The Chicago Bulls officially announced on Friday that they have signed the Greek Freak’s brother.
Kostas Antetokounmpo snatched the team’s final two-way contract from guards Javon Freeman-Liberty and Malcolm Hill. A six-foot-ten forward with a defense-first mindset, he certainly made the most sense for a roster still in need of size in the frontcourt. Now, the Bulls will see if he can develop into a potential full-time roster piece in what will be his third opportunity on an NBA roster.
NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson finally cleared up the confusion around the Bulls’ two-way contract situation. Former-Illini wing Malcolm Hill will, in fact, remain with the team after previously holding a two-way deal last season. While this technically means that the organization decided to waive Justin Lewis, the praised undrafted free-agent signing will stick with the team as he works his way back from a torn ACL:
Antetokounmpo, 24, will join University of Illinois product Malcolm Hill as the second Bulls’ two-way player. Justin Lewis, previously signed to a two-way contract before needing surgery in August to repair a significant ACL injury in his right knee, will remain around the team to rehabilitate his injury, according to a team spokesperson.
Considering Lewis feels like he has the potential to be a draft night steal, I’m sure glad to hear the Bulls have chosen not to fully part ways with the physical forward. Lewis flashed his intriguing skillset during a successful Summer League run. The switchability he provides on the defensive end combined with his ability to space the floor makes him a two-way player worth further investment, so it’s nice to know he’ll stay in town.
As for Antetokounmpo, I’m sure his last name will sell some tickets for the Windy City Bulls. He may not possess a ceiling that resides anywhere near his brother’s, but he is still just 24 years old with plenty of room to grow. His development should be a fun side story to keep track of this year.
Alex Caruso recently sat down for an interview with NBC Sports Chicago, and he only made me miss Lonzo Ball more. The Bulls’ defensive actor gushed about playing alongside the starting point guard, reminding all of us just how special the two can be:
“A lot, man. We have a lot of the same qualities — that anticipation, the knack for making the right play, getting deflections And then he’s so lethal in transition. His numbers are off the charts. Mine were pretty decent too,” Caruso told Johnson. “We can play off each other in transition and it’s a lot of fun. We fly around. We cover up for other people. We cover up for each other. And then you can put us on the other team’s best player and go 1-on-1 most times and have a pretty good chance of getting a stop.
“It was a lot of fun for me just being out there and have another guy like I had in LA with that championship run where it was just like, ‘The other team has no chance.’ I miss it a little bit, yeah.”
STOP TWISTING THE KNIFE, ALEX! We don’t know if the Bulls’ numbers would have remained that elite as the season went on, but there is no question a healthy pairing of Caruso and Ball gave Chicago one of the best defensive backcourt combos in the league. We can only hope that we get to see some of that again this season. Make sure to check out the complete interview with Caruso below:
Another Top-100 chart has made its way onto the interwebs. Bleacher Report’s rankings include the names you might expect, with Nikola Vucevic ranking No. 66, DeRozan No. 34, and LaVine No. 27.
All things considered, I think both DeRozan and LaVine deserve to sit higher. LaVine, in particular, I’d currently put ahead of at least Anthony Edwards, Bradley Beal, and Brandon Ingram.
I think this is a good reminder that the league is arguably more talented than it’s ever been.
I still can’t believe how little we’ve seen Marko Simonovic play …
Man, it must be nice not to have an owner who doesn’t care at all about paying the luxury tax.
I’m also battered.
Good for the former Blackhawk.