Around the Beat: A Herro Rumor and Two Names to Watch

By the Bulls Nightly Desk · Monday, September 21

Beat writers this week pushed a Giddey-Claxton pairing, previewed Buzelis and rookie Caleb Wilson, and floated a Tyler Herro trade with no report attached. None of it changes what's confirmed: Chicago is 0-0, Gibson is now on Splitter's staff, and camp opens before any of these ideas get tested.

Bulls Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Team-building chatter. Pippen Ain't Easy's Morris Bankston argued the rebuild needs a sharper strategy from the people running it. Chicago already made that change: Bryson Graham took over as executive vice president of basketball operations on May 4, after Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were fired in April.

Gibson's new seat. Bankston wrote that Taj Gibson knows the recipe for a competitive roster. That's more than a columnist's opinion now: Gibson hung up his sneakers on September 14 and joined Tiago Splitter's staff the same day, so his read on the rebuild comes from inside the building.

Giddey and Claxton fit. Bankston also pitched Josh Giddey and Nic Claxton as a potent skill pairing. Whether that shows up early is unclear: Giddey is day-to-day with a right ankle issue, with an estimated return of October 1, right in the window when camp reps get handed out.

Buzelis and Wilson. The Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley previewed Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson as the pieces pointing this team forward. Wilson, the fourth overall pick this year, is still a rookie finding his footing next to a 21-year-old in Buzelis who logged 77 games last season.

A Herro rumor surfaces. Pippen Ain't Easy's Andrew Hanlon floated a Bulls-Tyler Herro trade he called bizarre but workable. Nothing in Chicago's own rumor reports this month backs it up — the only named connections have been Konchar, Kuminga and Powell in outlet roundups with no specifics attached. Treat it as one writer's idea, not a deal in motion.

Sellers' path in. Bankston also flagged Jaylin Sellers' route to a roster spot as a story worth following. Sellers arrives without a jersey number assigned yet and no NBA games on his ledger, a rookie the beat is watching before camp answers anything about where he fits.

Camp gives back. Bankston also noted a fan-facing element built into this year's training camp, without laying out specifics beyond calling it a treat for supporters. No detail on dates or format has surfaced yet, so it's worth watching before drawing conclusions about what's actually planned.

On deck Preseason opens October 7 at home against the Suns, then the Grizzlies on October 9, a nationally televised trip to Denver on October 11, and Milwaukee on October 14. The regular season begins October 21 at the Raptors.

Is a Tyler Herro trade actually happening?

No. It's one columnist's speculative idea; nothing in Chicago's own rumor reports connects the Bulls to Herro or the Heat.

What is Taj Gibson doing with the Bulls now?

He hung up his sneakers on September 14 and joined Tiago Splitter's coaching staff that same day.