September 28—Ayo Dosunmu enters his fourth season general with the Chicago Bulls and second after signing a three-year, $21 million contract final offseason. His place within the roster? It is safe. However there are others who’re contemplating touchdown on an NBA roster with coaching camp set to start Tuesday.
Not simply random execs both. A bunch of acquainted faces, together with former Illinois guard Marcus Domask (who ran with the Bulls at Summer time League), two-time Information-Gazette Participant of the Yr EJ Liddell, former star Whitney Younger DJ Steward and former star participant Simeon Talen. Horton-Tucker.
Initially, Domask. If there’s such a factor as a breakout season for a fifth-year participant who already had 1,600 profession factors, Domask had it final 12 months in Champaign. The Southern Illinois switch put collectively a singular All-Massive Ten caliber season with the Illini, serving to them attain the Elite Eight.
Domask’s Summer time League stint with the Bulls wasn’t that notable with seven factors in three video games, however he clearly caught the eye of the entrance workplace. Whether or not or not he lands a two-way deal (making the lively roster is a tall order), Domask will discover somebody to pay him to play basketball this upcoming season.
The sequel to “Who’s Who?” of former IHSA stars is form of wonderful. Illinois recruited all three of Horton-Tucker, Liddell and Steward. In an alternate universe, the three plus Dosunmu may have been on the identical crew. (Dosunmu and Horton-Tucker have been within the 2018 class, Liddell was in 2019 and Steward was in 2020). So it is a little bit surreal to see all of them in camp with the Bulls.
Horton-Tucker spent the 2023-24 season – his fifth within the NBA – with the Utah Jazz, making 11 begins in 51 video games. Steward performed for the Maine Celtics within the G League final season and signed a two-day contract with the Bulls in July.
Liddell by no means joined the New Orleans Pelicans after tearing his ACL earlier than his rookie 12 months and spent virtually all of final season with the Birmingham Squadron within the G League (the place he teamed with former Illini Malcolm Hill). He was traded in July to the Atlanta Hawks, then once more to the Phoenix Suns later that month, then waived in August.
