The Chicago Bulls are preparing for the 2024-25 regular season and are trying to figure out what their team is going to look like. They have very few secure things on their roster and after a raucous offseason that has continued to mold into an unpredictable preseason, the fate of this year’s Bulls team is very much up in the air. After turning over some of their biggest contributors from a season ago with DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, and welcoming back some injured starters with Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Lonzo Ball, there isn’t much stability heading into the regular season.
This opens the door for the rest of the roster to fill in the gaps and try to take on a bigger role with this Chicago Bulls team. Nikola Vucevic and Coby White are set to pick up where they left off in 2023-24 and Josh Giddey and rookie Matas Buzelis look like they’re going to get big opportunities to make some space for themselves in the rotation, but beyond that the Bulls provide a great chance for players to seize significant playing time. One of the players who will be eagerly looking for these opportunities is Talen Horton-Tucker and his preseason performance is an indication that he’s ready.
THT Ready To Shine For Chicago Bulls
Talen Horton-Tucker has had a long journey in a short amount of time so far in his professional basketball career. Since coming out of Iowa State in 2019, “THT” has been traded twice and been the subject of scrutiny that far exceeds his status as a late second pick. After being drafted by the Orlando Magic and shipped to Los Angeles to join up with the LeBron James-led Lakers, Horton-Tucker has shown unique skill and ability in his young NBA career.
The crafty guard was in and out of the rotation for two seasons with the Lakers, playing different and inconsistent roles with the team before joining the Utah Jazz where, although playing in a much more defined role, didn’t make the same impact he did when he was helping the Lakers hunt down a championship. After two seasons in Salt Lake City, Horton-Tucker was a free agent and the Chicago Bulls brought him in on an Exhibit 10 non-guaranteed deal. The 6-foot-4 guard has made the most of his opportunity and is now slated to join the regular season roster after impressing in the preseason.
With many of the top players on the roster getting reduced or limited playing time in this year’s preseason, there was plenty of playing time for fringe players like Horton-Tucker to try and leave an impression on the Chicago Bulls coaching staff and front office. After a stellar preseason that concluded with a go-ahead basket to help Chicago beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, Horton-Tucker was rewarded with the final roster spot and a new contract.
Good Opportunity For Bulls Guard
The final roster spot on the Chicago Bulls might not look like a terrific place to be for a one-time NBA champion. With so much uncertainty though surrounding the Chicago Bulls this year, there is a fair chance the Iowa State product could find himself playing meaningful minutes for this team. In the Eastern Conference, Chicago is a possible play-in contender. Injury-prone players and roster instability throughout the year could pave a path for the final man on the bench to get his best playing time in years.
There are players in front of Horton-Tucker that give the Chicago Bulls a better option at the off-guard spot like Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosumnu and occasionally Coby White, but THT’s craftiness and ability to get tough baskets could come in handy with some rotations during the year for Head Coach Billy Donovan. This would make the guard a viable option for big games. He might be the final invite to the roster and not strike everyone as a crucial member of a basketball team, but if his past production and start to the NBA year are any indication, Horton-Tucker is ready to pounce for the Chicago Bulls if things go his way.
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