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.”
Central Notes: Portis, Giannis, Buzelis, Huerter, Strus
Appearing on the Run It Back podcast (hat tip to Real GM), Bucks forward Bobby Portis said he believes it’s an even-money proposition on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo gets dealt this summer. There were weeks of intense trade rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo heading into the deadline, and that process is likely to resume during the offseason as Milwaukee hasn’t been able to make a strong push for a play-in spot.
“Uh, I’m at a five, bro. I’m right in the middle. … For real, it’s up in the air, man,” Portis told the hosts. “Obviously, just being here, our goal just isn’t to make the play-in, right? The goal isn’t to just make the playoffs. Since I’ve been here, since 2020 during the pandemic, the goal has always been championship. So, I don’t know what that outlook is for next year. I don’t know what (general manager) Jon (Horst) and his staff are going to put together to make the roster better, make us better, so we can compete for championships next year. I don’t know that.”
Portis added that questions about Antetokounmpo’s future have been part of every summer since 2020, except for the Bucks’ championship season. He expects speculation regarding Giannis to peak heading into the draft in late June.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Matas Buzelis is close to becoming the first Bulls player to finish with 100 blocks in a season in nearly a decade, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times notes in a subscriber-only story. The second-year forward ranks seventh in the league with 94 rejections and brings a much-needed element to the team’s defense. ‘‘I’m really good at timing the block and knowing when guys will try and finish when they’re going up,’’ Buzelis said. ‘‘It’s something I feel like I’ve had since I started playing basketball. I just try and translate it to the NBA. Obviously, it’s a little harder, but you’ve got to realize what guys do when they’re driving, how they finish. I feel like I’ve got the timing and the verticality. Straight up at the rim, it’s hard to finish over me since I’m so tall. But it’s definitely something I have.’’
- The Pistons misfired at the trade deadline by bringing in Kevin Huerter as their major addition, contends Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter video link). O’Connor argues that Detroit needed more shooting and a second creator on offense, but gave up Jaden Ivey for Huerter, who’s only averaging 13.6 minutes per night in eight games since the deal.
- Cavaliers wing Max Strus is moving closer to making his season debut, which could happen in the next week, Joe Vardon of The Athletic states in a story highlighting the work Strus’ foundation is doing to help children dealing with serious health issues. The 29-year-old has been recovering from foot surgery since August.
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: Harden, Mitchell, Allen, Buzelis, Potter
Making a major in-season trade can sometimes disrupt a team’s chemistry. For the Cavaliers, adding James Harden has been a breath of fresh air, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“They are two guys that are hungry to take that next step,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Harden and fellow star guard Donovan Mitchell. “They’ve kind of hit it off. Been seamless, really. Two guys that are so passionate about the game. They’re both hoop junkies.
“Usually when you have that kind of synergy it goes well. With them, I haven’t seen any misunderstandings or ‘You should have went there.’ They’ve been pretty locked in on the court and off the court. Couldn’t have gotten better so far.”
The only hiccup in the Harden-Mitchell pairing to this point has been injuries — Mitchell will miss his fourth straight game on Tuesday vs. Detroit because of a right groin strain, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press, while Harden will be active as he plays through a fractured right thumb.
Center Jarrett Allen, whose excellent play over the past month actually preceded Harden’s arrival, said the former MVP has helped him reach a new level.
“The confidence is renewed,” Allen said. “When big changes happen like that, your view shifts. You have more confidence in yourself. … I’m just finding my rhythm. People pass me the ball, Kenny is drawing plays for me, things are just clicking.”
While Cleveland feels good about how the team has been played over the past several weeks, there are still questions about how it will translate to the postseason, Collier notes. Mitchell has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs, while Harden made his lone NBA Finals appearance in 2012, when he won Sixth Man of the Year in his third season with Oklahoma City.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- After Sunday’s victory in Brooklyn, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype asked Cavaliers point guard Harden how much longer he wants to keep playing (Twitter video link). “I know it’s coming soon. Hopefully, later than soon, but it’s reality,” Harden said. “Everybody has to go through this at some point. … Just trying to continue to keep my body in shape and play well. … We’ll see what happens in the next few years. Take it one game at a time and cherish the moments.”
- Second-year forward Matas Buzelis has impressed for the Bulls over the last three games after he had a “heart-to-heart” talk with head coach Billy Donovan about his shot selection and continuing to find ways to impact winning, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The 21-year-old has averaged 24.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .520/.429/.727 shooting over that three-game span.
- Indiana hold a team option on Micah Potter‘s contract for next season, and the fifth-year big man is making a strong case for the Pacers to exercise it with his recent play, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). Over his last eight games (25.6 MPG), Potter is averaging 15.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.0 RPG and 0.9 SPG on .538/.463/.870 shooting. The 27-year-old has some defensive limitation, but he has been a good fit in Indiana’s offensive system, Dopirak writes. “Solid is the word,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Micah, that’s what he is. He’s solid. He’s a no-frills player. He doesn’t try to be fancy out there. He plays the game, he works to play to his strengths. I like that he’s a stretch big that can legitimately play some four. That’s a very good thing.” Potter’s $2.8MM salary for 2026/27 would still be non-guaranteed even if the Pacers exercise that option.
Bulls Notes: Simons, Ivey, White, Losing Streak, Collins, Dillingham
There’s uncertainty regarding the status of two recently acquired guards, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told the media, including The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley, on Tuesday.
Anfernee Simons is dealing with a left hand fracture. After Simons injured his hand on Saturday, he had imaging done on Monday. That revealed what the Bulls referred to as a preexisting fracture in the hand, which he’s been dealing with since training camp with the Celtics. However, he doesn’t require a surgical procedure unless the injury worsens, and he could return soon.
“He did have some difficulty in Boston with it in training camp and missed a little bit of time, maybe 10 days with it,” Donovan said. “The fracture hasn’t quite healed and I think him seeing a hand specialist they decided that once the pain subsides, he’s fine to go back to play. I don’t know how long that’s going to be.”
Jaden Ivey, meanwhile, is dealing with left knee soreness that will keep him out at least two weeks. Donovan discussed that issue in more detail on Tuesday.
“We started him on a program, right now just to ramp him up physically,” Donovan said. “A lot of it has been to get the strength back in around his knee. That process started a couple days ago, so he’s in the midst of doing that. Talking to the medical guys it’s going to be pretty intense for him, the program to get the strength back as quickly as possible, so he’s going to have to really work hard on that part of it. I think he feels better not playing, the pain has subsided, but the biggest concern the medical guys have is his strength.”
Ivey underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in October. He previous suffered a fractured left fibula last January that ended his 2024/25 season early.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Coby White isn’t dwelling on the past when it comes to his Bulls career. White was dealt to Charlotte earlier this month with free agency looming. “You could always live in ‘what could have been,'” he said, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “I’ve kind of learned through my life that ‘what could have been’ brings you nothing but anxiousness and worry. Things happen for a reason. That’s just how the chips fell. A lot of it is out of your control. I don’t really try to live in the ‘what if.'” White made his Hornets debut against his former team on Tuesday and finished with 10 points and four assists in 16 minutes.
- The Bulls’ losing streak stretched to 10 games, their longest since January 2019, as they were blown out 131-99 by the Hornets on Tuesday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets. Matas Buzelis was the lone bright spot, as he scored a career-high 32 points.
- Zach Collins was shut down for the season over the weekend after it was determined he required toe surgery. He actually apologized to Donovan for his lack of availability this season. ‘‘I just told him, ‘I’m sorry, man,’’’ Collins said, per Cowley. ‘‘I thought I had a lot more to give him this year. Unfortunately, between the wrist and the toe, I just didn’t have a chance to show it. ‘I thought I had a really good summer. I was really looking forward to helping the team. It’s been a frustrating year injury-wise as a whole for the team, but individually I knew I had more to give him and felt like the team would have been in a better spot had I not gone through all these injuries.’’ Collins, who played just 10 games, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- Another recently acquired guard, Rob Dillingham, is getting an extensive look amid all the changes and injuries in the backcourt. “I’ve got an opportunity here,” he told Poe of the Tribune (subscription required). “At least here I’m getting on the floor, you know? It’s up to me to perform to the best of my opportunity, and then from there it’ll keep growing and growing.” It’s been a struggle thus far for the former Timberwolves guard. He played 23 minutes against the Hornets but shot 2-for-9 from the field and committed three turnovers, compared to five assists. Through his first seven games as a Bull, Dillingham is averaging 7.6 points while shooting 39.2% from the floor and 18.2% on three-pointers.
Bulls Notes: Ivey, Giddey, Jones, Buzelis, Deadline Moves
Guard Jaden Ivey, a trade deadline acquisition, received a DNP-CD on Thursday amid a crowded Bulls backcourt. The former fifth overall pick, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, gave some eyebrow-raising quotes after the game about his lack of explosiveness this season, which he said was a result of ongoing knee soreness.
Billy Donovan didn’t coach Thursday’s loss to Toronto due to the death of his father, but he was back at practice on Friday and discussed the Ivey situation, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter video link). While Ivey did not participate in Friday’s practice because his knee was being evaluated, Donovan said he supported Wes Unseld Jr.‘s decision not to play the 24-year-old.
“To me, I don’t think he’s played at the level that he’s capable of playing at or has played at,” Donovan said of Ivey. “ … I don’t how much (knee soreness) is affecting him. He was definitely available to play.”
Ivey has been listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Detroit — his former team — due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his left knee, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. That injury, which is also known as runner’s knee, is the same issue which continues to sideline Stephen Curry.
We have more from Chicago:
- Point guards Josh Giddey and Tre Jones returned to action on Thursday after they missed time due to left hamstring strains. Both players came away from the game unscathed and think they’ll be available to play both ends of this weekend’s back-to-back, per Johnson (Twitter links).
- After a major roster overhaul at the deadline, second-year forward Matas Buzelis is one of the most tenured players on the team. In a Q&A with Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, Buzelis said he’s working to become a leader in Chicago. “I talked to Billy about it, how I need to be more vocal as a player and I need to speak to guys,” Buzelis said. “You know, guys don’t know sets, guys don’t know the defense and I have to be more vocal every time I step on the court to try to help my team win. And you know, I feel like I have, I wouldn’t say pressure, but I can’t find the word right now, I have to talk to everybody more. I have to be communicating on defense for us and also put on an example in the gym of, you know, how I work. And that’s all it takes for some guys, just to see how guys work and they can put it into their game.”
- Lorenzi of The Athletic lists three burning questions the Bulls will face after making seven deals prior to the deadline, including how the team will juggle the backcourt rotation when all six guards on standard contracts are healthy. Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron, meanwhile, tries to make sense of the team’s deadline moves, some of which he views positively (adding two second-round picks for taking on Dario Saric‘s contract), and some he does not (waiting too long to trade Coby White).
VJ Edgecombe Named 2026 Rising Stars MVP
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe was named the 2026 Rising Stars MVP after closing out two straight wins for Team Vince en route to the Rising Stars championship.
In Game One between Team Melo and Team Austin’s G League rising stars, Dylan Harper (Spurs) hit the game-winning shot to get Team Melo to the target score of 40 points. Team Austin had the top two scorers in the game in Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Clippers) and Yang Hansen (Trail Blazers), but Team Melo’s balanced scoring attack, led by Reed Sheppard (Rockets) and Donovan Clingan (Blazers) with nine points each, was too much for the G League stars to contain.
In Game Two between Team Vince and Team T-Mac, Edgecombe exploded for 17 points, including the last 10 and the step-back game-winner over Cam Spencer (Grizzlies). Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) led Team T-Mac with 10 points and Tre Johnson (Wizards) added eight while facing off against teammate Kyshawn George. Team Vince came away with the 41-36 victory.
The Rising Stars championship game, with a target score of 25, kicked off with back-to-back Clingan three-pointers while Matas Buzelis (Bulls) carried Team Vince early with a one-handed dunk and a smooth post move. An Edgecombe rebound and putback brought the game to 23-22 for Team Vince, prompting a Team Melo timeout.
After a Stephon Castle (Spurs) putback dunk, Edgecombe was fouled by Clingan on a drive, heading to the free throw line, where he knocked down the game-winning free throws. Carter Bryant (Spurs) contributed five points while playing against his teammate Harper, who led Team Melo with eight points.
Kevin Durant, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Jamal Murray, Cade Cunningham are among the future All-Stars who have won the Rising Stars MVP award over the past couple decades.
Bulls Notes: Sexton, Buzelis, Dillingham, Simons
The Bulls overhauled their roster by making seven trades ahead of last week’s deadline, but the new-look team is focused more on competing than rebuilding, Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune writes in a subscriber-only story. Seven new players were on the court Saturday against Denver, and even though they had barely practiced together as a group, the Bulls held a seven-point lead going into the fourth quarter before the game slipped away.
“We definitely can be very special,” said Collin Sexton, who was acquired from Charlotte on Thursday. “I feel like for us to have one walk-through and to go out there pretty much jelling and making the right reads and doing this together. … It was super fun. At the end of the day, I know something good is coming.”
The Bulls had lost five of their last six games heading into the deadline, and management had no interest in being a perennial play-in team any longer, according to Sullivan. The purge was framed as “a stage” rather than a full rebuild, with more significant moves expected this summer.
The long-range plan is to build around young talent like second-year forward Matas Buzelis, who is viewed as a franchise cornerstone. Coach Billy Donovan said Buzelis got a “taste of this (league) as a business” at the deadline and was “still processing” all the moves that took place.
“It’s tough, of course, but at the end of the day you’ve just got to accept what happens,” Buzelis said. “That’s just what it is. I’m happy to see these guys here. I think we’ve got something special and we can make it work, but it’s tough, losing all my brothers. It is what it is, and you’ve got to accept it. … Those guys are always going to be part of my circle. They impacted me as a player. I’m never going to forget the relationships I’ve built with them over the years. They were great vets to me.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Donovan’s up-tempo offense is a better fit for Rob Dillingham than he had in Minnesota, observes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). The No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft, Dillingham wasn’t able to crack the Wolves’ rotation, but he played a season-high 22 minutes on Saturday, finishing with nine points and setting up teammates for two impressive alley-oop dunks. ‘‘At times, we’ve struggled to get downhill,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘He’s the one guy, when the ball is in his hand, that can really break people down, play off the dribble and put some pressure on the basket.’’
- With a $27.7MM expiring contract, Anfernee Simons understands that the next few weeks will help to determine his NBA future, Cowley adds in a separate story. Simons plans to take the same approach he did when he was traded to Boston last summer. “I think even before [the trade], it was always going to be a job interview with this being the last year of my contract,” he said. “I’ve just got to make the most out of these last couple of months here, start building chemistry with the guys and see where that goes.”
- Sexton talks about serving as a veteran leader for the young roster in an interview with K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (YouTube video link).
Bulls Notes: Deadline, Karnisovas, Donovan, Yabusele, Dillingham
The Bulls were extremely active this week, making seven trades prior to Thursday’s deadline. Vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas says Chicago wasn’t content with “being in the middle” after making the play-in tournament each of the last three seasons and getting eliminated in the first round of the 2022 playoffs.
“The play-in is not our goal,” Karnisovas said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “A championship is. We know where we are in standings, and we are not satisfied with being in the middle as an organization or for our fans. At the same time, we are committed to building the right way without skipping steps. This process takes time, but we’ve already made [a] meaningful shift in how we are approaching roster building and development.”
While Karnisovas didn’t use the term rebuild when discussing the Bulls’ roster reconstruction, he acknowledged the team is now prioritizing young players, acquiring draft capital and maintaining financial flexibility, Collier writes. Karnisovas singled out Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue as members of the team’s core going forward.
According to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, Karnisovas has downplayed the importance of second-round picks in the past, but he shifted his tune during Thursday’s video press conference after the Bulls added eight second-round selections in their several trades.
“Second-rounders are a currency in our industry, and you cannot operate and acquire players and trade players (without them),” Karnišovas said. “We addressed it during the trade deadline and hopefully they’re going to contribute during the draft, during free agency and trying to build this team.”
Here’s more from Chicago:
- As Poe writes, the front office has had multiple transaction windows in which to sell high on players like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu (and boost the team’s lottery odds in the process), but waited until they were both headed to unrestricted free agency — when their values were at a relative low point — to deal them away. Karnisovas defended the decision, saying, “You don’t want to lose you free agents for nothing,” and said he didn’t regret making the moves when he did. “I do not,” Karnisovas said. “I think we were at that stage as well, we continued evaluating our young guys. Right now it’s a good timing, and we addressed it.”
- Head coach Billy Donovan made it clear he’s committed to staying with the Bulls in the midst of the rebuild, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I’ve talked to you guys about what’s important to me is the mentality, the competitiveness, that kind of stuff, and things can happen quickly too,” Donovan said. “Look at what Detroit was able to do. They were really bad for a while and they took off and have done really well. You look at a team like Boston, where they shed a bunch of salary cap and people thought they weren’t going to be any good and now they’re second in the East, so things can happen pretty quickly.”
- While the roster looks much different, the front office and ownership remain the same, and they were the main issues over the past several years, argues Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. Greenberg gives Karnisovas credit for finally biting the bullet and making long-overdue trades, but is skeptical the results will be much different down the line. Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune also questions whether Karnisovas has a plan to lead the team out of mediocrity.
- Guerschon Yabusele waived his $5.8MM player option for next season as part of being traded to the Bulls because he may have been stuck in New York past the deadline if he hadn’t and he wanted an opportunity to play again, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The French forward got his wish in his first game as a Bull, recording season highs of 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and 33 minutes in Thursday’s loss to Toronto, per Toni Canyameras of BasketNews. “I guess in the summer we’ll figure out what happens. I did give up the player option because I wanted to play basketball at the end of the day. That’s what I was really motivated about, getting out there, having some minutes tonight. It was amazing for me, I’m so happy,” Yabusele said. “I’m a little bit sad because we lost, but just being out there with those guys, it’s been amazing.”
- 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham is hoping to regain his confidence with Chicago after rarely playing for Minnesota over his first two seasons. “Really just confidence, confidence from my teammates, confidence from my coaches, and really confidence in myself,” Dillingham said (Twitter video link via Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls. “I really just feel like I haven’t got to get an opportunity where I feel confident. I’m just waiting for the spark to come back.” The 21-year-old guard was acquired from the Wolves in the Dosunmu trade.
Bulls Notes: White, Dosunmu, Jones, Essengue, Terry, Giddey
The two future second-round picks the Bulls received for helping to facilitate Sunday’s Cleveland-Sacramento trade could be useful in other deals this week, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only story. Cowley reported in December that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was being very aggressive in trade talks, and a source tells him that approach hasn’t changed as the deadline nears.
Chicago has eight potential free agents this summer, including guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. Cowley hears that Karnisovas is trying to find a taker for White, who’s expected to seek a substantial raise on the open market, but he’s receiving greater interest in Dosunmu and Tre Jones because they’re viewed as more affordable. Jones signed a three-year, $24MM contract last summer. Cowley states that White has been discussed with the Timberwolves and Rockets, and “the door wasn’t completely shut with either team.”
Cowley adds that Karnisovas has contacted the Pelicans in hopes of landing Zion Williamson and/or Yves Missi and has called about Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin as well.
There’s more from Chicago:
- The Bulls are focused on building their roster around Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Essengue, the 12th pick in last year’s draft, only played two games before being lost for the season with a shoulder injury, but Lorenzi states that the front office still views him as a multi-positional defender and a strong transition threat. He’s seen as the eventual starter at power forward, with Buzelis moving into a wing role. Lorenzi also mentions Missi as a potential trade target, noting that Giddey has never played alongside that type of rim-running center, and he states that the Bulls have indicated to rival teams that they’re willing to help facilitate more trades in exchange for assets.
- Dalen Terry hasn’t been able to establish himself as a rotation player during his four seasons in Chicago and didn’t receive a rookie scale extension before the October deadline. His NBA future might be elsewhere, Cowley relays in a separate story, but that doesn’t mean he’s hoping to be traded by Thursday. “I wouldn’t say that,” Terry said. “I don’t put too much into it. The trade deadline is what it is. You get traded, you get traded. Hopefully it’s to a good place if you do, or hopefully if you don’t, they make a trade, and a good player comes in.”
- Giddey missed his third straight game on Sunday for left hamstring injury management, but he’s not expected to be out of the lineup much longer, Cowley adds. “I think he’s feeling better, but I think it’s going to be, at least in talking to the medical guys, they’re not going to put him out there until they see the tightness is gone,” Donovan said.