When the Chicago Bulls traded DeMar DeRozan to the Sacramento Kings in a sign and trade deal, and also traded Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it signaled a shift towards a rebuild. As part of a rebuild, finding cheap, untapped talent is important. The Bulls latest roster signing in reserve guard E.J. Liddell, as per Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.com, could be one of those moves.
While contract details of Liddell’s deal were not immediately available, it’s likely that it’s a camp deal. Liddell will have to earn his way on the Bulls regular season roster during training camp.
As it stands, the Bulls have 14 guaranteed contracts on their roster and two of their three two-way contract spots filled. With technically only one season of NBA experience under his belt, Liddell is eligible for a two-way contract.
The Bulls added a few players to the roster who have NBA experience that will be competing for that one open roster spot. That’s of course provided that the Bulls opt to carry a full 15-man roster into the regular season. Liddell would appear to be competing against Talen Horton-Tucker, Julian Phillips and Kenneth Lofton for that final roster spot.
E.J. Liddell could provide quality depth for the Bulls
For a team shifting towards a rebuild like the Bulls, a player like E.J. Liddell could be a low-risk, high-reward type of signing to their roster. Liddell was originally drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 41 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Liddell suffered an ACL tear during summer league that year and it kept him out the entirety of his rookie season. He still signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans that offseason.
The Pelicans would convert Liddell’s deal to a standard contract heading into the 2023-24 season. Liddell made his NBA debut on Oct. 28 against the New York Knicks with two rebounds in a little over two minutes of play. He appeared in a total of nine games this past season.
Liddell spent most of his time in the G League with the Birmingham Squadron, the affiliate of the Pelicans. In 26 games he averaged 17.7 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 50.4 percent from the field.
Liddell was traded to the Atlanta Hawks this offseason in the trade that brought Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans. He was then rerouted to the Phoenix Suns for David Roddy. The Suns would ultimately cut him. He is an undersized power forward who has yet to receive a real opportunity in the NBA, but has produced in the G League at an efficient rate.
