Tag: Summer League

Adama Sanogo has proven worthy of Bulls two-way contract

Throughout Summer League, big man Adama Sanogo proved himself worthy of the two-way contract the Chicago Bulls handed him.

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The Chicago Bulls are in a tough spot. This past season, they were bounced in the play-in tournament.

Rather than resetting, they pushed forward. Chicago re-signed Nikola Vucevic and Coby White and signed Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency, thus improving their depth.

In addition, the Bulls made moves at the 2023 NBA draft. Chicago traded into the draft to select Julian Phillips of Tennessee, whose athleticism and defensive potential made him an appealing target. However, that wasn’t the only move Chicago made. The Bulls stayed active in the undrafted free agency scene, signing UConn big man Adama Sanogo to a two-way deal.

According to KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Sanogo proved himself worthy during his time in summer league of the two-way deal the Bulls handed him .

“The Bulls moved quickly to sign the Connecticut big man to a two-way contract after he went undrafted,” Johnson wrote. “While averaging 10.2 points on 65.7 percent shooting and 8.4 rebounds, Sanogo displayed good footwork and a high IQ for solid positioning at both ends.

And while he’ll need to improve his shooting, he has a nice touch around the basket, often off solid rolls to the rim. Sanogo also has good hands.”

In five summer league games, Sanogo averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game on 65.7% shooting from the field.

Sanogo showed a great deal of potential throughout summer league, and if given a chance to grow with the Windy City Bulls, he could grow into a solid rotation piece.

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Summer league standout Nate Darling ‘fits the Bulls greatest need’

Chicago Bulls Summer League standout Nate Darling could have a chance to make a real impact should he be signed to the main roster.

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Heading into the offseason, the Chicago Bulls aimed toward pushing forward rather than tearing down the roster. So far this summer, the moves Chicago has made have fallen in line with that plan. The Bulls signed Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, improving their overall depth.

But on top of that, the Bulls had a great chance to evaluate some young talent moving into next year. While the Bulls are committed to winning, they should also be constantly looking to add youth to their squad, as that will be the best way for Chicago to maintain a solid future outlook.

The Bulls summer league team proved full of solid talent, but Sam Smith of NBA.com, described Nate Darling as one of the most impressive.

“He had his poorest game of the tournament Saturday with four points in 18 minutes and zero for four on three-pointers,” Smith wrote. “That dropped his three-point average for the five games to 32.4% after it mostly hovered close to 40% earlier. He was 39% in the G League this season. The Bulls guards rarely seemed to look for him or run any actions for him. But he fits the Bulls greatest need of a classic catch-and-shoot long distance shooter in the model of players like Cavs free agent addition Max Strus, Miami’s Duncan Robinson and Luke Kennard of Memphis.”

Darling’s offensive game could give Chicago’s offense a massive boost, should he earn the opportunity.

“The Bulls, according to basketball chief Artūras Karnišovas speaking on a Summer League broadcast, added free agent shooting in guard Jevon Carter and forward Torrey Craig,” Smith wrote. “Neither are high volume stand still shooters, though they shoot well from three and are top defenders. The 6-foot-6 Darling from Canada fits the offensive profile the Bulls lack with size, a pure shooting stroke with a quick release and an ability to score off the dribble. He finished Summer League averaging 11.2 points despite the offense mostly operating through Dalen Terry and Freeman-Liberty.”

Should the Bulls sign Darling to the main roster?

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Spurs Summer League: 3 top performers from win over Thunder

Let’s take a look at the top performers from the San Antonio Spurs’ top performers against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For the San Antonio Spurs, Summer League headlines were dominated by Victor Wembanyama, the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The French phenom is already a superstar, as in his first Summer League debut, spectators packed the gym, selling out the arena and making the contest feel like a Summer League game.

However, Wembanyama was shut down after just a couple of Summer League games, leaving room for other players to shine. And in the Spurs’ Summer League finale on Sunday night, they took down the Oklahoma City Thunder, capping off a fruitful mini-season. But who shined against the Thunder?

Let’s take a look at the top performers from the Spurs’ final Summer League game against the Thunder.

3 Summer League players Bulls should sign to the main roster

Now that Summer League has come and gone, here are three players the Chicago Bulls should sign from their squad.

For the Chicago Bulls, Summer League provided a crucial opportunity. Obviously, their goal is to compete for the postseason next year after the Bulls were bounced in the Play-In Tournament this past season. However, they should still be looking to add young talent in an attempt to secure a brighter future in Chicago.

As things stand, the Bulls already have 13 players on their roster, but that doesn’t include Ayo Dosunmu and does include Carlik Jones‘ non-guaranteed contract. In addition, they have two two-way spots open, leaving them with four potential slots open heading into next year, depending on the way Dosunmu’s contract situation plays out.

With that in mind, here are three players from Chicago’s Summer League team who the Bulls should sign to the main roster next year.

Bulls staffer: Dalen Terry’s summer league struggles disappointing

Chicago Bulls second-year forward Dalen Terry has struggled in Summer League, and it’s been “disappointing” to see.

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After this past season, the Chicago Bulls had a few directions they could go with their roster. But Arturas Karnisovas made it clear he didn’t want to rebuild. Instead, he wanted to run it back with the same core in an attempt to make it back to the postseason. So far, all of Chicago’s offseason moves have fallen in line with that idea.

But while the signings of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig are solid, Chicago should still be looking to add young talent, and the summer league has been the perfect chance for them to get a look at their youngsters. Unfortunately, one of their top prospects, Dalen Terry, struggled.

Keith Smith of Spotrac spoke with some Bulls staffers at summer league, and one called Terry’s summer league struggles disappointing.

“It’s been disappointing to see Dalen really struggle to shoot the ball,” the staffer told Smith. “He can do just about everything else. But if he can’t figure out the shot, it’ll be hard to get regular rotation minutes. We have a very competitive wing and guard group.”

In five summer league games, Terry averaged 12.6 points but shot just 33.8% from the field and 34.8% from behind the 3-point line, but those stats were inflated by a strong finish. Terry shot 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from deep in Chicago’s summer league finale.

Terry was Chicago’s first-round pick last summer, but barring a drastic improvement in his shot, he might not be ready to be a regular rotation guy.

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Bulls Summer League: 3 top performers from win over Wizards

Here are the three top performers from the Chicago Bulls’ Summer League win over the Washington Wizards.

For the Chicago Bulls, Summer League provided a perfect opportunity to take a look at young talent. They made a commitment to improvement heading into this season, but at the same time, they need to continue to add solid young talent to their roster if they want to ensure a bright future in Chicago.

The Bulls went 3-2 throughout Summer League, and their last game was on Saturday night against the Washington Wizards. Chicago ended the summer with a victory, taking down the Wizards by a score of 90-85. And while they weren’t able to make the Summer League playoffs, it was still nice to cap off the season with a win.

With that, let’s take a look at the Bulls’ top performers from their Summer League win over the Wizards.

3 Summer League players Spurs should sign to the main roster

Here are three players from the San Antonio Spurs Summer League squad who they should consider signing to the main roster.

While the San Antonio Spurs may not have had the splashiest offseason, they still made sure to stay active. Obviously, their summer was highlighted by the addition of French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who they selected with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. But that wasn’t the only move they made.

San Antonio re-signed Tre Jones, Julian Champagnie, and Sandro Mamukelashvili to new deals. They also got involved in some trades, adding Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens in the deal that saw Max Strus join the Cleveland Cavaliers, and bringing in Reggie Bullock via the deal that saw Grant Williams land with the Dallas Mavericks.

San Antonio already has 17 players under contract heading into next year, so they already have some work to do, but their Summer League squad produced some solid talent, too.

The Spurs have two two-way spots left available, but if they want to sign guys to a standard deal, they would have to cut players. Let’s take a look at three players the Spurs should look to sign from their Summer League team.

(All Summer League stats are through the Spurs’ first four Las Vegas games.)

Bulls Summer League Notebook: Dalen Terry finally comes through

In the Chicago Bulls’ final Summer League game against the Washington Wizards, Dalen Terry finally came through.

With their win on Saturday night, the Chicago Bulls Summer League stint ended. Chicago ended with a 3-2 record throughout Summer League, finishing their schedule with a 90-85 victory over the Washington Wizards in their fifth and final game. The summer was full of surprises, disappointments, and storylines worth following.

Against the Wizards, the Bulls shot 49.3% from the field and 35.3% from the floor, which was one of their most efficient showings of the summer thus far. Now, heading into next season, the Bulls will have some choices to make, as there were a bunch of players on their Summer League roster who looked intriguing.

With that, let’s take a look at our final Summer League notebook of the year.

Dalen Terry could be ‘offensive liability’ for Chicago Bulls

With how poorly he’s performed in Summer League, Dalen Terry could be an “offensive liability” for the Chicago Bulls.

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Heading into the offseason, the Chicago Bulls set their sights on improvement. After getting sent home in the Play-In Tournament, Arturas Karnisovas made a commitment to pushing forward rather than rebuilding, and the additions of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig helped them in that quest.

But on top of that, Chicago needs to continue improving their young core, as their future should be a priority, too. For the Bulls, Summer League provided a crucial opportunity to take a look at their young talent. Heading in, Dalen Terry was the most promising player, and a ton of eyes were on him, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations.

And according to Elias Schuster of Bleacher Nation, while Terry has been solid on the defensive side of the ball, he could be an “offensive liability” for Chicago.

“Meanwhile, Terry remains ice cold from the field after a 4-13 showing,” Schuster wrote. “I like what I’ve seen defensively and the playmaking is still there. But OOF he looks like a potential offensive liability right now.”

Through four Summer League games, Terry has averaged just 10.8 points while shooting 27.3% from the field and 22.2% from behind the three-point line.

With so much hype surrounding him heading into Summer League, Terry was the focal point of many Bulls fans. Unfortunately, his offensive game has been so rough it’s left some questioning whether or not he can play a real role in Chicago’s rotation moving forward.

Unless he develops a consistent jump shot or can at least score somewhat efficiently, Terry may not be able to earn playing time.

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Spurs Summer League: 3 top performers from loss to Pistons

Let’s take a look at three of the San Antonio Spurs’ top performers in their Summer League loss to the Detroit Pistons.

The San Antonio Spurs have had a very fun Summer League stint, and heading into their Friday night contest against the Detroit Pistons, they had an opportunity to finish 3-1, giving them a chance at making the playoffs. Unfortunately, they came up short, losing to Detroit by a score of 79-73.

With Victor Wembanyama and Malaki Branham both shut down for the remainder of Summer League, Spurs fans got a chance to take a look at some of the other talent on the roster, as those two had been dominating the spotlight. And while they weren’t able to come away with a win, some players still managed to shine.

Here are three of the top performers from the Spurs’ Summer League loss to the Pistons.