Hawkins Joins, Stevens Exits, Collins' Return Date Hits Today

By the Bulls Nightly Desk · Wednesday, October 7

The roster turned over again this week: Jordan Hawkins joined October 6 on two-way terms, with Isaiah Stevens gone from the roster as of October 5. Preseason play opens tonight against Phoenix, with Zach Collins' toe timeline and Nic Claxton's hamstring clock both still in motion.

Bulls Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Hawkins fills the gap. The Bulls added Jordan Hawkins on October 6, his contract two-way per Bulls.com and ESPN. Isaiah Stevens is gone from the roster as of October 5. The swap keeps a guard spot filled while camp sorts out who sticks past preseason.

Suns come to town. Phoenix visits tonight for preseason, both clubs still 0-0. The Suns went 45-37 last season, with Devin Booker averaging 26.1 points a game. Center Mark Williams is out with a left shoulder issue. Jordan Ott runs Phoenix's bench; Tiago Splitter runs Chicago's.

Collins' target date arrives. Zach Collins was pegged for a return from his right toe injury on October 7 — today. He has been day-to-day since the issue surfaced, and tonight is the first test of whether that timeline holds.

Claxton's clock keeps running. Nic Claxton remains day-to-day with a hamstring issue, with an estimated return of October 21 — the regular-season opener at Toronto. If that date holds, camp finishes without him, and his first live look comes on opening night.

Buzelis waits his turn. The Chicago Sun-Times reported October 6 that Matas Buzelis is having his patience tested in camp, hoping to be passing that test. He averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds last season across 77 games, the kind of workload a new staff is still sorting how to use.

Williams' minutes swung last season. Patrick Williams averaged 34 minutes over his final three games last season, 14 more than his season mark, whenever a teammate sat out. It's a small sign of how thin this roster's margin for absences already was before Claxton and Collins turned up hurt now.

On deck Grizzlies visit October 9, then Chicago goes on the road for Denver (October 11, ESPN) and Milwaukee (October 14) to close preseason. The regular season opens October 21 at Toronto.

Is Zach Collins playing tonight for the Bulls?

He was projected to return from his right toe injury on October 7, the date of tonight's game against Phoenix, though Chicago has not confirmed he will suit up.

When does Nic Claxton come back for the Bulls?

His hamstring timeline points to October 21, the regular-season opener at Toronto, not any point in the preseason.