Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls, who watched a promising season slip away last year, will once again try to emerge as a top contender in the Eastern Conference in 2022-23.

Chicago stood atop the East standings with a 26-10 record on Jan. 10. A combination of injuries and a dip in performance saw it go 20-26 during the remainder of the regular season, and it was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bulls have embarked on a mostly quiet offseason. Their main piece of business was re-signing Zach LaVine to a five-year, $215.6 million contract. Veteran center Andre Drummond and first-round pick Dalen Terry headlined the roster additions.

Keeping LaVine and getting Lonzo Ball back from a knee injury to restore the core alongside DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic gives the team a strong foundation.

Let's examine all of the key details about the Bulls' regular-season games following the NBA's schedule release before taking a look at some key matchups and a record projection.

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2022-23 Bulls Schedule Details

Season Opener: Oct. 19 at Miami Heat

Championship Odds: 46-1 (via FanDuel)

Full Schedule: NBA.com

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Top Matchups

Milwaukee Bucks (First Meeting: Nov. 23)

The Bucks finished five games ahead of the Bulls to win the Central Division last season before knocking Chicago out of the playoffs. It makes Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co. the main measuring stick for the Bulls heading into the new year.

Even though Chicago wasn't at full strength for the postseason meeting, the ease with which Milwaukee won the series in five games was a statement.

It's a matchup issue for the Bulls, who ranked tied for 23rd in defensive efficiency last season while the Bucks were tied for third in offensive efficiency, per ESPN. The inability to generate consistent stops is always going to cause problems in the playoffs.

So, that's the main thing to watch when the teams meet in the regular season. If Chicago shows progress at the defensive end, it will bode well for not only their games against Milwaukee but also their chances of seriously competing among the East's elite.

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Miami Heat (First Meeting: Oct. 19)

Similarly, the Bulls struggled against the Heat last season. They went 0-4 and lost the games by an average of 15 points.

Miami's offense wasn't as much of a well-oiled machine as Milwaukee, but its depth and numerous different scoring options, led by Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, proved difficult for Chicago to slow down. It scored at least 107 points in all four of the contests.

At full strength, the Bulls have enough offensive firepower to keep pace with just about any team in the NBA, but the games against the Heat and the conference's other top teams showed how much work is left to do defensively to contend.

Chicago will get several chances to show it's turning a corner in that regard throughout the regular season.

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Season Forecast

The Bulls have a wide range of potential outcomes in 2022-23, which will make them one of the most intriguing teams to watch throughout the campaign.

If Ball and Alex Caruso, a key defensive stopper on the opponent's top backfield player, return in top form and they avoid other high-impact injuries, there's enough talent on the roster to make a push toward over 50 wins to contend for the top seed in the East.

On the flip side, if it takes a while for Ball to rejoin the lineup and a period beyond that to find his groove, or if injuries once again prevent the projected rotation from playing together consistently, Chicago could slip closer to the .500 mark.

The latter outcome would be playing with fire in a conference that's become far more well-rounded over the past couple of years. Every team inside the East's top 10 last season finished with at least 43 wins, so a .500 record would be short of the playoff cutoff.

It's safest to project the Bulls somewhere in the 42-46 win range, but the most important thing will be their health at the time the playoffs start. If their preferred rotation is ready to roll, a deep playoff run will be on the table, even with a lower seed.

Record Prediction: 44-38

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If you have a few million dollars sitting around burning a hole in your pocket, you could fetch yourself a piece of NBA history.

Michael Jordan's game-worn jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals will be going on auction on Sept. 6, according to TMZ Sports, with early valuations estimating that it could be sold for around $3 million.

"Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey is among the most highly desired pieces of sports memorabilia, and the present example is one of just two Finals jerseys to ever appear at auction, from any of his six championships," according to Sotheby's.

MJ scored 33 points in the Game 1 loss, a series the Bulls would win in six games. It was Jordan's final title, and season, with the Bulls.

Lonzo Ball's status for the start of the 2022-23 regular season remains up in the air, but some people close to the Chicago Bulls guard believe he'll be ready for opening night.

"I talked to somebody in Lonzo's camp that expressed confidence he'll be ready to go for the start of the season, but—just me speculating—I could see them slow-playing Lonzo a little bit to make sure he's 100 percent and really ready to go," ESPN's Jamal Collier said Monday on NBA Today.

Ball suffered a meniscus tear in January, and his recovery has been mired in setbacks. After initially being expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, Ball missed the remainder of the 2021-22 season and remains at less than 100 percent nearly six months later.

KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported in July that Ball still has "discomfort" in his knee when he ramps up his activity. Bulls executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas spoke about the point guard's recovery in the same month, offering cautious optimism.

“He’s progressing," Karnišovas said. "That’s as much as I can say. He’s getting better. Probably not at the speed that we would like. But he’s getting better." “Hopefully, he’s going to be ready for training camp. That’s just our hopes.”

Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 35 games with the Bulls last season. He was the team's best perimeter defender and shooting a career-high 42.3 percent from three-point range at the time of his injury. The Bulls defense crumbled with Ball out of the lineup, and the team never recovered as they were swiftly eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

Getting Ball back at full strength will be paramount for a Bulls team still lacking in strong perimeter defenders aside from Ball and Alex Caruso.

If the Chicago Bulls are going to win a playoff series for the first time since the 2014-15 season, they will need Zach LaVine to live up to expectations as a max-contract player.

To hear him tell it, there's nothing to worry about.

"People really don't have to worry about that side, 'cause I think for me, I have my own bucket list and checklists and things that I want to accomplish for myself," LaVine said, per Natasha Dye of People. "You know, I continue to go out there and play the way I am, have been, continue to, to try to lead the team to wins and get deeper and deeper into the playoffs."

LaVine agreed to a five-year, $215.2 million max contract this offseason to remain in Chicago and figures to once again be a focal point of the team alongside DeMar DeRozan.

The UCLA product was an All-Star last season behind averages of 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Chicago lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Milwaukee Bucks, although injuries were a concern with Lonzo Ball sidelined and LaVine and Alex Caruso playing at less than 100 percent.

That didn't stop LaVine from being paid, but he is ready to make a much deeper run during the 2022-23 campaign.

The Chicago Bulls and Nikola Vucevic are reportedly expected to engage in contract extension talks during training camp.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the two sides will have "initial discussions" camp ahead of Vucevic's impending free agency. The veteran center will make $22 million in 2022-23 and is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $118.2 million.

It's unlikely the Bulls offer Vucevic his full max, given a four-year extension would take him through his age-36 season. A more likely offer could extend Vucevic by two or three years, with a three-year extension coming with a partially guaranteed final season.

Bulls fans were largely agitated with Vucevic's performance last season, as the two-time All-Star saw his scoring (17.6 PPG) and his three-point shooting (31.4 percent) dip to their lowest rates since 2017-18. As DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine soared as All-Stars, Vucevic lagged behind as the third in their Big Three.

The Bulls signed LaVine to a five-year, $215.2 million contract in July and have DeRozan under contract through 2023-24, so they're pot-committed to this core for at least the foreseeable future. The LaVine and DeRozan contracts give the team little maneuverability under the salary cap to replace Vucevic should he bolt in free agency.

Chicago also traded its first-round picks in 2023 and 2025, so the trade asset coffers are a little bare as well. Even if the front office hasn't gotten its full expected value out of Vucevic, there's no other logical option besides extending him.

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan will sign a new four-year contract with Nike, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Per Charania, the deal will keep DeRozan as "the featured face of Kobe Bryant's iconic line" of Nike sneakers.

DeRozan rocked a pair of Kobe 6s while hooping at the Drew League alongside LeBron James two weeks ago:

The Kobe 6s worn by @DeMar_DeRozan at the @DrewLeague today are inspired by the @WNBA’s orange hoody. pic.twitter.com/MQdw7uZYeZ

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) July 17, 2022

In March, the estate of Bryant and Nike reached a long-term contract after the initial deal expired in 2021, per ESPN's Nick DePaula.

"Nearly 20 percent of NBA players have worn a Nike Kobe sneaker for a game since Bryant, along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others died in a January 2020 helicopter crash," DePaula wrote. "During the 2019-20 season, 102 of the 322 total players competing in the league's restart at the Walt Disney World Resort wore a Kobe sneaker."

"We're excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue!" Vanessa Bryant wrote on Instagram. "I am so proud that my husband's shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts and that the demand for his shoes remain so desired by his fans around the world."

As for DeRozan, he has often noted that Bryant was one of his basketball mentors and regularly rocks his namesake shoe.

.@DeMar_DeRozan says he has more Kobes than anyone else in the league 👀

FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/DGQdLID46P pic.twitter.com/3DNROG7Rak

— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) March 7, 2022

DeMar in the "USA" Kobe 10s tonight.@DeMar_DeRozan | #BullsKicks pic.twitter.com/V17fDXlX2I

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 27, 2022

I’m convinced DeMar DeRozan will never run out of Kobes 😳🔥 #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/817Ml3EJhq

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) February 20, 2022

.@DeMar_DeRozan always has exclusive Kobes on deck.
📸: @david_sherman pic.twitter.com/QLx7QamXL3

— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) July 23, 2020

"For me personally, he meant everything to me basketball-wise," he told reporters in January. "That's well documented, a mentor of mine, a friend of mine, someone that taught me a big part of the game and motivated me to have the mentality that I have today."

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White has reportedly "been on the trade block for the last year," according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, and that doesn't appear likely to change anytime soon.

Per that report, the Bulls are unlikely to extend him this year and "seem poised to keep White for depth purposes, revisit his trade value at the deadline if the backcourt is healthy, and if he is a Bull come next summer, simply let the market set a price on him and decide if the restricted free agent would be worth matching."

White, 22, was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft but has struggled to live up to those expectations, averaging 13.7 points and 3.5 assists in his three seasons while shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three.

With Lonzo Ball added last offseason, White went from starting 54 games in the 2020-21 season to just 17 games last year (in 61 total appearances).

The Bulls don't lack for depth at the guard position. Ball will start at point guard if he's healthy, while Goran Dragic was signed this offseason. At the 2-guard, Zach LaVine is one of the team's key stars, while Alex Caruso provides defense and playmaking as his backup (and can also play the point if needed).

Add in young players like Ayo Dosunmu and Dalen Terry gunning for minutes, and White may have trouble carving out meaningful time for himself in Chicago.

On a positive, Cowley noted that, "According to a source, White has had a great offseason of work, not only improving his body in the physicality department, but his footwork and ball-handling."

Coby White said some of the points of emphasis from his exit meeting centered on ballhandling and getting stronger in the weight room to help him become a better defender.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 28, 2022

And there's always the possibility that injuries will strike, leaving White in line to secure more consistent minutes.

But at the moment, it seems his clearest path to playing time is a change in scenery, even if that may not happen until some point during the season ahead of February's trade deadline.

Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan went on The Draymond Green Show and discussed his recent experience playing in the Drew League with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

"Just to see the kids out there being able to see LeBron James come play in Compton. You cannot beat that," DeRozan told Warriors forward Draymond Green, per Caitlyn Holroyd of The Score.

"The atmosphere was one of a kind; it was special. I was honored to be a part of it, and I gotta give credit to Bron. You're talking about a guy that's the GOAT in our league, going into his 20th season, going out there playing. What we grew up watching. It was an amazing feeling. I had a great time just being out there, playing with him, obviously.

"There was a couple moments where I just looked around, and you see kids, just the smile and the excitement on their face. That's something that they're gonna remember forever. And that's what it's all about."

The Drew League is the most prestigious pro-am basketball league in the world. Founded in 1973, the summer competition takes place at King Drew Magnet High School in Los Angeles.

Participants over time include James, DeRozan, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant, among others, per Nick Metallinos of Sporting News.

James hit up DeRozan, who had already played a few Drew League games this year, about taking part in a matchup. One thing led to another, and soon afterward, James was playing in an electric atmosphere filled with people watching one of the game's all-time greats perform in a high school gym.

"I been playing in it, and to wake up and see that line around the Drew League, stretched around the corner, it just took it back to that old-school, early-2000s feel, like you said, being in the high school gym," DeRozan said, per Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation.

James and DeRozan ended up playing together for the MMV Cheaters on July 16, and they led the team to a 104-102 win over Black Pearl Elite.

James dropped 42 points along with 16 rebounds, while DeRozan scored 30 points with 14 boards.

The two nearly played together in actual NBA games last season, but the Lakers ultimately went with Russell Westbrook over DeRozan, who ended up signing with the Chicago Bulls and having an MVP-caliber season for a while.

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green wants basketball fans to stop comparing eras with different styles of play.

But he also wants them to know his 2017 Warriors squad would have no trouble with Michael Jordan's '98 and '96 Chicago Bulls teams even if that's, you know, comparing eras and bringing some debate to the table:

I’m watching the 98 Bulls vs Utah in the Finals… I can’t help but notice our 2017 team would’ve beaten these Bulls by a dub and these Jazz by 40 if they’re going to play these brands of basketball. And that’s why it’s dumb to compare Era’s

— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) July 25, 2022

96 Bulls. 98 Bulls. I STAND ON IT!

— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) July 25, 2022

Learn to appreciate things for what they are. Analyze the game. And stop the unnecessary debating.

Yours Truly,
The New Media

— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) July 25, 2022

Question… When they be comparing Era’s are they taking into consideration the drastic differences In style of play? Regardless of the answer, it’s very dumb to compare one era to the next era.

— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) July 25, 2022

Debates involving the current era of NBA stars and Jordan are nothing new. After all, the question of who is the greatest player of all time between His Airness and LeBron James has been argued ad nauseam, and it is natural to compare the recent Warriors dynasty with the Bulls one of the 1990s.

The 1995-96 Bulls won an NBA-record 72 games only for the 2015-16 Warriors to break the record with 73 wins. The biggest difference, though, is that the Chicago team won the championship, while the Golden State team lost to James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

It is notable, then, that Green said the 2017 Warriors would be the ones to defeat MJ's Bulls since that is the team that added Kevin Durant and went on to win the first of back-to-back titles.

The styles would certainly be different with Golden State spacing the floor and launching threes and Chicago relying on Jordan's individual brilliance and physicality. Perhaps the biggest question is what role Steve Kerr would play considering he was a sharpshooting guard for the Bulls and the head coach of the Warriors.

Perhaps Green should ask his coach to weigh in on the debate since he is so well-versed on both sides.

More details emerged Saturday regarding All-Star guard Zach LaVine's five-year, $215.2 million max contract with the Chicago Bulls.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, it includes a player option for 2026-27 and a 15 percent trade kicker.

After the sides reportedly came to terms last week, the Bulls made it official Thursday, extending what has been a fruitful, five-year stay for LaVine in the Windy City.

The 27-year-old LaVine has been named an All-Star in each of the past two seasons after steadily improving with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Bulls.

His best season came in 2020-21 when he averaged a career-high 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.4 three-pointers per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from beyond the arc.

LaVine was also part of the United States men's national basketball team during summer 2021 and helped lead it to an Olympic gold medal.

While LaVine wasn't as productive or efficient last season, he still had another excellent season with averages of 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 trifectas.

The Bulls were better as a whole, going 46-36 and reaching the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, though they fell 4-1 to the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.

Taking part in the playoffs for the first time in his career, LaVine averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.3 three-pointers in four games.

With the Bulls' significant progress, re-signing LaVine was a must if they wanted to build on that in 2022-23.

Chicago will return largely the same roster, though it added a couple of veterans in center Andre Drummond and guard Goran Dragic.

Also, the trio of Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams and Alex Caruso missed a lot of time last season because of injuries, so the Bulls should be better if they stay healthy.

DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic will feature along with LaVine plus up-and-comers Williams, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White.

With the Bulls finally having continuity after years of turnover, they should be players in the East.