Rumor Check: What's Confirmed and What's Still Just Talk

Dillingham-Hield is final. The September 26 report that Chicago would send Rob Dillingham to Charlotte for Buddy Hield carries confirmed status, and it matches what the roster shows now: Hield is already in training camp, Dillingham is gone. No open question left here.

Camp churn, all confirmed. Four more reports from September 26 through October 5 are also confirmed: Marquel Sutton added then waived, Jalen Bridges signed, Isaiah Stevens signed, and a grouped item covering the Wizards, Magic and Jazz alongside Chicago. Paperwork, not speculation.

Hawkins deal, still open. The report that Jordan Hawkins agreed to a contract carries only 41 percent confidence and an open status as of October 5, even though Hawkins is already in camp. The source has the right name; the file just hasn't been marked closed.

Claxton's timeline tracks. A separate October 5 report, also at 41 percent confidence, put Claxton's hamstring strain at two weeks minimum. Chicago's own estimate has him back October 21, the same day the regular season begins at Toronto. The numbers line up.

Grouped and empty. A September 28 roundup from Zion Brown named Haliburton, Curry, Luka, Beal and Chicago in one headline, at 37 percent confidence and still open. Nothing in it is specific to the Bulls. That's a name in a list, not a report.

Low confidence from the start. A September 25 report on three veteran signings carries just 29 percent confidence, the lowest of the group, and it predates the confirmed moves that actually followed. Treat it as the vaguest tip on the board, already overtaken by what's since been nailed down.

The cap sheet isn't tight. None of this threatens the books. Chicago sits at $164.3 million against a $200.4 million luxury line, with Giddey, Claxton, Powell, Williams and Okoro as the five biggest deals. There's room for a depth signing or two without anyone sweating the tax.