The Chicago Bulls are probably done making offseason moves.
Heading into training camp, NBA teams are only allowed to have 20 players under contract. If Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes is reporting the facts (as he tends to), then the Bulls have reached that mark.
After having reportedly signed Perrion Callandret yesterday, the Bulls have now also reportedly inked former Vanderbilt standout Simi Shittu:
Undrafted free agent forward Simi Shittu — a McDonald's All American — has agreed to a camp deal with the Chicago Bulls, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 25, 2019
Shittu, 19, is among the most intriguing prospects of the Bulls’ training camp signings.
A raw 6-foot-10 forward, Shittu was a McDonald’s All-American and five-star talent (No. 11 overall ranking) coming out of high school started every game but one at Vanderbilt and averaged 10.9 points per game with 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The Bulls brought him in for a pre-draft workout back in May, but the Vandy prospect was not selected in the 2019 NBA Draft. After going un-drafted (if you ask me, he entered the draft too early), Shittu joined the Memphis Grizzlies’ Summer League roster and played in three games. It’s not a ton of exposure, but at least the Bulls have some familiarity with him going back to the pre-draft process.
Shittu could grow into a solid big man because of his unique skill set. Much like Bulls second-round pick Daniel Gafford, Shittu doesn’t have much of a jumper, but is productive in other ways around the basket. Shittu relies on his quickness and solid ball-handling to get to the rim and also seems to be a pretty solid passer. But unlike Gafford, he has a level of craftiness to his game that is notable.
At the end of the day, Shittu has a lot to prove before he makes an NBA roster. Further, the logistics of Shittu’s contract appear a bit hazy at the moment, but we can work through what we know. For example, we know teams are allowed to bring in players to compete in training camp at practically no cost (other than hotel and food expenses). Then there are players who sign an Exhibit 10 contract, which comes with a bit more promise. Take Justin Simon’s reported deal with the Bulls as an example
Simon’s deal reportedly includes the Exhibit 10 clause, meaning his deal is a one-year pact for the league minimum salary. Under this deal, if the Bulls don’t promote Simon to the full-time roster, he can head to the team’s G-League affiliate (the Windy City Bulls) where he could be awarded a bonus down the road. Fellow new signee Perrion Callandret fits the bill as an Exhibit-10 contract signer as well, according to SLAM Online — which is keeping tabs on each NBA team’s training camp rosters and contract designations.
The Bulls have yet to officially announce any of their recent reported signings, but with these contracts essentially being “trial runs” for players, it probably isn’t their top priority to make things officially official (even if Simon and Callandret have shared photos of their signings via their respective social media outlets).