Adding to Camp Roster, AK is Obsessed With Hometown Guys, Benching Vucevic? And Other Bulls Bullets

Elias Schuster Elias Schuster
Sep 05, 2024
Sep 05, 2024
Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls with Ayo Dosunmu
Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls with Ayo Dosunmu

The Chicago Bulls may have a problem.

Yet again, the organization has extended a contract to a Chicago native. Talen Horton-Tucker – a former Simeon standout – will reportedly join the team for training camp and compete for a roster spot. The 23-year-old guard has split the previous five seasons between the Lakers and Jaz𝄹z, struggling to develop into the serviceable al𒅌l-around guard many once believed he could be.

Chicago Bulls Add Talen Horton-Tucker (Another Chica🐬go Kid) to Training Camp

  • The Bulls are now projected to have FIVE players with Chicagoland roots on their preseason roster: Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter, Matas Buzelis, DJ Steward, and Talen Horton-Tucker. Add in previous signings like Patrick Beverley, Devon Dotson, Alfonzo McKinnie – as well as some University of Illinois faces like Malcolm Hill and Marcus Domask – and the Bulls just can’t seem to help themselves. To be sure, I love a good hometown hero story as much as the next guy. Chicago also has an extremely rich basketball culture that should be celebrated, and I have to imagine it is incredibly surreal for many of these locals to dawn the jersey. But I’d be lying if I said the shtick isn’t getting old!

  • To be absolutely clear, this doesn’t have anything to do with the specific signing of Horton-Tucker. Much like the dart throw on Kenny Lofton Jr. or the three-year signing of Jalen Smith, I think THT represents the kind of developing young player this rebuilding organization should be taking a closer look at. The problem is that I can’t shake the feeling the front office is doing this, in part, because they think it’s … well … “cool.” At the end of the day, fans care about winning basketball games the most. Tim Sinclair shouting out “from Chicago” during opening lineup intros doesn’t mean as much when the team is 25-57.

    • Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls
    (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

  • NBC Sports Chicago’s Bulls Talk podcast discussed Billy Donovan’s potential rotations for this upcoming season, and you can listen to that . K.C. Johnson and Kevin Anderson made sure to mention the tough decisions that rest ahead for a team that still has two veteran All-Stars on the roster. The two even debated whether or not Donovan could consider putting Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic on the bench to underscore the importance of player development. For what it’s worth, I’d be STUNNED if the Bulls went down this path. Not only would this be counterintuitive when it comes to bolstering their trade value, but this would only rock the boat more with, specifically, Zach LaVine. The front office should be in the business of smooth sailing as they try to rejuvenate his trade market.

  • If one of the two were to hit the bench this year, my money would be on Nikola Vucevic. While I’d never actually bet on this, there is already a case to be made that Jalen Smith will fit better on paper with the Bulls’ new young core. He can run the floor in transition and is fresh off shooting 42.4 percent from long range. The defense remains a major concern, but he at least provides far more mobility and is an adequate rebounder (especially on the offensive glass). Especially if the Bulls find a new home for Zach LaVine at some point during the season, moving Vucevic to the second unit in favor of a young starting lineup could at least make some sense.

  • Julian Phillips still intrigues me …

  • The second-year forward had a relatively underwhelming Summer League, but his sheer explosiveness remains a tantalizing trait. Rarely is it a bad idea to give up on athleticism, which is something Derrick Jones Jr. reminded us this offseason. While he had to bounce around the league a bit, he eventually found his footing as a role player and was rewarded with a three-year, $30.0 million deal this summer.

  • This graphic but it’s Matas Buzelis standing next to LeBron James …

  • Let the preseason festivities begin!

    • UPDATE: Blackhawks Prospects Schedule, Potential Lineꦇups for the Tom Kurvers Showcase

  • PLAYOFFS!?

    • 2024 NFL Playoꦚff Predictions, Awards Picks, Odd Odds, and Other Bears Bullets

    written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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