Chicago Bulls

Newly acquired Chicago Bull Josh Giddey is seeking a minimum of $30 million annually in his next contract after being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to sources cited by NBA insider Jake Fischer.

There has been a surge in young guards seeking higher contracts following Immanuel Quickley's five-year, $175 million deal with the Toronto Raptors this past summer.

The 22-year-old Australian is currently on a four-year, $27 million contract, which the Bulls took over following the trade that sent Alex Caruso to the Thunder in exchange for Giddey.

What a pass by Giddey 👏 pic.twitter.com/V08W1HpF45

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2024

Over his three seasons with Oklahoma, Giddey averaged 13.0 points, 5.7 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 31 percent from the three-point line.

Giddey joined the Bulls in June after the team finished 39-43 last season, placing ninth in the Eastern Conference and failing to make the playoffs.

Preseason starters vs. the T'Wolves.@FirstAlert | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/JlpH832yIJ

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 16, 2024

The Australian is expected to start for the Bulls at the point guard position, but is currently a game-time decision after he ruptured an ankle ligament playing for Australia during the Paris Olympics.

Giddey played in the Bulls' preseason games and stated that he will "be fine" and is expected to be ready for the season opener on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, according to Field Level Media (h/t ESPN).

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is confident he can return to occupying a meaningful role for the team after persistent knee trouble kept him out for two-plus NBA seasons.

"I honestly feel like I just can give good minutes on the court, however that may be," he said on NBA Today. "I just want to help the team win. There's nothing that I really want to do stat-wise. It's just going out there and doing my job, and I feel like I can still compete at a high level. That's why I wanted to come back."

"I've been on this journey, but it hasn't been a solo trip." ❤️

Lonzo Ball with @malika_andrews and @ShamsCharania on playing his first NBA game after being sidelined 1,006 days due to injury 💪 pic.twitter.com/0h2XT1pg6f

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 17, 2024

Ball's last appearance in the regular season was in January 2022. Since then, he has undergone three separate surgeries on his left knee, which collectively raised concerns over his future as a player.

The 26-year-old made his long-awaited return in Chicago's 125-123 preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. He came off the bench to play 15 minutes and finished with 10 points and one rebound, assist, steal and block apiece.

During a September appearance on 670 The Score's Mully & Haugh Show, head coach Billy Donovan pointed to how a lot of variables are still at play when it comes to Ball's usage and availability even with him back healthy.

"The thing that [executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas] mentioned, which is critical, is we don't know how he's going to respond after games, after practices," Donovan said. "Because we haven't seen it. That's where we first got to start off with.

"Is it something where he plays 15 to 20 minutes and now he's got to take the next day off? Can he play 25 to 30 minutes? How does he respond? The back-to-backs, we don't know any of those things. So we're going to wait to find out."

Suiting up against Minnesota was a massive step in Ball's comeback but far from the final point in his process to become a dynamic two-way presence again.

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-123 in Wednesday's preseason game, but the outcome was not the most important thing.

That was the return of Lonzo Ball.

Ball played his first game since January 2022 and his working his way back from multiple knee surgeries. While he was limited to just 15 minutes off the bench, it was a key step for the UCLA product ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

"Felt a lot better playing than watching," he told reporters. "It was a moment I'll never forget."

Ball didn't just play. He played well.

He finished with 10 points, one assist, one rebound, one block and one steal behind 4-of-6 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 shooting from deep. The guard drilled his first two shots from beyond the arc and was met with a standing ovation at the United Center.

Frankly, expectations are not high for the Bulls this season. They lost in the play-in tournament the last two seasons and no longer have DeMar DeRozan or Alex Caruso on the roster. Not having Ball in 2022-23 or 2023-24 limited the team's ceiling, and his return would be a welcome storyline for a team in need of one.

Chicago is still likely going to be left looking up at the likes of the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks at the very least in the Eastern Conference.

But a healthy Ball would raise that ceiling as someone who can extend the defense with his outside shooting, make plays in transition, defend ball-handlers and create open looks for his teammates with his facilitating.

Wednesday was a key step toward his return, and he won't forget it.

Welcome back, Lonzo Ball.

The Chicago Bulls guard returned to the court for the first time since January 2022 for Wednesday's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The score rarely ever matters in the preseason, and it certainly wasn't the focus in the United Center on Wednesday.

The United Center welcomes back Lonzo Ball 🙏 pic.twitter.com/E56hJL0qwH

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2024

All the focus was on Ball, and Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune noted the plan was to keep him to a 16-minute restriction.

That he was under a restriction was anything but surprising, as he underwent multiple knee surgeries since suffering the initial injury in January 2022, including a cartilage transplant.

He was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks and return in time for the playoffs when he first suffered the injury, but he didn't make it back to the court that season and went through multiple setbacks before this moment when he was back on the floor.

And he picked up right where he left off by drilling his first two shots beyond the arc, facilitating and even blocking Julius Randle on his way to 10 points, one assist, one rebound, one steal and one block behind 4-of-6 shooting from the field in a 125-123 victory.

Zo is 2-2 from three to start the night 🔥@CHSN__ | @ZO2_ pic.twitter.com/QzdQ4ZikCt

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2024

His return had fans celebrating him on social media:

OUR KING HAS RETURNED

— Ross Pins (@chisportsross) October 17, 2024

Welcome back, @ZO2_ 🫡 https://t.co/jVGFmTqE0z pic.twitter.com/MkBiJzg24E

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2024

LONZO BALL IS BACK 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cRgb2DqG8b

— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) October 17, 2024

Just really happy for Lonzo Ball tonight. Anybody that watched that dude in high school and saw the innate feel for the game knew that he was born to hoop. Glad that his body is giving him the chance to do it again.https://t.co/e1IjhfzoJH

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) October 17, 2024

Ball navigated first two screens---one on ball, one off---on his first defensive possession.

Hits a 3 on first shot.

Wow

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 17, 2024

Damn it's good to see Lonzo on the court

— Big DAVE (@BawlSports) October 17, 2024

Lonzo knocking down his 1st shot -- a 3 from the corner -- felt good to watch. Can only imagine how good it felt for him! #Bulls

— Mike Berman (@MikeBermanNBC) October 17, 2024

Oh man. Lonzo Ball drains his first 3-point attempt of the game. Perfect splash from the corner and a huge roar from the crowd after that.

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) October 17, 2024

So great to see Lonzo on the floor.

— Cody Delmendo (@cody_chgo) October 17, 2024

Lonzo Ball logged two assists and 2-for-2 shooting from behind the arc in his first 5-minute rotation tonight.

Looked fairly comfortable pushing the pace up the court and navigating screens.

Really promising stuff.

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) October 17, 2024

https://t.co/8iLoUXpfQN pic.twitter.com/IjUrm24ZEr

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) October 17, 2024

Who cares about the Bulls, but Lonzo Ball coming back as a legit player would be one of the coolest basketball stories ever

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) October 17, 2024

Watching Lonzo Ball right now is pretty amazing. Just blocked Julius Randle in help, then a few possessions later scrambled across the floor for a steal, chased the ball out of bounds and flew into the stands to save it. First time this guy's played in forever and he has no fear.

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) October 17, 2024

Things have not been the same for the Bulls since Ball suffered his injury during that 2021-22 season. After all, they were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference at the time and appeared to be building toward a potential deep playoff run with a core of Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević and Alex Caruso.

Yet they fell to the No. 6 seed without him and lost in the first round before losing in the play-in tournament during the next two seasons while he was sidelined.

DeRozan and Caruso aren't even on the roster anymore, but a healthy Ball would elevate the ceiling for a Bulls squad that may otherwise have trouble competing with the top teams in the Eastern Conference in the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.

He and the rest of the team will have one more preseason contest to prepare for the upcoming campaign when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball says his recovery from the multiple knee surgeries that have sidelined him since January 2022 went "a lot faster than I thought."

"Getting the first surgery and then coming back, and then having the second and third, and telling me 18 more months recovery. You know that sounds crazy in the moment, but now I'm here, and it's all behind me now," Ball said on Wednesday, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO.

Ball is expected to play during Wednesday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has missed the last two NBA seasons while recovering from surgery, including a cartilage transplant in March 2023.

Ball will be restricted to 16 minutes in his return to the court, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.

He told reporters on Wednesday that he had faced a recovery setback while dealing with a COVID infection that led him to lose 10 pounds, per Poe.

Ball said he had "nothing but love and respect" for the Bulls for working with him through his recovery from his initial surgery to repair a torn meniscus in early 2022. The team initially reported was projected to sideline him for a maximum of eight weeks.

But Ball ended up sidelined for the rest of the 2021-22 season. He underwent a second surgery in September 2022, followed by the transplant the following March.

"They could have just pushed me to the side, and kept moving," Ball said, per Poe. "Instead they've been with me the whole way and given me the best treatment, the best help I can get. It wasn't just from me, it's from a collective unit, and it all paid off to have me back on the court today."

Ball also said he expects to be a different player than the point guard that averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists while playing more than 34 minutes per night for the Bulls during his shortened 2021-22 campaign.

That's in part due to his knee, which Ball told reporters feels different depending on the day.

"It's not the same body I started off with," he said, per Gottlieb. "But I think I can still be productive and effective on the court. That's why I'm still trying to play."

Ball continued: "Like I said, I know what I'm capable of. I feel comfortable out there. Other than that, I just gotta hoop."

The Bulls have just two preseason games remaining before opening the regular season next Wednesday on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Chicago Bulls are reportedly expected to speak with Josh Giddey regarding a potential contract extension, per Shams Charania of ESPN during an appearance on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast (20-minute mark).

"He's someone that I think the Bulls will engage with," Charania said.

"They made that trade, trading away Alex Caruso for him. So they clearly value him to an extent. But what does he want? What is his mentality on the marketplace? And what do they want to give?"

Giddey, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, is in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract after having his 2022-23 and 2023-24 team options picked up. He landed in Chicago after the Bulls acquired him from the Oklahoma City Thunder last June for guard Alex Caruso.

As noted by John Schuhmann of NBA.com, all players selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft who reached the end of their rookie deals are eligible for contract extensions until Oct. 21. If one isn't settled by then, those players will enter restricted free agency in the summer of 2025.

Giddey, 22, averaged 12.3 points on 47.5 percent shooting (33.7 percent from three), 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists last year. He started all 80 games, averaging 25.1 minutes per game.

However, Giddey's playing time significantly decreased in the playoffs, to the point where he even hit the bench for two of 10 games. Giddey averaged 12.5 minutes per game in the second round against the Dallas Mavericks.

After the season, the Thunder approached Giddey about coming off the bench in the future, but that understandably was not something he was enthused about doing after starting the previous three years. So a trade was worked out, and Giddey ended up with the Bulls.

In Chicago, Giddey will be the starting point guard alongside Coby White in the backcourt. He's played three preseason games thus far for the Bulls, averaging 11.3 points on 40.0 percent shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 22.5 minutes per game.

Chicago has two more preseason games remaining (at home versus the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday and against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday). The Bulls then start the regular season on Oct. 23 at the New Orleans Pelicans.

Lonzo Ball hasn't played an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, due to significant knee injuries. That streak reportedly will come to a close on Wednesday.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Ball will return to the court on Wednesday night for the Chicago Bulls in the team's preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ball previously said on his podcast he planned to play in at least two preseason games for the Bulls:

🚨 @ZO2_ IS BACK FOR PRESEASON 🚨🔥 pic.twitter.com/4NNzJmALGZ

— The WAE Show (@TheWAEShow) October 11, 2024

A healthy Ball would make a major difference for Chicago.

The 26-year-old has averaged 11.9 points, 6.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, shooting 40 percent from three while providing elite perimeter defense during his career. Health has always been an issue, however—he's never played more than 63 games in a season and has missed the last two entirely.

It's also fair to wonder how he'll look after such a lengthy time away from the game. A major amount of rust is to be expected, even well into the season.

At the very least, however, the Bulls now have the backup point guard role covered. Offseason acquisition Josh Giddey will handle the primary playmaking duties on the starting unit, with 2023-24 standout Coby White moving to an off-ball role and Zach LaVine slotting into the small forward position.

That will leave Ball to presumably run the second unit.

The Bulls were a far better team with the veteran point guard on the court back in the 2021-22 season, posting a 3.1 net rating when he played, per NBA.com, and a minus-2.1 net rating without him.

They had a 27-13 record before he suffered the knee injury that has since required multiple surgeries and a rare double cartilage transplant in May 2023, but went just 19-23 the rest of that season, 40-42 in the 2022-23 campaign and 39-43 last season.

Ball will not fix all that ails Chicago as the team transitions from its previous older core to a younger one. But his return is a positive story and should provide the team with more depth, playmaking and defensive upside.

Derrick Rose will be honored at the United Center this season.

The Chicago Bulls announced that the team's January 4 contest against the New York Knicks will be "Derrick Rose Night" and that the franchise will honor it's former star player.

January 4, 2025: Derrick Rose Night

Join us to celebrate one of our own 🌹 pic.twitter.com/M5NGpFr8OX

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 11, 2024

Rose, a Chicago native, announced his retirement following the 2023-24 season. He spent seven seasons with the Bulls and spent four with the Knicks.

Rose last played for the Bulls in 2015-16 but his time with the team was the best stretch of his career. He averaged 19.7 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds in 406 games for the franchise and won the MVP in the 2010-11 season.

He saw his promising career get derailed by knee injuries but still was able to last 15 seasons and suit up in 723 games.

The night will honor his career and contributions to the Chicago basketball landscape, but does not currently have any acknowledgment of a jersey retirement. The franchise has retired five numbers and only four actually played for the franchise, with Bill Russell's number being retired league-wide.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball, who has been out since Jan. 2022 with a left knee injury, will play at some point this preseason, per head coach Billy Donovan to reporters. However, he will not play Tuesday at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

https://twitter.com/ctsbulls/status/1843768372934390103

Ball underwent three knee procedures in his quest to get back to the court, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. They include arthroscopic surgery in January 2022, an arthroscopic debridement in September 2022 and cartilage transplant surgery in March 2023.

The former UCLA star was faring well in 35 games during the 2021-22 season before being forced to the sidelines, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for a Bulls team that was first in the Eastern Conference when he made his final appearance on Jan. 14, 2022.

The 2021-22 Bulls team looked loaded on paper, with a strong quartet of Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević leading the way. And that success materialized in the first half of the year.

But the Bulls could not recover after Ball was lost for the year, having a losing second half and finishing with a 46-36 record, only good enough for sixth in the East. Chicago then fell in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

Without Ball, Chicago had losing records each of the last two years, falling in the play-in tournament.

Prospects aren't particularly high this year, especially with DeRozan leaving in free agency for the Sacramento Kings. But Ball's comeback story certainly provides a beacon of light for a downtrodden team that's fallen on hard times. He'll assuredly be making his comeback soon enough after a long and arduous journey.

Although Ball won't be making his preseason debut against the Cavs Tuesday, he'll have a four more chances to get back on the court before the regular season begins on Oct. 23 at the New Orleans Pelicans. Up next would be a home matchup Saturday at home versus the Memphis Grizzlies.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball is growing increasingly comfortable as he prepares to return to the court ahead of the 2024-25 season.

"I feel good," Ball told reporters on Friday.

"I've been able to do everything, pretty much," he added.

A Lonzo Ball update. He says today is the best day he’s felt in his comeback attempt. pic.twitter.com/rKqBj2dtpl

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) October 4, 2024

Ball hasn't appeared in a game since the 2021-22 season due to left knee issues that have required three separate surgeries, including a cartilage transplant procedure in March 2023.

The 26-year-old has been progressing through his rehab throughout the offseason, revealing that he started 5-on-5 activities in August.

Bulls president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas told the media on Monday that the "plan" is for Ball to be ready for the team's season-opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 23.

AK on Lonzo Ball:

"Going into camp, we’ll have to bring him up slowly. He’s already played 5-on-5 but we haven't seen him go through camp so there will be lot of learning... it will take time."

On if Zo will be ready for Opening Night: “That’s the plan." pic.twitter.com/GgtfNbktwd

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 30, 2024

The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft acknowledged that managing his knee throughout the year will be crucial for his long-term availability.

"I pretty much have a brand new knee," Ball explained on Monday, per Field Level Media (h/t ESPN). "So it's always going to be a little bit different than what God gave me to start off with. But I'm feeling good, I'm feeling healthy enough to play. So that's all that really matters, just managing it throughout the year and being available."

When he returns to the lineup, he'll be joining a Bulls rotation that will look vastly different compared to his last time on the court. DeMar DeRozan joined the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade agreement, while Alex Caruso was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey.

Given Ball's defensive acumen, head coach Billy Donovan could choose to ease him back into action instead of handing him a starting job right away. While he's seemingly feeling better with each day of training camp, he's also careful not to rush his recovery.