Bulls Notebook: Camp Fills In, October Comes Into View

Camp roster moves. Hoops Rumors' Tony Garcia reported Sept. 23 that Chicago, Detroit and San Antonio were adding to their camp rosters. For the Bulls that meant guards Houston Mallette and Peter Suder, who both signed Sept. 22 to fill out the training camp group.

Four hurt, one date. Dailyn Swain, Zach Collins, Josh Giddey and Rob Dillingham are all nursing injuries with the same estimated return of Oct. 1. That lands before the preseason opener, so for now it only costs camp reps, not games.

Preseason takes shape. The exhibition slate opens Oct. 7 against the Suns, followed by the Grizzlies on Oct. 9, a trip to Denver on Oct. 11 that ESPN will carry, and a stop in Milwaukee on Oct. 14. The regular season starts Oct. 21 at Toronto.

Tre Jones, bench scorer. Last season Tre Jones scored 20 or more off the bench in four of his last five games, turning a reserve role into a habit rather than a hot streak. He heads into camp as a proven source of instant offense behind Giddey.

Splitter's staff, still thin. The Bulls announced Tiago Splitter's coaching staff on Sept. 14, but the only hire named specifically is Taj Gibson, who retired as a player that same day to take an assistant's job. Who else is on that bench remains unlisted.

Beat chatter on Podziemski. Pippen Ain't Easy's Morris Bankston wrote Sept. 24 that Brandin Podziemski heading to restricted free agency is a green flag for Chicago, an outside opinion rather than any Bulls report of interest. Take it as beat speculation, not a plan.

What Kuminga note means. A Sept. 11 roundup grouped the Bulls with Kuminga, Cleveland, Indiana and Detroit without saying why. No report since has explained the connection, and it's still unclear whether it means anything once camp opens.