Bulls add former Illinois wing Malcolm Hill on 10-day contract

Ahead of their key meeting with superstar point guard Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on the night of Jan. 14, the Chicago Bulls added to their roster with another 10-day contract. Second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls added the former Atlanta Hawks 26-year-old shooting guard/small forward Malcolm Hill on Jan. 14 to add depth to the roster.

Hill is looking to fill a void for the Bulls at the three and/or the four with some recent injuries that surfaced for the team. While the Bulls have missed second-year forward Patrick Williams for essentially the entire regular season thus far (and likely will the rest of the way), there are other key injuries to note.

The Bulls are also missing the likes of point guard Alex Caruso, forward Derrick Jones Jr., and shooting guard/forward Javonte Green. Given the injuries to DJJ and Green right now, the Bulls took action to restore some depth on the wing.

Chicago Bulls add former Hawks and Illinois wing Malcolm Hill on a 10-day deal

That is why the addition of Hill came at this time in all likelihood.

Hill could be a fan favorite in Chicago given the fact that he’s a product of the Illinois Fighting Illini hoops program. Rookie point guard Ayo Dosunmu is also an Illinois alum and has become extraordinarily popular for the Bulls this season.

Granted, Hill would have a lot to prove before he could reach the level of popularity in Chicago that Ayo achieved so far this season.

Moreover, Hill actually played pretty well for the Hawks in three games this season. Those three games he played with the Hawks earlier this season are also the only NBA action that Hill saw in his pro career to date.

In those three games, he averaged 5.7 points per game, 2.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks while shooting 62.5 percent from the field, 60 percent from beyond the arc, and 100 percent from the free-throw line.

Another factor that probably played a role in the Bulls’ signing Hill was the fact that his best game in the NBA thus far came against Chicago last month. Hill came up with a career-high 13 point night in a loss to the Bulls for the Hawks in late December.

Hill will likely be looking to occupy mostly a third unit role playing at the three or the four behind forwards Alfonzo McKinnie and Troy Brown Jr. The injury to DJJ does open the door for Hill to get some decent minutes, though, if the Bulls aren’t getting much out of either Brown or McKinnie.

The Bulls head into this meeting with the Warriors sporting a record of 27-12 following their bad loss to the Brooklyn Nets at home back on Jan. 12. Tip-off time between the Bulls and Warriors is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 14 at the United Center in Chicago.