After a whirlwind week of roster cuts, it appeared like the Chicago Bulls were prepared to begin the 2023-24 season with a newly trimmed-down 18-man roster. That is not the case, as the Chicago Bulls have formally announced their decision to waive guard Carlik Jones.
Carlik appeared to have all the momentum behind him to push for a full roster slot in the league, averaging 26.1 points, 7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game his route to capturing the 2023 G League MVP award. He built on this by leading South Sudan to its first FIBA World Cup as the best player on the team, averaging 20.4 points and 10.6 assists per game and finishing with a 3-2 record.
Despite this accomplishment, Jones struggled to translate it when it meant most, averaging just 2 points and 2 assists per game while shooting 18.8% from the field in the preseason. With a backcourt already stocked with skill, Carlik has no realistic shot at playing time with the Bulls this season. As a result, Chicago released Jones yesterday evening.
Transaction: We have waived guard Carlik Jones. pic.twitter.com/ubIwoZdcHO
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 20, 2023
The Bulls weren’t the team best equipped to give Carlik Jones a fair shot in the NBA.
Jones’ contract for the upcoming season was unguaranteed, thus dismissing him before the season starts saves the Bulls another $250,000. It also frees up a roster slot, which might be used later in the season to acquire a valued asset.
Having said that, Chicago is still just about $600,000 below the luxury tax threshold. It remains to be seen whether ownership is ready to invest the extra money required to field a truly competitive roster, making this decision unlikely to inspire fan trust.
Meanwhile, if Carlik clears waivers and is not picked up by another NBA team, he would most likely return to the G League. His reputation as a standout player in the G League should be enough to persuade a rebuilding team to take a chance on him in the future.
Terry Taylor is also likely to make the complete roster given that we’re down to 14 players and the Bulls still need depth. If the Bulls make any more free-agent signings, you can read about them at Pippen Ain’t Easy. Until then, it appears that this is the Chicago Bulls team we’ll be seeing all season.
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