The Chicago Bulls are officially one week away from the opening of training camp.
A lot will be different at the Advocate Center this fall. While Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic – somewhat shockingly – remain on the roster, familiar faces like DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Andre Drummond are suiting up elsewhere. The Bulls have finally chosen to take a step backward and embrace a youth movement. They brought in 21-year-old guard Josh Giddey, drafted 19-year-old Matas Buzelis, and signed 24-year-old Jalen Smith in free agency. Add in a new five-year deal for Patrick Williams, and it’s even more clear that the future is the priority in Chicago.
Indeed, this new focus for the Bulls will be the talk of training camp, and I have to imagine it will dictate how they finalize their roster. The front office may only have one open two-way contract to hand out, but this could always change in the coming weeks. After all, they are giving several notable youngsters a chance to show what they can do.
Who Do the Bulls Have Competing?
One can argue that most players who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Chicago Bulls this offseason are one tier above your typical training camp invites. In many ways, this is why I feel like there is a higher likelihood than normal that we could see several roster moves by the time opening night rolls around. This could mean signing more than one to a two-way deal by getting rid of either DJ Steward or Adama Sanogo … or both. Another option could be waiving Onuralp Bitim, who is currently working under a non-guaranteed deal.
With this in mind, I consider all three to very much be part of the Bulls’ training camp competition. Let’s list all the candidates below with a few notes.
Onuralp Bitim – F
I’m skeptical of Onuralp Bitim’s ability to hold onto his full-time roster spot, especially when we consider some of the other names on this list. The Turkish wing appeared in 23 games for the Bulls last season and experienced minimal success. To be sure, he has a decent jump shot and appears more than willing to do the dirty work, but the upside for the 25-year-old remains unclear.
I don’t think it would take much for Chicago to go with someone even younger. But, at the same time, Bitim has a leg up thanks to his time within the franchise last season. Even a half-decent training camp could keep him in the fold.
Adama Sanogo – C
In my opinion, the 22-year-old center is probably the safest bet of the bunch to make the 18-man roster (15 full-time contracts + three two-way deals). He put together an extremely strong Year 1 in the G-League, and the Bulls acted fast to re-sign him to a two-way deal this offseason. Not to mention, head coach Billy Donovan seems to really like having the former NCAA champion around.
DJ Steward – G
The only other player currently signed to a two-way deal, DJ Steward earned the contract after a strong Summer League showing. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.4 steals over his five contests (and even had a 37-point showing against the Hawks).
Still only 22 years old, DJ Steward has played G-League ball since going undrafted in 2021. He is a long-range shot-chucker with speedy handles. There has long been sparkplug scoring potential with Steward, but he also flashed some nice distributing ability during his Las Vegas run with the Bulls.
Regardless, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Bulls ended up moving on from Steward if more than one training camp invite impresses. He undoubtedly has the upper hand right now, but the Bulls have A LOT of guards on their roster. They may want to evaluate some frontcourt talent instead, especially during a season where they may have more flexibility than normal to play two-way players.
Kenny Lofton Jr.
Kenny Lofton Jr. was one of the first players to ink an Exhibit 10 deal with the Bulls this offseason. While the unconventional forward has only been in the league for two seasons, he has already suited up for three different teams. Why is that? Well, there is something about the 22-year-old that is fascinating.
Lofton Jr. stands six-foot-six with a 276-pound frame. He can play along the perimeter and also bulldoze opponents in the paint. Time and again he catches opponents off guard with his combination of size and mobility. Add in his relentlessly high motor, and Lofton is a unicorn that you would love to see find a home.
So do I think that home is in Chicago? I wouldn’t necessarily be stunned. The Bulls are the kind of team that can currently afford to give Lofton Jr. the chance to come into his own. He may not fit perfectly with the uptempo attack they appear to be building, but the roster does need some depth in the frontcourt.
EJ Liddell
If only one of these players ends up as part of the Bulls’ organization this season, I would prefer it to be EJ Liddell. I was pretty high on the Ohio State standout coming into the 2022 NBA. Unfortunately, in the middle of his second Summer League game, Liddell suffered a torn ACL. He went on to miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season before spending the majority of his time in the G-League during the 2023-24 campaign.
Liddell averaged 17.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in the G-League last season. He is probably the player on this list with the most two-way potential. A six-foot-six forward with a stout frame, Liddell can guard multiple positions and hold his own in the paint. He uses his strength to finish strong through contact at the rim and force his way to the free-throw line. The 3-point shooting has yet to translate to the NBA level, but he flashed plenty of it in college.
There are shades of players like PJ Washington and even Al Horford in EJ Liddell. Does this mean he’ll ever become that caliber of player? Of course not. But I like the versatile skillset he possesses at the four, and I still think he can fit the modern game rather well.
Talen Horton-Tucker
Still only 23 years old, Talen Horton-Tucker is about to enter his sixth season in the NBA. The Chicago native was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, and he spent three full seasons with the team until ending up in Utah for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.
Never playing more than 65 games in a season, Horton-Tucker has consistently struggled to prove he belongs as part of an NBA rotation. A big reason for this has been his inefficient scoring ability. While he possesses a strong frame and solid ball-handling skills, Horton-Tucker has only shot 42.3 percent from the field over his career. His finishing skills have left a lot to be desired, as has his 3-point jumper. Horton-Tucker simply hasn’t been able to develop into the shooter many hoped, as he’s gone just 29.3 percent from long range on low volume over his career.
To be sure, it’s still hard not to favor Horton-Tucker’s overall feel for the game and defensive potential. He’s a long perimeter player with a knack for poking the ball away and jumping passing lanes. I could see this piquing the Bulls’ interest, particularly when we consider their lack of defensive talent in the backcourt. But Chicago doesn’t necessarily need another player with an unproven jumper on the roster. For that reason, I think it could be hard for THT to steal a roster spot. We’ll see.
Marcus Domask
Believe it or not, Marcus Domask is the oldest player on this list. The five-year college player went undrafted after helping the Fighting Illini advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005. While not the most athletically gifted, Domask offers great size at the two-guard position and knows how to use it. He’ll crash the glass consistently and overpower smaller guards in the post.
Nevertheless, he is probably the least likely to steal one of the final 18 roster spots. If I had to guess, he’ll end up full-time with the Windy City Bulls this season, so we can plan to check back in on how he’s looking this winter.
If you need a refresher on the Bulls’ complete training camp roster, check out our previous article here.