Bryson Graham may not need to do much digging this fall. The New York Knicks have handed the Bulls a ready-made scouting report by loading up their training camp roster with familiar names, and Chicago could wind up benefiting from the final cutdown.
According to Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel, the Knicks are bringing in Bruce Brown, James Wiseman and Ochai Obagji, along with Drew Eubanks and John Konchar on non-guaranteed deals. That’s a lot of recognizable NBA talent for one camp, but the bigger wrinkle is financial: ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted the Knicks are close enough to the NBA second apron that they can effectively keep only one of the five players competing for a main roster spot.
For a Bulls team still working through a rebuild, that creates an obvious opportunity. Chicago has an open roster spot, and depending on how New York sorts out its final decisions, Graham could have a handful of veterans and fringe rotation pieces to choose from without doing much more than watching the Knicks’ camp battle play out.
Not every name on that list makes sense for Chicago, though. If Obagji gets squeezed out in New York, the Bulls probably shouldn’t be the team to scoop him up.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard is 26 and no longer fits the upside category. In four NBA seasons, he hasn’t shown a clear NBA-level skill that would justify regular minutes, he’s a career 33.9% three-point shooter, and he isn’t a defensive stopper.
Konchar brings a stronger defensive reputation, but he’s 30 and may not line up well with where the Bulls are right now. Chicago’s shooting issues also make it hard to imagine a lineup featuring Konchar without creating a spacing headache.
Brown is the most decorated name in the group, but even with his championship resume and veteran presence, he doesn’t look like the best match for a rebuilding roster. He’d be entering his age-30 season, and the fit cuts both ways.
The more practical targets for Chicago are Eubanks and Wiseman.
That’s where the Bulls’ frontcourt picture matters. Nic Claxton and Zach Collins are both currently in those center spots, but neither should be viewed as a long-term answer, especially with both contracts set to expire after the 2027-28 season. Chicago needs affordable help in the middle, and Eubanks would bring exactly that.
At 29, Eubanks is a usable big who has put up career averages of 13.4 points per 36 minutes, 10.3 rebounds per 36 minutes and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes. For a team that should be open to cheap center production whenever it appears, he fits the bill.
Wiseman is a different kind of swing. He would give the Bulls a chance to test their player-development work on a big man who is hovering close to the edge of the league if he can’t secure a roster spot this season. For a rebuilding team, that’s a worthwhile gamble.
Either way, the Knicks’ camp could end up supplying Chicago with a useful answer for the back end of its roster.
In Other News...
Bulls Face A Tough Roster Choice In Their Rebuild
The Bulls rebuild has room for a useful veteran, especially one who can help stretch the floor without demanding a larger role. Charlottes latest roster shuffle has only added to the sense that a few experienced names could become available as the Hornets work through a crowded roster picture, and Chicago is the kind of team that can afford to keep an eye on that market while it sorts out its own long-term plans.
One player worth watching is Pat Connaughton, a wing who brings three-point shooting and defensive value in a package that fits a young roster looking for stability. His championship background also gives him a kind of credibility that can matter in a locker room, and if Charlotte continues trimming toward its regular-season limit, the Bulls could have a real decision to make about whether that blend of skills is worth pursuing. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Take A Closer Look At Young Guard Depth In Camp
Chicago has added a little more guard competition as camp approaches, bringing Houston Mallette and Peter Suder onto the training camp roster. For a team always looking to uncover useful backcourt depth, the move fits the annual pattern of sorting through young players on the margins, especially when Exhibit 10 arrangements can keep those prospects tied to the organization and pointed toward the G League if they do not stick in camp.
Suders path is the more notable one in that mix, given how quickly these opportunities can change for players trying to establish themselves. The Bulls are not the only team taking that route, either, with Detroit signing Jordan Riley and San Antonio adding rookie guard Miles Barnstable, underscoring how many clubs are using camp to take a longer look at younger guards before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Frontcourt Future May Depend On One Risky Free Agency Swing
With the Bulls still sorting out the long-term shape of their frontcourt, the league has started to connect them to a high-upside big man who would change the conversation quickly. Jalen Duren has emerged as a name to watch in restricted free agency, and his combination of size, athleticism and rim pressure is the kind of profile that could appeal to Chicago as it looks for a more defined path in the paint.
The challenge is that the market for Duren may not stay open for long, and Chicago would not be alone in weighing the cost of making a serious run. Milwaukee and Sacramento are also said to have interest, which only raises the stakes for a team trying to balance immediate fit with future flexibility, and leaves the Bulls facing a familiar offseason question: whether to take a swing on talent before someone else locks it up. [Read more 🡒]