Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings
January 2026
Cleveland sent Hunter to Sacramento; Cleveland received Schröder, Ellis, and two-way player Miller; Chicago received Šarić and two second-round picks. Cleveland adds guard depth and flexibility; Sacramento continues reshaping a struggling season; Chicago turns the move into picks while taking on Šarić.
De’Andre Hunter, Dennis Schröder, Keon Ellis, Dario Šarić
January 2026
Cleveland reportedly sent Hunter to Sacramento; Cleveland received Schröder and Ellis; Chicago received Šarić and two second-round picks. Cleveland adds depth and reduces tax impact; Sacramento pivots toward rebuild; Chicago takes salary plus draft compensation as part of the three-team structure.
Derrick Rose
January 2026
Rose’s No. 1 jersey will be raised to the rafters, placing him alongside franchise icons, closing a loop on a hometown journey that began with the Bulls winning the 2008 draft lottery at 1.7% odds. The piece traces Rose’s Chicago roots, Simeon success, Memphis one-and-done rise, instant NBA impact as 2009 Rookie of the Year, and a signature 36-point playoff debut in Boston that announced him as a franchise cornerstone.
Josh Giddey
January 2026
Donovan said Giddey is close to returning after three weeks out with a left hamstring strain, with a potential comeback at Minnesota on Thursday. Donovan said there were no setbacks and medical clearance is the remaining step. Giddey has been producing near All-Star numbers with seven triple-doubles, while Patrick Williams is day-to-day with an ankle sprain.
Jose Alvarado, Mark Williams
December 2025
Jose Alvarado was suspended two games without pay and Mark Williams one game without pay after an altercation in Suns vs Pelicans. Both were ejected after punches were thrown following a foul and shove sequence late in the third quarter. The conflict began with Alvarado committing a defensive foul and Williams responding with a shove, before escalation into a fight that led to technical fouls and ejections. The league assigned suspension dates tied to upcoming Pelicans and Suns fixtures immediately following the incident.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
December 2025
Giannis returned from a right calf strain to power Milwaukee’s 112-103 win in Chicago, scoring 29 points in under 25 minutes and transforming a Bucks team that had gone 3-11 without him and arrived with a 12-19 record, tied for its worst 31-game start of his era. Doc Rivers carefully limited him to 28 minutes across three second-half stints despite Giannis’ frustration, while teammates highlighted how his scoring, rim protection and gravity restored belief and sharpened execution, snapping a brutal month and giving Milwaukee a platform to climb the East once the rest of the roster also improves.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
December 2025
Antetokounmpo is back in action after missing eight games with a right calf strain suffered against Detroit. Milwaukee went 2-6 without him and sit 11th in the East at 12-19, but remain within touching distance of the playoff places. Having previously battled a left adductor issue and an earlier calf strain that ended his 2023-24 season, Giannis focused his rehab on getting fully healthy amid persistent trade speculation. He insists he is “locked in” on the Bucks, recognising outside noise but prioritising fitness and a push back up the Eastern Conference standings.
Zion Williamson
December 2025
Zion Williamson returned from a right hip adductor strain to post 18 points off the bench, including seven in the final four minutes, sparking the last-place Pelicans to a 114-104 home win over the Bulls and easing fears after yet another injury-interrupted start to his season. Limited to just under 27 minutes in his first game back after missing five, Williamson leaned on improved summer conditioning, capped his night with a late dunk and admitted rehab “sucks” but is now shorter thanks to better preparation, while James Borrego praised him for working back slightly ahead of schedule.
Noa Essengue
December 2025
Chicago Bulls rookie forward Noa Essengue, the twelfth overall pick, will undergo left shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season, having managed only brief NBA minutes while delivering impressive scoring and rebounding numbers in four G League outings for Windy City. Coach Billy Donovan said medical staff recommended immediate repair to prevent recurring problems, adding Essengue to a long Bulls injury list that already includes Coby White, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Jalen Smith, Isaac Okoro and Tre Jones, leaving Chicago even thinner in the frontcourt and across the rotation.
Tre Jones (Chicago Bulls)
November 2025
Bulls guard Tre Jones has been named the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for October after helping raise over $1.1 million for cancer research, supporting breast cancer awareness campaigns and backing violence prevention and small business initiatives across Chicago. Jones co-hosted a major Jimmy V Foundation gala, backed Susan G. Komen’s VIPink campaign, partnered with the Obama Foundation’s Brotherhood Rising Program, amplified local businesses through the Bulls and BMO Spotlight Business initiative, and joined climate-focused Adapt2win, while also serving on the NBA’s Social Justice Coalition board.
