Bulls claim ex-Suns G Ulis
There’s a reason Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg only dipped his toe in all the excitement Sunday about Ryan Arcidiacono seemingly making the opening roster.
Because by Sunday evening, that was somewhat in doubt.
A source confirmed that the Bulls claimed local product Tyler Ulis off waivers. They likely will decide by Monday if his contract will turn into a two-way deal, meaning he would split time between the Bulls and the GLeague Windy City Bulls.
If Ulis, a Marian Catholic graduate, sticks with the NBA team, it could mean that Arcidiacono becomes a victim of a numbers game. Last season, he played with a two-way deal that had him shuffling between Hoffman Estates and Chicago throughout the year.
“Players like [Arcidiacono] are needed,” Hoiberg said hours before the Ulis news came out. “He’s going to do whatever’s asked of him. I know he’s always going to be ready, and he proved that last year when we called on him late in the year. I thought he went out and gave us productive minutes, and a lot of that is his effort and energy when he’s on the court.
“You love to have those guys. You know what you’re going to get whenever you put them in the game, and they’re going to go out and play solid basketball.”
So why Ulis? Picked in the second round (34th overall) by the Suns in the 2016 draft, Ulis would give Hoiberg another reserve option at point guard, especially if Cameron Payne slips up or is injured.
There’s a need for depth at that spot, evidenced by the fact that Jabari Parker has been playing the facilitator role with the second unit at times.