Nikola Vucevic

Bulls Notes: Collins, Buzelis, Giddey, Williams

Injuries left Zach Collins as the Bulls‘ only remaining option at center for the past two games, resulting in a lot of minutes for the newly acquired big man, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. With Nikola Vucevic out of action to “proactively” rest a calf injury and Jalen Smith in concussion protocol, Collins made two straight starts, logging 28 minutes in Monday’s contest and 38 on Wednesday.

“I’m tired,” joked Collins, who was only averaging 11.8 minutes off the bench in San Antonio before being traded earlier this month. “I guess I’m getting all the minutes I want.”

Poe notes that Collins has faced a challenging adjustment moving into coach Billy Donovan’s up-tempo approach, which has been necessary because of the team’s overall lack of size. Collins has played well enough since the deal that Donovan indicated he might use some double-big lineups when Vucevic and Smith are healthy. That could happen soon, as K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweeted that Smith participated in this morning’s shootaround.

Collins is also working to solidify his future with the Bulls, who are expected to try again this summer to trade Vucevic.

“You want to help put your team in a position to win,” Collins said. “Great individual games don’t really mean much if you can’t get the win.”

There’s more from Chicago:

  • Suns star Kevin Durant was impressed by rookie forward Matas Buzelis when the teams met last weekend, Poe adds in a separate story. Buzelis wasn’t intimidated in his matchup with an NBA legend, posting 15 points and three rebounds in 24 minutes. “I like Matas,” Durant said. “I liked him when he was with the G League Ignite. He’s long, athletic and can shoot it. He is definitely going to have some bumps and bruises as he gets through these first few years in the league trying to figure stuff out. The more experience, the more reps he gets on the floor as a starter, the better he’ll become.”
  • The Bulls shouldn’t be fooled by Josh Giddey‘s recent hot streak, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic states in a mailbag column. Giddey is averaging 19.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game since the trade deadline while shooting 52.3% from the field and 62.5% from three-point range. However, Mayberry points out that Giddey, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, is playing for his next contract. Mayberry urges the front office to let the process play out with Giddey and not repeat last year’s mistake with Patrick Williams, who was re-signed before he could negotiate with other teams.
  • In the same piece, Mayberry expresses skepticism that any team will be willing to trade for Williams, who has four years and $72MM left on his current deal.

Bulls Notes: Huerter, Collins, Jones, Smith, Vucevic, Dosunmu

Seventh-year wing Kevin Huerter got off to a poor start after being traded to the Bulls, but he’s been playing much better since the All-Star break, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Huerter admits he initially struggled to adjust after being traded mid-season for the first time in his career.

Yeah, I didn’t feel like myself, either,” Huerter said. “The break was big for me; a mental refresh was big for me. I came out of it ready to get going, to turn the page and start things going with this organization. The rest was just playing with confidence, and I’m confident in who I am.”

According to Cowley, Huerter is one of several Bulls who are essentially auditioning for jobs beyond 2024/25. While Huerter will earn a guaranteed $18MM in ’25/26, he’s certainly not a lock to stick with Chicago after posting career lows in most statistical categories this season.

He’s obviously been a proven player in the league and certainly had moments in Atlanta and Sacramento, where he’s been really, really good,” head coach Billy Donovan said of Huerter. “I think anytime you come to a new team there’s going to be a period of adjustment, but I don’t think he was necessarily shooting the ball as well in Sacramento but for him maybe something new and fresh (was needed), trying to get him to take shots when they’re there.”

Here are a few more notes from Chicago:

  • Due to injuries to Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith, Zach Collins has started the past two games at center and filled in admirably. On Wednesday, he notched season highs of 22 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists, with the Bulls outscoring the Clippers by six points in his 38 minutes during the five-point loss. “I’ve been in and out of lineups all year, so now I get all the minutes I want,” Collins said, per Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Our team is not as good without those guys in the lineup, so it’s not just me. We all have to pick it up. There are a lot of points and rebounds left out there on the floor without [Vucevic], so we all have to pick up the slack.”
  • In addition to Huerter and Collins, the Bulls also acquired Tre Jones in the trade that sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento and De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio. Collins says his familiarity with Jones has helped both players get acclimated to their new surroundings, according to Williams. “To come over with a guy that I played with for four years now and gotten close to made the whole thing that much more comfortable,” Collins said. “We took the same car to the airport, same flights, the same time for media, for medical, for extra reps after practice, learning, learning plays and everything.”
  • Jones, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, also had a strong outing Wednesday, notes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. The fifth-year point guard recorded 16 points (on 7-of-9 shooting), two rebounds, two assists, one steal and no turnovers and was plus-six in 18 minutes off the bench.
  • Smith has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol, and if today’s workout goes well, he’ll be active tomorrow against Toronto, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. Ayo Dosunmu, who has missed the past three games with a shoulder injury, was doing “light individual work” Thursday but his status for Friday is uncertain. Vucevic will be sidelined again Friday as he continues to deal with right calf injury, Johnson adds.

Bulls Notes: Giddey, Vucevic, Dosunmu, Ball

Josh Giddey knows he’s pumped up his value with his strong play this season. The Bulls guard will enter restricted free agency this summer and admitted to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley that he’s wondering how it will play out.

‘‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it,’’ Giddey said. ‘‘Every player in the league thinks about it, but I don’t let it impact what I do on the floor. I don’t come out here with any preconceived ideas of how I want to play or the numbers I want to put up to earn X amount of dollars or whatever it may be.’’

The Bulls were unable to come to a rookie scale extension agreement with Giddey after acquiring him from the Thunder last offseason. Giddey and his representatives indicated at that time they were looking to match Magic guard Jalen Suggs’ extension of $30MM per year for five years, Cowley confirms. The Bulls will have the ability to match if Giddey signs an offer sheet this summer.

We have more on the Bulls:

  • One of the things Giddey has improved upon is his long-range shooting, Cowley notes. The fourth-year guard has made 37% of his 3-point attempts, up from 33.7% in his last season with Oklahoma City. He knocked down all three of his attempts in the blowout victory over Philadelphia on Monday, improving his percentage to a whopping 52.2% this month. “Obviously, you feel good when shots start falling, and it can have a snowball effect. That’s where I’m probably at right now,” he said.
  • Starting center Nikola Vucevic is listed as doubtful to play against the Clippers on Wednesday due to right calf tightness, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets. Guard Ayo Dosunmu is questionable due to a left shoulder subluxation.
  • Lonzo Ball is not listed on the injury report. That was a positive development, considering he departed Monday’s game early due to a head laceration, the team tweets.

Bulls Notes: White, Ball, Vucevic

With Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan both now in Sacramento, Bulls guard Coby White has become the fulcrum of Chicago’s offensive attack, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Poe wonders if he’s ready for that spotlight.

“This is the growth that he’s got to do if he wants to become the kind of player I know he wants to be,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “He’s getting a full taste of what it’s like to be a Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan.”

White being the de facto new top perimeter player in Chicago means he has become the focus of opposing defenses.

“We’re not exactly catering to Coby, but there’s more movement and cutting and getting him to find open spaces,” Donovan said. “When you lose a guy like Zach or DeMar — they were great shot creators on their own. It’s not like our team is built that way anymore, so we’re going to have to move and play and help each other that way.”

There’s more out of the Windy City:

  • Recently extended Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, playing this season for the first time since 2021/22, has been under minutes restrictions since his debut in October. However, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times observes, the UCLA alum is nearing a return to unrestricted minutes at last. Ball has been an effective shooter and defender off the bench even during his limited run this year. In 32 healthy games, the 27-year-old is averaging 7.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per night.
  • After having prepared to be dealt away from the Bulls at this year’s trade deadline, center Nikola Vucevic is making the most of his tenure with a rebuilding Chicago club, Cowley writes in another piece. The 34-year-old former All-Star is now stuck on a team likely to miss the playoffs for a third straight season. Although the Bulls received trade offers for Vucevic, they decided not to deal him, reportedly believing they could get a better return this summer. In his five games since the deadline passed (all losses), the 6’10” big man is averaging 15.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while posting shooting splits of .400/.300/.909. That output is markedly lower than his season averages. “The front office picked a direction, and now at this point of the season, we have what we have,” Vucevic said. “I was a little out of my rhythm, but I feel like I’ve found a few things the last couple of games. I still need to play better than I have. You just got to [stay] a pro no matter what’s going on.” 
  • In case you missed it, the Bulls front office was recently ranked by CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn as the league’s worst.

Bulls Notes: Guards, Donovan, Vucevic, Roster

A surplus of guards following the Bulls‘ blockbuster trade of former All-Star wing Zach LaVine has yielded an interesting dilemma for head coach Billy Donovan. As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune notes, Donovan is looking to thread the needle between putting giving his best players enough minutes and developing the club’s younger backcourt contributors.

“We have an overabundance of guards, quite honestly,” Donovan said. “We just do. I think we have nine guards. It’s a lot.”

Poe observes that the Bulls traded LaVine and cut guard Chris Duarte while bringing in Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones — ostensibly, then, the team offloaded two guards and brought in two more. But LaVine, at 6’5″, was the team’s starting small forward, and thanks to his athleticism could play a bit bigger than his size. He was also a considerably more multifaceted and prolific scorer than either of the two new additions.

“With the number of guards we have, I’m not opposed to the times when we’ve started with four guards,” Donovan said. “But that may not be the best thing for this group rotation-wise.”

The Bulls’ unbalanced roster appears ready-made to fall further into the depths of lottery contenders. So far, Chicago has gone 1-4 in its five games since the LaVine deal, including losing its last four straight.

There’s more out of the Windy City:

  • The Bulls suffered their worst loss of the season, a 132-92 defeat to the Pistons on Tuesday, and followed that up with a 128-110 encore loss to Detroit on Wednesday. Poe writes in another piece that Chicago fans booed their own team early in the second quarter on Tuesday. “It’s embarrassing,” Donovan said. “There’s no question about it.” Without LaVine’s scoring acumen, the Bulls could be in for a lot more losing in the last 27 games of the year, Poe notes.
  • After moving LaVine, the Bulls received offers about another two-time All-Star on their roster, center Nikola Vucevic. Chicago ultimately opted not to move on from the 34-year-old even while clearly pivoting to a rebuild. Poe wonders in an additional story if the front office whiffed on what could have been a prime opportunity to extract the most value possible for the 6’10” vet. As we previously relayed, the team reportedly believes it will be able to fetch more assets in a potential deal this offseason.
  • The Bulls hope to take stock of their revised roster during the All-Star break, writes Kyle Williams of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscriber link). “We’ll come back and meet as a group within plenty of time before we see the team to talk about some of those things,” Donovan said. “There may be some things that we put in offensively and defensively that we feel that maybe could help some of the things maybe we struggled with.”

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Ball, Vucevic, Dosunmu, Jones

Zach LaVine might have felt more bitterness if the Bulls had traded him a year ago, but he had nothing but good things to say about his former organization after being dealt to the Kings, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.

After trying for more than a year to unload LaVine’s pricey contract, Chicago sent him to Sacramento on Monday as part of a three-team deal. Cowley notes that there was a lot of mistrust between LaVine and the Bulls when he was first placed on the market, but that has dissipated since this season began.

“There’s no bad blood,” LaVine said. “I got traded early on in my career, and it hit me, but now you control what you can. I was taking my son on a walk when I got the call from [agent] Rich [Paul], and I was extremely excited. I appreciate everything and my time in Chicago, but now that I’m here, it’s time to take my career to the next step and continue that along. It’s always great to be in a place that you are wanted, and not everyone has an opportunity to have that, so I’m very thankful.”

LaVine was a leader in Chicago, and many of his former teammates were sorry to see him go, Cowley adds. Nikola Vucevic recalled how welcoming LaVine was when he was acquired in a 2021 deadline deal, rookie Matas Buzelis called him a mentor and Coby White said he was “shocked and sad” when he learned that LaVine was leaving.

“Everybody has to play the cards that they’re dealt,” LaVine said. “The situation that you’re in, the team that you play for, I always put my best foot forward and try to do everything I can to help the team. Are you always going to be able to? No, but for me now in my 11th year, being in one playoff series, you want to try to challenge yourself to get there. You want to compete for championships; you want to be in big games.”

There’s more on the Bulls:

  • The Bulls received a few trade offers for Lonzo Ball, but he preferred to stay in Chicago and was rewarded Wednesday with a two-year extension, Cowley states in a separate story. Ball’s teammates found out about the deal at halftime and offered their congratulations to Ball, who overcame more than two years of knee issues to return to the court. “Guys are very happy for him,” Vucevic said. “Guys have a certain respect and responsibility to step it up when he’s on the court because we know what he’s been through, we see how hard he competes every night. When you see that, you can’t help but try to match that and play hard for him. The way he plays, great team player, always tries to stay positive. You see him dive on the floor, fight for rebounds … you see that and what he’s been through, it just motivates you to play harder.”
  • Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Bulls head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas raised eyebrows with some of his comments, suggesting that a “playoff push” could still be on the table this season and stating that he’s focused on building a solid 10-player group rather than focusing on finding stars, Cowley writes for the Sun-Times. “There’s different structures that you can try to get to a championship,” Karnisovas said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN (Twitter link). “There’s two or three star players and then a lot of role players or you can build it as nine or 10 very good players.” Karnisovas specified that the Bulls are attempting the latter route, Collier adds.
  • A source close to the situation tells Cowley that Karnisovas and his front office have a “more definite plan in place” than what he has conveyed publicly, and Cowley clarifies that the Bulls executive would only want to see the team making a second-half playoff push if it’s led by young players like Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey.
  • “We obviously value draft compensation and young players, and flexibility, I think in that order,” Karnisovas said on Thursday in explaining the decision to retain veterans like Nikola Vucevic. “But again, we have nine players that are between 20 and 25 (years old). You have to have a right mix of players to grow. You can’t just roll out all young players and they’re going to develop on their own. I think you need the right vets, experienced guys to be around. I see Vooch and keeping Zo (Ball) in that role.” According to Cowley, the Bulls considered the offers they got for Vucevic to be underwhelming and are hopeful they’ll improve in the summer when teams have more cap flexibility.
  • Multiple teams who spoke to the Bulls ahead of the trade deadline about their guards came away with the impression that the team views Ayo Dosunmu as a keeper, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Interestingly, Johnson also says that newly acquired point guard Tre Jones is a candidate to remain with the team beyond his expiring contract.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Trade Rumors: Boucher, Nuggets, Vucevic, Pelicans, Suns

The Nuggets are a suitor to watch for Raptors big man Chris Boucher, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links).

However, even though Denver “definitely” has interest in Boucher, the team is extremely limited in terms of both draft assets and appealing matching salary. Its two most expendable veterans, Zeke Nnaji ($8.9MM) and Dario Saric ($5.2MM), are both on multiyear contracts, making them negative trade assets.

The Nuggets are also operating above the first tax apron, so they can’t take back more money than they send out in a trade. They would likely “jump” at the chance to sign Boucher on the buyout market, Grange says, but it’s unclear if Toronto would consider a buyout for the big man if he’s not traded today.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • As of two hours before the trade deadline, there was no momentum toward a Nikola Vucevic deal between the Warriors and Bulls, says K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). If Vucevic ends up staying in Chicago through the deadline, the expectation is that he’d be on the trade block again in the offseason, Johnson notes.
  • Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and guard CJ McCollum aren’t going anywhere at the trade deadline, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape, who said on ESPN’s NBA Today that both players are on track to remain in New Orleans after the team agreed to trade Brandon Ingram to Toronto.
  • The SunsJusuf Nurkic trade with Charlotte is expected to be the only deal Phoenix makes today, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). That means the team will move forward with its “big three” of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal despite many rumors involving Durant and Beal leading up to today’s deadline.

Begley’s Latest: Magic, White, Vucevic, Smart, Knicks

The Magic are among the teams that were talking to the Bulls about guard Coby White earlier this week, sources familiar with the situation tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. It’s unclear if the two sides remain engaged in conversations.

White, who turns 25 later this month, has developed into a reliable backcourt scorer over the last couple seasons and is averaging 18.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game for Chicago in 2024/25. He’s also a solid three-point shooter, having made at least 37.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc in each of the past four seasons. That would appeal to an Orlando team that ranks last in the NBA in three-point makes and three-point percentage.

As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets, the Bulls have a crowded backcourt and may be looking to trade one or more of their guards either before Thursday’s deadline or during the offseason. None of them are on long-term deals, but White, Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, and newly extended Lonzo Ball are all under contract for next season, while Jevon Carter will likely pick up his player option and Josh Giddey will be controllable as a restricted free agent.

Here’s more from Begley ahead of today’s deadline:

  • As of Wednesday, the Bulls maintained a high asking price for Nikola Vucevic. Begley reports that Chicago wants a first-round pick that isn’t too heavily protected and wouldn’t turn into second-rounders if it doesn’t convey.
  • Several teams have spoken to the Grizzlies about possible Marcus Smart trades, according to Begley, who notes that moving off of Smart’s $21.6MM guaranteed salary for 2025/26 would put Memphis in better position to re-sign restricted free agent Santi Aldama and potentially to extend star big man Jaren Jackson Jr.
  • The Knicks still hadn’t engaged in substantial Mitchell Robinson trade talks as of Wednesday night, Begley writes. If they don’t make any additional details beyond their Jericho Sims/Delon Wright swap, the Knicks would remain on track to add a 15th man under the hard cap as of March 1. In that scenario, Begley expects G League standouts T.J. Warren and Chuma Okeke to receive consideration.

Trade Deadline Rumors: Warriors, Post, Bulls, Jazz, Schröder, Lakers, More

The Warriors may not be done after agreeing to acquire Jimmy Butler in a four-team blockbuster, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State would still like to add a shooting big man, with Bulls center Nikola Vucevic among the club’s potential targets.

Slater notes that the Warriors can still offer the expiring contracts of Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney, which total more than $17MM. However, if they want to acquire Vucevic, they’d need to offer at least one more player besides those two, due to the center’s $20MM cap hit and Golden State’s proximity to the first-apron hard cap.

As they look to navigate that hard cap, one anticipated move for the Warriors is converting center Quinten Post from his two-way deal to a standard contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Because he was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, Post can be signed for the prorated rookie minimum, which only counts for about half as much for cap and apron purposes as a prorated veteran’s minimum deal would.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

  • The Jazz and Bulls were engaged in trade talks as of Wednesday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though he doesn’t have any details on which players they were discussing. Neither team is considered a deadline buyer, so if the two clubs end up making a deal, it could be centered more around contracts and finances than win-now players.
  • The Jazz aren’t expected to retain guard Dennis Schröder after acquiring him as part of the four-team Butler trade, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Utah’s plan is to flip Schröder to another team or simply to buy him out. If he’s bought out, the veteran point guard would be ineligible to sign with any teams operating above either tax apron, since his salary ($13MM) exceeds the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.8MM).
  • Having agreed to trade for Mark Williams, the Lakers have an open roster spot and could prioritize play-making and/or three-point shooting with that opening, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
  • Based on conversations with sources around the NBA, as well as the fact that many of the Nets‘ top trade candidates were active for Wednesday’s game, Brian Lewis of The New York Post wouldn’t be shocked if it’s a relatively quiet deadline in Brooklyn. After previously reporting that a Cameron Johnson deal appears increasingly unlikely, Lewis says there have been no indications that anything “seismic” is imminent for the Nets.
  • Before making their Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis mega-deal, the Mavericks showed “strong” interest in center Jericho Sims, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). The Knicks are reportedly sending Sims to the Bucks as part of a larger deal.

Central Notes: Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Bulls, Ivey

The agreed-upon trade sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards will break up one of the longest partnerships in recent NBA history, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Nehm notes that Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo both joined the Bucks in 2013 — Middleton in a trade with Detroit after an uneventful rookie season and Antetokounmpo as a little-known draft pick out of Greece. They wound up playing together for nearly 12 years, combining for 738 regular season and playoff games and bringing Milwaukee its first NBA title in half a century.

“For me, it’s a little bit bigger than business, it’s family,” Antetokounmpo said at Wednesday’s shootaround after news of the trade broke. “With a guy that I’ve won a championship with — it’s not only that I’ve won, I’ve lost a lot of times with him. I’ve been in a dark place a lot of times with him. I’ve been in the bus going to a lot of pressure situations with him. … That’s what I remember.”

Injuries to both players prevented them from duplicating the championship they captured in 2021. Middleton in particular has suffered repeated physical issues and has been limited to 23 games this season after undergoing surgery on both ankles.

Even though they’re no longer teammates, Antetokounmpo said his friendship with Middleton will last beyond their playing days.

“I know it’s business, but for me, Khris is my brother,” he added. “I’m going to have a relationship with him after basketball. It kind of hurts, but at the end of the day, I understand the business side of things, and I’m still going to show up to work and do my job until it’s my time to dip.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Middleton deal brings the Bucks about $300K below the second apron and will have future benefits as well, notes Frank Madden of BrewHoop (Twitter link). With Middleton’s $34MM player option no longer on the books for next season, Milwaukee projects to be $31MM under the first apron. Madden points out that gives the team access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, even if Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton exercise their player options.
  • Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls aren’t done pursuing deals after sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Monday, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry notes that Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Coby White and Patrick Williams have all been mentioned in rumors, but nobody is certain who will be leaving ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. “I already know I’m not untouchable,” White said. “I like being in Chicago, but it’s out of my control. That’s up to the front office and how they view me. As long as I’m here, I’m here to compete, play hard, lead and do anything I can to help win.”
  • Pistons guard Jaden Ivey recently posted a video of himself walking underwater to his Instagram account, relays Jared Ramsey of The Detroit Free Press. Aquatic therapy is part of Ivey’s treatment as he works to recover from a broken left fibula.