Before the Chicago Bulls defend their Las Vegas Summer League title this July, they’ll need to put a roster in place for their title defense. Here’s a few names that have already been thrown into the mix for the SummerBulls.
The Chicago Bulls will head to Las Vegas in July as the reigning and defending Las Vegas Summer League champions of the universe for the 2017-18 NBA Summer League on July 7-17.
Names like last year’s title game hero Denzel Valentine and last year’s second round selection Paul Zipser are a couple of names that are expected to suit up for the SummerBulls in July out in Vegas. Valentine had a scope procedure done on his ankle after the season ended and Zipser has been reported to be skipping EuroBasket for Germany and focusing on next season with the Bulls.
As for some of the new faces on this year’s title-defending team, a few names have been brought into the mix for the SummerBulls, including Lauri Markkanen, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and Kris Dunn, a top-5 pick in last year’s draft class.
Markkanen was the pick after the Bulls acquired the Minnesota Timberwolves’ pick in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler to Minneapolis to join former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. Dunn also joined the No. 7 pick (Markkanen) and Zach LaVine in Chicago in the trade for Butler.
Some other names you may not have have heard about: former Florida Gators center Chris “Sky” Walker, Amida Brimah from Connecticut and Antonio Blakeney, an undrafted guard from LSU.
Chris Walker
Chicago Bulls and former Florida Gators forward Chris Walker have agreed to a Summer League deal, a league source told Basketball Insiders.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 23, 2017
Walker had some academic and rules-related issues during his time at Florida, but spent some time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League … er, G-League now. He’s a big kid at 6-foot-10, 220 pounds, and can absolutely leap out of a gym. He hasn’t quite lived up to the potential of a former 5-star recruit, but he’s an explosive leaper. (Think of Tyrus Thomas to a degree.)
Amida Brimah
Former #UConn big man Amida Brimah signs with Chicago #Bulls: https://t.co/aM2gdNCv0Y
— WTNH Sports Team 8 (@SportsTeam8) June 26, 2017
He’s better known as the poor kid that was a victim of James Young in the 2014 NCAA Championship between Connecticut and Kentucky down in Dallas. Still, Brimah’s like Walker in the aspect of being a lengthy big in the middle that could have a bigger upside than many think. He’s a legit 7-footer and a lethal shot-blocker, averaging 2.3 blocks per game in his four years at UConn.
Also, he had a perfect shooting night a couple seasons ago for the Huskies on 13 attempts (and missed just two of 16 free throws). Seriously.
Antonio Blakeney
Antonio Blakeney (@blakeney96) will play Summer League with the Bulls. He was one of my sleepers in this class. I interviewed him in May: pic.twitter.com/liBsr652fr
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 26, 2017
Antonio Blakeney didn’t get the hype that former teammate Ben Simmons got during his time at LSU, but he’s a bigger guard (6-foot-4) that has a decent stroke from the perimeter (shot 35.8 percent on just under five attempts a game from deep last season). He’s a good athlete and can heat up in a hurry. He’s definitely someone that could be fun to watch in Vegas.
We’ll keep you updated more as the SummerBulls roster fills out before their first game on July 8 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Next: Jimmy Butler's final goodbye to the city of Chicago
You can look at the rest of the rosters in Las Vegas (and in the Orlando league) here.