Onuralp

Bitim

Bitim had a wrist issue late in the regular season, but the rookie played through it. The eye injury is far more severe, and it’s worth wondering if he will be ready to go when training camp begins in the fall.

Bitim was initially probable for Sunday’s game, so the status upgrade is unsurprising. How much he’ll play depends on DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso’s minutes. Both starters are available, but the Bulls cannot change their seed (nine) or Play-In tournament opponent (Atlanta), regardless of the game’s outcome. Bitim may play a lot more in the second half than the first.

Bitim started and played 25 minutes in Friday’s win over the Wizards, as Chicago was without multiple starters. However, with DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso absent from the initial injury report for Sunday, Bitim will be a risky play in active leagues.

The Bulls are without Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, leaving White as the lone holdover in the starting lineup. Among the replacements, Craig and Green are the ones worth a look in active fantasy leagues.

Coby White is the only Bulls starter who doesn’t carry an injury designation into Friday’s matchup with Washington, and he should handle a significant workload. If Chicago’s questionable players end up sitting this one out, guys like Dalen Terry, Onuralp Bitim, Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig should see extra run.

Caruso was held out of practice on Wednesday, though Billy Donovan referred to it as a “precautionary move”. He is officially listed as questionable, but based on what Donovan said, he should be available to play. If both Caruso and Coby White are out, Jevon Carter and Onuralp Bitim would likely take on larger roles.

Having reached double figures once in his rookie season before Monday, Bitim was among the few bright spots for Chicago in the blowout defeat. The 17 points are a season-high, while he matched his previous high with six rebounds. Bitim still isn’t to the point where fantasy managers need to add him; however, the minutes suggest he has surpassed Dalen Terry in the pecking order. Fellow rookie Julian Phillips was the only other reserve to play at least 25 minutes, and he finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two steals, and two 3-pointers. Neither Phillips nor Bitim should be added in fantasy leagues.

Terry was initially listed as questionable, but now he has officially been ruled out. He didn’t play in their last game despite being healthy and only played two minutes in the game before. Onuralp Bitim and Julian Phillips should continue to see small roles off the bench, with a few extra minutes due to Terry’s absence.

Signed to a two-way contract by the Bulls in late July, Bitim has appeared in two games for the team this season. However, he’s performed well for their G League affiliate, averaging 14.2 points per game while shooting better than 42% from three. This transaction will not impact fantasy basketball.

Drell and Bitim are on two-way contracts and have not been in the rotation when healthy. Their absences impact the Windy City Bulls of the G League more than the Chicago Bulls.