Chicago Bulls Blog – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Bulls sign Patrick Beverley, waive Tony Bradley and Malcolm Hill

The Chicago Bulls have signed guard Patrick Beverley.

And in a related move, center Tony Bradley and forward Malcolm Hill have been waived.

Beverley, a 10-year veteran, appeared in 45 games (all starts) and averaged 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.9 minutes with the Los Angeles Lakers before being traded to Orlando on Feb. 9 – part of a four-team trade. Beverley never suited up with the Magic and was waived by Orlando on Feb. 12.

He has played for four NBA franchises (Houston Rockets, L.A. Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the L.A. Lakers) across his decade tenure in the league, logging career averages of 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 27.4 minutes across 571 NBA games (483 starts). Beverley has also been named to three All-NBA Defensive Teams, including first team honors in 2016-17. That same season, he also became the first player in NBA history to win the NBA Hustle Award.

Beverley will wear No. 21.

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball will not return to play this season

On behalf of Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas:

“Despite making significant increases in strength and function over the past several months, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues to experience performance limiting discomfort during participation in high level basketball-related activities. Considering the required time period to achieve the necessary level of fitness to return-to-play and the current stage of the NBA season, Ball will not return this season. The focus for Ball will continue to be on the resolution of his discomfort and a full return for the 2023-24 season.”

TNT adds January 26 Knicks at Celtics game to TV schedule, drops Bulls at Hornets

In NBA national TV news, on Thursday, January 26, TNT will now televise the Knicks at Celtics game, and have dropped the Bulls at Hornets.

The Celtics at 29-12 have the best record in the NBA, while the Knicks at 22-19 currently sit a respectable 7th in the Eastern conference.

The Bulls (19-22) are currently 10th in the East, while the Hornets (11-31) are just 14th.

Bulls guard Alex Caruso set to return

Via the Chicago Tribune:

Guard Alex Caruso plans to return to the Chicago Bulls lineup in Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons after missing three games due to concussion protocol and a shoulder injury.

Caruso suffered the pair of injuries in last Wednesday game against the Atlanta Hawks after attempting to dive parallel to the court to snatch a steal out of mid-air. Instead, he crashed directly into a Hawks player. Caruso described the moment as baffling in real-time — one second he thought he had secured a flying steal, the next he was flat on the hardwood with the entire right side of his body aching.

The Bulls are 15-19 this season, which is the 10th best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are DeMar DeRozan at 26.5 PPG, Zach LaVine at 22.2 PPG, and Nikola Vucevic at 16.7 PPG.

Bulls guard Zach LaVine misses season opener

Bulls guard Zach LaVine’s knee caused him to miss tonight’s season opener against the Heat. Via the Chicago Sun-Times:

“I just want to make sure I’m safe in bringing myself back in and managing it,’’ LaVine said. “It’s the way it is. Just for going forward, I want to make sure I’m 100% at the end of the season, too. So I think the best thing is just managing it and having the team support, me supporting myself in going out there and being the best I can.’’

Hopefully LaVine finds himself close to full strength soon.

FULL ARTICLE

Bulls set for new season

Via the Chicago Sun-Times:

There will be no easing into the 2022-23 schedule for the Bulls. Besides dealing with the Heat right off the tip, the home opener is against the up-and-arrived Cavaliers, there’s two games against Boston, Toronto, and New Orleans within the first 15 games, as well as meetings with Philadelphia and Brooklyn…

Right or wrong, the starting core of this Bulls team feels they should also be in that conversation of elite teams. A core that also included Patrick Williams, after he was officially named the starting power forward on Tuesday…

The good news for DeRozan & Co., they start the season relatively healthy. Sure, Lonzo Ball — arguably the best two-way player on the team — will be absent indefinitely after a second left knee surgery at the start of camp, but the coaching staff and front office knew this scenario was likely and had an entire camp to prepare for it.

The NBA season starts tonight with a pair of games. Then things get serious tomorrow with 24 teams, including the Bulls and Heat, seeing action.

Bulls sign Goran Dragic

The Chicago Bulls yesterday signed guard Goran Dragić.

A native of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Dragić (6-3, 190) has appeared in 888 career games (530 starts) recording averages of 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.9 minutes per game while shooting 46.0 percent from the field, 36.2 from three-point range and 76.7 from the free-throw line. Over the course of his 14-year NBA career, Dragić has made stops in Brooklyn (2021-22), Toronto (2021-22), Miami (2015-21), Houston (2011-12) and Phoenix (2008-11, 2012-15).

Dragić has also appeared in 60 playoff games (37 starts) across six postseason appearances, recording averages of 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.9 minutes while shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from three-point range and 76.3 percent from the free-throw line – helping lead the Heat to an NBA Finals appearance in 2020 and the Suns to the Western Conference Finals in 2010. During his 2017-18 season with the Heat, Dragić was named an NBA All-Star. He also earned All-NBA Third Team honors, as well as the NBA Most Improved Player Award with the Suns in the 2013-14 campaign. Dragić was originally drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 45th overall pick in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft, and his draft rights were traded to Phoenix.

Prior to the NBA, Dragić competed professionally in Europe for four years (2004-08). He also has a decorated international career playing for Slovenia. In 2017, he led his home country to its first-ever FIBA European Championship at the 2017 EuroBasket. Dragić was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and earned Slovenia’s Sportsman of the Year award.

Dragić will wear No. 7.

Michael Jordan rookie card sells for huge money in auction

The basketball card game is still incredibly strong – but only for really, really rare cards. Via ESPN.com:

A rare Michael Jordan rookie card sold with auction house Christie’s for $1.008 million, including fees and premiums — a record for the 1986-87 Fleer Jordan that set the sports card industry aflame in the wake of “The Last Dance.”

Fleer’s 2006-07 basketball release (Fleer was purchased by Upper Deck in mid-2005) included a 20th anniversary buyback autograph program: 23 numbered 1986-87 Fleer Jordan rookies were rereleased, signed by Jordan, into 2006-07 boxes along with certificates of authenticity.

Bulls and Pistons to play a January 2023 NBA regular season game in Paris, France

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will feature the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls and the three-time NBA champion Detroit Pistons playing a regular-season game at the Accor Arena in Paris, France on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the Bulls’ third game in Paris, having played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997. Chicago currently features five-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, two-time NBA All-Star and Slam Dunk champion Zach LaVine, and two-time NBA All-Star Nikola Vučević (Montenegro). The Bulls won six NBA championships spanning eight years, becoming only the third franchise in league history to win three consecutive titles twice (1991-93 and 1996-98).

The Pistons will be playing their first game in France, having previously played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019). Detroit currently features 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham, 2020 Olympic gold medalist Jerami Grant, 2020 No. 7 overall draft pick Killian Hayes (France), and 2021 NBA All-Rookie Team members Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart. The Pistons won NBA titles in 1989, 1990 and 2004 and made six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances from 2003 to 2008.

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league’s 12th game in France since 1991. The NBA Paris Game 2020 – the first regular-season NBA game in Paris – took place Jan. 24, 2020, and featured the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks.

In addition to The NBA Paris Game 2023, the league and its partners will conduct interactive fan activities, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming that will bring the NBA experience to fans in the French capital.

The NBA’s presence in France spans more than 35 years. NBA games and programming have aired in France since the 1984-85 season, and the league played its first game in France in 1991. In addition to 12 preseason and regular-season games in France, the league has hosted interactive fan events, appearances by current and former players, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and, in 2007, Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has seen seven French players drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents, including Hayes.

Opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 NBA season featured 12 French players. During the 2021-22 season, live NBA games and programming air in France on beIN SPORTS and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service, including 48 weekend games in primetime as part of the league’s “NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K22” primetime initiative. The Jr. NBA “Challenges Benjamin(e)s” program in partnership with the French Basketball Federation (FFBB), now in its 12th year, has reached more than 260,000 boys and girls across the country since the 2009-10 season. In addition to FFBB, the NBA has also collaborated with the Union Nationale du Sport Scolaire (UNSS), a government body that oversees the organization and development of sports activities in schools, to operate the 2022 Jr. NBA FFBB UNSS League for boys and girls in Marseille.

Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas: “It is a great honor to bring Chicago Bulls basketball back to Paris for The NBA Paris Game 2023 – an event that illustrates the league’s commitment to amplifying the national and global impact of basketball. Having played several games in Paris during my career, I know how special this will be for our players, our organization, and our international fanbase. We look forward to representing Chicago overseas and are grateful for the opportunity to do so.”

Detroit Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver: “The Detroit Pistons organization is excited to take on the Chicago Bulls and play our first-ever game in France. Playing a regular-season game in Paris will be a great experience for our players and coaches and we look forward to showcasing Detroit Basketball to an international audience.”

NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director Ralph Rivera: “The Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons are two of the most historic franchises in the NBA and feature an exciting mix of rising young players and established All-Stars. Welcoming the Bulls and Pistons to Paris for our second regular-season game will be a highlight for fans in France and across Europe, and with Paris hosting the Summer Olympics in 2024, basketball and the NBA are well-positioned for continued growth in France for years to come.”

Deputy Mayor in Charge of Sport for the City of Paris Pierre Rabadan: “The City of Paris is extremely proud to host these two iconic teams in the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons. This is an exciting match-up that brings to mind the historic showdown between these Eastern Conference franchises. Basketball fans in France have been looking forward to seeing a game of this magnitude again, and I would like to thank our NBA partners for once again choosing Paris for this regular-season game. Paris vibrates with the sport of basketball all year long and this major event will contribute to further developing what is such a dynamic sport, so I have no doubt Parisians will be excited by this news.”

Accor Arena CEO Nicolas Dupeux: “The Accor Arena proudly hosted the first-ever regular-season NBA game in France in 2020, which captivated fans and showcased our world-class facility to a global audience. It is therefore an honor to once again host a regular-season game in 2023, which will provide fans with a great show of sportsmanship and entertainment as boldness and excellence continue to guide our programming.”

Bulls guard Zach LaVine undergoes knee surgery

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine underwent left knee arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday May 24th at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles.

Per the Chicago Tribune, “the left knee was already a concern for LaVine, who tore his ACL in 2017. He spent the week before this season’s All-Star break in Los Angeles to receive cortisone and platelet-rich plasma injections, missing two games. LaVine continued to miss games throughout the final third of the regular season, struggling with pain and discomfort during games and on the bench.

And per the Bulls, LaVine is expected to make a full recovery.