Bulls Notes: Starting Lineup, White, Trade Deadline, Buzelis
As his team navigates three significant injuries, Bulls coach Billy Donovan unveiled a new-look starting lineup in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Donovan went big to match up with the Pelicans, using Tre Jones as his lone guard alongside Isaac Okoro, Nikola Vucevic, Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith. With Josh Giddey and Coby White unavailable to run the offense, Okoro led the way with a season-high 24 points in a 134-118 victory.
“Everyone knows their role on this team,” Okoro said. “No one is too big-headed or out there trying to be a superstar on this team. Everyone knows their roles, knows what they need to do to impact winning. So as long as guys know that, I think we’ll be in a good place. We have enough here. Just play with energy, play with a high spirit, do the things we can control. Of course, not having bodies out there is bad, but we have enough. Control what we can control.”
Donovan used 10 players in total with Patrick Williams, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu coming off the bench. Getting contributions throughout the roster is going to be important as the Bulls face a stretch of six games in nine days, starting on Friday. Cowley notes that roles and responsibilities could change from night to night depending on the opponent.
“It’s a results-oriented business, but I look at it as a 48-minute game,” Donovan said. “Can we play to an identity covering for each other on defense, helping each other on offense, moving the basketball, playing the right way, not turning it over? To me, there are certain things we can do as a basketball team. Are we good enough to actually overcome and go win games? It remains to be seen, but I know if we don’t do those things, we have no chance.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Cowley points out that White began to feel tightness in his right calf after he played in back-to-back games over the weekend for this first time this season. The medical staff might keep him out of those situations once he returns. ‘‘That’s been a topic of conversation,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘That was the first back-to-back he played. He came out of it fine, but they are trying to go through every minute detail that he does every single day.’’
- In a separate story from Cowley, Donovan discusses the “30,000-foot view” that executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has of the team’s injury situation as opposed to his mandate to try to win every game. Donovan also indicated that the Bulls don’t appear to be close to making any deals with the deadline five weeks away. ‘‘In the conversations I’ve had with Arturas, we have not talked about the trade deadline at this point in time at all,’’ Donovan told reporters. ‘‘I would say that I don’t know how other teams evaluate it. The guys you are bringing up, are they in contract years? Is there a dive they do in their history? Some of these guys, you’re right, have been set back with some injuries. I don’t know necessarily how much it does or doesn’t hurt.”
- Buzelis talks about the thrill of draft day in the latest edition of “Journey to the CHI” on Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). “As soon as I found out the Bulls were picking me … It was honestly the best day of my life,” the second-year forward said.
Bulls Notes: Buzelis, Collins, Smith, Dosunmu, Jones, Vucevic
Limited options have forced Billy Donovan to use Matas Buzelis at power forward, but the Bulls coach has been finding ways to move him back to his natural position of small forward, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times (subscription required). Buzelis continued to start at the four in Friday’s win at Cleveland, but he saw time at both spots as Donavan employed a double-big lineup for much of the game.
“In fairness to Matas, there are matchups that are tough,” Donovan said. “He’s a second-year player that’s only going to get stronger, bigger and as he matures those matchups will be probably easier physically. When he is having to go hypothetically against a Julius Randle or a (Evan) Mobley, someone like that, those guys are playing close to the basket and they’re really physical. Those are tough matchups for a second-year player like Matas. So if you can get him to the small forward for some of the game — not all of the game — I don’t mind playing Matas with two bigs. I never looked at Matas as a big.”
Donovan has been experimenting with the two-center approach recently, often teaming up Zach Collins and Jalen Smith or putting one of them on the court alongside Nikola Vucevic. Cowley notes that he tried a jumbo lineup on Friday, playing Buezelis and Patrick Williams together along with two big men.
Buzelis told reporters he prefers being a small forward, but said he’ll handle whatever assignment Donovan gives him.
“Wherever he puts me I’m going to do my best and try to work it out,” Buzelis said. “But I do feel comfortable when the two bigs come in. It’s not really a problem for me. Wherever he puts me I’m going to try and make something happen.”
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Collins and Smith have complementary skills that are vital in making the two-big strategy effective, Cowley states in a separate story. “I think the coaches have done a better job of making it so when we’re out there, we know what our roles are, both of us,” Collins said. “Him to space more and me to be more around the rim, and then just constant conversation between me and (Smith). Those are the roles we want to stick to, but there are opportunities where if he’s ahead of the ball, he can run and I can space, and we’ve just tried to keep the communication. That’s the biggest difference.”
- Apart from first-round pick Noa Essengue, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery two weeks ago, the Bulls had a fully healthy roster on Friday, Cowley adds. Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones were both listed as questionable coming into the game, but they were able to play on minutes restrictions.
- Vucevic admits being “definitely frustrated, mainly at me” as he and the team swooned after a fast start, but he’s looked more like the early-season version of himself lately, Cowley relays in another piece. After delivering 24 points and 15 rebounds on Friday, Vucevic said the Bulls benefited from a relaxed schedule while the NBA Cup was being decided. “Those (days off) after Cup play were huge,” he said. “We were able to regroup, and it also helped me refresh a little bit, recalibrate and just play my game.”
Bulls Notes: Vucevic, Collins, Smith, White, Draft Night, Okoro, Jones
Nikola Vucevic sat for the last 19 minutes of the Bulls’ 129-126 win over Charlotte on Friday, which snapped Chicago’s seven-game losing streak. Head coach Billy Donovan said the decision did not reflect his long-term plans for the center position, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.
Zach Collins wound up playing 20 minutes, contributing 16 points and eight rebounds, while Jalen Smith logged 17 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds.
“Whatever the case may be — maybe next game it’s not my night,” Collins said. “Maybe it’s Stix (Smith’s) night closing the game, maybe it’s Vooch’s night. We’ve got really good bigs that can finish games. Now we’re at the point where we can play the 4 and the 5. I just think it’s the tribute to the level of bigs we have that we can mess with the lineups like that.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Amid a report that the Timberwolves have inquired on Coby White, the Bulls guard replied that he’d prefer to stay put, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). “I love being here. I love being on this team,” said White, who is in his walk year. “But I understand it’s a business and it’s different going into (unrestricted free agency). They have to do what they think is best for the organization. It’s out of my control.” Johnson notes that while White is definitely on some teams’ radars, there is currently little to no engagement from potential suitors.
- The Bulls have taken some criticisms in the media for not making a trade with the Pelicans on draft night. New Orleans president of basketball operations Joe Dumars surprisingly traded the No. 23 overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks to move up to No. 13 to draft Maryland big man Derik Queen. However, a high-ranking Bulls official told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the Pelicans never contacted the Bulls about the No. 12 pick, contradicting Dumars’ subsequent statements. In fact, if New Orleans had presented such a trade, Chicago would have done the deal, Cowley says.
- Smith, Isaac Okoro and Tre Jones were under minutes restrictions on Friday after returning from injuries, according to Poe. Okoro had 15 points in 26 minutes while Jones added six points and five assists in 25 minutes.
Bulls Notes: Jones, Okoro, Smith, Dosunmu, Huerter, More
The banged-up Bulls should get some reinforcements when they take on the Hornets in Charlotte on Friday. Veteran point guard Tre Jones (left ankle sprain) practiced for a second consecutive day on Thursday and said he expects to suit up tomorrow after missing the team’s past three games, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
Isaac Okoro (left lumbar radiculopathy) and Jalen Smith (left hamstring strain) also practiced for a second straight day, per Johnson (Twitter link), and have been listed as probable to play on Friday after being sidelined for eight and five games, respectively. Head coach Billy Donovan told reporters that both players will be on minutes restrictions if they’re active.
Chicago is still far from being at full strength. Guard Ayo Dosunmu has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 thumb sprain (Twitter link via Johnson) and won’t make the trip to Charlotte, while sharpshooter Kevin Huerter (left adductor strain) still isn’t practicing and will be out for a fourth straight game on Friday.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Donovan still believes the 9-14 Bulls are capable of turning things around without making roster changes, as long as they can get (and stay) healthier, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). “We’ve had an enormous amount of injuries,” Donovan said. “Having seven guys (available) is challenging for any team. I always believe that if you’ve got nine or 10 guys that are committed to doing the things necessary, there’s enough in that locker room. I really believe that.”
- Donovan expressed after a blowout loss to Golden State on Sunday that the Bulls players like each other, but haven’t shown that they “love” one another enough to consistently do little things like boxing out and diving for loose balls (Twitter link via Johnson). Asked about his head coach’s comments, Josh Giddey insisted that the Bulls “love each other,” but admitted the team isn’t showing it on the court. “I think we’ve just got to be better at playing for each other,” Giddey said (Twitter video link via Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic).
- According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls’ seven-game losing streak has taken its toll on the team and its chemistry. A source tells Cowley that guard Coby White is among the veterans who are “trying to put out fires and limit finger-pointing while still holding teammates accountable.”
- Donovan pointed to veteran center Nikola Vucevic as another player who is doing what he can to hold the team together, telling reporters on Wednesday that Vucevic asked to meet with him after a recent loss to talk about “areas of improvement” and how he can help the group (Twitter links via Johnson). “When we’re not playing to our identity, that frustrates him,” Donovan said. “When he sees sometimes there’s not carryover from shootarounds to games, that frustrates him. And I want him to use his voice. Vooch holds himself to a high standard but also knows we need everybody.”
Knicks Notes: Giannis, Paul, Backup PG, Hart, More
Although the Knicks made a “real offer” for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason, an in-season trade looks unlikely at this juncture, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link).
As Begley explains, Antetokounmpo would likely have to try and force his way to New York for a deal to happen, and even if that were to occur, Milwaukee would be under no obligation to fulfill his request. A league source also tells Begley the Knicks like their roster and believe they’re well-positioned in the wide-open Eastern Conference.
The Clippers announced on Wednesday morning that they’re “parting ways” with Chris Paul — what that means exactly is still to be determined, since he’s unlikely to be waived anytime soon and isn’t trade-eligible until December 15. A previous report indicated that the Knicks have discussed the possibility of making a deal for the 40-year-old point guard, but Begley hears a trade, at least as of now, is “highly unlikely” to occur.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News and Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post (subscriber link) weigh the pros and cons of the Knicks making a run at Paul. Vaccaro believes the future Hall-of-Famer would be an upgrade over second-year guard Tyler Kolek and would probably be relatively easy to acquire. Winfield, meanwhile, says Paul would be an imperfect fit on the Knicks due to his declining production and worsening defense, but the team does need another play-maker off the bench, and the 12-time All-Star is one of the best in league history.
- As Stefan Bondy of The New York Post writes (subscription required), Kolek has been getting backup point guard minutes of late, but the team has struggled mightily in his time on the court, which is one reason why the need for a reserve play-maker behind Jalen Brunson persists. Bondy lists nine guards whom a pair of NBA executives think could be available before the February deadline, including Paul, Jose Alvarado (Pelicans), Tre Jones (Bulls), and his older brother Tyus Jones (Magic).
- Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link) expects Josh Hart to remain in the starting lineup going forward, which is noteworthy because OG Anunoby could return to action on Friday — he’s questionable against Utah after missing the past nine games with a strained left hamstring. Hart has been playing his best basketball of the season recently.
- While the Knicks have won five of their past six games, they’ve also blown double-digit leads in five of those six contests, according to Winfield. The latest incident occurred in Wednesday’s win over Charlotte. “Teams aren’t just going to lay down. We build a lead, you’ve got to anticipate they’re going to fight back, they’re not just going to give up,” Brunson said after the victory. “We’ve got to do a better job of slowing down their runs and limiting them. But we can’t let them get all the way back like we’ve been doing.”
Bulls Notes: Giddey, White, Collins, Carter
Josh Giddey continues to put up big offensive numbers for the Bulls. The biggest knock against him during his pro career is that he’s soft defensively and often gets exploited at that end of the floor. Head coach Billy Donovan sees more focus from Giddey to overcome that stigma, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“[He’s] probably similar to [Bulls guard] Coby [White] early in his career — similar to where they were really targeting him,” Donovan said. “As a player, you have to shut off that running water where [opposing coaches eventually] say, ‘OK, there’s no reason to try and exploit this because it’s not there.’ That comes down to the personal pride of one-on-one guarding.
“I think [Giddey has] tried to do that. The one thing about Josh is the flexibility when we play against teams that are a little bigger — he can play against some of these bigger forwards, too. He’s pretty physical there. I do think Josh has tried to get better. I’ve noticed and seen growth from him from last November to the time now. He’s taken much more pride in that area.”
Giddey had 21 points, 14 rebounds and six assists as the Bulls snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating the Nuggets in Denver on Monday. It was the Nuggets’ first home loss this season.
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- White isn’t playing in back-to-backs yet and is on a minutes limit, but Donovan is hopeful the medical staff will lift those restrictions after Thankgiving, Cowley reports. White sat out against Denver after he played 30 minutes — six more than planned — in a double overtime loss to Utah on Sunday. He’ll also play just one game in this weekend’s back-to-back set against Miami and Washington. “The first half [Sunday], I was pretty tired. I was a little winded,” said White, who had been sidelined by a calf strain. “Second half, I started getting my wind. My legs felt a little heavy, so that’s why some of my shots were short. Missed a lot of chippies around the rim, so that comes with timing.”
- Donovan is hopeful Zach Collins can return to practice next week when the team has three consecutive days off, per Cowley. Collins underwent wrist surgery last month. “Because he’s been in the splint, he’s lost a lot of mobility, flexibility and strength, so he’s got to get that back, so there will be a lot of things he’ll have to do in the weight room to get those back,” Donovan said. “I’m probably being a little eager and optimistic, but I’m hoping he can get into practice in one of those days where we can have a contact practice. . . . How long it will take to get his strength back to be able to go into a practice remains to be seen, but he can start doing things with his hand.”
- With White and Tre Jones sitting out, Jevon Carter posted 15 points in 18 minutes against the Nuggets. “This guy’s work ethic is unbelievable. He’s one of the hardest working people I’ve ever seen,” Donovan said. Carter was grateful for the praise, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network relays (Twitter links). “That means a lot coming from a Hall of Fame coach. That’s my guy. I love Billy,” he said.
Bulls’ Coby White To Make Season Debut Sunday
Bulls guard Coby White is on track to make his season debut on Sunday in Utah, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The Bulls have confirmed that White will play Sunday, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network, but he will be held out of Monday’s back-to-back. “I’m excited to get back and play the game I love,” White said (Twitter link via Johnson).
The 25-year-old combo guard suffered a right calf strain in mid-August and then experienced a setback during the preseason when he was working to prepare for the regular season opener. The Bulls have gone 6-5 so far in 2025/26 without White, who averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 74 games last season (33.1 minutes per contest).
White and Josh Giddey (right ankle sprain) were both full participants in Friday’s and Saturday’s practices, including doing contact drills. White said after Friday’s session that he expects to be on a restriction of approximately 24 minutes per game when he returns.
Giddey, who has missed the past two games, is probable to suit up tonight, notes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (via Twitter). Fellow guard Tre Jones is questionable with a left ankle impingement.
White is on track to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, and while he isn’t expected to sign an extension with the Bulls before then due to the limitations on what they can offer him, the two sides have reportedly stayed on good terms and both hope to get a deal done in 2026.
Central Notes: Nembhard, Cunningham, Jones, Allen
The Pacers have been hit hard by injuries, but there’s at least one ray of hope on the horizon, reports Marc Stein of the Stein Line (subscriber link).
Andrew Nembhard left Thursday night’s game against the Thunder early after aggravating a preexisting shoulder injury. According to Stein, following an MRI, there’s optimism that Nembhard’s absence won’t be a long-term one.
Nembhard is expected to play a key role for the Pacers this season as one of the few healthy ball-handlers remaining on the roster. As Indiana has lost more and more players due to injury, it’s become harder for the team to keep itself organized, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
In addition to Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton, TJ McConnell, Taelon Peter, Kam Jones, and Bennedict Mathurin were all on the injury report for Indiana coming into Sunday’s game, and things only got worse after tip-off, as Obi Toppin left the game against the Timberwolves early with a hamstring injury, per Dopirak (Twitter link).
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham had his coming-out party for the Pistons last season, earning All-NBA honors for the first time and placing seventh in MVP voting. That has led to renewed defensive focus from opposing teams, which Cunningham says he’s still trying to learn how to deal with, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). “I just don’t feel like I’ve handled it the way I want to,” Cunningham said. “I’m gonna keep watching the film and try to be better for my team. I feel like we had a lot of empty offensive possessions because I just didn’t handle the hots correctly.”
- Tre Jones has been labeled a “pure point guard” for much of his career. He’s showing how that can help a team during the start of the Bulls‘ season, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “The game is going positionless a little bit, but trying to keep the point guard spot alive, especially with the height that I have,” Jones said. “I don’t think point guard will ever be out of the game completely. I think there will always be a spot for a point guard and that mentality. It’s something I’ve taken pride in my whole life. How could you not take pride in being called a pure point guard?” Head coach Billy Donovan compared Jones’ ascent in Chicago to Aaron Nesmith‘s jump as a player from his time with the Celtics to his Finals run with the Pacers last season. “One thing I figured out really quickly when I was playing, the most important stat for any NBA player is minutes played per game because these guys are all really, really good, and if they get an opportunity, generally they’re going to show what they can do,” Donovan said.
- Jarrett Allen‘s season debut against the Knicks left a sour taste in Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson‘s mouth, writes Chris Fedor for Cleveland.com (subscriber link). “That wasn’t the Jarrett Allen we all know,” Atkinson said. “That was more on us not seeking him out. But conversely, he can’t get four rebounds. I was really bummed about that. Can’t be like that.” Atkinson made sure to be clear that he wasn’t singling out Allen, saying, “This is a self-criticism too. We take him for granted. I have to be better about talking to him more and talking to our leaders more about him.” The message seemed to sink in: in Cleveland’s second game against the Nets, Allen had 22 points, seven rebounds, and four assists; he followed that up with an eight-point, 11-rebound outing in Sunday’s 118-113 win over the Bucks.
Bulls Notes: Smith, Williams, Jones, Buzelis
Jalen Smith is getting another shot to be the Bulls‘ primary backup center after Zach Collins underwent surgery on October 18 to repair a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist, writes Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.
As Poe details, Smith signed a three-year, $27MM contract with Chicago during the 2024 offseason and opened 2024/25 as the main backup to Nikola Vucevic. He initially lost the job due to an injury: he suffered a concussion in February, and Collins — who was acquired earlier that month in the three-team deal that sent Zach LaVine to Sacramento — thrived while Smith was out.
“At the end of the day, this is a big-boy’s league,” Smith said. “You can’t be salty over stuff like that. It was out of my control. I got a concussion, Zach started playing well. If I was the coach, I would’ve made the same decision.”
While Smith harbors no ill will over the demotion, he’s determined to reclaim the role this season. The 25-year-old big man went 0-of-7 from the field in 14 minutes in Wednesday’s opener, but bounced back with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 17 minutes during Saturday’s victory in Orlando.
Here’s more on the Bulls, who are now 2-0 after Saturday’s win:
- Matas Buzelis‘ foul trouble created an opportunity for Patrick Williams on Saturday, and the former No. 4 overall pick took advantage with an assertive performance on both ends of the court, according to Poe. Williams finished with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 29 minutes. “I think I played good ball — but most importantly, we won,” Williams said. “That’s kind of how I judge myself, no matter how I played. If we win, great. If we lost, I didn’t do enough.”
- Tre Jones, who re-signed with the Bulls on a three-year, $24MM contract over the summer, continues to play well with Coby White (calf strain) out. The 25-year-old point guard was a game-high plus-17 on Saturday while recording 13 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a career-high five steals in 29 minutes, Poe notes.
- In an interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, second-year forward Buzelis discusses his individual and team goals for 2025/26, players he looked up to growing up, and more.
Bulls Notes: Okoro, Vucevic, Williams, Dosunmu
Entering the preseason, it seemed obvious that Josh Giddey, Coby White, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic would be part of the Bulls‘ starting lineup, but the fifth spot in that unit remained up for grabs. As Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required) wrote when she explored the topic earlier this week, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones all looked like candidates for the role.
Now that the Bulls’ preseason has wrapped up, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times believes Okoro is the frontrunner to be the team’s fifth starter, and head coach Billy Donovan acknowledged that he’d be comfortable having the newly added forward defending the opponent’s best perimeter player. However, Donovan also stressed that he doesn’t necessarily plan to lock in a lineup and rotation and stick with that group indefinitely.
“I’ve talked to these guys about it, and it’s not probably necessarily conventional just from the perspective of we’ve got to get out of the old-school NBA mindset of, ‘Here’s my rotation, here’s my guys that go in the game and here’s how many minutes they play,'” Donovan said. “I just don’t know if we’re going to be able to do that.
“Probably over 82 games, there will be a consistent group that starts, but maybe some nights we have to change the starting lineup. In my opinion, we have to change starting lineups based on who we’re playing and what the matchups look like for us.”
Here’s more on the Bulls:
- Although Vucevic will turn 35 next week and is entering the final year of his current contract, he’s not thinking about the end of his playing career at this point, as Poe relays for The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). “Retirement is not something that’s at all on my mind,” Vucevic said. “I’m just trying to enjoy it — as long, as much as I can.”
- With the start of the season around the corner, Poe poses five questions facing the Bulls, including whether Buzelis is on an All-Star trajectory, whether White (calf strain) will be available for opening night, and how often the club will use a two-big lineup featuring Vucvic and Jalen Smith.
- After a disappointing fifth year, expectations will be lower for former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams as he enters his sixth NBA season, according to Cowley. However, the forward is feeling as healthy as he has in a while and will be focusing on producing more consistently for the Bulls, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. Donovan, who said he believes Williams can still “carve out a really good niche for himself as an NBA player,” noted that he has seen growth from the 24-year-old but stressed the need for him to be able to string together several good games in a row. “As it relates to Patrick, his minutes and stuff like that, a lot of it will be how consistent he’s playing,” Donovan said. “If it’s not going well — for anybody — we may have to go with someone else.”
- Dosunmu has played well in the preseason and appears well positioned for a strong contract year, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. For his part though, the fifth-year guard isn’t thinking about potential 2026 free agency or what an extension would look like, he recently told reporters. “My main focus is just taking it one day at a time, not worrying about next July or whenever it is, because that’s going to happen when it’s going to happen,” Dosunmu said. “Just stay in the moment.”