Leonard Miller has spent the Bulls’ preseason making a strong case for himself, even as his contract situation looms over everything else.
Chicago beat Milwaukee 125-104 on Wednesday to move to 2-2 in exhibition play, and Miller was again in the middle of the action. He finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals, adding another steady showing to what has been a very productive stretch.
That consistency has been the real story. A few days earlier, Miller poured in 26 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and shot 79% from the field in a 133-128 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Before that, he posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 104-100 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Through four preseason games, Miller is averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Head coach Tiago Splitter has used him in a flexible role, deploying him at both power forward and center.
The timing matters because Miller’s future with Chicago is still unresolved. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and will become an unrestricted free agent after the season if the Bulls do not extend him.
Miller entered the league when Minnesota took him with the 33rd pick in the 2023 draft. He signed a four-year rookie deal worth $8,319,739, with an average annual salary of $2,079,935.
His path to Chicago came in February, when the Timberwolves traded him and Rob Dillingham to the Bulls for Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips. Minnesota also received four second-round draft picks in the deal.
Before arriving in Chicago, Miller had appeared in 27 games and averaged 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 55% from the field.
The Bulls kept him in place this offseason by exercising a $2.4 million team option.
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Bulls Suddenly Enter A Star Chase That Could Change Everything
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An anonymous NBA executive has already pointed to Chicago and the Clippers as possible landing spots if Towns does not re-sign with New York, a reminder that every delay in extension talks can change the market quickly. For the Bulls, the appeal is obvious: a player of Towns caliber rarely becomes available, and if the Knicks continue to hold off on a deal, Chicago could find itself in a position to make a move it did not seem to have on the board not long ago. [Read more 🡒]