The Bulls Summer League Schedule will feature the Mavericks, Knicks, Raptors, Hornets and then a 5th team with a similar win/loss record determined after the first four games.
Date | Time | Opponent | Venue | TV |
7/8 | 3 PM | Dallas Mavericks | Thomas & Mack | ESPNU |
7/10 | 4 PM | New York Knicks | Cox Pavilion | ESPN2 |
7/12 | 4 PM | Toronto Raptors | Thomas & Mack | NBATV |
7/14 | 5 PM | Charlotte Hornets | Cox Pavilion | ESPN2 |
The Bulls roster includes a very low number of NBA minutes, but it’s an intriguing group. It’ll be interesting to see who steps up to lead this group and what we get out of some of the rookies.
Marko Simonovic (Montenegro)
Simonovic was the Bulls 2nd round draft pick in 2020 (44th Overall). Bulls fans got to see the 22-year old in limited time last season. He played in nine games, scoring 17 points, and recording 10 rebounds in 35 total minutes played. He also played in 28 games with the Windy City Bulls, averaging 17.0 pts, 9.8 reb, and 2.8 ast. The 6’11 center can stretch the floor, but shot just 26.9% (21-for-78) with Windy City. This will be a big Summer League for Simonovic to take a big step forward.
Malcolm Hill (Illinois)
Hill currently has one of the Bulls two-way contracts. He played in 16 games for the Chicago Bulls last year. He scored a career high 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Bulls 119-106 loss on MLK Day to the Grizzlies. A lot of Bulls fans may remember Hill from his time with the Illini in college.
Dalen Terry (Arizona)
The Bulls 1st-round pick this year, I’ve detailed what makes him so intriguing here. In short, he’s a really talented passer, who loves to run, played for a successful program at Arizona and doesn’t need the ball in his hands a lot to create offense.
Justin Lewis (Marquette)
Lewis went undrafted after many thought he would get picked, which was great for the Bulls as they immediately signed him to a two-way deal for next season. At 6’7 245, he has explosiveness and driving ability that we should see on full display this summer. He took a big jump from his Freshman season to his Sophomore one in 2021-22. He was named the Big East’s most improved player, All-Big East First Team and was a two-time Big East Player of the Week. He’s a talented driver, who also showed a big improvement in his shooting last year (21.9% to 34.9%).
Ethan Thompson (Oregon State)
Thompson played with the Bulls in last year’s Summer League. He spent last season with the Windy City Bulls: where he played in 34 games (most on the team). He averaged 11.1 pts 3.8 reb and 2.2 ast. Thompson doesn’t do anything spectacular, but he’s a solid role player who will take care of the ball (2.2 Ast-to-TO ratio).
Makur Maker (Howard)
Maker was the #16 ranked recruit in the 2020 class and then became the highest-ranked recruit to commit to an HBCU when he committed to play for Howard. Makur Maker played in just two games after a groin injury forced him to miss the rest of the year. Cousin of Thon Maker, his 6’11 frame has gotten the NBA scouts’ attention for a while. He decided to enter the Draft in 2021 after that one year at Howard and went undrafted. He signed with the Sydney Kings in Australia for last season and averaged 7.8 points and 6.0 rebounds on a team that won the NBL Championship.
Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina)
Thornwell was the senior leader on the 2017 South Carolina team that made it all the way to the Final Four as a 7-seed. He averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals in his final year at South Carolina. Thornwell was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 draft. He started 17 games for the Clippers in 2017-18 then bounced around to the Pelicans and Magic over the next years in a limited role. Last season he played for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany.
Carlik Jones (Louisville)
Jones played his first three years of college ball at Radford before transferring to Louisville after being named Big South Player of the Year in his junior season. He went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft and played last year with the Texas Legends of the G-League. He signed two 10-day contracts during the course of last season with the Mavericks and Nuggets, but didn’t see much time with either. He’s a crafty scorer with a good shot, he can be a bit undisciplined at times and he’s not the biggest or most athletic at 6’1.
Javon Freeman-Liberty (DePaul)
Freeman-Liberty is a Chicago kid, he attended Whitney Young high school before moving on to Valparaiso for his first two years of college, then transferring to DePaul for the final two. Freeman-Liberty was named Big East Player of the Week three times this past season. He was the Big East leading scorer (21.1 ppg), 12th in rebounds and 14th in assists so he did it all for DePaul. He went undrafted in this year’s draft.
Justin Wright-Foreman (Hofstra)
Wright-Foreman won back-to-back CAA player of the year awards in 2018 and 2019 at Hofstra and tied a school-record with 48 points in a game against William & Mary. He was a 2nd round pick in 2019, but only ever played in four games with the Jazz. He’s played in the G-League, LNB Pro A (France), and the Turkish Super League over the past few years. As his college career would suggest, he’s a straight scorer, but maybe undersized at just 6’0.
Perrion Callendret (Idaho)
Played in 28 games for the Windy City Bulls last season and 31 games in 2019-20. He averaged 4.1 pts, 3.4 ast and 2.7 rebs this past season. Started 21 games at Idaho his senior year (2017-18), averaging 9.6 pts, 3.4 rebs and 3.0 asts. He grew up best friends with Zach LaVine all the way back to middle school and even lived with the LaVine family for a while when his family fell on hard times. LaVine originally reached out to the Bulls to consider Callendret for Summer League a few summers back and he continued to work and stick around. He’s 27 years old and one of the older members on this squad.
Akoldah Gak (Australia)
Gak went undrafted in this year’s draft after playing three years for Illawara in Australia. He’s just 19 years old, 6’11 and still very raw from a skills perspective.
Henri Dell (Estonia)
Undrafted in 2021 out of Estonia. Dell played in 29 games for the Windy City Bulls last season. He averaged 5.2 pts and 3.0 rebs in those games. At 6’8, Dell can stretch the floor and knock down the three. Recently turned 22 years old. Currently a member of the Estonia national team.
The Bulls will have a fun team to watch this summer in Vegas. Summer League is always a time I enjoy watching young guys work for opportunities either in the NBA or overseas. I am always interested in a watching Summer League with guys we haven’t seen play as much.