen Thompson. Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter link).
No Untouchables In Bulls’ Trade Talks
Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Lonzo Ball have been the Bulls players most frequently cited this season as trade candidates, but head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas would be open to moving just about anyone on the roster if he thinks the deal is in the team’s best long-term interests and helps Chicago keep its top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Cowley identifies Matas Buzelis as the only exception, but clarifies that the rookie forward isn’t “completely untouchable” either.
The report doesn’t come as a real surprise. Chicago has also reportedly made forward Patrick Williams available, and Cowley suggested last month that guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu aren’t off the table in trade talks.
The Bulls also aren’t likely to be especially attached to reserves like Jalen Smith, Jevon Carter, Chris Duarte, Torrey Craig, and Talen Horton-Tucker, while youngsters Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips haven’t established themselves as long-term keepers.
That leaves Josh Giddey, who was viewed as Chicago’s probable point guard of the future when the team acquired him last summer from Oklahoma City in exchange for Alex Caruso. Giddey didn’t sign a rookie scale extension last fall and has had an up-and-down first season as a Bull, but I’d still be a little surprised if he’s moved by next Thursday, given that his value on an expiring contract would be limited.
A source tells Cowley that Karnisovas has come down to some extent on what teams viewed as “unrealistic” asking prices for his top trade chips earlier in the season, though that doesn’t mean he’s simply willing to sell off players to the highest bidder.
Discussing the latest on Vucevic within a trade rumor round-up on his Substack, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports that the Bulls are still seeking a first-round pick in return for the veteran center. Stein describes the Warriors as “at the front of the line” of Vucevic suitors, but says Golden State has been unwilling to offer more than second-round capital to this point.
As for LaVine, he was at the center of one of the season’s earlier notable trade rumors when a report in mid-December indicated that the Nuggets had real interest in the Bulls guard. However, LaVine has been on a tear since then, further increasing his value by staying healthy and averaging 27.0 points per game on .524/.467/.786 shooting over his past 18 games. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has heated up too, putting up 21.3 PPG and 5.9 APG with a .485/.404/.913 shooting line during the same time frame.
As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, Murray’s resurgence will likely make “big-game hunting less of a priority” for the Nuggets, while LaVine’s heater will make it more difficult for Denver to meet Chicago’s asking price. So the odds of a trade sending LaVine to the Nuggets look slimmer than they did a month ago.
In case you missed it, we wrote about another Bulls-related rumor earlier today, passing along word that Chicago has talked to the Suns about Bradley Beal.