Jordan Hawkins’ best shot at a real Bulls breakthrough may not come until Chicago starts reshaping the roster at the trade deadline.
That’s the tension hanging over his season. The Bulls have plenty to sort through with their young group, from Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson to Dailyn Swain, Noa Essengue and Leonard Miller.
But development alone won’t define this year. Chicago also has to turn some of its veteran value into future draft capital or more young talent if this campaign is going to fully land.
That’s why names like Norman Powell and Buddy Hield are on the roster in the first place. If the Bulls can cash in on that value later in the season, the year can still be judged a success even beyond the growth of the younger players.
Hawkins fits into that same larger plan, just in a different lane. Chicago grabbed him after he was waived by the New Orleans Pelicans late this offseason, giving him a fresh start and a chance to get his career moving again. The catch is that the opportunity he needs may not exist yet.
He is on a two-way contract, which gives the Bulls flexibility to develop him in the G-League and call him up when the moment calls for it. That’s the theory. The reality is that Hawkins’ path to meaningful NBA minutes is crowded.
He spent much of last season stuck behind Micah Peavy and Bryce McGowens in New Orleans, and his numbers didn’t force the issue. Across 51 games, he averaged 5.1 points while shooting 36.6% from the field. Even then, Chicago saw enough to take the swing.
At 6'5", Hawkins still doesn’t have an obvious route to becoming a plus defender at shooting guard. But the Bulls are clearly betting on the one skill that can carry him: perimeter shooting. That shot was on full display at UConn, and if it translates at the NBA level, Chicago could have a long-term offensive piece on its hands.
For now, though, the depth chart is working against him. His preseason showing didn’t do much to suggest he’ll be ahead of Dailyn Swain, Buddy Hield or Isaac Okoro when it comes to bench minutes. So unless the Bulls move on from some backcourt pieces by the deadline, Hawkins could be stuck waiting.
There is a roadmap, though. Last season, Leonard Miller and Rob Dillingham both carved out roles after the roster was reworked at the deadline. They arrived by trade, not as holdovers, but the lesson still applies: when the lineup changes, chances open up.
Hawkins is hoping for that same opening. Right now, he just needs the Bulls to make the kind of moves that create space.
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Bulls Already Face An Early Frontcourt Problem They Didn't Want
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Hawks Face A Roster Squeeze If This Big Man Hits The Market
Moussa Cisses status in Dallas has put a few teams on alert as the league heads toward the October 19 roster deadline. The Mavericks are reportedly at risk of waiving the big man, and if that happens, NBA insider Marc Stein has said there will be a market for him almost immediately.
The Bulls are among the clubs said to be monitoring the situation, along with the Hawks, Lakers and 76ers, all looking at the possibility of adding a frontcourt piece without giving up anything in a trade. Nothing is settled yet, but Cisses next move could quickly turn into a race of timing, roster space and whether a team decides he is worth the claim. [Read more 🡒]