Chicago Bulls Blog – Page 16 – NBA Blog

Bulls sign Justin Holiday

The Chicago Bulls have signed guard Justin Holiday.

According to multiple reports, Holiday’s contract is for two years, $9 million.

Holiday (6-6, 185) spent the 2016-17 season with the New York Knicks and averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 20.0 minutes in 82 games (four starts). The 28-year-old posted shooting marks of .433 from the field, .355 from three and .825 from the foul line. Holiday was one of only 17 players in the league last season to appear in all 82 games (Basketball-Reference).

This marks Holiday’s second stint in Chicago. He was acquired by the Bulls from the Atlanta Hawks for Kirk Hinrich on Feb. 18, 2016, as part of a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz. Holiday appeared in 27 games (four starts) for Chicago and averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 18.9 minutes played. Holiday scored a career-best 29 points in a Bulls’ win over Philadelphia on April 13, 2016. On June 22, 2016, Holiday was traded to New York along with Derrick Rose and a 2017 second-round pick in exchange for Jose Calderon, Jerian Grant and Robin Lopez.

The Chatsworth, Calif., native spent four years at the University of Washington. In his four seasons in the NBA, Holiday is averaging 5.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 15.8 minutes played. He is shooting .408 overall, .342 from distance and .800 on free throws for his career.

Bulls re-sign Cristiano Felίcio

The Chicago Bulls have re-signed forward/center Cristiano Felίcio.

Felίcio first joined the Bulls as a member of their 2015 Summer League squad. In his two seasons in Chicago, the product from Brazil has averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game while shooting .573 from the field. Last season, he posted 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game with a field goal percentage of .579. He saw time in all six of the Bulls’ postseason games against the Celtics, and averaged 3.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 13.7 minutes with .600 shooting.

In 2016-17, Felίcio notched the first double-doubles of his career (three), all off the bench. He led Chicago in both total rebounding percentage (16.5) and offensive rebounding percentage (13.1), and posted a true shooting percentage of .603, which was highest on the team among players who averaged at least 15.0 minutes per game

Bulls sign rookie Lauri Markkanen

The Chicago Bulls have signed forward Lauri Markkanen to his rookie contract.

Markkanen (7-0, 230) was selected seventh overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2017 NBA Draft, and was acquired by Chicago along with Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine in exchange for Jimmy Butler and this year’s No. 16 pick (Justin Patton).

Markkanen played one season at Arizona and averaged 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. He posted shooting marks of .492 from the field, .423 from three and .835 from the foul line. The Finland native was named Third-Team All-American by the Associated Press, Sporting News and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and All-Pac-12 last season. His 576 points were the most by a freshman in school history. Over the last 25 years, Markkanen and Kevin Durant are the only players to record 69 3-pointers and 266 rebounds in their freshman year. Markkanen was a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and the Karl Malone Award.

Justin Holiday to sign with Bulls

Here’s the NY Post reporting on Justin Holiday, a soon-to-be former Knick who will once again be a member of the Chicago Bulls:

The Knicks’ second-round draft pick, 6-foot-6 guard Damyean Dotson, has flashed his 3-point prowess and a body ready for the NBA here at summer league.

Which is a good thing since Justin Holiday, their backup point guard last season, is gone, according to a source.

Holiday agreed to a two-year, $9 million deal Sunday with the Bulls, who originally dispatched him to the Knicks in last summer’s Derrick Rose trade. A source said the Knicks never made a formal offer to retain Holiday.

Bulls waive Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guards Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan.

During his time with Chicago, Rondo appeared in 69 games (42 starts) and averaged 7.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.7 apg in 26.7 mpg. He shot .408 from the field, .376 from three and .600 from the free throw line. Rondo originally signed with the Bulls as a free agent on July 7, 2016.

In his lone season with the Bulls, Canaan (6-0, 201) appeared in 39 games and averaged 4.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.56 spg in 15.2 mpg. He shot .364 from the field, .266 from long range and .909 from the charity stripe. Canaan made his first career postseason appearance on April 23 vs. Boston and logged his first career playoff start on April 26. Canaan originally signed with Chicago as a free agent on July 20, 2016.

Bulls trade Jimmy Butler to Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves tonight acquired forward Jimmy Butler and the draft rights to center Justin Patton, the No. 16 selection in this year’s draft from the Chicago Bulls, in exchange for guards Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn and the draft rights to forward Lauri Markkanen, the No. 7 selection in this year’s draft.

Butler, a 6-7 forward, has played six seasons in the NBA, all with the Bulls. The three-time NBA All-Star (2015, 2016 and 2017) averaged career highs with 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game this past season en route to earning 2016-17 All-NBA Third Team honors. Butler scored 30+ points 14 times in 2016-17, including a season-high 52 points vs. Charlotte on Jan. 2.

Butler, 27, owns career averages of 15.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 399 games. The Houston, Texas, native has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times (2014–2016) and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after the 2014-15 season after increasing his scoring average from 13.1 ppg to 20.0 ppg and his rebounds from 4.9 rpg to 5.8 rpg while averaging the same minutes in each season. Chicago originally drafted Butler with the 30th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Marquette University.

Patton, 6-11, played in 35 contests over one season at Creighton, averaging 12.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game en route to earning Big East Freshman of the Year honors. Patton, 20, led the Big East and ranked second nationally with a field goal percentage of 67.6%, which stands as the highest field goal percentage of any freshman from a major conference in NCAA history. The Riverdale, Georgia, native also shot 53.3% from the three-point during his line season as a Bluejay. Patton sat out the 2015-16 season as a redshirt.

Dunn (6-4, 205), selected fifth overall by the Timberwolves in the 2016 NBA Draft, appeared in 78 games and averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 17.1 minutes per game last season. Dunn won back-to-back Big East Player of the Year awards while at Providence (2014-15 and 2015-16). He averaged 15.6 points and 7.5 assists in his junior season, and finished with 16.4 points and 6.2 assists in his senior season.

LaVine (6-5, 185), picked 13th overall by Minnesota in the 2014 NBA Draft, averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 47 games last season. LaVine shot .459 from the field, .387 from long range and .836 from the foul line. For his career, LaVine is averaging 13.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 206 games and shooting .445 overall, .378 from 3-point range and .821 from the stripe. After his first year in the league, LaVine was named to the 2014-15 All-Rookie Second Team.

Markkanen (7-0, 230), the seventh overall selection in this year’s Draft, averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his one season at Arizona. Markkanen posted shooting marks of .492 from the field, .423 from distance and .835 from the foul line. The Finland native was named Third-Team All-American by the Associated Press, Sporting News and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and First-Team All-Pac-12 last season. Over the last 25 years, Markkanen and Kevin Durant are the players to record at least 69 3-pointers and 266 rebounds in their freshman year.

Report: Bulls will trade Jimmy Butler to Timberwolves

After 14 months of relative inactivity, Tom Thibodeau made what may be the biggest splash in Timberwolves history on Thursday night.

Minnesota acquired all-star forward Jimmy Butler and the No. 16 pick, which it used to select Creighton center Justin Patton, in Thursday night’s draft in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick, a source confirmed.

Chicago used the No. 7 pick on Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen, who was a likely candidate to land in Minnesota prior to the trade.

— St Paul Pioneer Press

Rajon Rondo injured: broken thumb

Just when things were looking up for the Chicago Bulls, surprisingly up 2-0 in their postseason series against the No. 1 East seed Boston Celtics, guard Rajon Rondo has been lost to injury.

Rondo injured his right hand in Game 2 at Boston on Tuesday night, and underwent a subsequent exam and x-rays that confirmed a thumb fracture.

Surgery is not required for this injury, and he is out indefinitely.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “Jerian Grant will start in Rondo’s place. “My teammates have confidence in me,” he said Friday. Jimmy Butler will be the primary ballhandler. “I’ve been doing it all year,” Butler said.”

Serge Ibaka and Robin Lopez suspended for throwing punches

Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez and Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka have each been suspended one game without pay for throwing punches at one another during an altercation, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire has been fined $15,000 for pushing Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic and acting as other than a peacemaker as part of the same altercation.

The incident, for which Ibaka and Lopez were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game, occurred with 3:58 remaining in the third quarter of the Raptors’ 122-120 overtime win over the Bulls at Air Canada Centre on March 21.

Lopez will serve his suspension tonight when the Bulls host the Detroit Pistons at United Center.

Ibaka will serve his suspension on Thursday when the Raptors visit the Miami Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Dwyane Wade suffers season-ending elbow injuries

Dwyane Wade season-ending elbow injuries

The Bulls are in 10th place in the Eastern conference, behind the 9th-place Miami Heat, and their season will continue without the services of veteran shooting guard Dwyane Wade.

This morning, Wade underwent an MRI for a right elbow injury suffered in the fourth quarter of last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The results of the MRI showed a sprain and a small fracture in the elbow.

The Bulls say Wade will be out the remainder of the regular season. This leaves open the possibility that he might return for the playoffs, should Chicago actually rally and reach the postseason.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “in the 57 games Wade played in his first year as a member of his hometown team, he not only played Robin to Butler’s Batman in the scoring department, but was also grabbing 4.5 rebounds, handing out 3.9 assists and nabbing 1.5 steals per game, as well as emerging as a big-time leader in a relatively young locker room. Butler has been the team’s No. 1 option late in games, but Wade was definitely 1B. Now, coach Fred Hoiberg will have to figure out which one of his young players can step up, with the likes of Denzel Valentine, Nikola Mirotic, Paul Zipser and Michael Carter-Williams each possibilities to replace Wade’s 30.2 minutes per game.”