Four Bulls Nurse Injuries With Preseason Ten Days Out

Four hurt, one date. Dailyn Swain, Zach Collins, Josh Giddey and Rob Dillingham are all listed day-to-day, and all four carry the same estimated return date, October 1. That's before the preseason opener October 7 against Phoenix, but training camp reps are already at stake.

Opportunity through absence. Last season, when a teammate sat, Rob Dillingham and Patrick Williams both saw their workload jump - Dillingham up 13 minutes per game, Williams up 14, over three-game stretches with a starter out. With four Bulls out now, camp could hand someone that same opening.

Miller trending up. Leonard Miller closed last season playing 28.8 minutes over his final 10 games, 13.1 more than his season average. It's a small sample, but it's the clearest sign the front office was willing to feed him minutes as the rebuild leans younger.

Payroll and picks. Chicago's payroll runs $161.5 million, well below the $200.4 million tax line, with Giddey, Claxton, Powell and Williams as the four largest deals. The Bulls also own every first-round selection through 2030, the foundation the front office is building from.

Preseason slate set. The Bulls open preseason October 7 against Phoenix, then host Memphis October 9 before back-to-back road trips to Denver (ESPN, October 11) and Milwaukee (October 14). The regular season opens October 21 at Toronto.

Wilson and LeBron. Pippen Ain't Easy reported that rookie Caleb Wilson worked out with LeBron James this summer, an offseason data point more than a signal about his role. The bigger question for Wilson, drafted fourth, is where he fits once camp minutes get real.