Bulls' Patrick Williams: Stays in Chicago on four-year deal
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Williams (foot) and the Bulls agreed Saturday on a five-year, $90 million contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Williams has had a lot of ups and downs with the Bulls after joining the organization as the No. 4 overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, but he's a career 41 percent shooter from beyond the arc who has excelled as an on-ball defender. Set to turn 23 years old in August, Williams may still have some untapped upside if he can avoid the health issues that cut short his 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons. He's currently recovering from the left foot surgery he underwent in February, but the expectation is that he'll be ready to go for training camp.
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Bulls' Torrey Craig: Picks up player option
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Craig exercised his $2.8 million player option with the Bulls for the 2024-25 season Saturday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Craig will remain with the Bulls and will try to build his market value back up after an injury-plagued campaign in 2023-24. In 53 appearances for the Bulls, Craig produced averages of 5.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 three-pointers in 19.8 minutes.
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Bulls' Marcus Domask: Inks deal with Chicago
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The Bulls signed Domask to an Exhibit 10 contract Thursday.
Domask averaged 15.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists across 38 appearances for Illinois in 2023-24. After going undrafted, he will now have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot with the Bulls.
Ball (knee) has been cleared to do "pretty much everything on the floor" and is on track to participate in 5-on-5 drills in August, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas provided an update on Ball's status after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft and was optimistic Ball could be ready in time for training camp. Ball hasn't played since January of 2022 due to left knee issues that have required three surgeries, but he's been taking part in basketball activities and could be healthy enough to play in the 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old picked up his $21.4 million player option for the upcoming season.
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Bulls' Zach LaVine: Healthy after surgery
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Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said Wednesday that LaVine (foot) has been "fully cleared" after undergoing surgery in February, Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com reports.
LaVine had surgery on his right foot in early February with a recovery timetable of 4-to-6 months. A little over four months removed from the procedure, LaVine has been fully cleared and should be a full-go for training camp. The 28-year-old appeared in just 25 games during 2023-24 due to a few injuries, including the right foot issue that lingered throughout the campaign before February's shut down. He averaged fewer than 20 points and four assists per for the first time since 2017 last year.
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Bulls' Matas Buzelis: Selected by Chicago at No. 11
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Buzelis was selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Bulls.
Buzelis is a versatile wing with nice size at 6-foot-9. There's some point-forward upside to his game due to his natural feel as a passer and his ability to make plays in transition. He struggled shooting with the G League Ignite, however, going 24-for-88 (27%) from three and 38-of-56 (68%) from the charity stripe. Improving in that area will be crucial for him to realize his potential. As a defender, he's a mixed bag, able to clean up for his teammates as a weak-side helper but not necessarily a great one-on-one stopper. Buzelis may not be a massive impact player out of the gate in Chicago, but he should have a chance to play real minutes and iron out his game.
Bulls' Patrick Williams: Bulls extend qualifying offer
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The Bulls extended their qualifying offer to Williams (foot) on Monday, making him a restricted free agent, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports.
Williams will now be able to negotiate with other teams when free agency starts June 30; however, the Bulls will have the opportunity to match any offers he receives. The 22-year-old had his 2023-24 season cut short due to a left foot injury, and he averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 27.3 minutes in 43 regular-season appearances. While it is not fully clear what direction the Bulls are currently trending in, Williams is still young and would fit the mold of a rebuild player who could remain with the team for a significant time.
