Chicago Bulls DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (foot) continues to rehab his surgically repaired left foot ahead of training camp, which starts Oct. 1. Back in July, Williams told Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic that everything felt good, there wasn't any pain or swelling, and that he was running and jumping. Fast forward to August, where the Bulls met up in Miami for some voluntary workouts, and Williams was forced to stop participating after he experienced discomfort in the same foot he had surgery on. As of right now, it's unclear if he'll be ready by the start of training camp, and then the discussion turns to whether he'll be ready by the start of the regular season. Williams appeared in just 43 games last year and averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (knee) continues to move toward a return to the National Basketball Association. The 26-year-old hasn't played since January 2022, undergoing multiple surgical procedures on his left knee, including receiving a meniscus transplant from a donor. Fortunately, he increased his workload throughout the summer, progressing to five-on-five scrimmages. Before going down with the injury, Ball had one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals. He also shot a much-improved 42.3% from deep. With that said, Ball will likely see the court sparingly once he's cleared to return. But the Bulls have a loaded backcourt featuring Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu. Zach LaVine is also still in the picture, at least for now. As a result, if Ball will have any value for fantasy managers in 2024-25, it may not come for at least a few months, meaning he won't see much attention during fantasy drafts.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, power forward EJ Liddell has agreed a deal with the Chicago Bulls. The 23-year-old Illinois native moves to Chicago after being released by the Phoenix Suns. The Suns waived Liddell two weeks ago after acquiring him in an offseason trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. After going 41st in the 2022 draft, Liddell tore his right ACL, delaying his NBA debut. He made his first eight appearances in the league last season with the Pelicans, averaging 2.9 minutes. The young forward has done very little in the Association, but he showed off good ability with the Birmingham Squadron in the G League, notching 17.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 2023-24.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker has signed a partially guaranteed deal with his hometown Chicago Bulls. The 23-year-old was available as a free agent after playing out a pair of campaigns in Utah. Horton-Tucker had a mixed season in 2023-24 and even spent some time out of the rotation, but he put up decent numbers while with the team. The former Laker posted 10.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 20.0 minutes across two seasons. However, Horton-Tucker shot below 40 percent from the field last term, and he certainly has to improve his efficiency to earn a team's trust.

Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic remains on the roster despite months of trade rumors. The veteran was recently asked about the trade chatter during an interview. However, it doesn't appear he's concerned about being moved. "In most cases, those are really just speculations," said Vucevic. "I honestly don't pay much attention to it because I have no control over it." The 33-year-old averaged 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds last season. But, he struggled from deep, draining just 29.4% of his attempts from downtown. At any rate, Vucevic is expected to remain a double-double threat for at least a few more seasons, no matter where he ends up in the future.